z+eve+of+destruction

Eve of Destruction - Barry McGuire

The eastern world, it is exploding Violence flarin', bullets loadin' You're old enough to kill, but not for votin' You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin' And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'

But you tell me Over and over and over again, my friend Ah, you don't believe We're on the eve of destruction.

Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say Can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today? If the button is pushed, there's no runnin' away There'll be no one to save, with the world in a grave [Take a look around ya boy, it's bound to scare ya boy]

And you tell me Over and over and over again, my friend Ah, you don't believe We're on the eve of destruction.

Yeah, my blood's so mad feels like coagulatin' I'm sitting here just contemplatin' I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation. Handful of senators don't pass legislation And marches alone can't bring integration When human respect is disintegratin' This whole crazy world is just too frustratin'

And you tell me Over and over and over again, my friend Ah, you don't believe We're on the eve of destruction.

Think of all the hate there is in Red China Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama You may leave here for 4 days in space But when you return, it's the same old place The poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace Hate your next-door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace And… tell me over and over and over and over again, my friend You don't believe We're on the eve Of destruction Mm, no no, you don't believe We're on the eve of destruction.

I chose this song because it refers to the Vietnam War clearly. The beginning of the song starts out with “The eastern world, is exploding, violence flarin’, bullets loadin.” Right of the bat, the listener knows that there is a war in Eastern Europe. I also chose this song because it represents and shows the feelings that most Americans were feeling during the Vietnam War era. “Think of all the hate there is in Red China, then take a look around to Selma, Alabama, you may leave here for 4 days in space, but when you return, it's the same old place” This quote from the song is talking about how the war will never go away, no matter how far you travel from it. This song has a very important message. The message all comes down to not fighting. Fighting and dropping bombs will only lead to destruction. That is why this song is called the “eve of destruction.” This song is warning the world of what could happen if this war goes on. This song is an opinion of the war. The song writer is thinking that the world is on the verge of destruction. Other people might think that this is just a war and not much harm will be done. If a young person eligible to be drafted listened to this song, he would become more informative of what is going on, on the other side of the world. He would know that this world could be destructed and that if we keep fighting, it will only lead to more devastation. -Olivia

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