"Eve of destruction" lyrics and worksheet

Eve Of Destruction

By Barry McGuire, 1965

The eastern world it tis explodin',
violence flarin', bullets loadin',
you're old enough to kill but not for votin',
you don't believe in war, 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?
Can't you see the fear that 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,
but 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!
Tehn 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-neighbour, but don't forget to say grace,
and you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Eve Of Destruction

By Barry McGuire, 1965

The eastern world it is ________________',
violence flarin', bullets loadin',
you're _________ enough to ________ but not for votin',
you don't believe in _________, what's that gun you're totin',
and even the Jordan river has ______________ floatin',
but you _________________ me over and over and over _____________ my friend,
ah, you don't __________________ we're on the eve of destruction.

Don't you ____________________, what I'm trying to say?
Can't you see the______________ that I'm feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there's no ___________________ _____________________,
There'll be no-one to save with the world in a grave,
take a look around you, ___________, it's bound to ________ you,________________,
but you ___________ ____________ over and over and over ____________ 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 ______________ here, just contemplatin',
I can't twist the _____________, it knows no regulation,
handful of Senators don't pass legislation,
and marches ____________ can't bring integration,
when human _________________ is disintegratin',
this whole _________________world is just too frustratin',
and you tell me over and over and over ____________ my friend,
ah, you don't believe we're on the eve of destruction.

Think of all the ______________ there is in ______________

China

!
Then take a look around to

Selma

,

Alabama

!
Ah, you may ________________ here, for four days in ______________,
but when your__________________, it's the ____________ old place,
the poundin' of the drums, the pride and disgrace,
you can bury your _____________, but don't leave a trace,
hate your next-door-__________________, but don't ________________ to say grace,
and you tell me over and over and over and over again my friend,
ah, you ____________ believe we're on the eve of ___________________.

EVE OF DESTRUCTION: Match the beginning and the end of the sentences

     

………………1994 miniseries The Stand.         …………….by     P.F. Sloan in 1965     …………….to be the epitome of a protest song.     ………………in recent years,     often updating the lyrics to reference such events as the Columbine High School massacre.     ………………age     of the Cold War, Vietnam, the nuclear     arms race, and     the civil rights movement.     ………………..best-known     recording was by Barry     McGuire.     …………………….was at number     thirty on the Cash     Box charts,     BBC and Radio Scotland.

Eve of Destruction" is a protest song written ….. 

Several artists have recorded it, but the …… 

In the first week of its release, the single …..  

The song is a grave warning of imminent apocalypse, and considered by some

Though he's now known primarily as a singer of Contemporary Christian songs, Barry McGuire has continued to sing Eve Of Destruction …..

The song was banned by some radio stations in the

USA

as well as by the…..  

It expressed the frustrations and fears of young people in the ….. 

The song was briefly featured on Stephen King's …… 

Lyrical references : use the words to complete the text logically

18/ took place / 21 / reference /minimum /  mission / Old enough / conflict

/lasted /many / 

• “You’re …………………… to kill, but not for      votin’”; at this time in the United States of America, the age that one      could vote (in all but 4 states) at was ………. not at 18. Interestingly the ……………………….;;age      at which one could legally buy alcoholic beverages (in ………………, but not      all, states) was …………. at that time.
• “And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’” is a ………………….;      to the

  Middle East

  ……………………..
• The song also makes reference to Selma, Alabama where Bloody Sunday ………………………………..
• "Ah, you may leave here, for four      days in space, but when you return, it's the same old place." This      refers to the June, 1965 ………………….. of Gemini 4, which ……………….. just over four      days.

correction

Match the beginning and the end of the sentences

Eve of Destruction" is a protest song written  by P.F. Sloan in 1965

Several artists have recorded it, but the  best-known recording was by Barry McGuire.

In the first week of its release, the single  was at number thirty on the Cash Box charts,

The song is a grave warning of imminent apocalypse, and considered by some  to be the epitome of a protest song.

Though he's now known primarily as a singer of Contemporary Christian songs, Barry McGuire has continued to sing Eve Of Destruction in recent years, often updating the lyrics to reference such events as the Columbine High School massacre.

The song was banned by some radio stations in the

USA

as well as by the BBC and Radio Scotland.

It expressed the frustrations and fears of young people in the  age of the Cold War, Vietnam, the nuclear arms race, and the civil rights movement.

The song was briefly featured on Stephen King's  1994 miniseries The Stand.

Lyrical references

• “You’re old enough to kill, but not for      votin’”; at this time in the United States of America, the age that one      could vote (in all but 4 states) at was 21 not at 18. Interestingly the      minimum age at which one could legally buy alcoholic beverages (in many,      but not all, states) was 18 at that time.
• “And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’” is a      reference to the

  Middle East

  conflict.
• The song also make reference to Selma, Alabama where Bloody Sunday took place.
• "Ah, you may leave here, for four      days in space, but when you return, it's the same old place." This      refers to the June, 1965 mission of Gemini 4, which lasted just over four      days.