Draft Dodger Rag
Encyclopedia
"Draft Dodger Rag" is a satirical anti-war
song by Phil Ochs
, a U.S.
protest singer
from the 1960s known for being a harsh critic of the American military industrial complex. Originally released on his 1965 album, I Ain't Marching Anymore
, "Draft Dodger Rag" quickly became an anthem of the anti-Vietnam War movement
.
Ochs wrote "Draft Dodger Rag" as American involvement in the Vietnam War
was beginning to grow. The song is sung from the perspective of a gung-ho
young man who has been drafted
. When he reports for duty, however, the young man recites a list of reasons why he can't serve, including poor vision, flat feet
, a ruptured spleen
, allergies and asthma, back pain, addiction to multiple drugs, his college enrollment, his disabled aunt, and the fact that he carries a purse. (One historian of the draft resistance movement wrote that Ochs "described nearly every available escape from conscription".) As the song ends, the young man tells the sergeant that he'll be the first to volunteer for "a war without blood or gore".
"Draft Dodger Rag" was the first prominent satirical song about the draft during the Vietnam War. One writer says its humor can be appreciated on its own level, without respect to the political message of the song. Another says it added "much-needed humour" to the protest song genre.
Ochs wrote of the song:
Ochs performed "Draft Dodger Rag" in 1965 on a CBS Evening News
television special Avoiding the Draft, one of the rare instances in which he appeared on a national American television broadcast.
and actor George Segal
singing "Draft Dodger Rag". Dick Smothers
introduced the song by saying it was about a "great effort" some young American men were making. Tom Smothers
added that the song was about a problem and how it was being solved with "good old American ingenuity". They ended the song by proclaiming "Make love, not war!"
"Draft Dodger Rag", including the Chad Mitchell Trio
, The Four Preps
, Kind of Like Spitting
, Tom Paxton
, David Rovics
, and Pete Seeger
. Seeger's version was released as a single
.
Anti-war
An anti-war movement is a social movement, usually in opposition to a particular nation's decision to start or carry on an armed conflict, unconditional of a maybe-existing just cause. The term can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conflicts. Many...
song by Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, a U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
protest singer
Protest song
A protest song is a song which is associated with a movement for social change and hence part of the broader category of topical songs . It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre...
from the 1960s known for being a harsh critic of the American military industrial complex. Originally released on his 1965 album, I Ain't Marching Anymore
I Ain't Marching Anymore
I Ain't Marching Anymore was Phil Ochs' second LP, released on Elektra Records in 1965. Dispensing with second guitarist Danny Kalb, Ochs performs alone on twelve original songs, an interpretation of Alfred Noyes' "The Highwayman" set to music and a cover of Ewan MacColl's "The Ballad of the...
, "Draft Dodger Rag" quickly became an anthem of the anti-Vietnam War movement
Opposition to the Vietnam War
The movement against US involvment in the in Vietnam War began in the United States with demonstrations in 1964 and grew in strength in later years. The US became polarized between those who advocated continued involvement in Vietnam, and those who wanted peace. Peace movements consisted largely of...
.
Ochs wrote "Draft Dodger Rag" as American involvement in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
was beginning to grow. The song is sung from the perspective of a gung-ho
Gung-ho
Gung ho is a slang term in American English used to mean "enthusiastic" or "dedicated" originally used in Marine slang.It is an anglicised pronunciation of "gōng hé" , the shortened version and slogan of the "gōngyè hézuòshè" or Chinese Industrial Cooperatives, which was abbreviated as INDUSCO in...
young man who has been drafted
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
. When he reports for duty, however, the young man recites a list of reasons why he can't serve, including poor vision, flat feet
Flat feet
Flat feet is a formal reference to a medical condition in which the arch of the foot collapses, with the entire sole of the foot coming into complete or near-complete contact with the ground...
, a ruptured spleen
Ruptured spleen
Rupture of the capsule of the spleen, an organ in the upper left part of the abdomen, is a situation that requires immediate medical attention. The rupture of a normal spleen can be caused by trauma, such as a car accident.-Function In the Body:...
