Draft Dodger Rag |
In his song “Draft Dodger Rag,” popular anti-war protest song writer Phil Ochs describes the inherent fear of many Americans in being drafted to go to the Vietnam War in the 1960s. He writes this song from the perspective of a typical American who is trying to avoid the draft. To convince the draft board that he shouldn’t be required to enlist, he uses symbolism to explain why a “typical American boy” shouldn’t have to be drafted. He also uses ethos, logos, and pathos to strengthen his argument.
It is important to explain who Ochs’ audience is intended to be and how they might react to an anti-war song. Ochs wrote the song when the Vietnam War was in full swing. Many men were being drafted into the military, many of whom would go off and perish while serving their country oversees. This created a strong fear in many Americans, especially given the fact that by the time Ochs wrote this song in 1965, a large portion of Americans opposed the war efforts in Vietnam. In this argument directed to the draft board, Ochs explains the many reasons a young man in America might be unable to join the draft.
Ochs begins “Draft Dodger Rag’ by using a relatable point of view to help his audience understand his song. In the very first line of the song, Ochs says, “Oh, I’m just a typical American boy from a typical American town.” The majority of people whom he is addressing are young people which tells the audience that he is just like many of them. He speaks as a “typical American boy” so that the general public can relate to the rest of his song, giving him a strong ethos. This view is evident throughout the rest of the song as he talks about things many people want to do in life like going to school and getting a proper education instead of being shipped to Vietnam. The speaker argues that he wants to support his country in the same way many people do, but in a way that doesn’t put him in danger. The way he suggests is by “working in a defense plant.”
In the next line of the song, the speaker begins discussing a counterargument to his claim, stating reasons Americans should want to join the military and support the United States by entering the draft. Ochs makes this argument using symbolism to refer to fighting against communism and in support of justice. He says “I believe in God and Senator Dodd, and a-keepin’ old Castro down / And when it came my time to serve I knew better dead than red.” There are three specific instances of symbolism to elaborate on in this short excerpt.
It is important to explain who Ochs’ audience is intended to be and how they might react to an anti-war song. Ochs wrote the song when the Vietnam War was in full swing. Many men were being drafted into the military, many of whom would go off and perish while serving their country oversees. This created a strong fear in many Americans, especially given the fact that by the time Ochs wrote this song in 1965, a large portion of Americans opposed the war efforts in Vietnam. In this argument directed to the draft board, Ochs explains the many reasons a young man in America might be unable to join the draft.
Ochs begins “Draft Dodger Rag’ by using a relatable point of view to help his audience understand his song. In the very first line of the song, Ochs says, “Oh, I’m just a typical American boy from a typical American town.” The majority of people whom he is addressing are young people which tells the audience that he is just like many of them. He speaks as a “typical American boy” so that the general public can relate to the rest of his song, giving him a strong ethos. This view is evident throughout the rest of the song as he talks about things many people want to do in life like going to school and getting a proper education instead of being shipped to Vietnam. The speaker argues that he wants to support his country in the same way many people do, but in a way that doesn’t put him in danger. The way he suggests is by “working in a defense plant.”
In the next line of the song, the speaker begins discussing a counterargument to his claim, stating reasons Americans should want to join the military and support the United States by entering the draft. Ochs makes this argument using symbolism to refer to fighting against communism and in support of justice. He says “I believe in God and Senator Dodd, and a-keepin’ old Castro down / And when it came my time to serve I knew better dead than red.” There are three specific instances of symbolism to elaborate on in this short excerpt.
The first occurrence of symbolism appears when he mentions believing in Senator Dodd. This is a symbol for justice. Senator Dodd was a Senator from Connecticut who played a major part in the Nuremburg Trials. During these trials, Nazi war criminals were tried and many were hung for their crimes against humanity. In addition, his reference to God also symbolizes justice and humanity since that is what religion reinforces. In this instance, God and Senator Dodd are both seen as symbols for humanity. The support the speaker gives both of them tells the audience that he wants to do what is right and support humanitarian efforts. However, the speaker isn’t willing to be drafted to go to war to support these beliefs.
