Vietnam Song Lyrics

"Vietnam Song" by Country Joe and the Fish is an affecting satire of the war in Vietnam, with a good deal of anti-war stuff fusing in. What the song really gets over through is the catchy sing-along melody, while the lyrics communicate the whole black humor of the absurdity and the tragedy of war. The very opening lines are ridiculing the concept of enlistment even now, during the Vietnam War, by portraying it as a patriotic act at the same time as an adventure. Basically, these opening lines contrast "fun" to warfare, showing distinctly how naive one is and propagandized into fighting a war until many really didn't know much about. "one, two, three, what are we fighting for?" from the chorus, underlined that a lack of purpose of the war, was a confusing factor for most soldiers and citizens. The whole chorus of "Don't ask me, I don't give a damn, next stop is Vietnam" reflected there was a huge amount of apathy and disillusionment with the war's objectives. Here, there is an allusion to "Wall Street" and the "tools of its trade" in criticism of the military-industrial complex and the financial rewards that corporations reap from the war, insinuating a profit motive behind the conflict. Strong comments against the fact that, too often, motives of wars are economic and at the cost of human lives come with this. The lines where he commands the generals to "get those reds" and declares that "the only good commie is the one that's dead" are parodies of the kind of anti-communist rhetoric on which much of the Cold War in general, and the conflict in Vietnam in particular, subsisted. Instead, it comments on the fact that their humanity was destroyed and on the very simple notion that annihilation would bring peace. The song even points to the human cost of war, particularly when imploring parents to "pack your boys off to Vietnam." The chilling prediction that they can be "the first ones in your block to have your boy come home in a box" brings out the ultimate sacrifice many soldiers make, sometimes for vague or unjust reasons. "Vietnam Song" is more than a protest song and carries a potent social comment on the times and the general Vietnam War era. It is that jadedness, spirit of protest, and tragic loss of life, which it describes through irony and satire, in the determining of reasons for the war and the execution process. In the present day, when the song has taken on a life of its own and enjoys immense popularity, it is very much a part of the anti-war movement, expressing the popular sentiment that sometimes the reasons offered for war do not justify the enormous cost.