The World Today

Annotation

Blues collaboration, between well-known and influential blues singer / songwriter John Lee Hooker, known for playing an Electric Blues style of the Delta Blues, born on 22 August 1917 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA (he died on 21 June 2001 in Los Altos, California, USA), and Blues Rock group Canned Heat, formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA. John Lee Hooker released a couple other Vietnam War songs, both in 1969 - the single "I Don't Want to Go to Vietnam" (Bluesway Records # 61023), and the song "I Gotta Go to Vietnam", although this only featured as a bonus track to the 1993 CD reissue of the 1968 album Urban Blues (MCA Records # MCAD-10760). The song "The World Today" (United Artists Records # UAD 60157/8) looked at the so-called 'generation gap' of the times, "it's a brand new world today... old people, they're not hip to the modern days... leave the young kids alone". The song notes conflict across the world, "world is in uproar... they're fightin' all over the world", as well as tension at home, noting an era of demonstrations and protest, "they're fightnin' in every town, on campus... kind of fightin' for their rights".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Lyrics

English: I wonder why this world is sweet hell / I wonder why this world is in uproar / Everyday you read about somethin' new / They're fightin' all over the world / People fightin' all over the world / Race against race, they're fightin' everyday / I wonder when, disaster comin' to a end / I wonder when, I wonder when / This nightmare comin' to a end / I can't believe it's gonna last always / And every time I pick up a paper / I always read bad news... / I wonder when this nightmare is gonna end / You find so many young people / They're fightnin' in every town, on campus / You find so many young people / They're fightnin' in every town, on campus / I don't know, don't know, what they're right or wrong / But they're kind of fightin' for their rights, yeah, yeah, yeah / The old people leave the young kids alone / Let them run their own lives, yeah, yeah / The old folks leave the young kids alone / And let them run their own life / It's a brand new world today / Look at here now, you'll find some of them old people / They're not hip to the modern days / They want their kids to live like they live / But no, them days are gone / It's a brand new world / One way to solve their problem, it takes time / The old coots die out and leave it to the young kids / Be a beautiful world and then / There won't be no fighting on campus any more / 'Cause my kids and your kids, when they grow up and get drunk / They'll understand, all old coots are gone in their grave / But as long as they live…

About the artist

John Lee Hooker - born on 22 August 1917 in Clarksdale, Mississippi, USA (he died on 21 June 2001 in Los Altos, California, USA). Canned Heat - formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California, USA.

Themes

Anti-War · Generation Gap · Demonstration · Civil Rights

In collections

Blues songs · Civil Rights Songs · Peace, Protest, & Anti-War Songs [War Years]