Protest+Music+2

It's Alright, Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)
-Bob Dylan http://www.bobdylan.com/#/songs/its-alright-ma-im-only-bleeding Lyrics- "Darkness at the break of noon Shadows even the silver spoon The handmade blade, the child's balloon Eclipses both the sun and moon To understand you know too soon There is no sense in trying. Pointed threats, they bluff with scorn Suicide remarks are torn From the fool's gold mouthpiece The hollow horn plays wasted words Proves to warn That he not busy being born Is busy dying. Temptation's page flies out the door You follow, find yourself at war Watch waterfalls of pity roar You feel to moan but unlike before You discover That you'd just be One more person crying. So don't fear if you hear A foreign sound to your ear It's alright, Ma, I'm only sighing. As some warn victory, some downfall Private reasons great or small Can be seen in the eyes of those that call To make all that should be killed to crawl While others say don't hate nothing at all Except hatred. Disillusioned words like bullets bark As human gods aim for their mark Made everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It's easy to see without looking too far That not much Is really sacred. While preachers preach of evil fates Teachers teach that knowledge waits Can lead to hundred-dollar plates Goodness hides behind its gates But even the president of the United States Sometimes must have To stand naked. An' though the rules of the road have been lodged It's only people's games that you got to dodge And it's alright, Ma, I can make it. Advertising signs that con you Into thinking you're the one That can do what's never been done That can win what's never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you. You lose yourself, you reappear You suddenly find you got nothing to fear Alone you stand with nobody near When a trembling distant voice, unclear Startles your sleeping ears to hear That somebody thinks They really found you. A question in your nerves is lit Yet you know there is no answer fit to satisfy Insure you not to quit To keep it in your mind and not fergit That it is not he or she or them or it That you belong to. Although the masters make the rules For the wise men and the fools I got nothing, Ma, to live up to. For them that must obey authority That they do not respect in any degree Who despise their jobs, their destinies Speak jealously of them that are free Cultivate their flowers to be Nothing more than something They invest in. While some on principles baptized To strict party platform ties Social clubs in drag disguise Outsiders they can freely criticize Tell nothing except who to idolize And then say God bless him. While one who sings with his tongue on fire Gargles in the rat race choir Bent out of shape from society's pliers Cares not to come up any higher But rather get you down in the hole That he's in. But I mean no harm nor put fault On anyone that lives in a vault But it's alright, Ma, if I can't please him. Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare While money doesn't talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares Propaganda, all is phony. While them that defend what they cannot see With a killer's pride, security It blows the minds most bitterly For them that think death's honesty Won't fall upon them naturally Life sometimes Must get lonely. My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards False gods, I scuff At pettiness which plays so rough Walk upside-down inside handcuffs Kick my legs to crash it off Say okay, I have had enough What else can you show me? And if my thought-dreams could be seen They'd probably put my head in a guillotine But it's alright, Ma, it's life, and life only"(Dylan).

“It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” by Bob Dylan is one of his most meaningful pieces about war and the Vietnam War era. Bob Dylan is the most influential artist of the 1960’s if not of all time. His music was one of the first to have significant lyrics with a purpose behind them. Dylan’s music changed as rapidly as the social movements in the 1960’s. In 1965 Dylan opposed the Vietnam War and released “It’s Alright Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)” as the last song on his album “Bringing it all back home.” The song is filled with a subtle but at the same time harsh sounding-echoing tune, just like the Vietnam War and everything surrounding it, in the way that there is war and peace at home with displeased echoing voices of society. The song is about war and dying and how young men are being tricked into fighting the government’s war. It’s about how society breaks someone down and your not allowed to voice your opinion with out getting bashed for it. The song is about life and propaganda being pushed by governments. The song is very meaningful and at the time is very controversial. Dylan sings his song knowing he would get flack from the media but also knows it would inspire people to protest the war and at the very end states “And if my thought-dreams could be seen. They'd probably put my head in a guillotine, But it's alright, Ma, it's life, and life only” (Dylan). Bob Dylan is not afraid what anyone thinks and all his songs have purpose behind them especially "It's Alright Ma" in 1965.

Lyric meanings relating to Vietnam War -"That he not busy being born Is busy dying"(Dylan). - This line is relating to how if your not making something out of your self you end up in Vietnam. Since during Vietnam, you would not be drafted if you attended college and if not you would be forced to fight in the war.

-"Made everything from toy guns that spark To flesh-colored Christs that glow in the dark It's easy to see without looking too far That not much Is really sacred" And " Advertising signs that con you Into thinking you're the on That can do what's never been done That can win what's never been won Meantime life outside goes on All around you"(Dylan). This verse in the song is referring to how everyone tried glamorizing the war at first as a war against communism and evil, but how everyone realized that it was all propaganda and not a just war.

-"You lose yourself, you reappear You suddenly find you got nothing to fear Alone you stand with nobody near When a trembling distant voice, unclear Startles your sleeping ears to hear That somebody thinks They really found you"(Dylan). The relation to Vietnam in these lyrics is that when the war vets came back they seemed like they were alone because of the events and things they had to deal with in war. Also everyone saw the veterans as a reminder to an American defeat and treated them as if they were the enemies.

-"But it's alright, Ma, if I can't please him. Old lady judges watch people in pairs Limited in sex, they dare To push fake morals, insult and stare"(Dylan). During the Vietnam War there was such a generational gap. The parents of the Vietnam era were all part of the greatest generation fighting in World War II. Now that generation was looking down at this generation and felt as if they were failing them and America.

