whom he is referring, but Joe could be an average American, or it could also be G.I. Joe, the standard American soldier in Vietnam. Next, he details Joe going to shoot his "old lady" because he caught her "messin' round with another man." As Joe shot his wife, Hendrix shows the G.I. Joe shooting his "old lady," America, the mother country for betraying him. Instead of "messin' around with another man," America was not faithful to the rights and ambitions of its American soldiers. Therefore, according to Hendrix, Joe should rise up in rebellion and shoot the offender. He calls for the soldiers of Vietnam to rise up against America and run "way down where [they] can be free." Mirroring the restlessness felt by counter culturalists about Vietnam, Hendrix calls for a coup d'etat and an overthrow of government. While his lyrics could serve as hyperbole, it does not take focus off his call for the soldiers, and for America's youth, to be noticed. In fact, Hendrix often took to burning or smashing his guitar in an attempt to be noticed. In end, he wishes for young adults to be similarly recognized, at least for their rights.While the left wing, liberal section of artists were calling for the government to recognize the rights and beliefs of the young adults, there was also a substantial right wing response to their radicalism. So, as Jimi Hendrix screamed at the top of his lungs to be noticed by a neglectful government, Sergeant Barry Sadler crooned his Ballad of the Green Berets to patriotic Americans. In contrast to Creedance Clearwater Revival's, "And when the band plays Hail to the Chief they point the cannon right at you," Saddler seeks to sell Americans on the merits of his special forces. In fact, from listening to his words, one would never know that thousands of citizens violently and peacefully opposed the Vietnam War; one might think America at the time had a rosy disposition. Sadler pledges allegiance to the soldiers w...
