Eve of Destruction (song): Difference between revisions - Wikipedia

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{{Short description|Song1965 song written by P. F. Sloan}}

{{for|the Chemical Brothers song|No Geography}}

{{Infobox song

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| album = [[Eve of Destruction (Barry McGuire album)|Eve of Destruction]]

| B-side = What Exactly's the Matter With Me

| released = July 2616, 1965<ref>Billboard magazine, August 14, 1965, page 1</ref>

| recorded = July 15, 1965

| studio =

| venue =

| genre =

| genre =* [[Folk rock]]<ref>{{cite book |last1=MacDonald |first1=Ian |author1-link=Ian MacDonald |title=Revolution in the Head: The Beatles' Records and the Sixties |date=2007 |publisher=[[Chicago Review Press]] |location=Chicago |isbn=978-1-55652-733-3 |edition=Third |url=https://archive.org/details/revolutioninhead0003macd |url-access=registration |page=154}}</ref>

* [[Pop music|pop]]<ref name= "Breihan 2018">{{cite web|first= Tom |last= Breihan |title= The Number Ones: Barry McGuire's "Eve Of Destruction"|website= [[Stereogum]] |date= August 14, 2018 |url= https://www.stereogum.com/2009823/the-number-ones-barry-mcguires-eve-of-destruction/columns/the-number-ones/|quote= As a pop song, it's raw and snarly, but it never takes flight the way the best pop music of the era did.|accessdate= June 12, 2023}}</ref>

| length = 3:35

| label = {{hlist|[[Dunhill Records|Dunhill]] (USA)|[[RCA Records|RCA Victor]] (outside the USA)}}

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| next_title = This Precious Time

| next_year = 1965

| misc = {{Audio sample

| type = single

| file = Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire.ogg

| description = {{ffdc|1=Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire.ogg|log=2022 December 25}}

}}

"'''Eve of Destruction'''" is a [[protest song]] written by [[P. F. Sloan]] in mid-1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.gol.com/users/davidr/sloan/aboutsongs.html|title=P.F. Sloan: In His Own Words — The Stories Behind the Songs|author=P.F. Sloan|author-link=P.F. Sloan|access-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> Several artists have recorded it, but the best-knownmost popular recording was by [[Barry McGuire]], on which Sloan played guitar.▼

}}

▲"'''Eve of Destruction'''" is a [[protest song]] written by [[P. F. Sloan]] in mid-1965.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www2.gol.com/users/davidr/sloan/aboutsongs.html|title=P.F. Sloan: In His Own Words — The Stories Behind the Songs|author=P.F. Sloan|author-link=P.F. Sloan|access-date=November 18, 2015}}</ref> Several artists have recorded it, but the best-known recording was by [[Barry McGuire]].

The song references social issues of its period, including the [[Vietnam War]], [[Conscription in the United States|the draft]], the threat of [[nuclear war]], the [[Civil Rights Movement]], turmoil in the [[Middle East]], and the [[NASA|American space program]].

The American [[Mass media|media]] helped popularizeto make the song popular by using it as an example of everything that was wrong with [[Counterculture of the 1960s|the youth culture of thatthe time]].<ref name=sloan>{{cite web

| url = http://www2.gol.com/users/davidr/sloan/aboutsongs.html

| title = P. F. Sloan - Stories Behind The Songs

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| date = February 19, 1999

| work = The P. F. Sloan Website

}}</ref> DueIts controversial lyrics caused it to itsbe controversialbanned lyrics,by some American radio stations, "claiming it was an aid to the enemy in Vietnam",.<ref name="pc33">{{Gilliland |url=https://digital.library.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metadc19792/m1/ |title=Show 33 - Revolt of the Fat Angel: American musicians respond to the British invaders. [Part 1&#93; ]|show=33}}</ref> banned the song.<ref name="Blecha">[[Peter Blecha|Blecha, Peter]]; ''Taboo Tunes/A History of Banned Bands &amp; Censored Songs''; Backbeat Books, 2004. {{ISBN|0-87930-792-7}}</ref> It was also banned by some British radio stations.

==Background==

The song was offered to [[the Byrds]] as a potential single in the style of their [[Bob Dylan|Dylanesque]] potential singlecovers, but they rejected it. [[The Turtles]], another L.A. group which often recorded the Byrds' discarded or rejected material, recorded a version instead. TheirThe Turtles' version was issuedappeared as a track on their October 1965 debut album ''[[It Ain't Me Babe (album)|It Ain't Me Babe]]'' in July 1965, shortly beforeafter McGuire's version was cut;released. itThe Turtles version was eventuallylater released as a single in 1970 and hit #100 on the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] in 1970.

