Essay on Protest Songs Throughout the Vietnam War

Throughout all the anti-war protests and marches during the Vietnam War, it is interesting to note the changes in the music of that time. From the beginning of the war, where support and loyalty from Americans was present in songs, to the end of the war, where anger and distrust was evident in musical lyrics, American’s opinion changed about the war. This change in opinion was easily recognized by the altering of musical lyrics about the war when Americans grew tired of the constant sending of U.S. troops to Vietnam. The growing dissatisfaction with the Vietnam War led to increasing levels of anger and hostility in the popular music of the time. In 1965, Lyndon Johnson, with solid support from the American public, made the decision to†¦show more content†¦This area in San Francisco named after two interesting streets became a mecca, of sorts for the hippie movement. It was a generally peaceful movement advocating universal love and rejection of conventional values. T hey used songs such as â€Å"Where have all the Glowers Gone† and â€Å"Blowin in the Wind† to convey an anti-war message, that still had a peaceful tone. In â€Å"Where have all the Flowers Gone,† the girl in the song could be considered a metaphor for society in general repeating cycles of history, such as war, without learning from them. When Bob Dylan sang â€Å"Blowin in the Wind† he alluded to the answer to war being right in front of us but the inability to grasp it: Dylan says, â€Å"Yes, n how many deaths will it take till he knows/That too many people have died/The answer, my friend, is blowin in the wind,† (Lyrics.com). As more and more troops were being sent to Vietnam, and the casualties began to rise, people began to question the government’s involvement. â€Å"Even military troops came to mistrust their government’s reasons for keeping them there, as well as Washington’s claims that the war was being won†.(Vietnam War) The Vietnam war was the first war to be broadcast on television. This meant that for the first time the American people were able to see the war instead of just hearing about it on the radio. They were able to see firsthand the soldier’s faces, see the reality of where they were fighting and to see theShow MoreRelatedThe Song Bring Em Home 1743 Words   |  7 Pages The song â€Å"Bring ‘em Home† was a protest song about the Vietnam War. The song was written and performed by Pete Seeger. Pete Seeger was born in May 3, 1919. Since birth Pete Seeger had a musical orientated childhood. His parents were both involved with music in s ome way. 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