-"While money doesn't talk, it swears Obscenity, who really cares Propaganda, all is phony. While them that defend what they cannot see With a killer's pride, security" (Dylan). These lyrics refer to how the rich, propaganda, and fighting for no reason are all involved in the Vietnam war.

-"My eyes collide head-on with stuffed graveyards False gods, I scuff At pettiness which plays so rough" (Dylan). This touches on how many lives were lost during Vietnam. Also how someone's decision, the war in Vietnam, can make such an impact on peoples lives.

Work Cited

Dylan, Bob. "It's Alright Ma (I'm Only Bleeding)." //Bobdyaln.com//. Colomiba

Records, 1993. Web. 1 Oct. 2009. .

"Bob Dylan Biography." //Biography//. A and E Television Network, 2009. Web. 1 Oct.

2009. .

WAR
http://www.oldielyrics.com/lyrics/edwin_starr/war.html

War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Uh-huh War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again, y'all

War, huh, good God What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me

Ohhh, war, I despise Because it means destruction Of innocent lives

War means tears To thousands of mothers eyes When their sons go to fight And lose their lives

I said, war, huh Good God, y'all What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again

War, whoa, Lord What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me

War, it ain't nothing But a heartbreaker War, friend only to the undertaker Ooooh, war It's an enemy to all mankind The point of war blows my mind War has caused unrest Within the younger generation Induction then destruction Who wants to die Aaaaah, war-huh Good God y'all What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it, say it, say it War, huh What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me

War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Uh-huh War, huh, yeah What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again y'all War, huh, good God What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me

War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker War, it's got one friend That's the undertaker Ooooh, war, has shattered Many a young mans dreams Made him disabled, bitter and mean Life is much to short and precious To spend fighting wars these days War can't give life It can only take it away

Ooooh, war, huh Good God y'all What is it good for Absolutely nothing Say it again

War, whoa, Lord What is it good for Absolutely nothing Listen to me

War, it ain't nothing but a heartbreaker War, friend only to the undertaker Peace, love and understanding Tell me, is there no place for them today They say we must fight to keep our freedom But Lord knows there's got to be a better way

Ooooooh, war, huh Good God y'all What is it good for You tell me Say it, say it, say it, say it

War, huh Good God y'all What is it good for Stand up and shout it Nothing

====The song “War” was a psychedelic soul song, that was written by Norman Whitfield, and Barrett Strong. The song was written as a anti-Vietnam war song. The original vocalists were the temptations. So the song did not alienate any of the Temptations fans, when Norman Whitfield released the song, he rerecorded it with Edwin Starr. Edwin Starr's version of “War” was a number one hit.====

Work CIted

////Song fact////. N.p., n.d. Web. 2 Oct. 2009. .

Give Peace A Chance - **John Lennon**
http://www.absolutelyrics.com/lyrics/view/john_lennon/give_peace_a_chance/

Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism This-ism, that-ism, ism ism ism All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance (C'mon) Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout Minister, Sinister, Banisters and Canisters, Bishops, Fishops, Rabbis, and Pop Eyes, Bye bye, Bye byes All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance (Let me tell you now) Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout Revolution, Evolution, Masturbation, Flagellation, Regulation, Integrations, mediations, United Nations, congratulations All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance Ev'rybody's talkin' 'bout John and Yoko, Timmy Leary, Rosemary, Tommy Smothers, Bobby Dylan, Tommy Cooper, Derek Taylor, Norman Mailer, Alan Ginsberg, Hare Krishna Hare Hare Krishna All we are saying is give peace a chance All we are saying is give peace a chance (Repeat 'til the tape runs out)

John Lennon, born October 9th 1940 and died December 8th 1980, was an English rock musician, songwriter, author and peace activist. He is known as one of the founding members of the Beatles and is the second most successful songwriter in the UK after fellow Beatles member Paul McCartney. “Give Peace A Chance” was written in 1969 during the Anti American War in Viet Nam movement. This song was written during Lennon's ‘Bed-In’ honeymoon. When asked by a reporter what he was trying to achieve by staying in bed, Lennon answered spontaneously "All we are saying is give peace a chance". Lennon liked the phrase and set it to music for the song (Wikipedia). Lennon recorded it using a simple setup of four microphones and a four-track tape recorder rented from a local recording studio (Year One). Dozens of journalists and many celebrities attended this recording including Timothy Leary, Rabbi Abraham Feinberg, Joseph Schwartz, Allan Rock, Rosemary Woodruff Leary, Petula Clark, Dick Gregory, Allen Ginsberg, Murray the K, Al Capp and Derek Taylor. Lennon played the acoustic guitar and was joined by Tommy Smothers of the Smothers Brothers who also played the acoustic guitar and was mentioned in the last verse of the lyrics. In the third verse of the song Lennon uses the work masturbation but later changed the word to mastication on the official lyric page. In an interview after the change Lennon amditted this was a "cop out" but he did it to avoid any further controversy. John Lennon and Paul McCartney were both credited for writing the song but in later releases only Lennon is credited for writing it.

Work Cited

"Give Peace A Chance." //Wikipedia//. Wikimedia Foundation, Inc., 27 Sept. 2009. Web. 1 Oct. 2009. .

Lennon, John, et al. //The Beatles (2000) The Beatles Anthology//. N.p.: n.p., 2000. Print.

Whelan, John. "Year One." //Year One//. National Archives of Canada, 27 Nov. 2002. Web. 1 Oct. 2009. .