The key thing to understand about the song is that he is incredibly angry, but the song itself is built as a sing-along style folk song. It is pure rage and sarcasm wrapped in velvet--which makes it brilliant.

He absolutely roasted the government and the corporations making money off war… absolute 🔥

He did this song solo without his band. And Country Joe had already served. He was a Vet.

This is maximum sarcasim. To me this is a middle finger to the government for dragging out this war that was the last American war to use the draft. It was scary dreading that letter in the mail. Hippies who protested the war and Civil Rights protesters at the time were all considered enemies of the government. Many, many protests for their lives, turned into riots. Their protests shut down college campuses. Not one or two. Across the country. Students occupied campus buildings and refused to move. There is also A LOT of just amazing music that came from protesting this war. The attire of the time made hippies look irresponsible and flighty. A drugs. But when allowed to speak, these were very intelligent young people who could talk down politicians easily with facts they would rather not have spoken in public. This is an emotional song that sounds like a joke.

"Be the first one on your block to have your boy come home in a box", pretty much the ultimate anti-war song ever written. And Country Joe McDonald did it in front of 300,000 "fuckers", or more, solo, with a borrowed acoustic guitar, with a piece of rope for his guitar strap. Pretty damn gutsy if you ask me. Still gives me chills.

Edited. Hewas a USAF vet that was disillusioned with sending the boys over the fight a war that should never been fought to begin with. It's a middle finger to the US government at the height of the war. I love it

This song is a Vietnam protest song - debateably one of the most sarcastic ever written.

I'm not sure anyone who wasn't alive then can truly appreciate this.

Hell No, We Won't Go...saw Country Joe in Berkeley, CA, I was about 14?, Vietnam war had just ended...we, me and all my older hippie friends foolishly thought that Vietnam would be never forgotten lesson....right. Never forget, and four dead in Ohio...civil right movement...brings to mind a quote...people who forget their history are doomed to repeat it...the heart of man doesn't change and mans technology far surpasses his wisdom, that's 3 quotes, oh well, you get my drift, we thought we could change the world, I guess, we did, just a little, TY for playing this.

When you think all the guys in the audience had their draft cards entered in the Vietnam lottery you can see why they sang so fine!

This song has a very special meaning to me because.....it was played often during my Army Medical training as a Combat Corpsman and later as a Surgery Technician in 1970 through 1972 I had just graduated from Illinois State Univ. with a BS in Vo- Ag Science Ed. and had received my " greetings you are hereby ordered to report letter ", as my student deferment had expired upon graduation and I was #12 in the 1969 National draft lottery. After basic Combat Training, the US Army sent me to Ft. Sam Houston Medical Centre and put me through Combat Corpsman School, Surgery Technician School and then on to Surgical Tech OJT.The Surgical Techs assisted the Surgeons and Nurses with surgical procedures including passing instruments and retracting wounds.We did anything the surgeon asked of us during said procedures. The whole staff operated on Vietnam Battle casualties and many others in our operating rooms, which were always available for use. My idyllic college days were over....in spades...I was to quickly grow up and witness what the "horrors of war " would do to the human body, first hand, in training and on the job in the real world. Becoming critically and permanently disabled in a vehicle accident between duty stations , after receiving orders for overseas, I discovered what it was like to be on both sides of the operating room table .I spent over a year in a hospital bed, having multiple surgical reconstructions to knee/legs I have had to deal with 52 years of pain and disability but my sacrifice was nothing compared to the heroes who gave all in their devotion to duty..I thank you vets for your service...service that always comes with a high cost....Dana - Combat Corpsman/ Op .Rm. Tech. First Army MEDDAC. Dept. Surgery /CMS Disabled Vn Era Vet....Veteran Employment Rep. [ Ret.]

No one knew what we were fighting for. That's why we hit the streets in protest. I lost many a school friend to that war. It was so hard to watch that war unfold, and we take credit for bringing it to an end through our protests and political activity.

I know I'm late to the party but wanted to comment on this reaction. Country Joe McDonald (without the Fish) was asked to fill in some idle time while Santana was trying to get ready to take the stage. No one in the audience was listening to him, until this last song that he played. In 1969 the Vietnam war was in full swing. Protests and marches were the order of the day. Joe was actually a veteran in 69, having served 3 years in the Navy. This protest song was different in that it didn't rage against the war machine or the government, but instead provided a big old "F*ck You" to general folks who supported the war - It was saying "Yeah, lets go fight, lets go die, that's what you want, right?" Woodstock, 3 days of fun and music, with a big old F*ck You right in the middle of it all. Those were the days.

