Vietnam War and Popular Music

Historical Context of the Vietnam War

• Timeline and Scope: The Vietnam War took place from $1954$ to $1975$. It is considered a major part of the broader Indochina Wars in Southeast Asia.     * French Indochina War ($1946$–$1954$): France attempted to regain control of its colony, Vietnam, which it had colonized in the $19 ext{th}$ Century.     * Declaration of Independence: Ho Chi Minh declared Vietnam's independence in $1945$.     * Division of the Country: In $1954$, following the French defeat, the country was divided into a Communist North and a U.S.-backed South.     * U.S. Involvement: The United States began sending troops to support South Vietnam in $1955$.     * Vietnamization ($1969$): A policy introduced to withdraw U.S. forces and transfer the responsibility of the war effort to the government of South Vietnam.     * Media Impact: This was the first U.S. conflict to receive constant television coverage.         * Pre-$1969$ Coverage: Generally positive in tone.         * Post-$1969$ Coverage: Shifted toward a pessimistic tone.     * End of Conflict: South Vietnam collapsed in $1975$, and the country was reunified as a socialist nation in $1976$.

The Selective Service Draft ($1964$–$1973$)

• Statistics: Approximately $2.2 ext{ million}$ U.S. men were drafted, accounting for 25 ext{%} of the total fighting force. While many others volunteered, the draft was a significant source of personnel.
• Legal Status: The draft was legally classified as a "peacetime draft."
• Inequality and Class: The draft system was heavily influenced by class, with various exceptions and exemptions available to those with more resources, leading to widespread draft dodging.
• Draft and the Drug War: Under Nixon’s War on Drugs in $1971$, joining the army was sometimes used as an alternative to criminal prosecution; serving could remove drug-related arrests from a person's record.
• Social Impact: The draft served as a primary catalyst for strengthening the anti-war movement within the United States.

Folk Music and Narrative Protest: Arlo Guthrie

• Background: Born in $1947$, Arlo Guthrie is a leftist folk singer and the son of legendary folk musician Woody Guthrie.
• "Alice’s Restaurant Massacree": A narrative song based on Guthrie’s $1965$ arrest for littering. This criminal record famously made him "unfit" for the draft.     * Verbatim Anecdote: "And friends Obie was, cause he took out the toilet seat so I couldn't hit myself over the head and drown, and he took out the toilet paper so I couldn't bend the bars roll out the-roll the toilet paper out the window, slide down the roll and have an about four or five hours later that Alice (remember Alice? It's a song about Alice)."
• Career Trajectory: Performed at small venues before gaining radio play; released his first album in $1967$ and a film based on the song in $1969$. He began touring with Pete Seeger in the late $1960 ext{s}$ and performed at Woodstock in $1969$.

Music and Military Life in Vietnam

• In the Rear (Camps and Bases):     * Long Binh Post ($1965$–$1972/73$): A massive base housing approximately $60,000$ people.     * Presence of Music: Constant through broadcasts and cassette recordings.     * Live Entertainment: Featured Vietnamese, Korean, and Filipino cover bands.     * USO Tours: The United Service Organization (USO) organized tours by American celebrities, most notably Bob Hope.     * Function of Music: Provided nostalgia and escapism. Genres included American, British, and Latin rock; soul; R&B; gospel; Motown; country; and folksong.
• In the Field (On Patrol):     * Aural Environment: Soldiers often experienced silence for weeks at a time.     * Restrictions: Recorded music and radios were frequently confiscated to maintain operational security.     * Acoustic Warfare: Sound was utilized as a tool in psychological warfare.

The American Forces Vietnam Network (AFVN)

• Duration: Active from $1962$ to $1973$.
• Format: Served as a "Top $40$" station for troops, with DJs who were often draftees themselves.
• Censorship Protocols:     * Strictly based on lyrics.     * Prohibited themes: Sex, drug overtones, anti-war sentiments, or anti-American rhetoric.     * Songs were frequently edited, cut, or entirely banned.
• Soldier's Anthem: The Animals' "We Gotta Get Out of This Place" became the unofficial anthem for many GIs.     * Sample Lyrics: "In this dirty old part of the city / Where the sun refused to shine / … / We gotta get out of this place / If it's the last thing we ever do / … / Girl, there's a better life for me and you."
• Alternative Media: GIs established their own unauthorized "alternative" stations using smuggled equipment and tapes sent from left-wing or anti-war movements in the U.S.

