Sixties Protest Songs Trivia Quiz

Answer: New Christy Minstrels

After working in the fishing and plumbing professions, Barry McGuire ended up with a gig in a bar in the early sixties. He released an unsuccessful single, "The Tree", and soon afterward formed a partnership with Barry Kane. The two of them joined the New Christy Minstrels in 1962.

The following year McGuire and Sparks co-wrote "Green, Green" and Barry sang lead vocals on the group's first hit record. After three years with the group Barry embarked on a solo career. In the fall of 1965 he hastily recorded "Eve of Destruction" in one take.

The song promptly got airplay and rose up the charts. While McGuire had minor follow-up successes, he never again broke the Top Forty. The Seekers had hits such as "Georgy Girl" and "A World of Our Own" in the sixties.

The Brothers Four formed in the late fifties at the University of Washington and The Serendipity Singers was a nine member folk group from the University of Colorado.

Answer: She was a barmaid.

In 1963 Hattie was a barmaid at the Emerson Hotel in Baltimore. She was also the the president of a local black club and the mother of 11 children. On February 9th, 1963, she was working at a function called the Spinsters' Ball when a man named William Zantzinger arrived at the ball inebriated and assaulted hotel employees with a cane.
After striking a waiter and a bellboy he became angry with Carroll when she brought him his drink and struck her on the head with the cane. She died eight hours later. Zantzinger did not deny the allegation because he was too drunk to remember the incident, but he only received six months when he pleaded guilty to manslaughter. He was quoted in a local paper as saying "I'll just miss a lot of snow".
Dylan's song was intended to illustrate the injustice of the sentence.
In 1976 Dylan recorded "Hurricane" to protested the imprisonment of fighter Rubin "Hurricane" Carter.

Answer: Buffy Sainte-Marie

Buffy Sainte-Marie was born on the Piapot Cree Indian reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada. She was orphaned and raised by adoptive parents in Maine. She was a self-taught piano and guitar player and in her early twenties she began performing in coffee houses and similar venues in Toronto and Greenwich Village.

She developed a talent for songwriting and many of her songs became hits for other artists. She was inspired to compose "Universal Soldier" when she watched footage of soldiers returning from Vietnam.

She also composed and recorded songs depicting the plight of Native Americans. Joni Mitchell composed "The Circle Game" which Sainte-Marie sang for a film called "The Strawberry Statement" in 1970. Joan Baez was born in Staten Island. She is known for several hits, as well as including "We Shall Overcome" and "Love Is Just A Four-Letter Word" in her Woodstock performance in 1969. Woody Guthrie and Pete Seeger were some of the influences cited by Seattle native Judy Collins.

Answer: A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall

"A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" was written by bob Dylan and included on his "Freewheelin' Bob Dylan" album. The album was recorded in late 1962 and released in 1963. A month after Dylan debuted the song live in September of 1963 at Carnegie Hall President Kennedy announced that missiles had been discovered in Cuba. "I Ain't Marching", "Draft Dodger Rag" and "Power and the Glory" were all written by Phil Ochs. El Paso native Phil Ochs was a regular performer at many Civil Rights and anti-Vietnam War rallies.

He began performing at the Greenwich Village scene in the early sixties and became a prolific songwriter. In 1966 he had a solo concert at Carnegie Hall. In the seventies he battled alcoholism combined with bi-polar disorder and took his life when he was only 35.

While none of his songs became major Billboard hits, his dedication to his beliefs and his body of work are among the most notable in Protest Song history.

Answer: Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town

"Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" was composed by Mel Tillis. The first artist to release the song was Johnny Darrell in 1967. Waylon Jennings also had minor hit with the song later the same year. Kenny Rogers and the First Edition were changing direction from a Psychedelic to a Country sound and recorded "Ruby, Don't Take Your Love to Town" in one take.

The song refers to "that old crazy Asian war" and was based on a real couple that Mel Tillis knew in Florida. The inspiration for the story was a returning WW II vet. Tillis changed the war involved. "Galveston" was a 1969 release by Glen Campbell about a soldier missing his home town. "To Susan on the West Coast Waiting" was a Donovan Top Forty single in 1969. "Billy Don't Be a Hero" was a 1974 Paper Lace release.

The anti-war song was also recorded by Bo Donaldson and the Heywoods the same year and reached Number One on the US charts.

