The Ballad of the Green Berets by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler Released in 1966 and Reached # 1 Status for Five Weeks
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The Ballad of the Green Berets by Staff Sergeant Barry Sadler Released in 1966 and reached # 1 status for five weeks. It was the # 21 song of the decade when the US Military was not that popular. Fighting soldiers from the sky Fearless men who jump and die Men who mean just what they say The brave men of the Green Beret Silver wings upon their chest These are men, America's best One hundred men we'll test today But only three win the Green Beret Trained to live, off nature's land Trained in combat, hand to hand Men who fight by night and day Courage deep, from the Green Beret Silver wings upon their chest These are men, America's best One hundred men we'll test today But only three win the Green Beret Back at home a young wife waits Her Green Beret has met his fate He has died for those oppressed Leaving her this last request Put silver wings on my son's chest Make him one of America's best He'll be a man they'll test one day Have him win the Green Beret Page 1 of 6 I Feel Like I’m Fixin’ to Die Rag by Country Joe McDonald and the Fish. Produced in 1966 it was not until his performance at Woodstock in 1969 that the song took off with national recognition. It parodies many of the issues that were relevant during the Vietnam era in America. Well, come on all of you, big strong Well, come on generals, let's move fast; men, Your big chance has come at last. Uncle Sam needs your help again. Now you can go out and get those reds He's got himself in a terrible jam 'Cause the only good commie is the one Way down yonder in Vietnam that's dead So put down your books and pick up a And you know that peace can only be gun, won We're gonna have a whole lotta fun. When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come. And it's one, two, three, What are we fighting for ? And it's one, two, three, Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, What are we fighting for ? Next stop is Vietnam; Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, And it's five, six, seven, Next stop is Vietnam; Open up the pearly gates, And it's five, six, seven, Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Open up the pearly gates, Whoopee! we're all gonna die. Well there ain't no time to wonder why Whoopee! we're all gonna die. Come on Wall Street, don't be slow, Why man, this is war a-go-go Come on mothers throughout the land, There's plenty good money to be made Pack your boys off to Vietnam. By supplying the Army with the tools of Come on fathers, and don't hesitate its trade, To send your sons off before it's too late. But just hope and pray that if they drop And you can be the first ones in your the bomb, block They drop it on the Viet Cong. To have your boy come home in a box. And it's one, two, three, And it's one, two, three What are we fighting for ? What are we fighting for ? Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, Next stop is Vietnam. Next stop is Vietnam. And it's five, six, seven, And it's five, six, seven, Open up the pearly gates, Open up the pearly gates, Well there ain't no time to wonder why Well there ain't no time to wonder why, Whoopee! we're all gonna die. Whoopee! we're all gonna die. Page 2 of 6 Ohio written by Neil Young in direct response to the shooting of four students at Kent State University on May 4, 1970 was an anthem of the era. Young wrote it after seeing the images in Life magazine. The use of Nixon’s name in the song evoked fear in Young and he considered one of the bravest thing he ever did. Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, We're finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, Four dead in Ohio. Gotta get down to it Soldiers are cutting us down Should have been done long ago. What if you knew her And found her dead on the ground How can you run when you know? Gotta get down to it Soldiers are cutting us down Should have been done long ago. What if you knew her And found her dead on the ground How can you run when you know? Tin soldiers and Nixon coming, We're finally on our own. This summer I hear the drumming, Four dead in Ohio. Page 3 of 6 Born in the USA is Bruce Springsteen’s tribute to the veterans of the Vietnam conflict. It was written and released in 1984 and spoke of the experience of many returning vets. It traces the experience of a working class young man and his eventual disillusionment after fighting for American and coming home to nothing. Born down in a dead man's town The first kick I took was when I hit the ground You end up like a dog that's been beat too much 'Til you spend half your life just covering up [chorus:] Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. I got in a little hometown jam And so they put a rifle in my hands Sent me off to Vietnam To go and kill the yellow man [chorus] Come back home to the refinery Hiring man says "Son if it was up to me" I go down to see the V.A. man He said "Son don't you understand" [chorus] I had a buddy at Khe Sahn Fighting off the Viet Cong They're still there, he's all gone He had a little girl in Saigon I got a picture of him in her arms Down in the shadow of the penitentiary Out by the gas fires of the refinery I'm ten years down the road Nowhere to run, ain't got nowhere to go I'm a long gone Daddy in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. I'm a cool rocking Daddy in the U.S.A. Born in the U.S.A. Page 4 of 6 Mosh was written by Eminem and released in October 2004 just prior to the presidential election. His stated goal was to increase the amount of younger voters to influence the election. His anthem did not reach its stated objective. I pledge allegiance to the flag of the the darkness United States of America As I provide just enough spark that we And to the Republic for which it stands need to proceed One nation under God Carry on, give me hope, give me Indivisible with liberty and justice for strength all... Come with me and I won't steer you It feels so good to be back.. wrong Put your faith and your trust as I guide I scrutinize every word, memorize every us through the fog line To the light at the end of the tunnel I spit it once, refuel, re-energize and We gonna fight, we gonna charge, we rewind gonna stomp, we gonna march I give sight to the blind, my insight Through the swamp, we gonna mosh through the mind through the marsh I exercise my right to express when I Take us right through the doors (c'mon) feel it's time It's just all in your mind, what you All the people up top on the side and the interpret it as middle I say to fight, you take it as I'mma whip Come together lets all bomb and swamp someone's ass just a little If you don't understand, don't even Just let it gradually build from the front bother to ask to the back A father who has grown up with a All you can see is a sea of people some fatherless past white and some black Who has blown up now to rap Don't matter what color, all that matters phenomenon that has we gathered together Or at least shows no difficulty multi-task To celebrate for the same cause don't And in juggling both perhaps mastered matter the weather his craft If it rains let it rain, yea the wetter the Slash entrepreneur who has helped better launch a few more rap acts They ain't gonna stop us they can't, we Who's had a few obstacles thrown his stronger now more than ever way through the last half They tell us no we say yea, they tell us Of his career typical manure moving stop we say go past that Rebel with a rebel yell, raise hell we Mr. kisses ass crack, he's a class act gonna let em know Rubber band man, yea he just snaps back Stomp, push, shove, mush, #@&* Bush, until they bring our troops home (c'mon) [Chorus:] Come along follow me as I lead through [Chorus] Page 5 of 6 To Mosh through this desert storm, Imagine it pouring, it's raining down on In these closing statements, if they us should argue Mosh pits outside the oval office Let us beg to differ Someone's tryina tell us something, As we set aside our differences Maybe this is God just sayin' we're And assemble our own army responsible To disarm this Weapon of Mass For this monster, this coward, Destruction That we have empowered That we call our President, for the This is Bin Laden, look at his head present noddin' And Mosh for the future of our next How could we allow something like this generation without pumping our fists To speak and be heard Now this is our final hour Mr.