The​ ​Vietnam​ ​Experience​ ​in​ ​Music  

 
Directions:​ ​Many​ ​songs​ ​have​ ​been​ ​written​ ​about​ ​the​ ​Vietnam​ ​War.​ ​In​ ​this​ ​activity,​ ​you’ll 
be​ ​analyzing​ ​several​ ​of​ ​these​ ​songs.​ ​Some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​songs​ ​are​ ​anti-war​ ​and​ ​some​ ​are 
pro-war.​ ​Some​ ​of​ ​the​ ​songs​ ​are​ ​period​ ​songs,​ ​while​ ​others​ ​were​ ​written​ ​after​ ​the​ ​war 
ended​ ​in​ ​1973.   
 
Watch​ ​the​ ​related​ ​video​ ​and​ ​read​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​before​ ​you​ ​start​ ​answering​ ​the​ ​questions. 
You​ ​can​ ​find​ ​the​ ​song​ ​recording​ ​online,​ ​if​ ​needed. 
 
Be​ ​ready​ ​to​ ​share​ ​your​ ​answers​ ​in​ ​class​ ​discussion. 
 
Song:​ ​“Galveston”​​ ​(Glen​ ​Campbell)​ ​1969  
Link​ ​to​ ​Lyrics 
 
Questions: 
 
1. Is​ ​this​ ​a​ ​pro-war​ ​or​ ​anti-war​ ​song?​ ​Give​ ​evidence​ ​from​ ​the​ ​song​ ​lyrics​ ​that​ ​backs 
your​ ​view. 
 
  This is anti-war because it’s about a boy going to war and his girlfriend crying
 
2. What​ ​memories​ ​of​ ​Galveston​ ​does​ ​Campbell​ ​mention​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song?  
 
  The sea winds blowing, sea waves crashing, sea bird flying, and running on
 
the beach.
 
 
 
 
3. How​ ​does​ ​the​ ​singer​ ​describe​ ​his​ ​fear​ ​of​ ​death? 
 
  He's afraid of dying and doesn't want to leave his town
 
 
 
 
Song:​ ​“Last​ ​Train​ ​to​ ​Clarksville”​ ​(The​ ​Monkees)​ ​1966 
Link​ ​to​ ​Lyrics 
 
1. Do​ ​you​ ​think​ ​this​ ​is​ ​a​ ​pro-war​ ​or​ ​anti-war​ ​song?​ ​Why​ ​or​ ​why​ ​not? 
 
This is anti-war because its about being drafted into the war
 
 
2. The​ ​songwriters​ ​for​ ​“Last​ ​Train”​ ​never​ ​mention​ ​the​ ​word​ ​“war”​ ​or​ ​“Vietnam.”​ ​What 
words​ ​or​ ​messages​ ​in​ ​this​ ​song​ ​qualify​ ​it​ ​as​ ​a​ ​song​ ​about​ ​war,​ ​then? 
 
Its talking about going to war and saying that he won't be back alive
 
 
 
3. Compare​ ​the​ ​tempo​ ​of​ ​this​ ​song​ ​with​ ​“Galveston.”​ ​Is​ ​the​ ​tempo​ ​of​ ​this​ ​song​ ​more 
upbeat?​ ​How​ ​does​ ​the​ ​tempo​ ​help​ ​convey​ ​the​ ​song’s​ ​message? 
 
It's more upbeat and it changes the outlook of the song by making it seem
 
more happy when its about being drafted into the war.
 
 
 
Song:​ ​“The​ ​Ballad​ ​of​ ​the​ ​Green​ ​Beret”​ ​(Staff​ ​Sergeant​ ​Barry​ ​Sadler)​ ​1966 
Link​ ​to​ ​Lyrics 
 
1. Is​ ​this​ ​a​ ​pro-war​ ​or​ ​anti-war​ ​song?​ ​What​ ​elements​ ​or​ ​phrases​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song​ ​prove 
your​ ​viewpoint? 
 
  pro, makes it look more cool
 
 
 
2. A​ ​US​ ​serviceman​ ​who​ ​served​ ​as​ ​a​ ​medic​ ​in​ ​Vietnam​ ​performed​ ​and​ ​helped​ ​write 
this​ ​song.​ ​How​ ​might​ ​the​ ​performer’s​ ​frame​ ​of​ ​reference​ ​affect​ ​the​ ​message​ ​of​ ​the 
song?​ ​Does​ ​this​ ​frame​ ​of​ ​reference​ ​make​ ​the​ ​song’s​ ​message​ ​more​ ​or​ ​less 
believable?​ ​Explain​ ​your​ ​answer. 
 
