Good to be King
By King Harris
Some 50-years ago today, the crème-de-la-crème of all Top 40 protest songs was recorded and released, much to the consternation of radio programmers from Coast to Coast, many of whom refused to play it on their airwaves.
I was at the time working for such a man, Ernie Minor, who owned KKIS, a small Top-40 radio station in Pittsburg, Calif. Ernie, who knew I was a teenage rock ‘n’ roller, sought out my opinion, and I told him I thought he should keep it on the play list, despite pressure from advertisers.
The song in question was, “Eve of Destruction,” recorded by former New Christy Minstrel member and gravelly voiced, Barry McGuire. What’s interesting to note are the lyrics, which are just as relevant today as they were then.
Accompanying McGuire were military-like drums, bass and guitar, and harmonica, a perfect blend for a folk message tune of the time. It goes:
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 you boy;
It’s bound to scare you 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 four days in space;
But when you return it’s the same old place;
The pounding 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.
Mmm, no, no, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction…
Sad to see that not much has changed since 1965. There was of course an answer record to this diatribe that came out a month later. It was a wimpy, anti- counterculture response, written by the group that produced “At the Hop” by Danny and the Juniors. It was called, “Dawn of Correction,” by the Spokesmen. It went like this:
The western world has a common dedication;
To keep free people from Red domination;
And maybe you can’t vote, boy, but man your battle stations;
Or there’ll be no need for votin’ in future generations.
So over and over again, you keep sayin’ it’s the end;
But I say you’re wrong;
We’re just on the dawn of correction…
You get the idea. Satirist, Tom Leher, offers the best idea, “One type of song that has come into increasing prominence in recent months is the folk song of protest. You have to admire people who sing these songs. It takes a certain amount of courage to get up in a coffeehouse or a college auditorium and come out in favor of the things that everybody else in the audience is against like peace and justice and brotherhood and so on.
“The nicest thing about a protest song is that it makes you feel so good. I have a song here, which I realize should be accompanied on a folk instrument in which category the piano does not, alas, qualify, so imagine if you can that I am playing an 88 string guitar:
We are the folk song army;
Every one of us cares;
We all hate poverty, war, and injustice;
Unlike the rest of you squares.
So join in the folk song army;
Guitars are the weapons we bring;
To the fight against poverty, war, and injustice;
Ready! Aim! Sing!
