"Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth" paper 6

“Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth,” written by Willie Nelson is a song protesting Bush’s decision to send troops to Iraq. This song primarily uses pathos, although logos has been incorporated as well. Nelson’s message is that America was unwittingly sent in to fight a war in Iraq; he points this out by articulating the issues many people have stated in the four years since we entered the war. His arguments are weakened by the fact that his political leanings are already well known to most, and ultimately those that agree with him will feel very in tune with this song, and those that do not will dismiss this as more liberal music from Willie Nelson.

The message is clearly anti-war. Nelson believes there are so “many things going on in the world” today, such as poverty, abuse, and crimes, that we should be focusing on these instead of sending soldiers to Iraq, a place that was not a significant threat to the United States before we invaded. The government tells us to “believe everything that they tell us” on the news and in the papers; therefore, Bush announces that “they [are] [going to] kill us;” we automatically assume “we [need to] kill them first,” due to what we have been previously told. Therefore we have thousands of innocent men and women serving our country in Iraq because a group of political citizens thought it was the best thing to do at the time.

Nelson continues giving references from his strong Christian belief with examples of Commandments written in the Bible. Do the Christian citizens of our country really follow their values of faith? Christianity is the largest religion in the United States, yet we are still in a country killing innocent Iraqi’s because we are afraid that they might invade our country first. Is it really ethical to be in that country violating “a commandment, thou shall not kill,” because we are afraid? This is a clear attempt by Nelson to take the religious beliefs of those he assumes are supporting the war and use those beliefs to strengthen his own argument. Applying principles of Christianity to the war in Iraq drives a powerful wedge between supporters’ favor of President Bush’s policies and their Christian beliefs. This wedge could crack the dam of support for the war and increase support for anti-war legislation and candidates.

Nelson’s goal is to get the citizens of the United States, his audience, to understand his view that the invasion of Iraq was wrong. He is persuasive in this song through the use of logos by applying his audience’s religious principles to the war. He in effect says if these are the rules of your belief system, then why is the war an exception to those principles. If you truly believe that these are the essential tenets of your faith then you must apply them to the war. For example, in verse two line four, he states, “But I remember a commandment; Thou shall not kill,” referencing a Commandment from the Bible to make the anti-war case.

Pathos is the hypotenuse of his triangular approach; he really tries to inspire his audience to feel the devastation of the war in Iraq. In the first verse lines one through three, he states, “There's so many things going on in the world; Babies dying; Mothers crying.” Nelson really begins to move his audience to feel the pain and suffering in the first verse. This messaging is in an effort to have his audience feel the pain and suffering so that they are motivated to push for change. Relying on the logic of applying religious principles and sympathy for the pain and suffering of the war, is designed to stir his audience to action or at least a reevaluation of its current support for the war.

The chorus, “And the bewildered herd is still believing; Everything we've been told from our birth; Hell they won't lie to me; Not on my own damn TV; But how much is a liar's word worth; And whatever happened to peace on earth,” He uses symbolism such as “the bewildered herd,” calling us confused Americans, making biblical references to indicate that his audience is following the herd and not applying the principles of its faith. The government’s message is a lie and that everyone is following it without question. Nelson is challenging members of his audience to think for themselves and apply their religious beliefs and moral beliefs to the war.

The song is well constructed, as it takes a traditionally right wing pro war vehicle like the Bible and uses it to support anti-war sentiments. Unfortunately, it was sung by Willie Nelson, whose credibility among the pro-war Republicans is extremely low. In asking ourselves if this song effectively laid out an anti-war argument, the answer is yes. Nelson used a blend of biblical principles combined with the pain and suffering of war to drive his message through to the religious right. However, if a political song’s success is measured by the changes that occur as a result of the song, then the answer would be that the song did not achieve its purpose. We are a nation so divided that it is unlikely anyone who does not already agree with Nelson would even listen to the message in the song.

Quoted material from song lyrics, "Whatever Happened to Peace on Earth"