"You can bury your dead but don't leave a trace, hate your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace" remains one of the rawest bars of all time.
@@curly_wyn have a cover that is pretty decent. I would like this one more if Barry built a bit with his voice instead of everything at the same level. Unfortunately the version I have is censored (it says "this whole fucking world") and I have no idea who did it because I got it from Imesh back in the day lol
Reading your comment was the first time I realized that the word was hate and not ate. Until now, I'd just thought that he put some kind of weird zombie/cannibal reference in for some reason.
+jseeker1867 I've been waiting for that to happen ever since the inception of this show. I've been wondering for a while: Are Americans generally aware what the song is about?
Oh God yes, please. I want to see the reaction of all the non-Germans when they realise that Nena is the polar opposite of a one hit wonder. +jseeker1867 I think the english version is still played sometimes.
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how obscure, or just plain bad the song in question is, Todd always manages to find a cover version for the end of the video.
I know it's an old comment, but I have to tell someone : about this cover thing... this morning, having breakfast in a hotel in Amsterdam, I suddenly heard a female with guitar soft pop version of Eiffel 65's 'Blue'. If that exists, I'm pretty sure you can find anything. XD
And how it culminates in "this whole crazy world is just too frustrating" I heard a remake and it replaces crazy with f*cking and honestly the f bomb gives it punch that I think it needs it there
Fun fact: The Mamas And The Papas didn't re-record "California Dreamin'", they sang backing vocals on his version, but then decided they liked it too much to just give it away to Barry, so they scrapped his vocals and released it. If you listen carefully you can hear him on the first line on some releases.
Kenny Rogers at least had the street cred of coming from the Allen Parkway Village projects in Houston. Not sure when APV was torn down, but it lasted at least into the late eighties. One can tell the area has been completely gentrified by the fact that there are two Whole Foods stores within a thirty minute walking round trip from where APV used to be.
The song did get a cover from a pretty famous Punk band. D.O.A used it as a b side for Fucked Up Donald (which was sort of a cover of their song "Fucked Up Ronnie", but refrencing Donald Trump).
It is genuinely and unironically fascinating how people relate this song to their own time. Barry originally sang this song about the troubles in the sixties. Later he changed it to relate to the environment. Todd relates it to the growing racial tension. People commenting six months ago are talking about the Trump administration. Meanwhile, I’m here in March 2020 holed up in my home trying to avoid the Corona Virus while people are in the stores rioting over toilet paper. I wonder how people in the future will relate to it. Part of me wants to know.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'm guessing BLM happened like 2-4 weeks after this comment...so it ended up going right back to racial tension :(
+Quentin “Poe” Caffero - You and a lot of other people; when people have been playing pranks on you all day long, the last thing you want to come home to is a crap-ton of prank videos on RUclips. Thumbs up to a motion of mercy for us web crawlers. Yeah, this video has really put me in the Todd frame of mind. :-)
+Quentin “Poe” Caffero wait, this isn't an April Fool's Day joke? I am just starting to watch the video, expecting some Rick rolling, or something. huh. you know, that would have been kinda fitting, too, wouldn't it?
+Rawbeard Todd's already said that there will never be a Rick Astley OHW. Primarily because Rick Astley wasn't a One Hit Wonder. He had at least three songs top the charts in the US, with 4-5 international hits. His first album also reached double platinum in the US(4x Platinum in the UK), and his second album reached Gold. So, while Rick Astley will be forever remembered for one song, he actually had a decent amount of success.
And then in "Child of Our Times" he looks like really trying to keep from pinching off a pipe clogger in his pants. I look at him singing in that video and all I see is excruciating constipation.
More than anything else, I think this song demonstrates how well sincerity sells. Barry McGuire believed what he was singing in "Eve of Destruction" and that makes the song compelling. His other tracks? Not so much.
The fact that some musical Ben Shapiro came right back with a "response" record finally makes me like the original, which I had thought was silly before.
Well, that's mature. You suddenly like something you originally thought was silly because someone disagrees with it. You place the responder's critical opinion higher than your own, apparently.
@@jameswoodard4304 No, it means that some thin-skinned snowflakes were offended by it, which makes "Eve of Destruction" a lot less whiny and a lot more badass in retrospective. Because that song, released today, wouldn't ever get a response record. It's a matter of perspective.
@@aliceborealis I love early Dylan but I think this is just as good as a lot of his protest music. Beneath Times They Are a Changin’ and Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol, but around the same level as Bob Dylan’s Dream and Masters of War.
was surprised to see this song show up in a book I’m reading about music censorship! Maybe you’ll find this interesting: “1965: The Barry McGuire song “Eve of Destruction” is pulled from retail stores and radio stations across the country after some groups complain that it is nihilistic and could promote suicidal feelings among teens.” “Some of the earliest research into lyrical comprehension was conducted by Serge Denisoff and Mark Levine in 1965. They asked college students in the San Francisco area about the popular and controversial Barry McGuire protest song “Eve of Destruction.” Some people feared that its lyrics about war and nuclear destruction would depress children and young listeners, giving them nihilistic attitudes. Although the song’s lyrics are fairly straightforward, the researchers wondered if students got the message. From the study results, it was quite obvious they did not: Four hundred students were surveyed; 14 percent “correctly” interpreted the song, 45 percent showed partial understanding of the lyrical concepts, and the remaining 41 percent did not understand or were unable to suggest a potential meaning.” From Eric Nuzum’s “Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America”
That reminded me a year later another song would be pulled from retail, and it's about what was going on in the 1960s, Marty Robbins (Yes the Airzona Ranger) Ain't I Right, though that song is more Right Wing
Thanks for sharing that! That’s quite amazing because the lyrics aren’t exactly subtle; what could there ever be to misinterpret? There’s not even anything to ‘interpret’ in the first place, unless a statement such as, “I’m holding a glass of water,” also leaves room for interpretation.
I enjoy episodes like this because I enjoy getting context on older songs like this - not just for info about the artist, but how for they were viewed at the time. When something like this remains popular for decades, people tend to forget not everyone liked it. But I bet info and good videos for a lot of those older artists can be difficult to find.
