Dawn of Correction
Posted: Sunday, March 01, 2009
by David Tanguay
In 1965, Barry McGuire released his big # 1 hit "Eve of Destruction" I was working at the time. In mid 67 I went into the military while serving in Vietnam one of my buddies asked me if I ever heard the song "Eve of Destruction", I told him yes then I asked him if he ever heard the song "Dawn of Correction"
He said no! there isn't such a song is there? Nobody in my outfit ever heard of the song. When I was released from the service, I asked friends if they remembered the song. None of them could recall hearing it. I even called my local radio station and asked them if they had a recording in their library, they told me they never heard of it as well.
The Eve of Destruction was related to all the bad going on in the world, while the Dawn of Correction pointed out all the good happening around us.
I'm presenting the lyrics of the song "Eve of Destruction" than the latter "Dawn of Correction"
Eve of Destruction by "Barry McGuire"
The eastern world, it is exploding Violence flarin', bullets loadin' You're old enough to kill, but not for votin' You don't believe in war, but what's that gun you're totin' And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin' But you tell me Over and over and over again, my friend Ah, you don't believe We're on the eve of destruction.
Don't you understand what I'm tryin' to say can't you feel the fears I'm feelin' today? If the button is pushed, there's no runnin' away There'll be no one to save, with the world in a grave Take a look around ya boy, it's bound to scare ya boy And you tell me Over and over and over again, my friend Ah, you don't believe We're on the eve of destruction.
Yeah, my blood's so mad feels like coagulatin' I'm sitting here just contemplatin' I can't twist the truth, it knows no regulation. Handful of senators don't pass legislation And marches alone can't bring integration When human respect is disintegratin' this whole crazy world is just too frustratin'
And you tell me Over and over and over again, my friend Ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction. Think of all the hate there is in Red China Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama you may leave here for 4 days in space but when you return, it's the same old place
The poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace You can bury your dead, but don't leave a trace Hate your next-door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace And tell me over and over and over and over again, my friend You don't believe We're on the eve Of destruction Mm, no no, you don't believe We're on the eve of destruction.
Dawn of Correction by "The Spokesmen"
The western world has a common dedication To keep free people from Red domination
And maybe you can't vote, boy, but man your battle stations
Or there'll be no need for votin' in future generations
So over and over again, you keep sayin' it's the end
But I say you're wrong, we're just on the dawn of correction
There are buttons to push in two mighty nations
But who's crazy enough to risk annihilation?
The buttons are there to ensure negotiation
So don't be afraid, boy, it's our only salvation
So over and over again, you keep sayin' it's the end
But I say you're wrong, we're just on the dawn of correction
You tell me that marches won't bring integration
But look what it's done for the voter registration
Be thankful our country allows demonstrations
Instead of condemnin', make some recommendations
I don't understand the cause of your aggravation
You mean to tell me, boy, it's not a better situation?
So over and over again, you keep sayin' it's the end
But I say you're wrong, we're just on the dawn of correction
You missed all the good in your evaluation
What about the things that deserve commendation?
Where there once was no cure, there's vaccination
Where there once was a desert, there's vegetation
Self-government's replacing colonization
What about the Peace Corp. organization?
Don't forget the work of the United Nations
So over and over again, you keep sayin' it's the end
But I say you're wrong, we're just on the dawn of correction
But I say you're wrong, we're just on the dawn of correction
So over and over again, you keep sayin' it's the end
But I say you're wrong, we're just on the dawn of correction
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Top-level comments on this article: (2 total)David, I of course remember both songs, totally opposites. The Dawn Of Correction was a great song. At least it was a positive song....The other kind of reminded me of a "Dooms Day" type of song....but I notice that in the lyrics , total opposites....Interesting....and the fact that you pointed it out, is indeed a sign of both times.....I'm glad you shared the lyrics with us, to many times we listen to the song, but not the words.......Great piece of work.....and thanks for sharing it....It was a good read.....Your fan, and friend in pen......Gary.Please log in to respond to this comment.Gary I just came about your comment I don't know how I missed it before. But thanks for commenting, yes eve of destruction was a doomsday recording while dawn of correction was a healing of our sick planet...DavePlease log in to respond to this comment.
I KNOW & UNDERSTAND BOTH SONGS WELL, EVE OF DESTRUCTION PENNED BY P F SLOAN STILL APPLIES TODAY SOME 40 ODD YEARS LATER . DAWN OF CORRECTION WELL WE ARE STILL WAITING LETS HOPE & PRAY WE GET THERE IN THE END. P F SLOAN IS A TALLENTED SONGWRITER LISTEN ALSO TO TAKE ME FOR WHAT I'M WORTH & SINS OF THE FAMILY THEY ARE BRILLIANTLY WRITTEN SONGSPlease log in to respond to this comment.Let's see, we went to Vietnam, sacrificed 58,000 US lives there and untold Vietnamese lives to stop communism, to stop the domino effect, as it was called in the 1960s. We didn't want Vietnam to fall to communism because if it did, they'd be over here. Here we are in 2009 and look what's happened? Have we stopped communism? It still exists in China, Vietnam and even in Cuba. And did the rest of Southeast fall as predicted?
So, 58,000 US troops lost their lives and we're not fighting the Communists here. And 58,000 US troops lost their lives and we have trade relations with Vietnam, even though it's still a communist nation.
That's what Dawn of Correction was all about, to fight to protect our freedoms here by fighting there. By the way, interesting historical note: McNamara, Secretary of State under LBJ, knew by the early 1960s that Vietnam was not winnable and yet the Johnson administration continued to send fathers, brothers, uncles and fathers to Vietnam.
You would think we'd have learned a lesson from Vietnam because even now, in Iraq, we're still trying to stop the spread of terrorism to our shores. Looks like that Dawn of Correction hasn't dawned on anyone. Or else we're being left in the dark.Please log in to respond to this comment.You're probably right the "dawn of correction" perhaps hasn't begun in full scale as of yet. However I see the world a lot better off than it was in the 60s. To me it's a completely different world.Please log in to respond to this comment.
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