Grateful Dead history project

In my World History class in school we just started talking a lot about the Vietnam War. This is a topic i was very much interested in last year and now i am again lol, mainly in the antiwar area. My teacher wants us to do a research project on anything relating to the Vietnam War, and he mentioned music as an idea. I got the idea that making a poster or some type of project relating to the Deads role in the antiwar movement would be an excellent idea to research, in benefit for myself and for a good topic. I was thinking that i would choose some songs and analyze them on their meanings towards the War or in general about the era that it occured. Id probably bring in a cd of those songs too. Id also write about each band members opinions, or what they did during the antiwar period. These are just starting ideas, i havent done much yet to look into the idea. But if anyone has further opinions on this idea, more things about the Dead to look into, or recommend another idea, im still interested in that as well. This would be great help! Thanks!

peace&love

 

the dead were not really into the anti-war movement...they saw themselves as musicians and not revolutionaries. i read a quote from one of them saying that they just didnt feel comfortable speaking out against the war as many of their friends in the Pranksters and the Hells Angels had served in the military...

that being said, 'Morning Dew' is probably as close to an anti-war song they had (though they didnt write that one).....hope this helps

 

Jerry once said in relation to why he didn't vote "constantly chooseing between two evils is still chosing evil". Like people said before the dead really just wanted to focus on making great music and gettig people high. If you did the project on the dead it might be possible but i think you would be making a lot of work for yourself. I would recomend possibly looking at someone like john lennon who was definitly outspoken about the veitnam war.

 

a tad off topic, but perhaps you could show this in your class.

i love to collect old shows from http://stash.nugs.net/stash.asp and one show, suring second set 2nd track, during drums a woman in the audience gives a small speech to helping their brothers out in vietnam. perhaps this can help?

you can find the show here:

http://stash.nugs.net/attics/700607_mp3.asp?artist=1&show=1&cmd=shows

 

he's not a musician, but do your project on Abbey Hoffman. now that guy, was antiwar.

 

i never really took 'cream puff war' as an anti-war statement, more a criticism of the anti-war movement

 

from what i understand, there were two pillars of the hippy counterculture scene. There was the scene going on at berkley which was heavily political and fueled by anti-war mentalities and characters like jerry rubin, abbie hoffman, etc... then there was what was going on at Haight-Ashbury which was where bands like the Dead, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother and the Holding Company were more about music, love and drugs. naturally, nothing is so black and white but what the Dead was doing during the 60s was about experimentation and dancing! not too much of a political edge but still, the two scenes certainly overlapped so maybe your project could serve to prove that not all hippies were political radicals? maybe you could start breaking down steriotypes and use the Dead to paint a more honest portrait of hippy culture.

 

i was on the peace, love and dance side, then i went political. then i went back to jsut being the peace, love and dance guy......why fight with anyone? lets just let the music play!

 

airplane was political, some steppenwolf too.

 

I talked to my teacher after realized my mistake relating the Dead to the antiwar movement. You all were right how they cared only for the music and people, and it completely slipped my mind that jerry and mickey were in the military, mickey being an enlisted drummer in the marine band i think? Well anyways, i asked that what if i just show the importance of music to the people living during the time period like the Grateful Dead's role in love and psychedelic music, and he said thats cool as well. So ill just try and look more into the impact of the band itself to the people. Thanks everyone!