Believe it or not, but this is one of those songs that made me first discover music. My parents never really played that much music when I was growing up, I mean, AT ALL. So I never played any myself or even contemplating listening to music for it's own sake. But when I was around 10 my dad put on a "best of the 60's" album, and this was one of his favourite song on it, so he played it on repeat. I was kinda impressed that he knew all the lyrics (we are swedish after all), and I just got hooked on the lyrics and feeling in McGuire's voice. So I listened to the whole album trice (forever cementing my love for 60's top 10s) before asking him what else he had that I could listen to. He gave me a Monkees record which I ploughed through, before once again asking, resulting in me being blessed with the knowledge of the best band in the world - QUEEN. He had Queen's greatest hits, and one hearing of Killer Queen knocked me out. There and then, on that faithful day, I was reborn.
As someone who mother and uncles had pretty nice record collections and has extremely found memories of mom sitting down with me and playing me those records(turned me into a vinyl collector today), it's so strange when I hear of people who don't really listen to music very much at all like your parents. Odd. But hell yes man, Queen are goats. 🤘 It's a pretty well known fact if you know me in real life how much I adore Freddie Mercury. 🖤
We need a remake of Hard Rock Zombies. IT'S A ZOMBIE MOVIE ABOUT A HARD ROCK BAND THAT FEATURES HITLER AS ITS VILLAIN! HOW COULD THEY NOT MAKE THAT WORK?!
Speaking of depressing sixties hits about the annihilation of the human race: "In The Year 2525" by Zager and Evans. No way you can listen to it now and not think of "In The Year 2000...." from Conan O'Brien.
Or that AMAZING parody they did in that Futurama episode where they keep going forward and forward and forward in time. "in the year 252525...!" (I mean, you can't do the "normal" year 2525, since Futurama starts in 3000.) They even did the singing style the same and everything, I love it. :D
Holy cow, I just went and listened to the song, and now in 2024 is feels like not much has changed since...wars, racism, religious persecution, it's all still happening.
4:20 Had Barry stuck in my head tonight. If you haven't heard him sing "Chim Chim, Cheree"...do so. The man sings like he's an embittered chimney sweep union organizer. He's like Tom Waits without the irony.
Written by P.F. Sloan, an interesting character, who also wrote "Secret Agent Man" for a contest, and won! Not surprised Lou Adler was in this mix. Now it all makes sense! He was involved with the Monkees, and other pre-fab hit "bands" and non-bands. One of my all time favorite songs!
According to"The Sixties" by Todd Gitlin, "Eve of Destruction" hit American college campuses like an earthquake. Like Todd Shadow said, college radicals listened to Dylan Ochs Paxton McDonald et al, but no one expected a Dylan-like song would be a Top 40 song, much less a #1. Plus it came out soon after Johnson sent troops to fight in Vietnam.
Yessiree Bob, Rorsarch definitely didn't have any hugely pessimistic takes on the world. I recall him saying "I wish all the scum in the world had one neck so that I could put a scarf gently around it in order to help them overcome their personal trials and become productive citizens." He was such a hopeful character. Anyone who thinks otherwise clearly is not a heterosexual. How does that get involved, you ask? I'll tell you how. We're going to Mars.
It was great to see this Todd. I was a Jesus Freak back in the 70's before I became a straight edge punk rocker and actually saw Barry McGuire when he was playing with the group the Second Chapters of Acts. I sat about 15' from the stage in front of him. When he would stamp his foot the whole area around me just shook. I was really heavy into Christian Rock back then which had great performers like Larry Norman (formerly of People!), the Talbot Brothers (formerly of Mason Proffit) and Phil Keaggy (formerly of Glass Harp). It was exciting times back then especially when these guys were changing the sounds of Christian music with rock. I don't know how many times was told it was of the devil. LOL...I use to run sound for a Christian Rock band which perplexed the white church audiences and was excepted with open arms by the Black Church. Of course then I transitioned into punk rock music while I was working at Peaches Records and Tapes. It just seemed natural.
A video released on April 1st that doesn't try to insult the intelligence of its audience with click-bait and blatant lies?! HAVE I STEPPED INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE?!?!
+Otaking Mikohani Jeezus. Seems like no one can take jokes anymore. Why am I only 23 and already in the "Back in my day" state of mind? What have you done to me internet?
Now youre slipping into the twilight zone. RUclipss a madhouse, i dont know the words. Im just gonna keep on singing along. This is the next verse the next parts "ooo wooah".
Help, I'm steppin' into the twilight zone, place is a madhouse, feels like being alone my beacon's been moved under moon and star. Where am I to go now that I've gone too far? First time I heard that song was in Brad Jones' movie.
Even more ironic that the longer 2020 goes on the more it resembles a disaster movie. The worldwide toilet paper shortage just seems like a silly distant memory now.
The algorithm DOES know. It likely understands this is a review video for a song that evokes a large number of politically-driven comments. The word "relevant' is mentioned many times, and it likely is looking for that specific attribute. It probably knows a lot about our demographics as commenters, and about what timings in the video have what reactions among what demographics. These things are so much more complex than anyone talks about.
This song is the scream of madness in the hart of the human soul. That rage you feel deep in your soul. We you understand just how powerless you really are over your own life or to fix any of the worlds problems
Hey Todd! I love your work. I know that you have had some rough times, but DO NOT STOP MAKING THESE VIDEOS. I love them, and not only do I love them, other people love them, least 50,000 subscribers love them. Do it because you love them, do it because we love them, do it because we want them. Do not stop, I love your videos, I think they are so much fun A sincere fan Preston
@@otaking3582 No, I mean The Cartoons. The ones who move their heads from side to side as if that's an iconic move. The only other song they did with a music video is called Everybody sing This Song (Doo-Dah), at least from what I remember.
I really do love eve of destruction and had listened to it long before this video. I love just how it actually does still apply to today and also to its time
Its amazing how many people miss the point of some of the verses of that song. Oh it's just some guys singing about how great their home is! Forgets that the band was from Florida and that the song straight up trashes Alabama for having racist governors, a music label that stole songs, and trying to ignore Watergate. Even the lyric "Does your conscious bother you? Tell the Truth." Is a straight up call out to how hypocritical and corrupt politics are.
@@Aleph3575 Man, they were whining 'cause an infinitely better composer called out the racism in southern America. Lynyrd Skynyrd were the first "triggered snowflakes"
I love this song even though it was “before my time.” Interestingly enough, what first introduced me to the song was a scene in the apocalyptic TV miniseries “The Stand” based on the Stephen King novel. In that scene, a character named Larry Underwood sits on the hood of a stalled car on a highway and plays an acoustic guitar while singing “Eve of Destruction” as an entire city burns down in the background.