The second appearance of symbolism occurs when Ochs talks about “a-keepin’ old Castro down” and is immediately followed by the third example, “better dead than red”. Both of these are symbols for fighting communism. Fidel Castro was the communist leader of Cuba, the closest communist country geographically to the United States. So not only was he a communist, but he was also a huge threat to America’s national security. Just three years prior to Ochs’ releasing “Draft Dodger Rag” was the Cuban Missile Crisis, where America was threatened by Cuba’s stockpiling of missiles intended for use on the United States. The line “Better dead than red”, refers to the importance of fighting against communism, with “red” being a symbol for communism. This phrase was coined in the Cold War during the late 1950’s. Ochs’ uses all of these symbolic terms to provide a counterargument to his main point.
The next stanza in the song is the chorus. The chorus is almost like a laundry list of reasons this “typical American boy” shouldn’t have to join the draft. Ochs appeals to pathos in the chorus, attempting to making the draft board feel sympathy for him. An example of this would be when Ochs says, “Yes, think of my career, my sweetheart dear, and my poor old invalid aunt.” He’s asking the draft board to feel his pain and the pain it would cause others if he had to join the draft. This was a common concern for young men who were threatened by the draft. Many had new families and were trying to get their careers off the ground. In fact, the typical “draft dodger” of the Vietnam War shared these exact characteristics.
The second appearance of symbolism occurs when Ochs talks about “a-keepin’ old Castro down” and is immediately followed by the third example, “better dead than red”. Both of these are symbols for fighting communism. Fidel Castro was the communist leader of Cuba, the closest communist country geographically to the United States. So not only was he a communist, but he was also a huge threat to America’s national security. Just three years prior to Ochs’ releasing “Draft Dodger Rag” was the Cuban Missile Crisis, where America was threatened by Cuba’s stockpiling of missiles intended for use on the United States. The line “Better dead than red”, refers to the importance of fighting against communism, with “red” being a symbol for communism. This phrase was coined in the Cold War during the late 1950’s. Ochs’ uses all of these symbolic terms to provide a counterargument to his main point.
The next stanza in the song is the chorus. The chorus is almost like a laundry list of reasons this “typical American boy” shouldn’t have to join the draft. Ochs appeals to pathos in the chorus, attempting to making the draft board feel sympathy for him. An example of this would be when Ochs says, “Yes, think of my career, my sweetheart dear, and my poor old invalid aunt.” He’s asking the draft board to feel his pain and the pain it would cause others if he had to join the draft. This was a common concern for young men who were threatened by the draft. Many had new families and were trying to get their careers off the ground. In fact, the typical “draft dodger” of the Vietnam War shared these exact characteristics.
Ochs goes on to make an appeal to logos. His logic lies in naming specific reasons that would not make him a good candidate for the military. He says, “I got eyes like a bat, and my feet are flat, and my asthma’s getting worse.” Having “eyes like a bat” is a simile referring to the fact that he can’t see very well. In addition, he claims he can’t walk long distances because his feet are flat; therefore, he will get bad cramps. And finally, someone with asthma can’t join the military. All of these appeals are logical because they are real problems that would keep someone out of the draft. A soldier needs to be able to see, walk, and breathe effectively as a basic minimum to serve in the military.
The third stanza of “Draft Dodger Rag” is also full of logos. Ochs appeals to logic when he discusses all the problems he has with his body. He talks about having a “dislocated disc and a wracked up back,” and how he’s “allergic to flowers and bugs.” All of these physical limitations would make him an incompetent soldier in Vietnam. Ochs even specifically addresses his limitations in fighting, saying that he suffers epileptic fits when a bomb drops close by. This attempts to help the draft board visualize how detrimental he would be to the military as an asset and the almost certain death he would face if he were put into battle.
