Analysis
The theme of the glory and horror of war is represented in the two songs "Land of Confusion" by Genesis and "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival.
The first song "Land of Confusion" by Genesis was released by Genesis in 1986 during the near end of the Cold War. Although the song was later redone by the band Disturbed, the original has a much more suitable music video. The first quote of the song is, "Superman where are you now When everything's gone wrong somehow" (Genesis 19-20). This quote shows that everything is so out of order that they have to call on a superhero, who is the only one that can save the world now. The second quote, "The men of steel, these men of power Are losing control by the hour" (Genesis 21-22). This quote is calling out the heads of state of the various countries around the world and that they are losing control fast, this is also a hyperbole because "the men of steel" are not actually made of steel. The third quote is, "I must've dreamed a thousand dreams Been haunted by a million screams" (Genesis 1-2). This shows that there is a constant fear of war in many people even today, and is also an exaggeration.
The second song "Fortunate Son" by Creedence Clearwater Revival was released in 1969 in the middle of the Vietnam War. The song talks about the injustices of the sons of the rich and powerful and how they are given special treatment. This is shown by the line, "Some folks are born, silver spoon in hand Lord, don't they help themselves" (Creedence Clearwater Revival 7-8). This shows that the rich don't need to be helped by not being picked in the draft. The quote, "It ain't me" (Creedence Clearwater Revival 5 6 11 12 18 19 20 21) is repeated 16 times during the song, which makes it clear that the songwriter, John Fogerty, is not a "fortunate son." The last quote represents the power that the diplomats had, "And when you ask 'em, "How much should we give?" Ooh, they only answer "More! More! More!" (Creedence Clearwater Revival 17). This states that the diplomats only care that the war is supported fully.
Photo from: http://www.mtv.com/artists/creedence-clearwater-revival/