In the vein of, "You had to be there, Man," "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones is thematically similar, came out in the edgiest part of the Sixties Turmoil and it is much catchier: War! Children! It's just a shot away!
@@Matrim42 The lyrics are literally the most depressing part of the fucking song. If a 14 year old writes that and shows their parents they have to start seeing a therapist after school three days a week.
@@Matrim42 That story made it seem like the kid's dad was very insecure. He was told to write a stupid song for a comedy show, so he thought "Write a stupid song!? I'm a serious and smart 40-year-old professional musician! I can't write stupid songs! But, my teenage song is stupid. He can write the dumb song!" The kid ended up making millions in royalties from that decision. Imagine accidentally becoming a millionaire because your dad thought you were stupid.
I feel like the pinnacle of super political 1960s protest folk is Phil Ochs. He never got famous, but he was a very humorous and cynical guy. Then, he has quite a few thought provoking and emotional songs. All the political stuff is REALLY dated and a lot of it is timeless. He’s absolutely worth checking out. Also, check out his life’s story. The end of his life was really tragic. He was severely mentally ill to the point of believing he was a different person. Then he eventually committed suicide.
Totally thought this was going to be an April Fool's Joke. Really glad it wasn't. I have loved this song since my childhood, and the radio version sounds better than the live version Todd used but its still a great song. Also, I'd rather have folk/protest songs from the Vietnam era than modern music any day. It was seriously good shit.
I don't think there is someone out there with an expressive voice like Barry, you can see even when he is singing about chim chim cher ee that he is REALLY singing....i love it, i dont know, his voice just makes it for me
+Ethan Olsvik He's already said that a Rick Astley video will never happen because there is no way to stretch the definition of one hit wonder to make Astley count.
@@thegreatandmightycheesewhe1364 In my experience, they far too often do. Not because the good lord supports it, but because many Christians are more interested in misplaced political ideology than actually reading their own damn book.
Jesus Hippies and Evangelicals are not mutually exclusive. The Jesus Movement (basically the Jesus Hippies) inspired modern day evangelicalism. Like, it feels like every Calvary Chapel I have attended in my life was founded by an ex-hippy.
Learned a lot from this video, but I always do from OHW. My old manager only allowed the 60's sirius station to be played while he was working so I heard a lot of this stuff and actually started to really enjoy most of it; this song included. Great job as always Todd.
+CJAdams97 That's up to you. Just divert your attention away from the media and study the candidates and their policies broadly and intently. Then make the decision you find best (or the least evil, in this election's case).
Eve of Destruction was before my time so I first encountered it was when it was used brilliantly on Greatest American Hero, when Ralph finally did what he got the suit for, saving the world from a nuclear exchange, the aliens harassing him by making his radio play "Eve of Destruction".
I wasn't around during the '60s, but I know about the Grass Roots! I love this episode! Todd, keep the One-Hit Wonderland episodes coming, they're the greatest.
"and all response records kinda blow." very true, the only exception is Lynrd Skynrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" their response, to Neil Young's "Southern Man."
Except "Sweet Home Alabama" isn't entirely about Neil Young. The last verse is about the Swampers in Muscle Shoals, and that has nothing to do with "Southern Man".
As a late-booming child of the sixties, am very impressed. Who say kids these days aren't doing extremely worthwhile stuff? (And putting it on RUclips.) I love the contrast & comparison of "Eve of Destruction" with "Child of Our Time." CoOT, if taken just a little further over the top, could be a perfect parody of the End-Of-Days zeitgeist of that era (and, as Todd points out, this one), much as "Eve of Destruction" is a close-to-perfect commentary on same (ditto). I was born just before the Cuban Missile Crisis, and thus share younger people ingrained knowledge that "Yes. The whole planet could be pulverized into interstellar dust at any moment. But if it isn't, are you gonna finish those fries?" It's always be hard for me to get how shocked and betrayed older people at being denied their apparent birthright of a planet that will be here well beyond the length of human imagination. I think this shock substantially informs Maguire's performance of EoD, and that may the perception of him as a whining teenager by those of us who learned about our potential nuclear annihilation at about the same time as we we learning not to eat our crayons. BTW, releasing a entirely serious discussion of perhaps the most serious pop song ever on April 1? Absolute genius.
"When you're singing a song about the imminent extinction of humanity I'm not sure the kidz bop treatment really works for it" Worked for Gorillaz on Dirty Harry-although the music actually matched the tone of the lyrics. It might've worked on the original Eve of Destruction, but not the newer one
My father is a huge fan of this, makes me feel old. That being said the fact that the world didn't end in the 60's is no reason for misguided optimism.
As soon as you showed a picture of the The New Christy Minstrels I immediately thought of A Mighty Wind, so nice job with immediately noting that reference.
This was my favorite song when I was in Kindergarten. I sing this regularly in karaoke, though I'm the only one. I've never heard anyone else sing it. As to the Grass Roots: SHAA LAAA LAA LAA LAA Lets live for today!
The actual followup single was "Sins of a Family", another PF Sloan song which did nothing in America but charted in the UK. It's an interesting song about the hypocrisy of blaming the poor - especially women or girls - for their poverty. I don't think it was the kind of statement song that people were ready for in 1965, but it sure holds up better than "Child of the Times". And, I've just seen it was covered by The Grass Roots.
I never realized that was the reference before, but I thought of “A Mighty Wind” right before you mentioned it. Thanks! That’s such a good movie. If you haven’t seen that streaming mockumentary show “Documentary Now”, I strongly suggest it. A good mockumentary can be brilliantly entertaining.
So Barry McGuire's early story would be on par with a member of some British or Korean pop group breaking away and suddenly becoming the frontman for Napalm Death or some shit? That's rad, lol.
Eve of Destruction was not a protest song. It was an expression of the feeling that everything literally was about to be destroyed. It was the fear of nuclear holocaust.
"You can bury your dead but don't leave a trace, hate your next door neighbor but don't forget to say grace" remains one of the rawest bars of all time.
Eh. I appreciate its sentiment, but McGuire’s vocal performance just feels cringy and overwrought to me.
@@curly_wyn have a cover that is pretty decent. I would like this one more if Barry built a bit with his voice instead of everything at the same level.
