America is committing suicide in slow motion. Death by a trillion cuts.
Well, actually it is allowing itself to be murdered. Is that the same thing? If you park your car on the track and wait for the train, did you actually kill yourself or did the train/engineer kill you? It doesn't matter. Dead is dead.
The 1960s were turbulent times. I remember them well. The highly unpopular Vietnam war overseas and civil unrest at home. The Civil Rights Act of 1960. The Soviet Union launches the first satellite, Sputnik. In 1962 the “Supreme” court removes God and prayer from schools and forces racial integration. How has that turned out?
Dirty hippies! Bell bottom jeans. Birth of the “counterculture” movement.
How many people still listen to “classic rock” from the 1960s? The 1960s produced many iconic and influential bands. Some of the most famous include The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Beach Boys, and The Who. Other notable bands from this era include The Supremes, The Temptations, The Doors, Pink Floyd, The Zombies, Led Zeppelin and Jimi Hendrix Experience.
Jimi Hendrix's performance of "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Woodstock in August 1969 was a cultural lightning bolt and the ultimate climax of a turbulent decade of radical change. Played on his Fender Stratocaster electric guitar with searing distortion, intense feedback, and improvisational flair, it was a radical reinterpretation of the national anthem. Jimi's version blended reverence with raw commentary on the era's turmoil—Vietnam War, civil rights struggles, and societal division. If you have never seen it, take four minutes right now.
The 1960s were a revolution in social norms, including religion, morality, law and order, clothing, music, drugs, dress, sexuality, formalities, civil rights, precepts of military duty, and schooling. Some people denounce the decade as one of irresponsible excess, flamboyance, the decay of social order, and the fall or relaxation of social taboos.
The Berlin Wall went up in 1961. Cold war to the max. Winston Churchill's famous "iron curtain" quote is: "From Stettin in the Baltic to Trieste in the Adriatic, an iron curtain has descended across the continent."
Europe became divided into the west versus the communist east. As the old adage goes, to compare communism and capitalism, look at which direction the people were going when they risked their lives to cross the Iron Curtain. There wasn't anyone trying to head east. The Wall lasted until 1989. The commie Soviet Union collapsed in 1991.
The Cuban missile crisis. Cuba Bay of Pigs invasion. JFK murdered in Dallas. In 1963 Beatlemania begins and remakes American culture forever. Democrat President Lyndon B Johnson signs the Civil Rights Act of 1964, “I'll have those niggers voting Democratic for the next 200 years”.
In June 1967 the USS Liberty was attacked by our greatest ally, Israel. The ship was flying the US flag in international waters. The Liberty was attacked by both Israeli aircraft and ships, including torpedo boats. The attack lasted for 2 hours. There were 34 dead and 171 wounded on the Liberty. The US government whitewashed the whole affair because our greatest ally.
Malcolm X was murdered. Ex-Marine Charles Whitman kills 13 and wounds 31 people from atop the UT Austin tower. How is that for foreshadowing? North Korea seizes the USS Pueblo spy ship. Cold War crisis. Naturally a song was written about the incident.
But, 1968 was the turning point. The Tet Offensive and My Lai massacre convinced Americans that the Vietnam War was unjustified, immoral and unwinnable.
In My Lai US soldiers, including the Americal division, herded 500 unarmed people into a ditch and murdered them. Some of the women and children were gang raped and mutilated. Americans were shocked by the violence and brutality.
The Tet Offensive in 1968 was a major escalation in the Vietnam War, launched by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong forces. They conducted simultaneous attacks on over 100 South Vietnamese cities and U.S. military targets, including the capitol Saigon. It convinced Americans that the war was already lost. Ironically, Tet was a military failure but a massive psychological victory.
In April 1968 MLK was murdered. In June RFK was murdered. The 1960s was an extremely violent decade both at home and abroad. Only the dead have seen the end of war.
The 1968 Democratic National Convention, held in Chicago, was a tumultuous event described at the time as a “police riot”. The DNC deployed their Brown Shirt communist street thugs. Marked with extreme violence, the convention was a scene of clashes between anti-war demonstrators, political agitators and Chicago police, televised nationally and contributing to the perception of a divided and chaotic Democratic party. Not much has changed.
In 1963, Betty Friedan published the book “The Feminine Mystique”, energizing the feminist movement and being largely responsible for its second wave. Second wave feminism gained momentum throughout the 1960s.
While the first wave of the early 20th century was centered on gaining suffrage and overturning de jure inequalities, the second wave was focused on changing cultural and social norms and perceived inequalities associated with women. That was when women stopped making sandwiches for men, except Chuck Norris. He went to a feminist convention and came home with his shirt ironed and a sandwich.
Third wave feminism was a more diverse and individualistic wave, addressing issues of intersectionality (how gender, race, class, etc., combine to create unique experiences of discrimination), and critiquing the perceived limitations and biases of the second wave.
The first women were admitted to Yale College as undergraduates in 1969. The birth of the modern liberal white woman.
We are now in the fourth wave of feminism which is the total annihilation of western civilization. Liberal white female college student with purple hair, skank tats, three abortions and a nose ring, “I fight the Patriarchy by using my mother’s maiden name!”. Oh, you mean that you use your grandfather’s name…
July 20, 1969 – Apollo 11 Lunar Module Eagle lands on the moon. Neil Armstrong takes his historic first steps on the moon. "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Funny how that didn't become controversial until the last few years. Flat earth much?
"We'll know our disinformation program is complete when everything the American public believes is false." - William J. Casey, CIA Director (1981)
Woodstock in August 1969 was the summer of peace and love. That was the climax of the hippie movement. In Aug 1969, the Manson family commits its first murder. That was the end of the hippie movement.
