Anti-War Music

During the civil rights movement, a period of time fueled by doubt and uncertainty, musicians such as Bob Dylan inspired African Americans to exercise their constitutional rights. This influence had profound effects on pop culture in the 1960's. The anti-war music of the Vietnam War took on a whole new life for the youth of the 1960's. This generation was not going to sit quietly while the U.S. government lied to the people about what was going on in Vietnam. As a consequence, artists like Bob Dylan became an inspiration and voice for this generation through their lyrics and music. It is cited historically, "Anti-war music in the 1960's served as rallying cry and a cause for action" (http://www.jwsrockgarden.com/jw02vvaw.htm). In this essay, I will demonstrate how Bob Dylan's anti war lyrics influenced and enlightened his youthful listeners to take actions against a government that was unwilling to change. The music was a form of communication that served as a uniting factor for youths across America. The music would bring out emotions of fear and anger that would lead to actions for change. To understand these rebellious temptations, we must first take an in-depth look into where these hostilities originated. We will also explore a more critical approach identifying the government's agenda for going into Vietnam.

During World War II, men across America became machine like. Machine like in the sense that everything was done proper; polished uniforms, minds standardized into drill field rows and blocks, eyes straight ahead, chin in, chest out, salute and salute return, all part of a finely tuned machine that goes when it's told to go, holds when to hold, and fetches on command. (http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/vietnam/antiwar.html) These ideals made everyone believe in that chain of command, but more importantly, the organization, everybody doing their part cheerfully and obediently. The routine went as such; fathers came home from the war and married their pen-pal sweethearts. They went to college on the GI bill, where they obeyed their teachers the way they had obeyed their drill sergeants. They went to church, were very punctual and got on with the kind of democracy they had made the world safe for, while continuing to raise their children on the morals they had learned under the Second World War. (http://www.english.uiuc.edu/maps/vietnam/antiwar.html) The formality of the 1950's was being challenged in the 1960's by a new era of excitement and rich promises. The decade of the 1960's began to embrace new ideas and thoughts. The United States was to face an era of unsettlement. Civil Rights injustices and violence were everywhere. These were merely some of the mitigating factors that lead to what can be called a cultural revolution. With this revolution youth influenced society that resulted in fundamental changes to the American way of life. The loss of respect for authority