Draft Dodger Rag Essay

Throughout the years, music has been used to protest events going on in the world. One of the most notable events that musicians had protested through music is the United States involvement in the Vietnam War. Phil Ochs was one of many protest singers of the era, his song “Draft Dodger Rag” protested the draft that occurred during the war.
In 1965, the United States started to send soldiers to fight in the Vietnam War. To make the army larger, the U.S. used what is called the draft. This required young men born in range of years from 1944 to 1950 to register. The first lottery drawing since 1942 was held in the year 1969. To determine the order in which the young men were selected, there were “366 blue plastic capsules containing birth dates placed in a large glass container and drawn …show more content…
The song tells the story of a man that had been called for duty and is saying that everything that would exempt him from service applies to him. This includes medical conditions, allergies, drug addictions, not being in shape, and being a caretaker of a family member. Also, the song never says anything that was outright against the war. It is also a satirical song, meaning that Ochs used humor in this song, this made a big impact in the genre. “Draft Dodger Rag” inserted much needed humor into the genre of protest songs. Another song by Ochs called “I Ain’t Marching No More”, and “Draft Dodger Rag” were described by Ray Pratt as quickly achieving ‘anthem status’ (Perone, 2004 p. 40). It was also said that “Draft Dodger Rag” was one of the more important songs for people that were against the Vietnam War. “Draft Dodger Rag” was just one of many protest songs during the Vietnam War. However, it left a lasting impact on the genre along with some other of Phil Ochs’ songs. It was different from the usual protest song, and that is one way it has made its