Unfortunately the version I have is censored (it says "this whole fucking world") and I have no idea who did it because I got it from Imesh back in the day lol
@@curly_wynthe apocalypse deserves subtlety and nuance?
Agreed! It's so deliciously cynical. His rage just drips from the lyrics and how they're sung.
Reading your comment was the first time I realized that the word was hate and not ate. Until now, I'd just thought that he put some kind of weird zombie/cannibal reference in for some reason.
The term 'Dawn of Correction' sounds so much more sinister than 'Eve of Destruction'
Give me 40k vibes: purge the heretics for the god emperor of man
Emperor Belos would definitely call a genocide that.
He missed a trick by not following up his big hit with 'Christmas Eve of Destruction'
^This!!!
I feel like the Cinema Snob covered that movie at one point...
Christmas would be a good time to end the world.
Oh!!! Santa's 'gonna die! Christmas is cancelled today, because we have too much war!! We're on the Christmas Eve of destruction!
Or a spicy love-jam called Eve of Seduction.
"...in other words it has zero relevance to today."
I laughed so hard.
I was expecting him to say something like "the eve of destruction? In 2012?" but of course I forgot how early this video came out.
As did I, while weeping on the inside
Now it does.
"Hoarding canned goods." Check.
oh man so did I
One of these days Todd's gonna do 99 Luftballons...
And if he doesn't put the goldfinger version in the end slate I'm suing
+jseeker1867 I've been waiting for that to happen ever since the inception of this show. I've been wondering for a while: Are Americans generally aware what the song is about?
Oh God yes, please.
I want to see the reaction of all the non-Germans when they realise that Nena is the polar opposite of a one hit wonder.
+jseeker1867
I think the english version is still played sometimes.
+jseeker1867 When can he do The Calling?
+grmpf I think a decent number are aware that it's about nuclear annihilation.
Barry McGuire's live 60's stuff all sounds like he's having a meltdown at a rich guy's party.
Masterpiece comment
Vietnam was a rich guy's party? What?
I have not heard any of his songs but I love the image. I imagine Huey from the Boondocks telling white people the truth at a garden party.
@@mr.pavone9719 "What have I told you about telling white people the truth?!?" - Grandpa from the Boondocks
Mood
Honestly, I kinda admire this song for just how raw it is.
that's because it was just a demo that got released. they didnt' have a chance to do a master for it
I agree
listen to phil ochs for more raw protest shit
Tori Nelson Yes I will
Are you kidding?
You can tell a hippie protest song hits a nerve when an out of nowhere right wing band writes a response song.
Kinda like Lynyrd Skynyrd whining about Neil Young's Southern Man song with that shit "song" sweet home alabama, eh?
@@bernrudolph2422 No, not like that.
@@elbruces No, exactly like that.
@@bernrudolph2422 Except they're not the same song with changed words. You're drawing the connection yourself. It isn't actually there.
@@elbruces You missed the point, thanks for playing.
It never ceases to amaze me that no matter how obscure, or just plain bad the song in question is, Todd always manages to find a cover version for the end of the video.
“Eve of Destruction” has been a staple of Canadian punk band D.O.A.’s catalog for 40 years. I wish he had gone with theirs.
@@Wyattporter The Dickies version is pretty fun, though.
I know it's an old comment, but I have to tell someone : about this cover thing... this morning, having breakfast in a hotel in Amsterdam, I suddenly heard a female with guitar soft pop version of Eiffel 65's 'Blue'. If that exists, I'm pretty sure you can find anything. XD
@@johnchedsey1306 there's a version by the Dickies?! Thanks for letting me know lmao
@@mayaklast6334 what on earth possessed someone to create such a thing and also where can I find it
As barry continues to sing and sing, the verses keep getting bigger and bigger like he is ad libing, it just gives me chills
And how it culminates in "this whole crazy world is just too frustrating"
I heard a remake and it replaces crazy with f*cking and honestly the f bomb gives it punch that I think it needs it there
Fun fact: The Mamas And The Papas didn't re-record "California Dreamin'", they sang backing vocals on his version, but then decided they liked it too much to just give it away to Barry, so they scrapped his vocals and released it. If you listen carefully you can hear him on the first line on some releases.
Barry McGuire looks like Han Solo frozen in carbonite. I still like the song, though.
Cross between that and Luke Skywalker.
Well now I can't unsee it.
during the failed follow up segment I was just thinking to myself "man, He-man had it rough"
Yes! I too look at that hair and see He-Man!
Omgosh! That is perfect!
He doesn’t have the power
His band mates in the New Christie Minstrels were Kim "Bette Davis Eyes" Carnes and Kenny Rogers (Yep that Kenny Rogers)
Jason Cromwell the gambler Kenny Rodgers
So that's two frog-voiced people coming from the same group
Santiago Bauzá they had a voice type they were screening for.
Kenny Rogers at least had the street cred of coming from the Allen Parkway Village projects in Houston. Not sure when APV was torn down, but it lasted at least into the late eighties. One can tell the area has been completely gentrified by the fact that there are two Whole Foods stores within a thirty minute walking round trip from where APV used to be.
Kenny 'I just dropped in to see what condition my condition was in' Rogers?
"The 60s were really intense and a lot of shit happened" That's an understatement
"Hate your next-door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace." Very topical, these days.
I always thought it was “Eat your next door neighbour, but don’t forget to say grace.” Imo that is the most impactful part of the song.
@@liamfidler3824 You're thinking of "Timothy ".
@@sottosopravoce lmao I suppose so
"Go ahead and hate your neighbor, go ahead and cheat a friend
Do it in the name of heaven, you can justify it in the end"
@@ECL28E like modern day evangelicals
If only he was born like fifteen years later he could have become a punk superstar. Oh well.
+TechnicLePanther If he was born maybe 2 or 3 years later he could have been a metal singer.
Shame
The song did get a cover from a pretty famous Punk band. D.O.A used it as a b side for Fucked Up Donald (which was sort of a cover of their song "Fucked Up Ronnie", but refrencing Donald Trump).
they covered that WAY BEFORE that...
-punk
-superstar
I dont think you understand punk
Crazy how Barry’s voice somehow got LESS ragged and unlistenable as he aged
Right?! I guess all that clean Christian living took the gravel out of his throat!
