“ . . . And it’s 1, 2, 3 - - What’re We Fightin’ For?”

       Some sad news came our way last week: We lost Joe McDonald, iconic singer and songwriter, co-founder of the psychedelic/folk song group Country Joe and the Fish. Country Joe was 84 years old.

      My mind instantly hit rewind, and I found myself thinking of nothing else but the summer of 1969, and Woodstock. No, I wasn’t there, although the woman I would soon meet and subsequently marry was—trudging through the mud and rain to try and hear the music.

      But I was totally aware of what was going on up in New York that August, clearly took in the meaning of what was going on and strained for opportunities to listen repeatedly to the music that helped define our generation. How many of us were influenced by the Summer of ’69? Raise your hands.

      As I learned of Country Joe’s passing, I immediately started singing and haven’t stopped:

And its 1, 2, 3 — What are we fightin’ for?

Don’t ask me I don’t give a damn.

Next stop is Viet Nam.

And it’s 5, 6, 7, Open up the pearly gates.

Well, there ain’t no time to wonder why.

Whoopee, we’re all gonna die.

       The Woodstock Festival in 1969 and the unbelievable blending of music and musical artists and culture that took place that August went a long way in defining our generation. Sorry to have lost Country Joe, but thankful to him one more time for re-igniting all the magic that was presented at Woodstock.

      In case you want to travel back one more time, here is a video segment of Country Joe’s live performance:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1OmYVssjUQV3TdomUGhs3JxJp8r3jbdLU

      Enjoy!