The Fish & I Feel I'M Fixin' To Die Rag (Country Joe and the Fish)

Country Joe McDonald à Woodstock, samedi 16 août 1969

Country Joe and the Fish, groupe majeur de la scène psychédélique US des années 60, est devenu célèbre cette année puisque son titre le plus connu, The Fish & I Feel I'M Fixin' To Die Rag, a été utilisé pour l'épreuve critique de documents en histoire au bac L/ES et qui a été suscitée le mécontentement de nombreux professeurs tant les erreurs ont été nombreuses.

Cette chanson est une protest song de 1965 contre la violence de la guerre du Viêt Nam dans laquelle les Etats-Unis sont embourbés depuis le début des années 60. Les paroles sont ironiques mais sans ambiguité :

"Well, come on mothers throughout the land, (Allez les mères de tout le pays)
Pack your boys off to Vietnam. (Préparez vos garçons pour le Vietnam)
Come on fathers, don't hesitate, (Pères, n'hésitez pas)
Send 'em off before it's too late. (Faites partir vos fils avant qu'il ne soit trop tard)
Be the first one on your block (Et vous serez les premiers du quartier)
To have your boy come home in a box." (A voir votre gamin revenir entre 4 planches".

Plus de 58 000 soldats américains sont morts durant cette guerre.

Lors du festival de Woodstock, Country Joe McDonald en solo va changer les paroles en remplaçant "FISH" par "FUCK" pour dénoncer encore plus la politique du président Richard Nixon.

Durant le même festival Jimi Hendrix fera une interprétation légendaire de l'hymne américain, Star Spangler Banner. Une guitare qui s'enflamme pour cracher du feu comme les B-52 américains qui larguent leurs bombes sur le Vietnam.

Country Joe McDonald en solo à Woodstock

The Fish & I Feel I'M Fixin' To Die Rag

Gimme an F!

F!

Gimme an I!

I!

Gimme an S!

S!

Gimme an H!

H!

What's that spell ?

FISH!

What's that spell ?

FISH!

What's that spell ?

FISH!

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.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Well, come on generals, let's move fast;
Your big chance has come at last.
Gotta go out and get those reds —
The only good commie is the one who's dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Huh!

Well, come on Wall Street, don't move slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go.
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of the trade,
Just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

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.

And it's one, two, three
What are we fighting for ?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

I feel like i'm fixin' to die, 2e LP de Country Joe and The Fish (1967)