I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag - Country Joe & the Fish, 1967

 
 

Well, come on all of you, big strong men,
Uncle Sam needs your help again.
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books and pick up a gun,
We're gonna have a whole lotta fun.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.


Well, come on generals, let's move fast;
Your big chance has come at last.
Now you can go out and get those reds
'Cause the only good commie is the one that's dead
And you know that peace can only be won
When we've blown 'em all to kingdom come.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Come on Wall Street, don't be slow,
Why man, this is war au-go-go
There's plenty good money to be made
By supplying the Army with the tools of its trade,
But just hope and pray that if they drop the bomb,
They drop it on the Viet Cong.

And it's one, two, three,
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam;
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

Come on mothers throughout the land,
Pack your boys off to Vietnam.
Come on fathers, and don't hesitate
To send your sons off before it's too late.
And you can be the first ones in your block
To have your boy come home in a box.

And it's one, two, three
What are we fighting for?
Don't ask me, I don't give a damn,
Next stop is Vietnam.
And it's five, six, seven,
Open up the pearly gates,
Well there ain't no time to wonder why,
Whoopee! we're all gonna die.

 
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Country Joe and the Fish was a 60s band best known for its anti-war stance. “I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" was a humorous and sarcastic reaction to the Vietnam war, and the draft. The band was at its height of popularity during the 1969 Woodstock festival, were they performed this song.

As sometimes happens in the Rock & Roll game, Joe was eventually sued by the daughter of Kid Ory, who’s Dixieland jazz song “Muskrat Ramble” was all too similar… however, she lost, since she took over 30 years to file the complaint.

(Not included in this version is the Fish Chant. The band would prompt its audience to spell out the word Fish... "Give me an F" etc. However, the audience would always get it wrong: (Band) "Give me an F!" (audience)"F!", (band) "Give me an I", (audience)"U!" (band) "Give me an S" (audience) "C" ...okay, you're getting it already.)