War Is Over
1968 · A&M 932 · Los Angeles, California
- Artist
- Phil Ochs
- Title
- War Is Over
- Release
- The War Is Over / The Harder They Fall
- Year
- 1968
- Label
- A&M # 932
- Format
- 7" · Single
- Language
- English
- Country
- Los Angeles, California, USA
- Songwriter
- Phil Ochs
- Genre
- Folk · Contemporary Folk
- Primary theme
- Peace, Protest & Anti-War
Annotation
The track "The War Is Over" (A&M Records # 932) was inspired by Allen Ginsberg's 1966 declaration that the Vietnam war was over. He played the song in front of 150,000 demonstrators in front of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., on October 21, 1967, and at other famous rallies, including outside the 1968 Democratic National Convention. It contained the memorable line mocking soldiers for doing their duty, which would be serving "your country in her suicide". He then suggested treason as an option, as "this country is too young to die". It is also noteworthy for crticising the anti-war movement as well, saying that they are just playing in the game of politics: "painting angry signs...poisoned players of a grizzly game".
Annotation by Justin A. Brummer
About the artist
born 19 December 1940 in El Paso, Texas, USA, and died on 9 April 1976, in Far Rockaway, New York, USA