During the 1950s and 1960s, the American people were recovering from the damage of World War II. Many people were mourning from the losses of their loved ones, and soldiers were coming home from war with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). Much of the American public wanted changes in the way the government dealt with world problems, and how we maintained enough soldiers for war. People expressed their frustrations through songs. The songs were calling for social change in America. The songs were important because the songs showed the anger with the decisions of the country that were made, but showed the frustrations peacefully. Two songs that call for social change are “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” by Pete Seeger, and “Eve of Destruction”
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Throughout the song, there is a cycle talking about losing men to war. The song talks about men going to be soldiers, soldiers going to war, and after war the soldiers going to graveyards, which establishes the casualty and mourning that happens during and after war. Many men who were drafted publicly burned their draft cards, which highlights the resistance people felt in going to war. Protests happened for years, which exemplifies the persistence of the American people to stop the draft. A line in Where Have All the Flowers Gone that exemplifies the soldiers dying is in Stanza four. Seeger says, “Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards, ev’ry one. When will they ever learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?” (4). This line is the song demonstrates that the soldiers may come back from war, but they will come back in coffins or body bags. The song also asks “when will we ever learn”, which implies that the same mistake has been made before. This song calls for social change because Seeger wants to stop sending men off to war unwillingly, which reveals the reluctances of the men being drafted. In conclusion, Where Have All the Flowers Gone calls for social change because the song wants to end the
Throughout the song, there is a cycle talking about losing men to war. The song talks about men going to be soldiers, soldiers going to war, and after war the soldiers going to graveyards, which establishes the casualty and mourning that happens during and after war. Many men who were drafted publicly burned their draft cards, which highlights the resistance people felt in going to war. Protests happened for years, which exemplifies the persistence of the American people to stop the draft. A line in Where Have All the Flowers Gone that exemplifies the soldiers dying is in Stanza four. Seeger says, “Where have all the soldiers gone? Gone to graveyards, ev’ry one. When will they ever learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?” (4). This line is the song demonstrates that the soldiers may come back from war, but they will come back in coffins or body bags. The song also asks “when will we ever learn”, which implies that the same mistake has been made before. This song calls for social change because Seeger wants to stop sending men off to war unwillingly, which reveals the reluctances of the men being drafted. In conclusion, Where Have All the Flowers Gone calls for social change because the song wants to end the