How many songs were written about the Vietnam War? - 2023 (2023)

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How many songs were written about the Vietnam War? - 2023? ›

Fifty years on, more than 5,000 songs have been recorded about the war, forming an international conversation about a conflict that tore apart the fabric of politics, society and culture.

Fifty years on, more than 5,000 songs have been recorded about the war, forming an international conversation about a conflict that tore apart the fabric of politics, society and culture.

We've Gotta Get Out of this Place, The Animals

It was frequently played by US Forces Vietnam Network disc jockeys, and in 2006 an in-depth survey of Vietnam veterans found that it was the song they most identified with: We had absolute unanimity is this song being the touchstone. This was the Vietnam anthem.

Songs that spoke directly to the war were proof that people were talking about this cataclysmic event, and a way to safely express the ambivalence that many in the field felt. Even songs that weren't directly about the war — like “Chain of Fools” — could take on new meaning in Vietnam.

“Give Me Love (Peace on Earth)” – George Harrison (1973) – While written about the war in Bangladesh, the song became an anthem of peace at the end of the Vietnam War.

The Spokesmen's pro-Vietnam ballad “Dawn of Correction” insisted on the “need to keep free people from red domination,” while “The Battle Hymn of Lt. Calley,” performed by C Company and Terry Nelson, topped Billboard charts. (The song defended Lt.

The "Marines Hymn" is the official hymn of the United States Marine Corps. Introduced by the first director of the USMC Band, Francesco Maria Scala, it is the oldest official song in the United States Armed Forces. The "Marines Hymn" is typically sung at attention as a gesture of respect.

They listened to the radio, or on cassette desks or reel-to-reel tape players. They loved Hendrix and Nancy Sinatra, and especially songs that had anything to do with going home, because that was their main goal.

What are war songs called? ›

Martial music or military music is a specific genre of music intended for use in military settings performed by professional soldiers called field musicians.

Having rebuilt their forces and upgraded their logistics system, North Vietnamese forces triggered a major offensive in the Central Highlands in March 1975. On April 30, 1975, NVA tanks rolled through the gate of the Presidential Palace in Saigon, effectively ending the war.

November 1, 1955 – April 30, 1975

Vietnam War / Period

The US army had superior conventional weapons but they were ineffective against a country that was not industrialized and an army which employed guerrilla tactics and used the dense jungle as cover.

In the early 1960s, before the antiwar movement gained a measure of popularity, folk singers Peter, Paul, and Mary (Peter Yarrow, Paul Stookey, and Mary Travers), Joan Baez, Judy Collins, Pete Seeger, Phil Ochs, Tom Paxton, and others spread the antiwar message through their music.

Vietnam War Protest Songs

Phil Ochs wrote “What Are You Fighting For?” in 1963 and “I Ain't Marching Anymore” in 1965. Other songs whose very titles were a protest themselves included Pete Seeger's “Bring 'Em Home” (1966) and Joan Baez's “Saigon Bride” (1967).

How Creedence Clearwater Revival Became the Soundtrack to Every Vietnam Movie. From Forrest Gump to The Post, music supervisors can't let go of Creedence. We trace the history of this cinematic cliché. John Fogerty claims he wrote “Fortunate Son” in just 20 minutes.

From that point on, “White Christmas” became an instant classic and one of the most patriotic songs of World War II.

"Revolution" Meaning and Analysis

John Lennon, the lead singer for The Beatles, wrote the song in the summer of 1968 as a political statement opposing the Vietnam War.

Though not written about the Vietnam War, the Peter, Paul and Mary cover of the song was interpreted by at least one writer to be a protest song about a soldier leaving his partner, unsure if he would return.

Did US helicopters play music in Vietnam? ›

Helicopters were also deployed at times to broadcast recordings in which the pre-recorded voices called on their "descendants" in the Việt Cộng to defect and cease fighting. The United States would also use patrol boats going up and down the river playing the ghost tape.

In 1969, dropouts accounted for 27 percent of the enlisted force, ranging from a high of 42 percent in the Marine Corps and a low of eight percent in the Air Force. More than anything else, it was the Vietnam War that ended the draft. Inductions had fallen to 82,060 in 1962, but then soared to 382,010 in 1966.

"Taps" concludes military funerals that are conducted with honors at Arlington National Cemetery and elsewhere. The tune is also sounded at memorial services in Arlington's Memorial Amphitheater and at grave sites throughout the cemetery.

The use of “Taps” is unique to the United States military, as the call is sounded at funerals, wreath-laying ceremonies and memorial services. “Taps” originally began as a signal to extinguish lights.

They perform all over the world, inspiring troops and civilians alike. (The Marine Band, which Congress founded in 1798, has the distinction of being America's oldest continuously active professional musical organization.) At times today, service members still simply sing to stave off boredom or entertain each other.

"Blinding Lights" by the Weeknd (pictured) is the most-streamed song on Spotify, with over 3.5 billion streams.

In 2022, the search queries "Xổ số" were searched the most in Vietnam, followed by the search queries "Xổ số miền" and "Dịch". "Xổ số" is a Vietnamese word for lottery and has consistently been among the most popular search queries on Google in the country.

The tense atmosphere and frustrating nature of the war eventually caused a significant decline in the motivation and performance of American forces in Vietnam. Some American soldiers reacted to their situation by lashing out violently against the Vietnamese, while others took out their anger on U.S. military leaders.

The 199th Infantry Brigade is most notable for its participation in combat operations during the Vietnam War.

How many songs were written about the Civil War? ›

The Civil War drove a boom in American songwriting: Historian Christian McWhirter estimates that between 9,000 and 10,000 songs were published as sheet music during the war, including some 2,000 in the first year of the conflict alone. Sheet music cover of The Battle Cry of Freedom.

The Beatles opposed the war in Vietnam and were avid participants in the anti-war movement; by trend setting, not being afraid to speak their mind, and writing songs including: “Give Peace A Chance,” “Revolution,” “All You Need Is Love,” and many more.

Among the hit songs were Edwin Starr's “War!” (1969) and Crosby, Stills and Nash's “Ohio” (1970), which captured the nation's grief over the killing of students at Kent State, and Marvin Gaye's “What's Going On” (1971).