Analysis of Vietnam Time Period Songs Essay Example
Masterwork analysis These masterworks represent every different stage that was set in the time period of the Vietnam War. It goes from the war killings to freedom and peace and they are represented through “Gimme Shelter”, “Bring’em Home”, “Blowin’ in the Wind”, “The Unknown Soldier”, “My Generation” and “All along the Watchtower”. The musicians who composed and sang also worked as social activist representing the anti-Vietnam movement.
The song “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones shows the political and social unrest of the Vietnam Time period. Gimme Shelter was recorded on February 23, 1969 and released on December 5, 1969 in the album Let it Bleed. It begins with “a storm is threat'ning my very life today. (2) If I don't get some shelter, I'm gonna fade away” which shows how society was posing a threat by the “storm” that represented the war. “The fire is sweepin' our very street today. Burns like a red coal carpet.” Is describing how the war effects have inflicted pain on society. “The floods is threat'ning my very life today. Gimme, gimme shelter or I'm gonna fade away” The flood which represents as a threat keeps trying to take life away and in the song if they don’t find a “shelter” or a cover they will “fade away” meaning they will disappear. The chorus, “War, children, it's just a shot away” describes how the war and the children are suffering from the effects of war caused by a “shot”. The shot represents weapons, therefore, when they sing “it’s just shot away” means that’s all it takes one shot to take peoples lives away. This song is a masterwork because it speaks of the feelings the youth was going through and how many in the battle field felt. “That song was written during the Vietnam War and so it's very much about the awareness that war is always present; it was very present in life at that point.” – Mick Jagger (1)
1. “Mick Jagger Quotes”, The Brainy Quote:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mick_jagger_2.html
The song “Gimme Shelter” by the Rolling Stones shows the political and social unrest of the Vietnam Time period. Gimme Shelter was recorded on February 23, 1969 and released on December 5, 1969 in the album Let it Bleed. It begins with “a storm is threat'ning my very life today. (2) If I don't get some shelter, I'm gonna fade away” which shows how society was posing a threat by the “storm” that represented the war. “The fire is sweepin' our very street today. Burns like a red coal carpet.” Is describing how the war effects have inflicted pain on society. “The floods is threat'ning my very life today. Gimme, gimme shelter or I'm gonna fade away” The flood which represents as a threat keeps trying to take life away and in the song if they don’t find a “shelter” or a cover they will “fade away” meaning they will disappear. The chorus, “War, children, it's just a shot away” describes how the war and the children are suffering from the effects of war caused by a “shot”. The shot represents weapons, therefore, when they sing “it’s just shot away” means that’s all it takes one shot to take peoples lives away. This song is a masterwork because it speaks of the feelings the youth was going through and how many in the battle field felt. “That song was written during the Vietnam War and so it's very much about the awareness that war is always present; it was very present in life at that point.” – Mick Jagger (1)
1. “Mick Jagger Quotes”, The Brainy Quote:
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/m/mick_jagger_2.html