Race Relations and Sonic Contestation

• Domestic Conflict Transferred: Racial tensions from the Civil Rights Movement and desegregation in the U.S. were mirrored in military camps.
• Cultural Segregation: Conflict manifested in "softball versus basketball" disputes and battles over sonic space (the jukebox).     * White Soldiers: Typically favored country and rock, including artists like Charley Pride.     * Black Soldiers: Favored soul, gospel, funk, and music associated with the Black Arts movement.
• Violence: Disagreements over music and race often escalated into physical fights, shootings, and fragging (the intentional killing of superior officers).
• Contextual Influences: Social unrest followed the assassination of Medgar Evers and the $16 ext{th}$ Street Baptist Church bombing.

James Brown: "Say It Loud"

• Escalation: Race relations deteriorated significantly following the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. in $1968$.
• Political Sensitivity: The military was concerned about James Brown’s tour, particularly after the release of "Say It Loud – I’m Black and I’m Proud!"
• Approval: The tour required the personal approval of Vice President Hubert Humphrey.
• Tour Details: Brown performed at bases throughout Vietnam; his band included bassist Tim Drummond. The tour remained a point of political controversy.

Woodstock $1969$

• Location: Held on a farm in Bethel, New York, after the town of Woodstock refused permission.
• Attendance: While few tickets were sold, approximately $500,000$ people demanded and received free entry.
• Legacy: Promoters retained the recording rights, which became a significant cultural and financial asset.

Country Joe McDonald and the Soldier’s Perspective

• Background: Lead singer of Country Joe and the Fish, McDonald was a Vietnam veteran who joined the counterculture after his service.
• "I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die-Rag" ($1965$):     * Criticism: Targeted the government, generals, and Wall Street rather than the individual troops.     * Reception: Initially ignored by the anti-war movement; Pete Seeger was the only one to record it early on.     * Woodstock Performance: McDonald performed in his combat jacket and lead the crowd in the famous "Fuck" cheer.
• Lyrics Analysis:     * "And its $1$, $2$, $3$ what are we fighting for? / Don't ask me I don't give a damn, / The next stop is Vietnam."     * "Well come on Wall Street don't be slow, / Why man this is war go go, / There's plenty good money to be made, / By supplying the army with the tools of the trade."     * "Well come on mothers throughout the land, / Pack your boys off to Vietnam… / Be the first one on your block, / To have your boy come home in a box."
• Soldier’s Humor: Soldiers adapted the song as a release valve. A medic's variant included: "Well, it’s one, two, three, look at that amputee / At least it’s below the knee… / you came in an ambulance instead of a hearse."

Jimi Hendrix and the National Anthem

• Background: Born in Seattle ($1942$); enlisted in the Army in $1961$ and received an honorable discharge in $1962$. He was "discovered" in New York in $1966$ and rose to fame in London.
• Musical Fusion: Blended blues, jazz, rock, and soul, acting as common ground between the white counterculture and black revolutionaries.
• The National Anthem at Woodstock: A controversial performance using feedback, distortion, "dive bombs," and a rendition of "Taps."
• Interpretation:     * Critics: Viewed it as anti-American, anti-military, or disrespectful.     * Defenders: Noted Hendrix’s military service and argued that dissent is inherently American.     * Hendrix's View: He claimed his interpretation was "beautiful" and an honest expression of the song.

The Chicano Moratorium ($1970$)

• Origins: Rooted in high school student walkouts in East Los Angeles ($1968$) and the formation of the National Chicano Moratorium Committee.
• Objectives: Protested the Vietnam War and systemic inequity, specifically the disproportionate number of Chicano casualties and the impact of the draft.
• The Demonstration: A march at Laguna Park drew between $20,000$ and $30,000$ demonstrators.
• The Crackdown: The Los Angeles Sheriff Department violently suppressed the event, leading to the death of journalist Rubén Salazar.
• Musical Response: Corridos were performed and written about the event.     * Lyric Fragment: "They say this country ships us all off to fight / To return and deny us our rights / … / Chicanos Martínez, García y Lujano, / … / you soon found out they didn’t care about what you went through over there."

Joan Baez and the Christmas Bombings

• Activism: A prominent figure in the Civil Rights Movement (March on Washington $1963$, Selma $1964$). She boycotted ABC for banning Pete Seeger and withheld taxes to protest the war.
• Censorship: Her albums were banned in U.S. Army stores.
• $1972$ Hanoi Trip: Baez traveled to North Vietnam to deliver mail and Christmas presents to U.S. POWs.
• "Christmas Bombings": She was present during the massive U.S. bombing campaign in late $1972$.
• "Where Are You Now, My Son" ($1973$): A song documenting the experience in Hanoi.     * Lyric Fragment: "As young girls load up bicycles with flowers for the dead / … / And they spoke their only words in English, 'Johnson, Nixon, Kissinger' / … / Now that the war's being won / Where are you now, my son?"