1971: War and Music

Marvin Gaye

Marvin Gaye is perhaps the most influential musician in history. Gaye was an American singer, producer and writer credited mainly for reshaping the Motown sound in the 60s. Gaye started as an in-house session player before building his immensely successful solo career and earning the nickname "Prince of Motown." Though his career was unfortunately short-lived, Gaye left a legacy for the ages. His most acclaimed and generally appreciated album is "What's Going On," released in 1971 and featuring the titular song "What's Going On." A Trojan horse of a song, this easy-going and beautiful song is a genuine cry for peace in times of war. As Motown's top vocal performer in the 1970s, Gaye felt a calling to both spread peace and raise awareness while writing a song for his brother, who was fighting in Vietnam. Rolling Stone's Magazine describes the song as "An exquisite plea for peace on Earth, sung by a man at the height of a crisis," I couldn't agree more. The lyrics directly address picket lines, police brutality, political confusion and the importance of love in times of hate. Gaye was largely inspired by the Black Panther Party and praised them for their work feeding hungry children. However, Gaye's lyrics were nonviolent, and he did speak out against the Party's occasional violent actions. "What's Going on Lyrics" encapsulate his feelings towards the war, brutality and turbulent politics of the 60s/70s, especially the shootings of JFK and Martin Luther King Jr. His anthem for peace was extremely popular with the American general public and students - it became an anti-war anthem and an introspective view of the Vietnam War from a legendary musician. Read the lyrics here: https://genius.com/Marvin-gaye-whats-going-on-lyrics 

The Who 

The Who were an English band formed in 1964 in London. Their original lineup consisted of four members: Roger Daltrey, who sang; guitarist Pete Townshend; drummer Keith Moon; and bass guitarist John Entwistle. Although considered one of rock's most influential bands, The Who had a messy reputation. The Who is known for spearheading the sort of "rock and roll" attitude we know associated with the genre. Pete Townshend had begun the classic "banging your guitar until it breaks" portion of a concert that many other rock musicians have now taken on. The Who was loud, rowdy, and dramatic. They have become one of the best-selling musicians of the ages and are credited as one of the best rock bands ever. They, too, appeared at Woodstock, and that, along with many other historical live performances, changed Rock and Roll forever. Released in 1971, "Won't Get Fooled Again" was a single written by Peter Townshend about revolution and unchecked power. Originally intended to be the closing number of the Rock Opera "Lifehouse," "Won't Get Fooled Again" became an anthem for the Anti-War American protests. It had a more pronounced sound of rage than "What's Going On" that many anti-Vietnamers aligned themselves with. Townshend describes this song as him being a "cynical English arsehole" on the world's ability to "change." In "Won't Get Fooled Again," Townshend shows his lack of trust in higher-up and more powerful people to change, stating those in power will always remain the same, unbothered and uncaring. This is well summarized in the song's final line; "Meet the new boss / Same as the old boss." Many protesters found this song to reflect their situation and related it to Nixon's government and actions toward the Vietnamese people, American soldiers, students and average Americans. Read the lyrics here: https://genius.com/The-who-wont-get-fooled-again-lyrics 

John Lennon

Fresh after the Beatles' breakup, John Lennon was working on his expansive solo career. Driven by politics, peace, and his wife, Yoko Ono, he wrote many political protest songs on social issues worldwide. In October 1971, Lennon released his most notable and best-selling single, "Imagine." Imagine encouraged listeners to foster peace and community, forget about materialism, and look around at the world's problems to 'imagine' and create unity. Lennon was well-known for his politics; he held conferences and protests and often participated in strikes before his untimely death in 1980. Lennon and Yoko were interested and spoke about the America-Vietnam war both publicly and in later found footage. The song emerged during heavy global tensions and social unrest. The Vietnam War had begun to profoundly impact the entirety of the world, and the consequences had become grave. Napalming and other horrific war efforts were being broadcast on TV for the world to see. "Imagine" presented a utopia, an idealistic world without borders, with a sense of community and peace. Though perhaps unrealistic, the song inspired the masses and became a powerful anti-war anthem that encouraged love. The lyrics are like a painted picture; they seem too good to be true but helps one imagine a brighter future; "You may say I'm a dreamer / But I'm not the only one / I hope someday you'll join us / And the world will be as one." "Imagine" has become one of the most recognizable songs in history and has stood as an image for peace and love throughout many political conflicts from 1971 and beyond. Fun fact: in August 1971, John Lennon and Yoko Ono moved to New York together against the wishes of many of their friends and family. This was mainly because Lennon was an enemy of the American government. He stood against everything Nixon and his group stood for, and they worried that Lennon's influence as a megastar would cause a problem for their political movements. Lennon and Ono had begun to notice through their years in New York that many of their phone calls had strange clicks,  leading them to believe their phones were tapped. Well, they were correct! The FBI and CIA under Nixon's administration were indeed targeting John Lennon due to his anti-war activism and thought of him as a threat to the Republican Party of America. They even tried to deport Lennon with charges of Marijuana - primarily out of fear that his infleunce would disrupt the 1972 Republican convention. However, until his death, Lennon lived out his days with Yoko Ono in New York City, continuing his political activism and peace promotion. Read the lyrics here: https://genius.com/John-lennon-imagine-lyrics 

"1971, I don't think was a reflection of the times as much as the music also caused the times" - Jimmy Iovine, music producer