I was there singing along.

This song needs to be covered by a bunch of musicians NOW !

A lot of soldiers died in that war....just look at the size of the Vietnam Memorial wall!!!! Thousands and thousands of names on it!!!😥😥😥

NOT Country Joe and the Fish - just Country Joe. He was pushed on to the stage to fill time while waiting for Santana to get to the stage. The Fish were not with him. They had to scrounge a guitar.

It has a sarcastic edge to it because of the hate of war ,one of the best songs ever ❤

This is a protest song of the War in Vietnam. While he was singing at Woodstock Me and a few thousand others were in Vietnam dying for his right to sing. By the way once we heard it we sang it a lot. Love your reactions.

I was in the heart of it. People today have NO idea what was really going on. God bless all the Veterans.

The true name of the song is… “I feel like I’m fixin’ to die rag” Country Joe McDonald never served in Vietnam. He enlisted in the Navy at 17 & was stationed in Japan. He was honorably discharged in 1962, before America’s main involvement in the Vietnam war. Joe refers to himself as a “Vietnam era veteran.

Actually, there were closer to 500,000 people. At the time it was the third largest city in New York.

Country Joe Mc Donald and Fish... They played the same song at Monterey (1967) also - and he wore the exact same jacket also!

Thank you for playing this, it brought a lot of tears and good memories too.

Country Joe still lives in the Bay Area, and at least until a few years ago still performed in the area. I saw him at Golden Gate park in 1997 or spring of 98, and about 5 6 years ago he performed in Concord at Todos Santo Plaza, he raises money for veteran, he puts his money where his mouth is. Much respect.

Country Joe came and played at my High School back in the early 70s and played this song should of looked at the teachers and staff faces as we were going give me a F give me a U… Priceless LOL 😂

It is the anthem of my youth, my generation. Til today! Greetings from Germany ☮👵

Be the first one on your block to have your son come home in a box. Comes to mind from time to time.

I worked for a radio station back in the day and had to edit the song so we could play it on the air, I had to cut swearing out, NO computers to edit things back then, all done by cutting and splicing tape !!!

great song from the ultimate concert. Its still chilling to hear this and was it oh so true. And we still have learned nothing yet.......

This is One of the Ultimate Anti Vietnam War Songs along with Creedance Clearwater Revival's Fortunate Son, Rolling Stones Give Me Shelter and I Got to Get Out of the Place. Unfortunately I had draft number 37 and ended up in Vietnam 1970-71

Country Joe served in the Navy (Japan I think) during Vietnam era. Came home to perform the most iconic anti war song. Welcome home Joe from a Nam vet. And we didn't give a damn why we were fighting cause we were too busy surviving.

That first part spelling out f*ck got the Woodstock album confiscated by my mom 😂. Like I’d never heard that word 😂😂☮️❤️🌈😎

Songs like this are part of the reason the USA got rid of the draft.

In my generation, every one of us knew every word of this song.

I love this clip, and the whole Woodstock fest film. Same with Monterey Pop (1967). I searched protest song reactions haha that's how I found this. Peace and love and Medicare 4 All

Although billed as "Country Joe and the Fish", Country Joe, for that song, was up there alone. The rest of his group hadn't yet made it to the venue and were next to perform. They (and their equipment) were coming in on the next chopper. So Joe borrowed a guitar and used the sound equipment (with permission) of the last act to perform, and was essentially killing time for the rest of the band to arrive and set up. Many young people are unaware that, because of the traffic tie-down that area of New York, caused by a literal flood of (potential) audience members traveling to the concert, almost all of the musical performers for the entire 3 day gig had to be air-lifted by helicopter in order to get there and play.

I was obsessed with PBS when I was younger. I saw this documentary about Woodstock when i was 11. I was blown away by the movement and music. I still listen to this song. It's one of my favs from the festival.

When the movie played in the theaters. They had the lyrics with a bouncing ball at the bottom of the screen so all us Freaks sang along.

