"Some people alluded to peace and stuff (at Woodstock), but I was talking about Vietnam. He called the opening chant "an expression of our anger and frustration over the Vietnam War, which was killing us, literally killing us.""
"I think the 'Summer of Love' thing was manufactured by the media or something, because I don't remember us thinking, 'Wow, this is the "Summer of Love."' (But) I was just thrilled to be a part of this new counterculture and new tribe because I had never really felt comfortable in the other tribes that I was a part of growing up and in the Navy."
"Many remembered the ugly confrontations that had happened during the war years in the city. Yet the atmosphere proved to be one of reconciliation, not confrontation."
Country Joe McDonald, a prominent figure in 1960s counterculture, passed away at 84. His song "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" served as a powerful four-lettered protest against the Vietnam War and became iconic at the Woodstock festival. McDonald emphasized that his music directly addressed the war's devastating impact rather than promoting vague peace ideals. He described the opening chant as an expression of anger and frustration over a conflict that was literally killing people. McDonald felt alienated from traditional society but found belonging in the hippie counterculture, despite skepticism about the manufactured "Summer of Love" narrative. He was married four times and had five children and four grandchildren.
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