Theme: Vietnam War: Country Joe and the Fish 'I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag'

For a song that sounds like it came from the circus, the lyrical content of Country Joe and the Fish's 'I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag' (McDonald 1967) is quite humorless and in-your-face.

Well, come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, don't hesitate,
Send 'em off before it's too late.
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

McDonald addresses his concerns to parents, generals, and Wall Street, in the name of Uncle Sam, and sarcastically invites young men to join the army:

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

The childish sound of the song may deter listeners from paying attention to the lyrics, but the lyrics reel the listeners back in with the sarcastic line that ends each phrase: Open up the pearly gates...whoopie! we're all gonna die!

Fun fact: The recorded version begins with the 'Fish Cheer' ("Gimme an F! F! Gimme an I! I...). In a few live versions the band altered the 'Fish Cheer' to be the 'Fuck Cheer' ("Gimme an F! F! Gimme a U! U!...) and in 1970 McDonald was arrested for doing the altered version in public and charged with obscenity.