Hippies, drugs, cars from 300,000 people blocking the highway so the artists had to be flown in and out via helicopter. Santana, Janis Joplin, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, Sly and the Family Stone, The Grateful Dead, The Who, Credence Clearwater Revival, and more. The biggest party ever. Watched it all with you Adogg!

It's a protest song against the war in Vietnam

That was Country Jo McDonald by himself. The whole band was electric with Barry "The Fish" Melton on guitar. I first saw them in 1967. Check them out.

Yawt to listen to Alice's Restaurant...by Arlo Guthrie. Another trusted Vietnam protest song...it pretty long so you probably can't do it,it's awsome

This song is called - I'm-a-Fixin-to-die Rag

My generation baby! The rallying cry of our generation. I missed the last draft by the last digit being 3 numbers off! We didn't care what they were fightin' about...we just knew that they were gonna be okay. But we were fooked.

I was drafted. Our choices were serve, prison or self exile.

I was in country shortly after he sang rhis song at Woodstock and I think he hit the nail right on the head. We were there for no good reason and when we came home we were spat on

My older siblings had this album growing up. I was 5 when Woodstock happened, but they had these albums when they were released, so it was making its way to my noodle when I was that young. This song heavily influenced me, the son of a lifer Army first sergeant. I was becoming aware of the world during this time, and yeah...the music greatly influenced and shaped my world view. Thankfully.

You needed to have been around at the time to really appreciate this,time goes by so quickly & things get forgotten

Have never Heard this Song before. But it really means Something. Got my heart and I Like it.

This is a sarcastic song about the pointlessness of this war..

The F word was still pretty shocking in those days. It started out as the F-I-S-H Cheer but quickly became the F-U-C-K Cheer. The audacity of screaming it uninhibited in public was euphoric.

At this time most of the guys I went to High School were drafted. Some came home, a lot did not.

Hello! Am really happy to find your channel. First off, I hope you don't mind if I say that from what you post, it is clear you listen honestly, openly. You treat music with respect. Thank you for showing that quality as a music listener. Many people have the experience of a song when it is contemporary, a natural way to relate to a song. However, to hear a song that is not contemporary and relate to the psychology or emotional understanding of it, really needs a great listener or a good song - or both. When this song was sung at Woodstock, 16 y.o. boys were still signing up to go to war. The aftermath of the veterans coming home was felt full throttle - it is when homelessness became a normalized part of American life on a scale not seen since the 'great depression'. Friends and relatives are dying now from Agent Orange related cancer. They were in Vietnam and are older than me. In case it is new to you, Agent Orange was a deforestation chemical soldiers were doused with in the field. The villagers swam in it. Here is a song to say thank you: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/i9yFjJp90prSin0.html

The actual name of the song is: Fixing to die rag. The line "Whoopie were all gunna die" was supposedly the last words a badly wounded soldier said to his sidekick. This group released several albums and were very popular for a while back in the late 60's and 70's. Some of there other stuff is also good.

Very historical performance at Woodstock! I also watched the documentary to find out about this protest song. I was way to young to even known what Woodstock was at the time.

J & the Fish. Seen live a few times. Tune; "Who am I", "Porpoise", "Fish Cheer".

I remember my dad complaining he would be late for work because the NY state thruway was backed-up , because of those “ dirty hippies”.

He popped up unexpectedly on Sunday morning at Woodstock '94. Awesome job.

I was in my first week of army basic training at Ft. Polk, Louisiana

I'm 47 and only heard this song for the first time 10 minutes ago when it popped up on facebook. How the hell did I miss this one?

This gives me goosebumps and brings tears to my eyes

60’s protestors. We were so violent.

Oh, this is great fun, watching you hear this for the first time !

This is the Fixin' to Die Rag!

I remember this song very well, as I was a Hippie/Flower Child in the 60's. But like so many others, I was conflicted . . . wanting to support my friends & loved ones over there fighting, while protesting against a war we had no business being in. Damned politicians! R.I.P. Pat and Bill 😢💔

You should listen to Eve of Destruction…another anti war song …I love that my generation made change…it was quite a time to live through 🇨🇦🖖🏻

Country is the singer and the fish is the band love that u found this song and are not only listening to it but sharing it to a new generation and its still ralivan just replace Vietnam with who is at war today

Thou shall not kill one another

Back in my day it was peace n luv; now it'ts horrible...

Good to see those chills still work...good reaction Adogg.

Vietnam War protest song. Nation felt that the young men were cannon fodder.

