RIP Country Joe McDonald

On Aug 16, 1969, Country Joe McDonald delivered one of the most iconic Woodstock performances when he launched into his Vietnam War satire, “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag.”

The unforgettable moment was entirely impromptu and altered the course of his career.

McDonald was sitting on the side of the stage when festival producer John Morris asked if he would fill in some time with an acoustic set while Santana’s equipment was being set up.

He reluctantly agreed, and someone found him a guitar and a rope to use as a strap.

Initially, the crowd barely reacted to the solo performance. Disheartened, McDonald walked offstage and asked his tour manager if he could play “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag” as an encore. The song was already scheduled to be performed with his band, Country Joe & the Fish, later in the festival.

According to McDonald, the manager replied:

“Nobody’s listening to you, so what difference does it make?”

What followed became one of the most infamous moments in rock history. McDonald began with rowdy call and response:

“Gimme an F! Gimme a U! Gimme a C! Gimme a K! What’s that spell?”

Suddenly the crowd erupted, thousands rising to their feet and shouting along.

He then launched into “I-Feel-Like-I’m-Fixin’-to-Die Rag,” the biting protest song which had the Woodstock crowd spellbound.

After that moment, Country Joe McDonald had “a solo career and a solo identity,” and young people around the world, including the troops in Vietnam, had an anti-war anthem.

Filmmaker Michael Wadleigh immortalized the scene in the Woodstock movie by placing the lyrics onscreen with a playful bouncing ball so audiences could sing along.

Reflecting on his legacy many years later, McDonald said:

“My goal will never be achieved in my lifetime, of peace and love on the Planet Earth, but I’ll do my bit to further it as long as I can. And when I’m gone, someone else will pick it up. That’s the way it will go. It will be known that I contributed my part to the music and the culture of my generation.”

Source: Bethel Woods Center for the Arts, the Woodstock Movie.