==Lyrical references==

* "You’reYou're old enough to kill, but not for votin{{'"}} refers to the United States law requiring registration for the draft at age 18,. while theThe minimum voting age (in all but fourmost states) was 21, until the ratification of the [[Twenty-sixth Amendment to the United States Constitution|aTwenty-sixth Constitutional amendmentAmendment]] changed it to 18 in July 1971.

* "And even the [[Jordan River]] has bodies floatin{{'"}} refers to the [[War over Water (Jordan riverRiver)|The War over Water]].

* "If the button is pushed, there's no runnin' away." Refersrefers to the[[mutual threatassured of a nuclear war at any moment, and the damage that this would causedestruction]].

* The song's mention of [[Selma, Alabama]], pertainsrefers to the [[Selma to Montgomery marches]] and "[[Selma to Montgomery marches|Bloody Sunday]]" in March 1965. (The [[Jan and& Dean]] version substitutes "[[Watts, Los Angeles|Watts, California]]" in the lyrics, in apparent reference to the [[Watts riots]] that occurred in Los Angeles later in 1965.)

* "You may leave here for four days in space, but when you return it's the same old place" refers to the June 1965 mission of [[Gemini 4]], which lasted just over four days.

* "The pounding of the drums, the pride and disgrace" refers to the JFK [[assassination of John F. Kennedy]] and the marching band that played as his casket was carried to [[Arlington cemeteryNational Cemetery]].

* "Hate your nextdoornext door neighbor, but don't forget to say grace" refers to simple hypocrisy, according to Sloan.

== Barry McGuire version ==

McGuire's recording was made between July 12 and July -15, 1965, and released by [[Dunhill Records]]. The accompanying musicians were top-tier [[Los Angeles]] [[session player]]s: P. F. Sloan on [[acoustic guitar]], [[Hal Blaine]] (of theand "[[The Wrecking Crew (music)|Wrecking Crew]])" session musicians [[Hal Blaine]] on [[Drum kit|drums]], and [[Larry Knechtel]] on [[bass guitar]]. TheMcGuire's vocal track was thrown on as a rough mix and was not intended to be the final version, but a copy of the recordingrough mix "leaked" out to a [[disc jockey]], who began playing it.<ref>{{Cite web

|url=http://www.xanga.com/barrymcguire/364332725/item.html

|date=October 9, 2005

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|url-status=dead |archive-date=June 24, 2006

|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060624103041/http://www.xanga.com/barrymcguire/364332725/item.html

}}</ref> The song was an instant hit, and as a result, the more polished vocal track that was at first envisioned was never recorded.

McGuire recalled in later years that "Eve of Destruction" had been recorded in one take on a Tuesday morning, with him reading lyrics scrawled on a crumpled piece of paper. TheHe said the following Monday morning he gotreceived a phone call from the record company at 7:00 am,7am telling him to turn on the radio —, his song was playing.<ref>McGuire stated this on ''[[Spicks and Specks (TV series)|Spicks and Specks]]'', Australian ABC TV shown on March 12, 2008.</ref> McGuire's single hit #1 on the US [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]] and #3 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] in September 1965.

== P.F.Sloan version ==

Sloan recalled: "Barry McGuire was the lead singer for a popular folk group at the time called the New Christy Minstrels. [He had written and sung] his own Number 1 hit, "Green,Green". He had just left the group and was on his own and looking for material to record. He wound up at my publishing company and was told there was a quirky songwriter he might want to listen to. Barry didn't like the song "Eve of Destruction" that much. He liked a few other songs of mine better. When he was ready to record he picked four songs, and "Eve" was the fourth to be recorded if there was time. If you listen to the recording, he's rushing because of the time constraints and he was reading it for the first time off a piece of paper." When the record was released "Eve of Destruction" was the B-side.