Barry McGuire looks like he's about to give birth to a xenomorph with that singing face haha
Looks like he needs to poop
Looks like he’s passing a kidney stone.
It is genuinely and unironically fascinating how people relate this song to their own time. Barry originally sang this song about the troubles in the sixties. Later he changed it to relate to the environment. Todd relates it to the growing racial tension. People commenting six months ago are talking about the Trump administration. Meanwhile, I’m here in March 2020 holed up in my home trying to avoid the Corona Virus while people are in the stores rioting over toilet paper. I wonder how people in the future will relate to it. Part of me wants to know.
I'm going to go out on a limb here, but I'm guessing BLM happened like 2-4 weeks after this comment...so it ended up going right back to racial tension :(
Arlo Guthrie once said that folk songs quickly become outdated but if you wait a while they usually come around again
Well the Space Race stuff hits now at least.
What a coincidence that the entire planet has just about been destroyed for 60+ years.
@@serpicosghost Life is a circle
I'll give this a like for being a serious video on April Fool's Day alone.
IKR
+Quentin “Poe” Caffero - You and a lot of other people; when people have been playing pranks on you all day long, the last thing you want to come home to is a crap-ton of prank videos on RUclips. Thumbs up to a motion of mercy for us web crawlers. Yeah, this video has really put me in the Todd frame of mind. :-)
+Quentin “Poe” Caffero wait, this isn't an April Fool's Day joke? I am just starting to watch the video, expecting some Rick rolling, or something. huh. you know, that would have been kinda fitting, too, wouldn't it?
Imma let you finish, but Abridgimon the Movie was frigging amazing.
+Rawbeard Todd's already said that there will never be a Rick Astley OHW. Primarily because Rick Astley wasn't a One Hit Wonder. He had at least three songs top the charts in the US, with 4-5 international hits. His first album also reached double platinum in the US(4x Platinum in the UK), and his second album reached Gold.
So, while Rick Astley will be forever remembered for one song, he actually had a decent amount of success.
This guy was thirty years ahead of his time. That growly voice belongs in punk
The Stooges should have given him an audition
I once read a mainstream music critic calling this "arguably the first heavy metal song"
The New Sex Pistols.
barry looks like hes trying really hard not to break down in tears as hes singing.
And then in "Child of Our Times" he looks like really trying to keep from pinching off a pipe clogger in his pants. I look at him singing in that video and all I see is excruciating constipation.
So fake though.
He looks constipated.
@@Anomaly188 yeah child of our times is where he really is trying not to shit himself but failing.
More than anything else, I think this song demonstrates how well sincerity sells. Barry McGuire believed what he was singing in "Eve of Destruction" and that makes the song compelling. His other tracks? Not so much.
The fact that some musical Ben Shapiro came right back with a "response" record finally makes me like the original, which I had thought was silly before.
Well, that's mature. You suddenly like something you originally thought was silly because someone disagrees with it. You place the responder's critical opinion higher than your own, apparently.
@@jameswoodard4304 Ben Shapiro sucks, James. Thanks for your interest in my comment
@@jameswoodard4304
No, it means that some thin-skinned snowflakes were offended by it, which makes "Eve of Destruction" a lot less whiny and a lot more badass in retrospective. Because that song, released today, wouldn't ever get a response record. It's a matter of perspective.
Both of those songs, EoD and DoC, are Tin Pan Alley imitations of the songs Bob Dylan was writing and recording at the same time.
@@aliceborealis I love early Dylan but I think this is just as good as a lot of his protest music. Beneath Times They Are a Changin’ and Lonesome Death of Hattie Carrol, but around the same level as Bob Dylan’s Dream and Masters of War.
was surprised to see this song show up in a book I’m reading about music censorship! Maybe you’ll find this interesting:
“1965: The Barry McGuire song “Eve of Destruction” is pulled from retail stores and radio stations across the country after some groups complain that it is nihilistic and could promote suicidal feelings among teens.”
“Some of the earliest research into lyrical comprehension was conducted by Serge Denisoff and Mark Levine in 1965. They asked college students in the San Francisco area about the popular and controversial Barry McGuire protest song “Eve of Destruction.” Some people feared that its lyrics about war and nuclear destruction would depress children and young listeners, giving them nihilistic attitudes. Although the song’s lyrics are fairly straightforward, the researchers wondered if students got the message. From the study results, it was quite obvious they did not: Four hundred students were surveyed; 14 percent “correctly” interpreted the song, 45 percent showed partial understanding of the lyrical concepts, and the remaining 41 percent did not understand or were unable to suggest a potential meaning.”
From Eric Nuzum’s “Parental Advisory: Music Censorship in America”
That reminded me a year later another song would be pulled from retail, and it's about what was going on in the 1960s, Marty Robbins (Yes the Airzona Ranger) Ain't I Right, though that song is more Right Wing
i need to pick up this book.
@@HolyGoddessMotherAnnesame
Thanks for sharing that! That’s quite amazing because the lyrics aren’t exactly subtle; what could there ever be to misinterpret? There’s not even anything to ‘interpret’ in the first place, unless a statement such as, “I’m holding a glass of water,” also leaves room for interpretation.
I enjoy episodes like this because I enjoy getting context on older songs like this - not just for info about the artist, but how for they were viewed at the time. When something like this remains popular for decades, people tend to forget not everyone liked it. But I bet info and good videos for a lot of those older artists can be difficult to find.
Me too.
Ditto!
Holy shit, a serious video on April Fool's day!
Unless the April Fool's joke is that there is no April Fool's joke.
SHIT what's going on
So fucking meta!
To celebrate Barbenheimer, I'm watching this video immediately before the OHW for “Barbie Girl”!
His sincerity and anger plus the catchy riff and his voice are awesome.
This the most aggressive 60s folk singing I’ve ever heard
Believe it or not, but this is one of those songs that made me first discover music. My parents never really played that much music when I was growing up, I mean, AT ALL. So I never played any myself or even contemplating listening to music for it's own sake.
But when I was around 10 my dad put on a "best of the 60's" album, and this was one of his favourite song on it, so he played it on repeat. I was kinda impressed that he knew all the lyrics (we are swedish after all), and I just got hooked on the lyrics and feeling in McGuire's voice. So I listened to the whole album trice (forever cementing my love for 60's top 10s) before asking him what else he had that I could listen to. He gave me a Monkees record which I ploughed through, before once again asking, resulting in me being blessed with the knowledge of the best band in the world - QUEEN. He had Queen's greatest hits, and one hearing of Killer Queen knocked me out.
