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1960's Music

Decent Essays

The 1960s included a diverse amount of music. Many songs had messages or views of the artist; especially related to popular culture. Artist like Bob Dylan, The Beates, and Edwin Starr all wrote popular songs about the war and being anti-war.
"Blowin' in the Wind" was written by Bob Dylan and made famous by Peter, Paul, and Mary as a national hymn of the civil rights and anti-war movement; even though, it was not intended to be, according to Dylan (Cohen, Traum and Yarrow). In August of 1963, Peter, Paul and Mary sang “Blowin in the Wind” at the Lincoln Memorial before the famous `I have a dream' speech was delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King Junior (Cohen, et. al.). In the opening verse, the song says “how many seas must a white dove sail, …show more content…

Heard throughout the song, “war, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing” was straight to the Stars opinion about war (Starr, Lines 26-27). The entire song points to the negative aspect of war. “War means tears, to thousands of mothers eyes, when their sons go to fight, and lose their lives” is the most distressing lyric, but also the most powerful (Starr, Lines 24-25). It is the raw emotion that war creates; with its detailed description, the audience can paint a picture in their mind. The ‘thousands of mothers’ expresses the loss of mot only those at war but the loss felt back in the homeland. Loved ones left behind to mourn and support the family. The loss is felt in the population dwindling, the need for skilled workers, and the loss of what could have been. “War” had a clear message that war had nothing but negative effects. Popular culture is also seen in the lyric, “when Che Guevara taught of love being at the center of revolutionary endeavor, he meant both, for people like Che or George Jackson or Malcolm X” (Starr, Lines 16-18). Pointing to the people that were also anti-war and how they were revolutionaries.
The 1960s was a time of unrest in the United States. The Cold War, especially Vietnam, had a negative connotation with pop culture. Artist like Bob Dylan, The Beates, and Edwin Starr all wrote popular songs about the war and being anti-war. Their songs would become historical in the culture of the time and be songs still heard

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