That was the 1960s in a nutshell. The times were reflected in the music. I survived the 1960s and all I got was gray hair and a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt.
The Steppenwolf song "Monster/Suicide/America," from their 1969 album Monster, is a politically charged, three-part suite that critiques the corruption of the American dream and the nation's history of moral failings.
It traces America's founding by immigrant pioneers seeking freedom, but highlights how this idealism was tainted by injustices like witch burnings, slavery, and the slaughter of Native Americans during westward expansion.
The song portrays America as a nurturing figure that "bore a child" (the spirit of freedom and justice), but this spirit has been neglected, allowing a "monster" of corruption, greed, and unchecked government power to emerge. Sound familiar? The song is as relevant now as when it was written 56 years ago.
It specifically references the Vietnam War, criticizing U.S. imperialism and the erosion of democratic values, as leaders ignore the people's needs and citizens become apathetic. Trillions for war but zippo for the poor.
The final section is a plea for Americans to "wake up" and reclaim their country from this monstrous system, emphasizing the urgency of collective action. The song's enduring relevance lies in its warning about power, corruption, and societal complacency.
Below is a detailed breakdown of the songs meaning, structured to reflect the three-part narrative:
1. Historical Context and the Birth of America
The song begins by recounting America's origins, founded by immigrant pioneers fleeing oppression in Europe ("Once the religious, the hunted and weary / Chasing the promise of freedom and hope").
These settlers sought a land of liberty and opportunity, symbolized as a nurturing mother figure who "bore a child" representing the ideals of justice, freedom, and equality.
However, the song quickly highlights how these ideals were compromised early on through atrocities like witch burnings, the enslavement of Africans, and the genocide of Native Americans during westward expansion ("And the blood ran red on the Great Plains").
This sets the stage for the song’s central metaphor: America’s noble spirit has been corrupted by a "monster" of greed, power, and moral decay. Written in 1969…
2. The Rise of the "Monster"
The "monster" symbolizes the systemic corruption and abuses of power that have grown within American society. It represents unchecked government authority, corporate greed, and societal complacency that betray the nation’s founding principles.
The song specifically references the Vietnam War era, criticizing U.S. imperialism and military overreach ("While we bullied our way around the world"). It portrays a government that ignores the needs of its people, particularly the poor, while prioritizing power and wealth.
The lyrics also point to societal apathy, with citizens failing to resist or question this growing monster, allowing it to dominate the nation’s soul. The "Suicide" section reflects the self-destructive path America is on, as its ideals erode under corruption and indifference.
3. A Call to Action
The final section, "America," is a desperate plea for awakening and resistance. The band urges listeners to recognize the monster’s grip and take action to reclaim the country’s original values ("America, where are you now? / Don’t you care about your sons and daughters?").
It emphasizes collective responsibility, warning that without action, the nation risks further decay. The song’s raw energy and urgency underscore the need for citizens to confront corruption, demand accountability, and revive the spirit of justice and freedom.
Broader Themes and Relevance
Written during the turbulent late 1960s, amid the Vietnam War, civil rights struggles, and political unrest, "Monster" reflects the disillusionment of the counterculture with America’s trajectory. Its themes of government overreach, social injustice, and the loss of democratic ideals remain relevant today, resonating with ongoing debates about power, inequality, and civic responsibility. The song’s enduring message is a call to vigilance: to recognize when a society’s values are being corrupted and to act before it’s too late. Is it too late already?
Here it is in full prophetic glory. The past and future history of America in 9 minutes and 15 seconds. Written in 1969.
"Monster/Suicide/America"
John Kay, Jerry Edmonton / Kay, Nick St. Nicholas, Larry Byrom, Edmonton / Kay, Edmonton
Once the religious, the hunted and weary
Chasing the promise of freedom and hope
Came to this country to build a new vision
Far from the reaches of Kingdom and pope
Like good Christians some would burn the witches
Later some got slaves to gather riches
But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands, to court the wild
But she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light
And once the ties with the crown had been broken
Westward in saddle and wagon it went
And till the railroad linked ocean to ocean
Many the lives which had come to an end
While we bullied, stole and bought a homeland
We began the slaughter of the red man
But still from near and far to seek America
They came by thousands to court the wild
But she just patiently smiled and bore a child
To be their spirit and guiding light
The Blue and Grey they stomped it
They kicked it just like a dog
And when the war was over
They stuffed it just like a hog
And though the past has its share of injustice
Kind was the spirit in many a way
But its protectors and friends have been sleeping
Now it's a monster and will not obey
The spirit was freedom and justice
And its keepers seemed generous and kind
Its leaders were supposed to serve the country
But now they won't pay it no mind
Cause the people grew fat and got lazy
Now their vote is a meaningless joke
They babble about law and order
But it's all just an echo of what they've been told
Yeah, there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into the noose
And it just sits there watchin'
The cities have turned into jungles
And corruption is stranglin' the land
The police force is watching the people
And the people just can't understand
We don't know how to mind our own business
'Cause the whole world's got to be just like us
Now we are fighting a war over there
No matter who's the winner we can't pay the cost
'Cause there's a monster on the loose
It's got our heads into the noose
And it just sits there watchin'
America, where are you now
Don't you care about your sons and daughters
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster
America, where are you now
Don't you care about your sons and daughters
Don't you know we need you now
We can't fight alone against the monster
America...America...America...America...
Can America be saved?
I’m a “child” of the 60’s and a Vietnam Veteran. After listening to Steppenwolf’s Monster countless times, I must admit, I may have partaken in the herb just a tad too much.
Thank you. Love this snippet of history. I still listen to Classic Rock too