<ref name=sloan>{{cite web

| url = http://www2.gol.com/users/davidr/sloan/aboutsongs.html

| title = P. F. Sloan - Stories Behind The Songs

| access-date = April 26, 2008

| author = P. F. Sloan

| date = February 19, 1999

| work = The P. F. Sloan Website

}}</ref>

===Reception===

In the first week of its release, the single was at No. 103 on the [[Billboard (magazine)|''Billboard'']] charts. ByIn August 12 Dunhill released the LP, ''[[Eve of Destruction (Barry McGuire album)|Eve of Destruction]]''. It reached its peak of #37 on the ''Billboard'' album chart during the week ending September 25. That same day the single went to #1 on the chart, and repeated the feat on the ''[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]'' chart, where it had debuted at No. 30.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.barrymcguire.com/?page=bio4 |title=Eve of Destruction |publisher=BarryMcGuire.com |author=Barry McGuire |access-date=September 5, 2010}}</ref> McGuire would never again break into the top 40 of the [[Billboard Hot 100|''Billboard'' Hot 100]]. It went to #1 in [[Norway]] for two weeks.<ref name="Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction">{{cite web |url=http://norwegiancharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Barry+McGuire&titel=Eve+Of+Destruction&cat=s |title= Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction |access-date=September 5, 2010 |work=norwegiancharts.com}}</ref>

===Chart history===

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{| class="wikitable sortable"

|-

!Chart (1965-1966)

!Peak<br />position

|-

| Argentina ([[CAPIF]]) <ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://www.worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/60s/1966/CB-1966-01-01.pdf|title=Cash Box - International Best Sellers|magazine=[[Cashbox (magazine)|Cashbox]]|date=1981-01-01|access-date=23 February 2024}}</ref>

| align="center"|16

|-

|Australia ([[Kent Music Report]])<ref>{{cite book |title=Australian Chart Book (1940–1969) |author=Kent, David |publisher=Australian Chart Book |year=2005 |isbn=0-646-44439-5}}</ref>

| style="text-align:center;"|62▼

|-

|Belgium

| style="text-align:center;"|15

|-

|Canada ''[[RPM (magazine)|RPM]]'' Top Singles<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/films-videos-sound-recordings/rpm/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=9889& |title=Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada |website=Collectionscanada.gc.ca |date=17 July 2013 |access-date=January 4, 2018}}</ref>

| style="text-align:center;"|1

|-

|Finland ([[The Official Finnish Charts|Suomen virallinen lista]])<ref>{{cite web|url=https://suomensinglelistat.blogspot.com/2015/07/1965.html|title=SINGLET JOULUKUU 1965 DECEMBER |publisher=Suomen virallinen lista|accessdate=2024-02-23}}</ref>

|align="center"|9

|-

|France ([[Institut français d'opinion publique|IFOP]])<ref name="fracharts">{{cite web|url=https://infodisc.fr/Tubes_Artiste_Choisi.php |title=InfoDisc : Accès direct à ces Artistes > Choisir Un Artiste Dans la Liste |language=fr |format=PHP |publisher=infodisc.fr |access-date=23 February 2024}}</ref>

|align="center"|98

|-

|Ireland ([[Irish Singles Chart|IRMA]])<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=irishcharts.ie search results |accessdate=2024-02-23}}</ref>

| style="text-align:center;"|2

|-

|Italy

| style="text-align:center;"|47

|-

{{single chart|West Germany|1|artist=Barry Mc Guire|song=Eve of Destruction|songid=7591|year=1965|access-date=23 February 2024}}

|Germany

▲| style="text-align:center;"|6

|-

|{{singlechartsingle chart|Ireland2|2|song=Eve of Destruction|access-date=January 14, 2018}}

|-

|[[Single Top 100|Netherlands]]

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|-

|Norway<ref name="Barry McGuire - Eve of Destruction"/>

| style="text-align:center;"|1

|-

|Sweden ([[Kvällstoppen]])<ref>{{Cite book|last=Hallberg|first=Eric|title=Eric Hallberg presenterar Kvällstoppen i P 3: Sveriges radios topplista över veckans 20 mest sålda skivor 10. 7. 1962 - 19. 8. 1975 - November 1965|publisher=Drift Musik|year=1993|pages=130|isbn=9163021404|location=}}</ref>

| style="text-align:center;"|1

|-

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=== Controversy, parodies, and response songs ===

In addition to its being banned in some parts of the U.S., itthe song was also banned by [[Radio Scotland]].<ref>Chapman, Robert;''Selling the Sixties: The Pirates and Pop Music Radio''; Routledge, 1992. {{ISBN|0-415-07970-5}}</ref><ref name = Blecha /> It was placed on a "restricted list" by the [[BBC]], and could not be played on "general entertainment programmes".<ref>[https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/music/features/unfit-for-aunties-airwaves-the-artists-censored-by-the-bbc-765106.html Unfit for Auntie's airwaves: The artists censored by the BBC]. ''The Independent''.</ref> It was however featured on ''[[Top of the Pops]]'' on television one week while in the Top 10.

