Eve Of Destruction

     

Het is 2019, niet meer 1964, toen 'Eve of Destruction' werd geschreven. Er zijn 55 jaar gepasseerd, het grootste deel van mijn leven. In die tussentijd heeft 'Eve of Destruction' niet aan betekenis ingeboet, want als je voor de verschillende namen, plaatsen en gebeurtenissen andere invult, geldt de strekking van deze song nog precies zo, als in 1964.

Niet alleen politiek gezien, maar ook in ideologisch opzicht is de wereld nog even beroerd als toen. Zelfs de aanwezigheid van een IJzeren Gordijn, dat de wereld in tweeën spleet en een schijnveiligheid creëerde van "zij daar achter een hek, wij hier in vrijheid", heeft toen de spanningen niet verdreven en terwijl het nu in 2019 al 30 jaar geleden is dat de Berlijnse Muur viel, is er geen vermindering van oorlogsdreiging ontstaan.

[Wordt vervolgd]

Eve of Destruction

Barry McGuire

The eastern world, it is explodin',

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 trying to say?

And can't you feel the fears I'm feeling today?

If the button is pushed, there's no running away,

There'll be no one to save with the world in a grave,

Take a look around you, boy, it's bound to scare you, 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 sittin' 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!

Ah, you may leave here, for four days in space,

But when your 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 you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,

You don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

No, no, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.


Author: P.F. Sloan, 1964

Speel het nummer af op YouTube: https://youtu.be/dPIcwjFB1PY

The lyrics were placed on this web page for "fair use", to underline the importance of the song even 55 years after it was first published. No violation of the copyright(s) of respective owners is intended.