Answer: McDonald

"Country Joe" McDonald and Barry "The Fish" Melton started out as a duo in 1965 performing at various protests and "Teach-Ins" against the Vietnam War. More members were gradually added. They released "Electric Music for the Mind and Body" in 1967. The album was an FM radio favorite because of the lengthy cuts and the band became a frequent attraction at Bay Area venues such as the Fillmore and The Avalon.
"I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" was recorded early in the group's career but didn't come to national prominence until the Woodstock performance. McDonald was called as a witness in the 1969 Chicago Seven trial. Melton went on to be a Public Defender in Yolo County, California. Melton and McDonald have occasionally reunited to play for causes such as Toys for Tots, a program run by the United States Marine Corps Reserve.
Keyboardist "Pigpen" McKernan was a founding member of the Grateful Dead. Roger McGuinn was a founding member of The Byrds.

Answer: Where Have All the Flowers Gone?

Pete Seeger and Joe Hickerson composed "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" around 1960. Seeger derived inspiration from poetry included in a 1934 book titled "And Quiet Flows the Don". One of the first performances was done by Marlene Dietrich in French during a UNICEF concert in 1962.

In 1961 the Kingston Trio recorded the song as the flip side to "O Ken Karanga". "O Ken Karanga" received little airplay, but "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" reached Number 21 the following year. In 1965 Johnny Rivers recorded a Folk-Rock version.

The song has been done by several international artists in various languages over the years. "Masters of War" and "Talkin' World War III Blues" were 1963 recordings by Bob Dylan. "The War Drags On" was a song about the Vietnam War recorded by Donovan in 1965.

Answer: A Change Is Gonna Come

"A Change Is Gonna Come" was written and recorded by Sam Cooke. Cooke died at age 33 on December 11, 1964. RCA Victor released the song as a single from his "Ain't That Good News" album on December 22, 1964. Cooke was first inspired to compose the song the previous year when he spoke with some sit-in demonstrators while on tour. Cooke was arrested later the same year for Disturbing the Peace when he tried to register at a "Whites Only" hotel in Louisiana. Cooke recorded "A Change Is Gonna Come" in December, 1963, backed by an orchestral arrangement by Rene Hall. "Lift Every Voice and Sing" was composed in the late 1800s and has been referred to as "The Negro National Hymn". "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" was released by Nina Simone in 1970. "Go Tell It on the Mountain" was an African American spiritual written during the Civil War. Peter, Paul and Mary recorded the song as "Tell It on the Mountain" in 1963.

Answer: One Tin Soldier

Jinx Dawson of Coven recorded the song in 1971 as part of the soundtrack for the Warner Brothers release, "Billy Jack". Dawson requested that her band be given credit for the song and it reached Number 17 on the US Billboard Hot 100 in 1971. When a sequel to "Billy Jack" titled "The Trial of Billy Jack" was released the song made two more appearances on the charts and was one of the most requested songs at the time according to the American Radio Broadcasters Association.
The Original Caste was a Canadian folk group that formed in the mid-sixties in Calgary.
Coven was formed in 1969 in Chicago and toured with Alice Cooper, Jimmy Page's Yardbirds and Vanilla Fudge. They have recently reformed and in 2008 released a new CD titled "Metal Goth Queen~Out of the Vault".
"Volunteers" was a 1969 song by Jefferson Airplane. "Fortunate Son" was released by Creedence Clearwater Revival the same year. "Simple Song of Freedom" was an anti-war song done by Bobby Darin in 1969.

Answer: Alice's Restaurant Massacree

"Alice's Restaurant Massacree" took up one side of Arlo Guthrie's 1967 premier album, "Alice's Restaurant". The album made it to Number 17 on the album charts. The song is a factual account of an incident involving Arlo being arrested for dumping garbage from Alice's Restaurant on Thanksgiving when the dump was closed. The song goes on to describe his experience at the draft board and concludes with a plea to resist the draft. Arlo was declared unfit to serve because of the criminal record. He was fined $50 and ordered to pick up the trash. Guthrie starred as himself in a movie based on the song in 1969.
The song clocks in at 18:20 and is traditionally played on Thanksgiving.
"Worried Man Blues" was recorded by Arlo's father, Woody. "Suppose They Give a War and No One Comes" was done by by The West Coast Pop Art Experimental Band in 1967. "Bring Them Home" was by Pete Seeger the previous year.