Eve of Destruction
By: Barry McGuire
Lyrics:
The eastern world it is exploding
Violence flarin', bullets loadin'
You're old enough to kill but not for votin'
You don't believe in war but whats that gun you're totin'?
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'
But you tell me
Over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say
Can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today?
If the button is pushed, there's no runnin' away
There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave
Take a look around you boy, it's bound to scare you boy
And you tell me
Over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Yeah my blood's so mad feels like coagulating
I'm sitting here just contemplatin'
I can't twist the truth it knows no regulation
Handful of senators don't pass legislation
And marches alone can't bring integration
When human respect is disintegratin'
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin'
And you tell me
Over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
You may leave here for four days in space
But when you return it's the same old place
The pounding of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead but don't leave a trace
Hate your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace
And tell me
Over and over and over and over again my friend
You don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Mmm, no, no, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/barrymcguire/eveofdestruction.html
The eastern world it is exploding
Violence flarin', bullets loadin'
You're old enough to kill but not for votin'
You don't believe in war but whats that gun you're totin'?
And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin'
But you tell me
Over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say
Can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today?
If the button is pushed, there's no runnin' away
There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave
Take a look around you boy, it's bound to scare you boy
And you tell me
Over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Yeah my blood's so mad feels like coagulating
I'm sitting here just contemplatin'
I can't twist the truth it knows no regulation
Handful of senators don't pass legislation
And marches alone can't bring integration
When human respect is disintegratin'
This whole crazy world is just too frustratin'
And you tell me
Over and over and over again my friend
Ah, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
You may leave here for four days in space
But when you return it's the same old place
The pounding of the drums, the pride and disgrace
You can bury your dead but don't leave a trace
Hate your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace
And tell me
Over and over and over and over again my friend
You don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
Mmm, no, no, you don't believe
We're on the eve of destruction
http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/barrymcguire/eveofdestruction.html
Eve of Destruction: A song of hypocrisy
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/5/2/105201129/editor/we-wont-fight-final1.jpg?1494267844)
"Eve of Destruction" was written in 1964 by P. F. Sloan and performed by Barry McGuire. The song became a controversial hit in 1965 at the peak of upheaval in American culture and politics. It was a volatile time: President Kennedy had been assassinated; the Cold War was heating up; the Civil Rights Movement was ongoing; the Vietnam War was being fought; and there was tension and conflict in the Middle East. The 1960s started a revolution from the younger generation; protests and riots began for the fight of human rights, peace, and anti war. This caused a great divide in our nation and artists were using their concerts and albums to push these different agendas. "Eve of Destruction" cites these events, as the lyrics warns us of our imminent demise. McGuire discusses three main points; Anti-war, Human Rights, and Racism. Through a rhetorical analysis it is clear McGuire is pushing the hypocrisy of America.
The Vietnam war has been one of the most controversial wars in American history. The American people believed they were misled when it came to the real reason they were fighting in Vietnam which led to widespread disapproval of our involvement in the war. The war was televised in a way that the American people were able to see the gruesome violence and soldiers dying every day. Barry McGuire, like many other musicians during this period, was against the war in Vietnam. In “Eve of Destruction,” Barry sings “The eastern world, it is explodin’, violence flarin’, bullets loadin’” Barry McGuire chose to appeal to both Ethos and Pathos when talking about the theme of Anti-war. These and other lyrics provided a vivid portrayal of all the things that were so frightening, thus invoking the listeners' emotions (the Ethos of the song's persuasive argument). The Vietnam war was one of the first televised wars in history. People at home could see the graphic images and the pain the soldiers were going through, and that is what Barry McGuire was trying to display with his lyrics. McGuire also goes to promote peace by singing, “If the button is pushed, there’s no running away, There’ll be no one to save with the world in a grave.” Barry is talking about the use of nuclear weapons, like the ones used in World War II. There was wide spread fear that the Vietnam War would turn into a nuclear war which no one knew who the weapons would be pointed at and the damage it would cause. People were continually reminded that nuclear missiles were pointed at America; kids even had bomb drills at school. Within this atmosphere, the lyrics were not hyperbole to be ignored. Rather, these lyrics spoke people's fears out loud. This line also served to show that if all the soldiers die in Vietnam, America’s fighting would be pointless, showing the hypocrisy of it all.
The teenage and younger generations found a new sense of pride and purpose in the 1960s. They felt they were not given the same respect as other generations, and their new movement was being ignored. They felt they didn’t have a voice. They were being hauled off to war at the age of 18, but were not able to vote. McGuire was trying to hit this point with the line, “old enough to kill but not for votin’” These boys were being sent to their death beds with no say, showing the unfairness of the situation and the lack of equal rights. Eventually, this would lead to the 26th amendment that lowered the voting age to 18. McGuire was pushing the audience with Logos to show why the Vietnam war was not smart and hypocritical of the things America valued. He was not able to see the logic in why kids were being shipped off into a losing battle, when they were very opposed to the war. Some older generations found themselves agreeing with Lyndon B. Johnson and the need to be in the war, but it was the younger generations that were being drafted with no voting rights.