There and then, on that faithful day, I was reborn.
As someone who mother and uncles had pretty nice record collections and has extremely found memories of mom sitting down with me and playing me those records(turned me into a vinyl collector today), it's so strange when I hear of people who don't really listen to music very much at all like your parents. Odd. But hell yes man, Queen are goats. 🤘 It's a pretty well known fact if you know me in real life how much I adore Freddie Mercury. 🖤
That is a beautiful story
A movie about bikers becoming werewolves and it isn't good? Why can't they re-make that instead of Ben-Hur?
There are a lot of B-movies that failed their premises, and I think we should remake those.
We need a remake of Hard Rock Zombies. IT'S A ZOMBIE MOVIE ABOUT A HARD ROCK BAND THAT FEATURES HITLER AS ITS VILLAIN! HOW COULD THEY NOT MAKE THAT WORK?!
velius2014 Look up From Dusk Till Dawn. Not werewolves, but vampires. Still good
Bummer. Severn Darden was actually a pretty good actor. Guy's gotta eat, I guess.
I'm mildly surprised that this song didn't make it into a Fallout game in some form.
Speaking of depressing sixties hits about the annihilation of the human race: "In The Year 2525" by Zager and Evans. No way you can listen to it now and not think of "In The Year 2000...." from Conan O'Brien.
(echo) in the year two thousANNNND!
Or that AMAZING parody they did in that Futurama episode where they keep going forward and forward and forward in time. "in the year 252525...!" (I mean, you can't do the "normal" year 2525, since Futurama starts in 3000.) They even did the singing style the same and everything, I love it. :D
Man, I love In the Year 2525. Never heard that Conan O'Brien song, but I'm not from the US, so that might be why.
Holy cow, I just went and listened to the song, and now in 2024 is feels like not much has changed since...wars, racism, religious persecution, it's all still happening.
4:20 Had Barry stuck in my head tonight. If you haven't heard him sing "Chim Chim, Cheree"...do so. The man sings like he's an embittered chimney sweep union organizer. He's like Tom Waits without the irony.
Written by P.F. Sloan, an interesting character, who also wrote "Secret Agent Man" for a contest, and won!
Not surprised Lou Adler was in this mix. Now it all makes sense! He was involved with the Monkees, and other pre-fab hit "bands" and non-bands.
One of my all time favorite songs!
According to"The Sixties" by Todd Gitlin, "Eve of Destruction" hit American college campuses like an earthquake. Like Todd Shadow said, college radicals listened to Dylan Ochs Paxton McDonald et al, but no one expected a Dylan-like song would be a Top 40 song, much less a #1. Plus it came out soon after Johnson sent troops to fight in Vietnam.
This song sounds like it was written by Rorschach.
+Fritz monorail And sang by him too.
What are you gay did you even read the book you ungrateful whelp
Yessiree Bob, Rorsarch definitely didn't have any hugely pessimistic takes on the world. I recall him saying "I wish all the scum in the world had one neck so that I could put a scarf gently around it in order to help them overcome their personal trials and become productive citizens." He was such a hopeful character. Anyone who thinks otherwise clearly is not a heterosexual. How does that get involved, you ask? I'll tell you how.
We're going to Mars.
I'm sure the people that kept his journal. Listened to this song throughout the 60s.
@@whoad8644 As Harry Partridge told us, he was a little nutty, but a friend to the animals
i just love how emotional the guy looks as hes singing.
more singers need to emote.
It was great to see this Todd. I was a Jesus Freak back in the 70's before I became a straight edge punk rocker and actually saw Barry McGuire when he was playing with the group the Second Chapters of Acts. I sat about 15' from the stage in front of him. When he would stamp his foot the whole area around me just shook.
I was really heavy into Christian Rock back then which had great performers like Larry Norman (formerly of People!), the Talbot Brothers (formerly of Mason Proffit) and Phil Keaggy (formerly of Glass Harp). It was exciting times back then especially when these guys were changing the sounds of Christian music with rock. I don't know how many times was told it was of the devil. LOL...I use to run sound for a Christian Rock band which perplexed the white church audiences and was excepted with open arms by the Black Church.
Of course then I transitioned into punk rock music while I was working at Peaches Records and Tapes. It just seemed natural.
A video released on April 1st that doesn't try to insult the intelligence of its audience with click-bait and blatant lies?! HAVE I STEPPED INTO THE TWILIGHT ZONE?!?!
+Otaking Mikohani The April Fools was that you expected a silly joke video and instead got the most depressing One Hit Wonder ever
+Otaking Mikohani I fucking hate april fools. Fuck it to hell.
+Otaking Mikohani Jeezus. Seems like no one can take jokes anymore. Why am I only 23 and already in the "Back in my day" state of mind? What have you done to me internet?
Now youre slipping into the twilight zone. RUclipss a madhouse, i dont know the words. Im just gonna keep on singing along. This is the next verse the next parts "ooo wooah".
Help, I'm steppin' into the twilight zone, place is a madhouse, feels like being alone my beacon's been moved under moon and star. Where am I to go now that I've gone too far?
First time I heard that song was in Brad Jones' movie.
Very, VERY ironic that RUclips recommend this to me now in early 2020.
The algorithm *knows* .
Even more ironic that the longer 2020 goes on the more it resembles a disaster movie. The worldwide toilet paper shortage just seems like a silly distant memory now.
2020 is as rough as mid to late 60s
The algorithm DOES know. It likely understands this is a review video for a song that evokes a large number of politically-driven comments. The word "relevant' is mentioned many times, and it likely is looking for that specific attribute. It probably knows a lot about our demographics as commenters, and about what timings in the video have what reactions among what demographics.
These things are so much more complex than anyone talks about.
Remember when Todd made that video on April Fools where he made us think he was gonna talk about Modest Mouse? Good times.
He did a Kids pop-ish cover of a "60s protest song he made?
GENIUS.
But was it as good as sesame Streets 'letter B' in the style of'let it be'??