AResearcher groupJustin calledBrummer, founding editor of the [[TheVietnam SpokesmenWar Song Project]]. releasedhas aidentified partial25 [[parodyanswer musicsongs|parodyanswer records]] andreferring [[answerto "Eve of Destruction".<ref>{{cite web song|last1=Brummer |first1=Justin |title=Barry McGuire's "Eve of Destruction" & Answer Songs |url=https://rateyourmusic.com/list/JBrummer/barry-mcguires-eve-of-destruction-and-answer-songs/ record|website=RYM |access-date=1 August 2024}}</ref> A group called [[The Spokesmen]] entitledreleased "The Dawn of Correction". Thiswhich became a Top 40 hit. Singer Tony Mammarella also released a positive answer song titled "Eve of Tomorrow".<ref>Record World, September 4, 1965, page 22</ref> That song did not make the pop charts. A few months later, [[United States Army Special Forces|Green Beret]] medic SSgt. [[Barry Sadler]] released the patriotic "[[Ballad of the Green Berets]]". [[Johnny Sea]]'s 1966 [[spoken word]] recording, "Day For Decision", was also a response to the song, and was also a Top 40 hit. In addition theThe British musician [[Alan Klein]] wrote and performedincluded a parody andof attackthe onsong folk-singersattacking suchprotest as [[Donovan]] and [[Bob Dylan]]singers, entitled "Age of Corruption", using the same melody as Sloan's song, on his album ''Well at Least It's British''.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Erlewine |first1=Stephen |title=Alan Klein - Well at Least It's British |url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/well-at-least-its-british-mw0000504661 |website=Allmusic |access-date=December 14, 2018}}</ref>

==In popular culture==

{{in popular culture|section|date=January 2020}}

[[The Temptations]]' 1970 song "[[Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)]]" mentions the song title.

The song is prominently featured in the second season episode of ''[[The Greatest American Hero]]'', entitled "Operation Spoilsport.". The alienssong whois gaveplayed Ralphduring the supersuitfourth-season playfinale itof on''[[The theA-Team]]'', radio"The toSound motivateof Ralph to shut down the missile launchThunder".

The song, like many other popular songs of the day, gave its name to a [[gun truck]] used by [[United States Army Transportation Corps]] forces during the [[Vietnam War]]. The truck is on display at the [[U.S. Army Transportation Museum]] and is believed to be the only surviving example of a Vietnam -era gun truck.<ref name="eve">{{cite web▼

The song is played during the fourth-season finale of ''[[The A-Team]]'', "The Sound of Thunder," when the team returns to Vietnam and flashbacks recall their tours of duty.

▲The song, like many other popular songs of the day, gave its name to a [[gun truck]] used by [[United States Army Transportation Corps]] forces during the [[Vietnam War]]. The truck is on display at the [[U.S. Army Transportation Museum]] and is believed to be the only surviving example of a Vietnam era gun truck.<ref name="eve">{{cite web

|url=http://www.transchool.eustis.army.mil/Museum/GTHardened.htm

|work=U. S. Army Transportation Museum site

|title=Gun Truck page

|access-date=March 5, 2008

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The song is featured in the soundtrack of ''[[Mafia III]]''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.gamespot.com/articles/mafia-3s-excellent-soundtrack-revealed-contains-th/1100-6442877/|title=Mafia 3's Excellent Soundtrack Revealed, Contains These 100-Plus Songs|website=GameSpot|language=en-US|access-date=February 18, 2020}}</ref>

The song is played in its entirety in the Italian film ''[[Rose Island (film)|Rose Island]]'' from 2020.{{Citation needed|date=December 2023}}

An extract of the song is played by Larry Underwood in the 1994 television adaption of [[Stephen King]]'s ''[[The Stand]]'', symbolizing the end of civilization that occurs in the story.

==See also==

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[[Category:Song recordings produced by Lou Adler]]

[[Category:Songs about nuclear war and weapons]]

[[Category:Songs againstabout racism and xenophobia]]

[[Category:Songs of the Vietnam War]]

[[Category:Songs written by P. F. Sloan]]