This song helped Chris Strachwitz launch the totally unique Arhoolie Records. Check out the Arhoolie catalogue.

Joe McDonald was there, and at that time woodstock is happening my older brother was in Country, (Dong Tam).

They also made a fairly controversial song called "Harlem"! See what you think about that one!

Check out joes comment on "wall street" is still very relavent today.

So much has happened since Woodstock but sadly nothing much has changed 😢

Yes ths song is still so relevant today! I remember when I heard this for the first time! I was 13 & I understood what was going on.

It was said a few years ago that a young black man was safer in Afghanistan than in the south side of Chicago...or LA or Detroit or St Louis. We need a song like that now to stop the gang-bangers and the drug wars. Speak up brothers....speak out.

The Vietnam War was fought by draftees. Non- volunteers. And if you weren't part of a privileged class ( like rich, white, and going to college ) you went onto the list on your 18th birthday. Draftees served 2 years, and were about 90 % infantry, and were guaranteed Basic Training, then Advaced Infantry Combat Tsaining, and then 1 year in Vietnam. And it was guaranteed to be 1 year out in the jungle or on some field combat base camp, where you were going to get shot at.

While Country Joe was singing this song, I was enjoying my year in Vietnam. 1969-70

I was a draft dodger during the Vietnam War. I was in TX and got a letter from draft board if I didn't report the would send the cops. I refused to report. I was in basic training for USAF. lol

I heard this song somewhere before when I was a kid, then fast-forward to adulthood and I'm in Iraq in a helicopter getting ready to take off with special forces in the back... almost 💯 we were going get shot at and one of the pilots (there were 6 helicopters in formation) and all of a sudden we all hear this song in every helicopter. One of the Pilots had it his iPod and put the headphone up to his helmet microphone and almost everyone was laughing. This was in 2013 and it was so true. I remember walking around thinking what the fuck are we here for.luckily for the guy we were going in to get we missed him by minutes... but yeah. It's very surreal. I remember thinking "Ok... yeah I guess we are just going to do this today" and I was so calm but aware of how dangerous it was. Surreal

"I Feel Like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" is the name of thie song

If you liked this one, check out Pete Seeger singing "Which Side Are You On." It's about the labor movement in Appalachia. #Peace

If you had gone back in time to when he sang this song you - YOU - could have been drafted into the army and forced to go to war in Vietnam. This song is anti draft and anti Vietnam war. It's also anti the fellows that volunteered to join the army and fight in Vietnam. The singer is saying there isn't any real reason for the war.

Love your reaction. That song still strikes a chord

The ultimate protest song

Adogg, I hope you seen the movie Apocalypse Now. It's a modernized vietnam-era version of a famous book from WWI by a famous author I adore. It's one of my most favorite movies of all time, and it gives a good vibe & feel for what those boys were going through there. Also has a crazy ending, really dark, thought provoking & interesting. Been loving your channel and your reactions for years!

This was just Country Joe performing. The band was not with him. He was basically doing an impromptu performance while Santana got it together to get on stage.

☮️💜

Loved your reaction!

Good report.

I was in school when the war in Vietnam and when a schoolmates brother was killed. And soon older friends were drafted and many came back and we're never the same, one even committed suicide bc of what he saw and he had to do.

Watch the crowd reaction.

Simple song with alot meaning

The song is sarcasm towards the Vietnam war

Oh my my..... Yes 🤚.... Flower Child 🌹 here... Too young 🌱 to be a hippie ✌️ (born 1961) Although knew plenty of people from that concert on a farm in NY .... WE the people, were being told to join the bandwagon of American 🦅 Tradition and fight 💪 a war no one understood This song is a PARODY... That simple... DEESCALATE... Put flowers 🌼 in their weapons Flower 🌻 Power The POWER of LOVE ❤️ 🌺 🌺 🌹 🌻💛🌞🌻🐿️🐦🐰🌹🏵️💐🏵️💐🌹🏵️🌹💞🌹🏵️🌹💐🌹🏵️💐🏵️🌹💞🌹🏵️🌹

when all else fails they take you to war we need a massive festival again people thanks for this post and the memory ✌️👍👍👍

Check out Stevie Ray Vaughan live at the Festival 3rd stone from the Sun. See what Stevie can really do with a guitar. Mind Blowin' ❤❤