Ochs then makes an appeal to ethos in the chorus. He says, “Sarge, I’m only 18, I’ve got a ruptured spleen / and I always carry a purse,”. The ethos lies in the purse comment. At the time, and even today although to a lesser extent, homosexuality is looked down upon in the military. The reference to always carrying a purse symbolizes homosexuality. This is an ethical problem in the military because of the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy of the era. Coming out and saying clearly that he identifies as homosexual creates an ethical dilemma for the draft board and therefore could help him dodge the draft.
I believe that Ochs’ argument to the draft board is primarily driven by pathos. It is his most effective form of argument and has the most impact on the listener. This song is written as a plea to avoid being sent to Vietnam. A lot of the logos seems exaggerated and fake. However, it does provide the listener a feeling for the desperation Ochs is feeling. He really felt as though if he went to war he would not come back and he was willing to do anything to prevent it. Reading this song over and over, I can’t help but also think about the fact that this song isn’t just about Ochs. This song represents the thousands of young men in America who were threatened by the draft. The album that this song originally debuted on called, “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” focusses on Vietnam War protest, as is evident by the title itself. The whole album, including “Draft Dodger Rag,” is representative of the American population. Ochs discusses the reasons someone would be unable to join the draft, not why someone would want to avoid it. He doesn’t address reasons because the audience at the time would’ve already had plenty of motives to avoid the draft. Being the first televised war made the blood and gore that go along with conflict made the public very concerned and scared. The public supported America, but not in this war. Ochs sums up America’s feelings toward war in the late 60s when he says, “if you ever get a war without blood and gore / I’ll be the first to go.”
The third stanza of “Draft Dodger Rag” is also full of logos. Ochs appeals to logic when he discusses all the problems he has with his body. He talks about having a “dislocated disc and a wracked up back,” and how he’s “allergic to flowers and bugs.” All of these physical limitations would make him an incompetent soldier in Vietnam. Ochs even specifically addresses his limitations in fighting, saying that he suffers epileptic fits when a bomb drops close by. This attempts to help the draft board visualize how detrimental he would be to the military as an asset and the almost certain death he would face if he were put into battle.
Ochs then makes an appeal to ethos in the chorus. He says, “Sarge, I’m only 18, I’ve got a ruptured spleen / and I always carry a purse,”. The ethos lies in the purse comment. At the time, and even today although to a lesser extent, homosexuality is looked down upon in the military. The reference to always carrying a purse symbolizes homosexuality. This is an ethical problem in the military because of the “don’t ask don’t tell” policy of the era. Coming out and saying clearly that he identifies as homosexual creates an ethical dilemma for the draft board and therefore could help him dodge the draft.
I believe that Ochs’ argument to the draft board is primarily driven by pathos. It is his most effective form of argument and has the most impact on the listener. This song is written as a plea to avoid being sent to Vietnam. A lot of the logos seems exaggerated and fake. However, it does provide the listener a feeling for the desperation Ochs is feeling. He really felt as though if he went to war he would not come back and he was willing to do anything to prevent it. Reading this song over and over, I can’t help but also think about the fact that this song isn’t just about Ochs. This song represents the thousands of young men in America who were threatened by the draft. The album that this song originally debuted on called, “I Ain’t Marching Anymore” focusses on Vietnam War protest, as is evident by the title itself. The whole album, including “Draft Dodger Rag,” is representative of the American population. Ochs discusses the reasons someone would be unable to join the draft, not why someone would want to avoid it. He doesn’t address reasons because the audience at the time would’ve already had plenty of motives to avoid the draft. Being the first televised war made the blood and gore that go along with conflict made the public very concerned and scared. The public supported America, but not in this war. Ochs sums up America’s feelings toward war in the late 60s when he says, “if you ever get a war without blood and gore / I’ll be the first to go.”