This song is the scream of madness in the hart of the human soul. That rage you feel deep in your soul. We you understand just how powerless you really are over your own life or to fix any of the worlds problems
Hey Todd! I love your work. I know that you have had some rough times, but DO NOT STOP MAKING THESE VIDEOS. I love them, and not only do I love them, other people love them, least 50,000 subscribers love them. Do it because you love them, do it because we love them, do it because we want them. Do not stop, I love your videos, I think they are so much fun
A sincere fan
Preston
Earnest Saves The 60's
I've actually never heard of this song before. I feel educated now. Thanks Todd. :)
Wow, "frog voice" doesn't even cover it, he sounds like an old lady who's been chain smoking two cartons of cigarettes a day for 50 years.
Aka Marge's sisters from The Simpsons
Why not both? He sounds like Bev Bighead.
@@SkooloniusFunk dammit I was gonna say that
I'd love to see you do something on The Cartoons and their cover of Witch Doctor.
Ooh! Ee! Oo-ah-ah! Ting! Tang! Walla-walla-bing-bang!
OH GOD THE MEMORIES ARE COMING BACK
You mean the Chipmunks?
@@otaking3582 No, I mean The Cartoons. The ones who move their heads from side to side as if that's an iconic move. The only other song they did with a music video is called Everybody sing This Song (Doo-Dah), at least from what I remember.
This was crazy to watch. I grew up around him and didn't know half this stuff, he was just a nice older guy that sang. Very strange and oddly cool.
I really do love eve of destruction and had listened to it long before this video. I love just how it actually does still apply to today and also to its time
8:46 "All response records kinda blow."
Sweet Home Alabama: "Am I a joke to you?"
Hit Em Up by Tupac is another xD
Its amazing how many people miss the point of some of the verses of that song. Oh it's just some guys singing about how great their home is! Forgets that the band was from Florida and that the song straight up trashes Alabama for having racist governors, a music label that stole songs, and trying to ignore Watergate. Even the lyric "Does your conscious bother you? Tell the Truth." Is a straight up call out to how hypocritical and corrupt politics are.
@@Aleph3575 Man, they were whining 'cause an infinitely better composer called out the racism in southern America. Lynyrd Skynyrd were the first "triggered snowflakes"
Well, yes, actually
I love this song even though it was “before my time.” Interestingly enough, what first introduced me to the song was a scene in the apocalyptic TV miniseries “The Stand” based on the Stephen King novel. In that scene, a character named Larry Underwood sits on the hood of a stalled car on a highway and plays an acoustic guitar while singing “Eve of Destruction” as an entire city burns down in the background.
Me too! Saw Larry doing this, thought damn that's a good song, looked it up, found it, loved it. Still do.
This is the song Bender uses for his song in the episode with Beck. Seriously this guys story sounds like a Bender episode of Futurama.
Love to hear your take on In the Year 2525. A good companion to this.
As someone who always leans toward rough vocals, this song is a delight to me.
60's version of a frustrated michael bolton
In the vein of, "You had to be there, Man," "Gimme Shelter" by The Rolling Stones is thematically similar, came out in the edgiest part of the Sixties Turmoil and it is much catchier:
War! Children!
It's just a shot away!
And then 2022 happened and the world is on the brink of war again. And this song has suddenly become much more relevant.
You deserve so much more recognition. You make the most interesting, humorous, informative videos about music on RUclips.
It turns out this song got *more* relevant two years after this review.
The CIA are pros
More like a few months after the review.
I’m thinking it’s ripe for a remake Summer 2020. If the riots, virus and murder hornets don’t kill is first.
Definitely relevant NOW.
The songwriter was 19?
That's nothing. M*A*S*H*'s theme "Suicide is Painless" was written mostly by a 14 year old.
DJ Warwing The lyrics, not the music. And they were written in about five minutes.
@@Matrim42 The lyrics are literally the most depressing part of the fucking song. If a 14 year old writes that and shows their parents they have to start seeing a therapist after school three days a week.
So? Same age as the guy who wrote the on-hold music for CERO phone service customers.
@@fuzzydunlop7928 I don't know... A lot of kids are suicidal and depressed. It's just a part of growing up now.
@@Matrim42 That story made it seem like the kid's dad was very insecure. He was told to write a stupid song for a comedy show, so he thought "Write a stupid song!? I'm a serious and smart 40-year-old professional musician! I can't write stupid songs! But, my teenage song is stupid. He can write the dumb song!"
The kid ended up making millions in royalties from that decision. Imagine accidentally becoming a millionaire because your dad thought you were stupid.
I was born on the Eve of Destruction (Summer of '65) And I am still here.
I feel like the pinnacle of super political 1960s protest folk is Phil Ochs. He never got famous, but he was a very humorous and cynical guy. Then, he has quite a few thought provoking and emotional songs. All the political stuff is REALLY dated and a lot of it is timeless. He’s absolutely worth checking out.
Also, check out his life’s story. The end of his life was really tragic. He was severely mentally ill to the point of believing he was a different person. Then he eventually committed suicide.
Next up: in the year 2525 by Zager and Evans.
+Pale Luna Hell yes. I have no idea how that song got big. Listening to it scares the everloving shit out of me.
This is old but that song has become scarily accurate. On an accelerated timeline
i'm really really hoping he does it for this year's spooktecular ohw episode.
Totally thought this was going to be an April Fool's Joke.
Really glad it wasn't. I have loved this song since my childhood, and the radio version sounds better than the live version Todd used but its still a great song.
Also, I'd rather have folk/protest songs from the Vietnam era than modern music any day. It was seriously good shit.
I don't think there is someone out there with an expressive voice like Barry, you can see even when he is singing about chim chim cher ee that he is REALLY singing....i love it, i dont know, his voice just makes it for me
I could've sworn that we were about to get the inevitable Rick Astley video
+Ethan Olsvik But he's not a one hit wonder.
Meme doesn't equal one hit wonder.My mam was a fan back of his at the time.
+Ethan Olsvik He's already said that a Rick Astley video will never happen because there is no way to stretch the definition of one hit wonder to make Astley count.
Rick Astley has tons upon tons of hits, i dont know what your on bro
I like how he became a Jesus hippie but didn't wind up one of those far- to alt-right evangelical Christians.
Alt right and Christian don't go together
@@thegreatandmightycheesewhe1364 In my experience, they far too often do. Not because the good lord supports it, but because many Christians are more interested in misplaced
political ideology than actually reading their own damn book.
He did a fun collaboration with Keith Green called "Walk and Talk" while they were both part of the same Christian movement.
