In the 60's and 70's music was a force that actually affected the way many people thought and acted. In fact, songs were later written that accused the music industry of abandoning this moral high ground in the 80's, like Harry Chapin's "Remember When the Music." Music awakened people to what was "hip" or "unhip" in the world around us. Major issues aside from the war were written about including; a growing disillusionment of government ideology, advances in civil rights, increased influence of the women's movement, and a heightened concern for the environment. Many of the "radical" ideas of the 1960's gained wider acceptance in the 1970's, and became part of everyday life and culture. .
The civil rights movement and the escalating war were two major catalysts for social and musical protest. Songs like Dion Demucii's "Abraham, Martin and John," .
Didn't you love the things they stood for? .
Didn't they try to find some good for you and me? .
And we"ll be free. Someday soon, it's gonna be One day. .
told people a story about how the leaders of change had to stop dying at the hands of those who hated them and what they stood for. Or "I feel Like I"m fixin" to die Rag" by Country Joe and The Fish, .
And it's 1-2-3-4 , What are we fighting for? .
Don't ask me I don't give a damn. Next stop is Vietnam. .
And it's 5-6-7-8, open up the pearly gates, .
Ah it ain't no time to wonder why. .
WHOOPEE! We"re all gonna die .
Expressed to the listening masses that a war was being fought that didn't belong to those who were fighting it. .
Elsewhere in the world in 1969, John Lennon and Yoko Ono were holding a unique protest in bed. During this week long bed-in at the Queen Elizabeth Hotel in Montreal, starting May 26, Lennon and Ono recorded the anthem "Give Peace a Chance" .
Two, one two three four. .
Everbody's talking about Bagism, Shagism, .
Dragism, Madism, Ragism, .
Tagism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, I-sm. All we are saying is give peace a chance.