Musical Musings #15: Universal Solider

The third week of the Sixtie's retrospective, this week's prompt is Donovan's "Universal Soldier."

Written and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie in 1964, who said of the song "It's about individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all". Although it received attention in folk circles, it was not an instantly popular.

The song got the attention of Irish folk singer Donovan, who recorded it for a 1965 EP and it was a month released as a single after the EP failed to sell. It reached #53 on the Billboard charts. The song has recently seen a revival, capturing the sentiments of the anti-war movement.

I was lucky enough to see Damien Leith sing it at the Byron Bay Writers festival, accompanied by Mark Seymour (of Hunters and Collectors fame). Not an Australian Idol fan by any stretch of the imagination, it was an amazingly moving and rousing performance.


Using the theme of war, call to arms and the archetype of the solider, follow your muse through the moving words of Universal Solider to find your story.

Musical Musings #14: My Generation

Continuing on with the 60's theme, this week's prompt is The Who's My Generation (the fim clip that follows is recorded at Woodstock in 1969!) It is named the 11th Greatest Song on Rolling Stones list of 500 Greatest Songs of all time and part of the Rock and Roll Hall of fames 500 Songs that shaped Rock and Roll. It was released in early November 1965.

Written by Pete Townsend for the rebellious British youth called 'mods', it was an echo of the youths disenfranchisement from their parent's generation and their feelings of how the older generation just didn't get them. Townshend reportedly wrote the song on a train and is said to have been inspired by the Queen Mother who is alleged to have had Townshend's 1935 Packard hearse towed off a street in Belravia because she was offended by the sight of it during her daily drive through the neighbourhood.

It is considered to be one of the most distilled statements of youth rebellion in rock and roll, and is one of the acknowledged forebearers of punk.

Using the theme of being misunderstood or wanting to be understood, follow your muse through the thrashing sounds of My Generation to find your story.

Musical Musings #13:(Can't get no) Satisfaction

September is a celebration of the Sixities. It is the one era of history that I wish that I had have been born to see.

This week's song is The Rolling Stones (I can't get no) Satisfaction. It is ranked number 2 on the 500 Greatest Songs of all times. Written by Jagger and Richards it was released in 1965, a month after they had finished writing it. Richards woke in the night to record the riff (which he thought later was too basic and a little silly) and the words I can't get no satisfaction on a tape recorder. They later went on to finish the song in Florida May of 1965

Satisfaction gave the Rolling Stones their first US #1 and the fourth in the UK. Originally it was only played on pirate radio stations as its lyrics were considered to sexually suggestive. While it has references to sexual intercourse, and a girl having her period (which was outrageous at the time), the song was meant as a statement about the rampant commericalism that the Stones had experienced while touring the US. Critic Paul Gambaccini stated: "The lyrics to this were truly threatening to an older audience. This song was perceived as an attack on the status quo."

Why can one of your characters get no satisfaction?

The lyrics can be found here compliments of http://www.lyriczz.com/