, allergies and asthma, back pain, addiction to multiple drugs, his college enrollment, his disabled aunt, and the fact that he carries a purse. (One historian of the draft resistance movement wrote that Ochs "described nearly every available escape from conscription".) As the song ends, the young man tells the sergeant that he'll be the first to volunteer for "a war without blood or gore".
"Draft Dodger Rag" was the first prominent satirical song about the draft during the Vietnam War. One writer says its humor can be appreciated on its own level, without respect to the political message of the song. Another says it added "much-needed humour" to the protest song genre.
Ochs wrote of the song:
In Vietnam, a 19-year-old Vietcong soldier screams that Americans should leave his country as he is shot by a government firing squad. His American counterpart meanwhile is staying up nights thinking up ways to deceptively destroy his health, mind, or virility to escape two years in a relatively comfortable army. Free enterprise strikes again.
Ochs performed "Draft Dodger Rag" in 1965 on a CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News
CBS Evening News is the flagship nightly television news program of the American television network CBS. The network has broadcast this program since 1948, and has used the CBS Evening News title since 1963....
television special Avoiding the Draft, one of the rare instances in which he appeared on a national American television broadcast.
The Smothers Brothers
On November 19, 1967, The Smothers Brothers Comedy Hour featured the Smothers BrothersSmothers Brothers
The Smothers Brothers are Thomas and Richard , American singers, musicians, comedians and folk heroes. The brothers' trademark act was performing folk songs , which usually led to arguments between the siblings...
and actor George Segal
George Segal
George Segal is an American film, stage and television actor.-Early life:George Segal, Jr. was born in 1934 Great Neck, Long Island, New York, the son of Fannie Blanche and George Segal, Sr. He was educated at George School, a private Quaker preparatory boarding school near Newtown, Bucks County,...
singing "Draft Dodger Rag". Dick Smothers
Dick Smothers
Richard Remick "Dick" Smothers is an American actor, comedian, composer and musician. He is best known for being half of the musical comedy team, the Smothers Brothers, with his older brother Tom.-Life and career:...
introduced the song by saying it was about a "great effort" some young American men were making. Tom Smothers
Tom Smothers
Tom Smothers is an American comedian, composer and musician, best known as half of the musical comedy team The Smothers Brothers, alongside his younger brother Dick.-Early life:...
added that the song was about a problem and how it was being solved with "good old American ingenuity". They ended the song by proclaiming "Make love, not war!"
Cover versions
Several performers beside the Smothers Brothers have coveredCover version
In popular music, a cover version or cover song, or simply cover, is a new performance or recording of a contemporary or previously recorded, commercially released song or popular song...
"Draft Dodger Rag", including the Chad Mitchell Trio
Chad Mitchell Trio
The Chad Mitchell Trio were a North American vocal group who became known during the 1960s. They performed folk songs, some of which were traditionally passed down and some of their own compositions. Unlike many fellow folk music groups, none of the trio played instruments...
, The Four Preps
The Four Preps
The Four Preps are an American popular music male quartet. In the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, the group amassed eight gold singles and three gold albums...
, Kind of Like Spitting
Kind of Like Spitting
Kind of Like Spitting was an American indie rock band. They formed in 1996 in Portland, Oregon. The band was led by prolific singer-songwriter Ben Barnett, who work has drawn comparisons to Elliott Smith, Mark Eitzel, Billy Bragg, and Robert Pollard....
, Tom Paxton
Tom Paxton
Thomas Richard Paxton is an American folk singer and singer-songwriter who has been writing, performing and recording music for over forty years...
, David Rovics
David Rovics
David Rovics is an American indie singer/songwriter. His music concerns topical subjects such as the 2003 Iraq war, anti-globalization and social justice issues. Rovics has been an outspoken critic of former President George W...
, and Pete Seeger
Pete Seeger
Peter "Pete" Seeger is an American folk singer and was an iconic figure in the mid-twentieth century American folk music revival. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of The Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead...
. Seeger's version was released as a single
Single (music)
In music, a single or record single is a type of release, typically a recording of fewer tracks than an LP or a CD. This can be released for sale to the public in a variety of different formats. In most cases, the single is a song that is released separately from an album, but it can still appear...
.