That younger generation was moving into this time of speaking on free love, of “Tune in, tune out,” this was a new generation of the psychedelic. The politicians weren’t considering these values and the people's voices and opinions were being overlooked. While the younger generation is preaching peace and love; violence and protests were swirling around in the 1960s. McGuire tries to show this by stating the line, “Hate your next door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace,” Again, McGuire tries to appeal to Logos pointing out the irony that all of our problems were stemming from hatred and racism and yet we were still very much clinging to our religious beliefs. The entirety of the song is showing the hypocrisy of what we try to fight and portray in America and what is our actual reality. The United States was trying to display this pillar of family morals, democracy, and the golden example by shoving their politics on all, but there were some seriously deep-rooted issues.
During the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was at its height in its push to end racial discrimination. Leaders in the black community, like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, called upon their community to rally together and protest with rioting and civil disobedience. People demanded equality for all and many protests and marches occurred during the 1960's, causing wide spread media attention. In "Eve of Destruction," McGuire discusses the racism that was occurring in America and all over the world at this time. There was widespread paranoia and fear with the political unrest in other countries like; China, Soviet Union, Vietnam, and Cuba. In his song, he sings, “Think of all the hate there is in Red China! Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!” Barry McGuire is talking about the Communist Regime that was persecuting people in China and the blatant racism known as “separate but equal” that was Selma, Alabama. McGuire was trying to show the hypocrisy of the American people by showing that both are equally bad, but the American people had no problem with their racism. McGuire is trying to appeal to Logos, and show the insanity in this logic to hopefully spur change in the still segregated United States. This appeal was more from a Logos but had a Pathos perspective. We are fighting in a war stemming from a fear of not understanding and against communism, while we have serious issues in our own country. There were two big battle grounds: one abroad and one at home. McGuire also goes on to make a statement about the form of protests these different groups were choosing to use, “And Marches alone can’t bring integration, when human respect is disintegratin'" McGuire is trying to point out that the black pride movement could be seen as "a lost cause" because how are the American people supposed to see the need to integrate when our country was being pushed into a more polarized place. A place where no one respected anyone, no matter the color or race. McGuire saw that what we were fighting for oversees was exactly what we should've been fighting for in America, and that people were filled with so much fear they forgot to "love their neighbor", and instead turned everyone into enemies.
Barry McGuire used this song to push the agenda of a new America. An America where there aren’t hypocrites, there aren’t racists, and to open a forum of new speech. Not only do the lyrics use Pathos to emotionally connect people to the song's warning and call to action, they use Logos and Ethos to persuade people to agree with the song's message. The Logos (logical) argument is in the numerous examples of what is wrong in America. It is not a singular event, but rather an entire compilation of many things that convinces the listener that America is on the eve of destruction. The Ethos (ethics and credibility) comes out in the examples of hypocrisy, which is the underlying theme of the song and is what gives it such credibility. The bottom line of the song was if you are not a hypocrite, or do not want to be one, then you must recognize that if the world does not change, the world will soon be gone. It was a powerful message and an effectively persuasive argument.
The Vietnam war has been one of the most controversial wars in American history. The American people believed they were misled when it came to the real reason they were fighting in Vietnam which led to widespread disapproval of our involvement in the war. The war was televised in a way that the American people were able to see the gruesome violence and soldiers dying every day. Barry McGuire, like many other musicians during this period, was against the war in Vietnam. In “Eve of Destruction,” Barry sings “The eastern world, it is explodin’, violence flarin’, bullets loadin’” Barry McGuire chose to appeal to both Ethos and Pathos when talking about the theme of Anti-war. These and other lyrics provided a vivid portrayal of all the things that were so frightening, thus invoking the listeners' emotions (the Ethos of the song's persuasive argument). The Vietnam war was one of the first televised wars in history. People at home could see the graphic images and the pain the soldiers were going through, and that is what Barry McGuire was trying to display with his lyrics. McGuire also goes to promote peace by singing, “If the button is pushed, there’s no running away, There’ll be no one to save with the world in a grave.” Barry is talking about the use of nuclear weapons, like the ones used in World War II. There was wide spread fear that the Vietnam War would turn into a nuclear war which no one knew who the weapons would be pointed at and the damage it would cause. People were continually reminded that nuclear missiles were pointed at America; kids even had bomb drills at school. Within this atmosphere, the lyrics were not hyperbole to be ignored. Rather, these lyrics spoke people's fears out loud. This line also served to show that if all the soldiers die in Vietnam, America’s fighting would be pointless, showing the hypocrisy of it all.