Jesus Hippies and Evangelicals are not mutually exclusive. The Jesus Movement (basically the Jesus Hippies) inspired modern day evangelicalism. Like, it feels like every Calvary Chapel I have attended in my life was founded by an ex-hippy.
Most real Christians are left wingers like McGuire.
Barry McGuire looks like Gordon Ramsay while squinting... i even zoned out and all i could hear was "IT'S ROTTEEEEEENNNN !!!"
SpaceMonkeyEntertainment 😂😂😂😂😂
I think this is one of the truest songs ever written, and has relevance today and will for some time longer
Learned a lot from this video, but I always do from OHW. My old manager only allowed the 60's sirius station to be played while he was working so I heard a lot of this stuff and actually started to really enjoy most of it; this song included. Great job as always Todd.
I just fucking love Barry's voice. It's so intense and passionate
Dear 18 year old Americans...if you can vote PLEASE VOTE
ok for who?
CJAdams97 Who do you want? Just get into the habit, I suppose. Sign up for the primaries and vote
+CJAdams97 That's up to you. Just divert your attention away from the media and study the candidates and their policies broadly and intently. Then make the decision you find best (or the least evil, in this election's case).
+CJAdams97 You could vote for anyone you want from Cruz to Trump to Sanders to Clinton as long as you know what you're getting yourself into.
AND THEY DID MOTHER FUCKERS
Hell yea! I just got done re-watching some of your videos.
Eve of Destruction was before my time so I first encountered it was when it was used brilliantly on Greatest American Hero, when Ralph finally did what he got the suit for, saving the world from a nuclear exchange, the aliens harassing him by making his radio play "Eve of Destruction".
I wasn't around during the '60s, but I know about the Grass Roots! I love this episode! Todd, keep the One-Hit Wonderland episodes coming, they're the greatest.
Never heard this song before but man I just love the way this guy sings
"and all response records kinda blow." very true, the only exception is Lynrd Skynrd's "Sweet Home Alabama" their response, to Neil Young's "Southern Man."
Hip hop definitely cornered the market on great response records. Probably because they're all just lethal dis tracks like Ether and No Vaseline.
@@lewalcindor9356 "No Vaseline" still makes me cringe, pretty much the final word in rap diss tracks, just brutal.
And Roxanne's Revenge, arguably the first diss track.
Except "Sweet Home Alabama" isn't entirely about Neil Young. The last verse is about the Swampers in Muscle Shoals, and that has nothing to do with "Southern Man".
Tell me over and over again. 2020 and this song is still relative.
I'm still waiting for that one hit wonderland on Eamon. Keep it up Todd!
A April Fools video that's actually serious?
Maybe... *I am the fool.*
+DeFaulty Where's the April Fools joke? Was there any joke at all?
+Under Dog the joke is there is no joke
+Under Dog the joke is there is no joke
sgiindigo they trick me, and I am the fool
*An April fools.
What a great idea for a show! Watched 4 so far and they are really enjoyable.
I love the 60s!! Do more one hits from this decade and the 70s...reach out man! Big fan here
brunilda12 but 80’s one hit wonders are far funnier
As a late-booming child of the sixties, am very impressed. Who say kids these days aren't doing extremely worthwhile stuff? (And putting it on RUclips.) I love the contrast & comparison of "Eve of Destruction" with "Child of Our Time." CoOT, if taken just a little further over the top, could be a perfect parody of the End-Of-Days zeitgeist of that era (and, as Todd points out, this one), much as "Eve of Destruction" is a close-to-perfect commentary on same (ditto). I was born just before the Cuban Missile Crisis, and thus share younger people ingrained knowledge that "Yes. The whole planet could be pulverized into interstellar dust at any moment. But if it isn't, are you gonna finish those fries?" It's always be hard for me to get how shocked and betrayed older people at being denied their apparent birthright of a planet that will be here well beyond the length of human imagination. I think this shock substantially informs Maguire's performance of EoD, and that may the perception of him as a whining teenager by those of us who learned about our potential nuclear annihilation at about the same time as we we learning not to eat our crayons. BTW, releasing a entirely serious discussion of perhaps the most serious pop song ever on April 1? Absolute genius.
Todd's in his mid thirties... But thanks for your faith in us!
I left the 18-35 demographic group while Ronald Reagan was still in office: Todd's a kid to me. :)
Well, not mid-thirties exactly. He's currently 32 years old.
"When you're singing a song about the imminent extinction of humanity I'm not sure the kidz bop treatment really works for it"
Worked for Gorillaz on Dirty Harry-although the music actually matched the tone of the lyrics. It might've worked on the original Eve of Destruction, but not the newer one
Please do Edwyn Collins - A Girl Like You :)
Great song :D
Man this one just keeps getting more and more relevant. It’s basically been in my head for about as long as this video has been up, and now I found it
My father is a huge fan of this, makes me feel old. That being said the fact that the world didn't end in the 60's is no reason for misguided optimism.
As soon as you showed a picture of the The New Christy Minstrels I immediately thought of A Mighty Wind, so nice job with immediately noting that reference.
This was my favorite song when I was in Kindergarten. I sing this regularly in karaoke, though I'm the only one. I've never heard anyone else sing it.
As to the Grass Roots:
SHAA LAAA LAA LAA LAA Lets live for today!
Eve of Destruction: A great 60's song with unparalleled melodic pessimism ... good times, good times
The actual followup single was "Sins of a Family", another PF Sloan song which did nothing in America but charted in the UK. It's an interesting song about the hypocrisy of blaming the poor - especially women or girls - for their poverty. I don't think it was the kind of statement song that people were ready for in 1965, but it sure holds up better than "Child of the Times".
And, I've just seen it was covered by The Grass Roots.
I never realized that was the reference before, but I thought of “A Mighty Wind” right before you mentioned it. Thanks! That’s such a good movie. If you haven’t seen that streaming mockumentary show “Documentary Now”, I strongly suggest it. A good mockumentary can be brilliantly entertaining.
I dunno why but i love and admire this song much
Who's watching this in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic of 2020?
So Barry McGuire's early story would be on par with a member of some British or Korean pop group breaking away and suddenly becoming the frontman for Napalm Death or some shit? That's rad, lol.
Eve of Destruction was not a protest song. It was an expression of the feeling that everything literally was about to be destroyed. It was the fear of nuclear holocaust.