Kiss My Ass

Annotation

This limited edition EP, circulated with the magazine Rag Baby, contained a couple Vietnam-related tracks. The song "Tricky Dick", which portrayed Nixon as an artificial man, or robot, criticised his role in the economy and the ongoing Vietnam War: "the war keeps going on and on". The song "Kiss My Ass" (Rag Baby Records # RAG 1003) took an anti-war position, similar to their famous 1965 song I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die-Rag. Narrated in the first person, a man went to the army recruitment office - as a volunteer - and the army "sent me to Saigon and they stayed home". The man finished his army duty, and as a veteran back in the US he expressed opposition to the war: "we don't want your fuckin war". It also criticised the army culture of taking orders.

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I thought I'd join the Army just to take a look... / Went on down to the recruiter man and that's when all my troubles began... / They sent me to Saigon and they stayed home... / 1-2-3-4, we don't want your fuckin war / A-B-C-D, get someone else, hey, don't get me / Left, Right, Left, Right... / I done my duty and I fought my fight... / I'm free at last and if they want anymore they can kiss my ass / 'Cause I've been up and down and around this country more than a couple of times / But I never knew until I got into the Army that thinking for yourself was a crime

About the artist

Psychedelic rock band formed in 1965 in Berkeley, California, around Country Joe McDonald (born 1 January 1942, Washington, D.C.; died March 2026) and Barry 'The Fish' Melton; best known for the antiwar anthem I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag (1967) and its Woodstock performance. Disbanded in the early 1970s [disband location not stated]. [Source: Wikipedia; NPR obituary]

Themes

Anti-War

In collections

Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]