Introduction to the Vietnam War
On April 30, 1975, the Vietnam War ended with the conquest of Saigon by North Vietnamese troops. The United States, which had been involved in the bloody conflict from the Cold War for more than a decade, had already ended its direct military participation in 1973. The reasons for this were complex, but a significant factor was the domestic pressure exerted by the country’s omnipresent pop protest culture.
Protest Music and the Vietnam War
The 1960s were an important time of change in culture and society, as traditional barriers fell and youth music exploded. Over 700 songs against the war were written and performed during this time. Artists such as Joan Baez, Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young, Creedence Clearwater Revival, Bob Dylan, John Lennon, Marvin Gaye, Martha Reeves, Pete Seeger, and Edwin Starr sang out against the war.
Essential War Hymns
Some essential war hymns from this era include "Eve of Destruction" by Barry McGuire, "Draft Dodger Rag" by Phil Ochs, and "Universal Soldier" by Buffy Sainte-Marie. These songs addressed the Vietnam War, politics, and nuclear threat, and were aimed at governments, politicians, and the complicity of people who agreed to fight and enable wars.
Common Experience of Protest Culture
Protest music from the mid-1960s became an essential component of pop culture, but its real influence came into being when the studio left and entered public spaces. Politically charged songs were experienced together in both the USA and Vietnam, reflecting technological progress and increasing social unrest. Music filled everyday rooms, and helped to build a common cultural experience.
The Vietnamese Perspective
There were no publicly perceived protest songs in North America that looked at the war from a Vietnamese perspective during the war. However, hundreds of political songs were published in North Vietnam during the war, mainly on the state Dihavina label. These songs were known as NHạC do (‘Red Music’), and contained elements of western classical music, with texts focused on socialism and independence, and expressed an anti-imperialist or anti-colonial atmosphere.
Touching War Film Soundtracks
After the Vietnam War finally ended on April 30, 1975, its effects continued to shape American and global pop culture in the following years. Several large anti-war films were published with powerful soundtracks, including "Apocalypse Now" (1979), "Platoon" (1986), "Full Metal Jacket" (1987), "Good Morning, Vietnam" (1987), and "Born on July Fourth" (1989).
Pop and Protest Today
Today, there is a lot of very conscious music, but there is no great music that is very popular and very protest-oriented at the same time. Despite the visible activism and political contributions of stars such as Taylor Swift, anti-trump rages, or songs like the Black Lives Matter from Kendrick Lamar, there is no uniform protest movement with a defining soundtrack. The music scene has also changed, with an overwhelming variety of genres and personalized listening on streaming platforms, making collective protest more difficult to organize.
