Draft Resister
1969 · Dunhill DS-50066 · Los Angeles, California
- Artist
- Steppenwolf
- Title
- Draft Resister
- Release
- Monster
- Year
- 1969
- Label
- Dunhill # DS-50066
- Format
- LP · Album
- Language
- English
- Country
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Songwriter
- J. Kay / G. McJohn / L. Byrom
- Genre
- Rock · Psychedelic Rock
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
Famous hard rock band Steppenwolf, formed in 1967, in Los Angeles, California, USA, founded by lead singer John Kay. They released the anti-war song "Draft Resister" ((Dunhill Records # DS-50066), taking a strong position against military recruitment. The narrator praised the "courage" of those who opposed the draft, and criticised the "precious millions" wasted on the "toys of Washington".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
Lyrics
English: He was talkin' 'bout the army while he passed his pipe around / An American deserter who found peace on Swedish ground / He had joined to seek adventure and to prove himself a man / But they tried to crush his spirit 'til his conscience ruined their plans / And we thought of those who suffer for the sake of honesty / All those who refuse to follow traitors to humanity / Here's to all the draft resisters who will fight for sanity / When they march them off to prison in this land of liberty / Heed the threat and awesome power of the mighty Pentagon / Which is wasting precious millions on the toys of Washington / Don't forget the Draft Resisters and their silent, lonely plea / When they march them off to prison, they will go for you and me / Shame, disgrace and all dishonor, wrongly placed upon their heads / Will not rob them of the courage which betrays the innocent
About the artist
Formed 1967, Los Angeles, California, USA. Disbanded October 2018.