  Yes, it makes it feel more heroic and great
 
 
 
Song:​ ​“The​ ​Dawn​ ​of​ ​Correction”​ ​(The​ ​Spokesmen)​ ​1965 
Link​ ​to​ ​Lyrics   
 
1. Is​ ​this​ ​a​ ​pro-war​ ​or​ ​anti-war​ ​song?​ ​What​ ​elements​ ​or​ ​phrases​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song​ ​prove 
your​ ​point? 
 
 
  pro, it's saying 'man up, be prepared'
 
 
 
 2. This​ ​song​ ​is​ ​a​ ​reply​ ​to​ ​another​ ​famous​ ​Vietnam-era​ ​song,​ ​“Eve​ ​of​ ​Destruction.” 
(​Check​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​of​ ​“Eve​ ​of​ ​Destruction”​ ​here​.)​ ​How​ ​do​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​of​ ​“The​ ​Dawn​ ​of 
Correction”​ ​argue​ ​against​ ​the​ ​theme​ ​of​ ​“Eve​ ​of​ ​Destruction”? 
 
  it's saying 'relax' as the destruction song is panicking
 
 
 
 
 
Song:​ ​“The​ ​Wall”​ ​(Bruce​ ​Springsteen)​ ​2014 
Link​ ​to​ ​Lyrics  
 
1. Is​ ​this​ ​a​ ​pro-war​ ​or​ ​anti-war​ ​song?​ ​What​ ​elements​ ​or​ ​phrases​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song​ ​prove 
your​ ​point? 
  anti, using the war as a wall.
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Springsteen​ ​wrote​ ​“The​ ​Wall”​ ​in​ ​2003.​ ​The​ ​song​ ​wasn’t​ ​actually​ ​released​ ​until 
2014.​ ​Does​ ​this​ ​fact​ ​make​ ​Springsteen’s​ ​song​ ​more​ ​accurate​ ​in​ ​its​ ​view​ ​than​ ​the 
other​ ​songs​ ​you​ ​have​ ​heard​ ​to​ ​this​ ​point?​ ​How? 
 
  yeah, it's more in line with the war
 
 
 
 
3. According​ ​to​ ​the​ ​“SpringsteenLyrics”​ ​website​,​ ​“The​ ​Wall”​ ​was​ ​written​ ​in​ ​honor​ ​of 
Walter​ ​Cichon​ ​and​ ​Bart​ ​Haynes,​ ​who​ ​were​ ​both​ ​killed​ ​in​ ​Vietnam.​ ​Cichon​ ​was​ ​a 
member​ ​of​ ​Springsteen’s​ ​first​ ​band​ ​and​ ​Haynes​ ​was​ ​Springsteen’s​ ​friend.​ ​How​ ​do 
you​ ​think​ ​this​ ​information​ ​influences​ ​how​ ​Springsteen​ ​wrote​ ​this​ ​song?​ ​Is​ ​there 
specific​ ​evidence​ ​of​ ​this​ ​personal​ ​connection​ ​in​ ​the​ ​song? 
 
   Because he described life with them behind that wall
 
 
 
Song:​ ​“Goodnight​ ​Saigon”​ ​(Billy​ ​Joel)​ ​1983 
Link​ ​to​ ​Lyrics   
 
 1. The​ ​first​ ​verse​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song​ ​notes​ ​that​ ​“we​ ​met​ ​as​ ​soul​ ​mates​ ​on​ ​Parris​ ​Island;​ ​we 
left​ ​as​ ​inmates​ ​from​ ​an​ ​asylum.”​ ​What​ ​do​ ​you​ ​think​ ​Joel​ ​means​ ​by​ ​this​ ​statement? 
 
They mean how their relationship had changed for the worst
 
 
 
 
 
 
2. Part​ ​of​ ​the​ ​chorus​ ​of​ ​the​ ​song​ ​repeats,​ ​“we​ ​would​ ​all​ ​go​ ​down​ ​together.”​ ​How​ ​do 
you​ ​think​ ​this​ ​line​ ​explains​ ​the​ ​soldier’s​ ​experience​ ​in​ ​Vietnam? 
 
 
everyone dies fighting
 
 
 
 
3. Songwriter/singer​ ​Billy​ ​Joel​ ​did​ ​not​ ​serve​ ​in​ ​Vietnam.​ ​Based​ ​on​ ​what​ ​you​ ​know 
about​ ​the​ ​Vietnam​ ​War​ ​as​ ​well​ ​as​ ​the​ ​other​ ​songs​ ​you’ve​ ​analyzed,​ ​do​ ​you​ ​think 
he​ ​depicts​ ​what​ ​the​ ​soldier’s​ ​experience​ ​in​ ​Vietnam​ ​was​ ​like?​ ​Explain​ ​your 
answer. 
 
  probably, sounds just as depressing as I thought
 
 
 
Song:​ ​“Prisoners”​​ ​(John​ ​Denver)​ ​1972 
Link​ ​to​ ​Lyrics 
 
1. Look​ ​at​ ​the​ ​lyrics​ ​for​ ​“Prisoners.”​ ​What​ ​clues​ ​does​ ​Denver​ ​give​ ​the​ ​listener​ ​to 
describe​ ​what​ ​the​ ​prisoner​ ​of​ ​war​ ​(POW)​ ​experience​ ​would​ ​be​ ​like? 
 
being alone, looking at the wall
 
 
 
 
2. How​ ​does​ ​Denver​ ​describe​ ​how​ ​the​ ​POW​ ​experience​ ​affected​ ​others​ ​in​ ​the 
prisoner’s​ ​family? 
 
 
Distant and sad