The teenage and younger generations found a new sense of pride and purpose in the 1960s. They felt they were not given the same respect as other generations, and their new movement was being ignored. They felt they didn’t have a voice. They were being hauled off to war at the age of 18, but were not able to vote. McGuire was trying to hit this point with the line, “old enough to kill but not for votin’” These boys were being sent to their death beds with no say, showing the unfairness of the situation and the lack of equal rights. Eventually, this would lead to the 26th amendment that lowered the voting age to 18. McGuire was pushing the audience with Logos to show why the Vietnam war was not smart and hypocritical of the things America valued. He was not able to see the logic in why kids were being shipped off into a losing battle, when they were very opposed to the war. Some older generations found themselves agreeing with Lyndon B. Johnson and the need to be in the war, but it was the younger generations that were being drafted with no voting rights.
That younger generation was moving into this time of speaking on free love, of “Tune in, tune out,” this was a new generation of the psychedelic. The politicians weren’t considering these values and the people's voices and opinions were being overlooked. While the younger generation is preaching peace and love; violence and protests were swirling around in the 1960s. McGuire tries to show this by stating the line, “Hate your next door neighbor, but don’t forget to say grace,” Again, McGuire tries to appeal to Logos pointing out the irony that all of our problems were stemming from hatred and racism and yet we were still very much clinging to our religious beliefs. The entirety of the song is showing the hypocrisy of what we try to fight and portray in America and what is our actual reality. The United States was trying to display this pillar of family morals, democracy, and the golden example by shoving their politics on all, but there were some seriously deep-rooted issues.
During the 1960s, the Civil Rights Movement was at its height in its push to end racial discrimination. Leaders in the black community, like Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, called upon their community to rally together and protest with rioting and civil disobedience. People demanded equality for all and many protests and marches occurred during the 1960's, causing wide spread media attention. In "Eve of Destruction," McGuire discusses the racism that was occurring in America and all over the world at this time. There was widespread paranoia and fear with the political unrest in other countries like; China, Soviet Union, Vietnam, and Cuba. In his song, he sings, “Think of all the hate there is in Red China! Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama!” Barry McGuire is talking about the Communist Regime that was persecuting people in China and the blatant racism known as “separate but equal” that was Selma, Alabama. McGuire was trying to show the hypocrisy of the American people by showing that both are equally bad, but the American people had no problem with their racism. McGuire is trying to appeal to Logos, and show the insanity in this logic to hopefully spur change in the still segregated United States. This appeal was more from a Logos but had a Pathos perspective. We are fighting in a war stemming from a fear of not understanding and against communism, while we have serious issues in our own country. There were two big battle grounds: one abroad and one at home. McGuire also goes on to make a statement about the form of protests these different groups were choosing to use, “And Marches alone can’t bring integration, when human respect is disintegratin'" McGuire is trying to point out that the black pride movement could be seen as "a lost cause" because how are the American people supposed to see the need to integrate when our country was being pushed into a more polarized place. A place where no one respected anyone, no matter the color or race. McGuire saw that what we were fighting for oversees was exactly what we should've been fighting for in America, and that people were filled with so much fear they forgot to "love their neighbor", and instead turned everyone into enemies.
Barry McGuire used this song to push the agenda of a new America. An America where there aren’t hypocrites, there aren’t racists, and to open a forum of new speech. Not only do the lyrics use Pathos to emotionally connect people to the song's warning and call to action, they use Logos and Ethos to persuade people to agree with the song's message. The Logos (logical) argument is in the numerous examples of what is wrong in America. It is not a singular event, but rather an entire compilation of many things that convinces the listener that America is on the eve of destruction. The Ethos (ethics and credibility) comes out in the examples of hypocrisy, which is the underlying theme of the song and is what gives it such credibility. The bottom line of the song was if you are not a hypocrite, or do not want to be one, then you must recognize that if the world does not change, the world will soon be gone. It was a powerful message and an effectively persuasive argument.
![Picture](/uploads/1/0/5/2/105201129/editor/barrymcguire-cmonalong_1.jpg?250)
More about the Artist:
Barry McGuire is a native Oklahoman who moved to California when he was two years old. He enlisted in the Army at sixteen, but was discharged for being too young. McGuire was a folk-rock singer whose greatest hits were "Eve of Destruction" and "Sins of a Family," both which were written by P. F. Sloan. The songs called into question the American norms and challenged listeners not to blindly follow them. Later in his life, McGuire became a born again Christian and moved to New Zealand with his wife, Mari. Currently, at 81, he now resides in Fresno, California.