Eve of Destruction
by P.F. Sloan
sung by Barry McGuire
The Eastern world, it is explodin’
Violence flarin’, bullets loadin’
You’re old enough to kill but not for votin’
You don’t believe in war, but 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
How you don’t believe
We’re on the eve of destruction
The Jesus Movement started right here with this song. It didn’t start with a baptism, or a get-right-with-God message, or a Christian song on Christian radio, or a hippie church, or a tent meeting where everyone got saved. No, the Jesus Movement started as an apocalyptic song about the end of the world sung by a man who wasn’t even a Christian (at least not yet) and recorded in one take with the singer simply filling in the vocal line for the musicians to hear — not even thinking about a final vocal. But the next morning Barry McGuire turned on his radio and there was the song already on the playlist. The producers were that sure that it would strike a chord and it was the message for the times. It was Ezekiel or Daniel pointing out the woes of a nation in trouble.
Don’t you understand what I’m trying to say
Can’t you feel the fears I’m feeling today?
If the button is pushed, there’s no runnin’ 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
And you tell me
Over and over and over again, my friend
How you don’t believe
We’re on the eve of destruction
Fear was widespread. The bomb stopped the second world war, but the next one would start something that would obliterate the planet. Eve of destruction? Indeed.
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
How you don’t believe
We’re on the eve of destruction
Has history not repeated itself already? Isn’t most of this true today? Aren’t fear and anger drawn from the same well? Are we not watching the disintegration of human respect everywhere? And it’s impossible to regulate truth. Truths are lies; lies are truths. You can’t regulate anything because there’s no recognized standard of truth that everyone respects.
And think of all the hate there is in Red China
Then take a look around to Selma, Alabama
Ah, you may leave here for four days in space
But when you 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 neighbor but don’t forget to say grace
And you tell me
Over and over and over and over again, my friend
You don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction
No no, you don’t believe we’re on the eve of destruction
Hate and hypocrisy. Hypocrisy and hate. It’s a mad merry-go-round. 1965. Jesus began His Movement by sending a prophet to proclaim the end. When you look at all this, don’t you have to admit that it looks a lot like today?
John Fischer The Catch 
That song is so true now than ever before and again thru all this the one that came to save us all is the best hope we have now, then, and forever along with great faith. I hope many folks read this and think about what its telling each of us. Take care, God Bless, and thanks.
Again
try again
These verse from the above song is so profound to me: “Hate your next door neighbor but don’t forget to say grace”
I would not disagree with you that this song was one of the catalysts that help fire up the Jesus Movement, as well as antigovernment sentiment.
But the first? I don’t know.
As Bob Dylan so famously sang (in 1964), “The times, they are a’changin’,” and as the world (generally) and America (specifically) transitioned from our dads’ Christianity to this new looser, unrestrained, hippie-like Christianity, it didn’t happen overnight or even in a single year.
I don’t want to take anything away from Barry McGuire but a certain groundwork – a foundation – has to be laid before anything can take root and simultaneously shoot upward and stir up the landscape. For example:
Sam Cooke sang, “A Change Is Gonna Come,” in 1964.
Judy Collins started publicly performing, “Amazing Grace” in 1964.
“Universal Soldier” by Buffy Sainte-Marie also came out in 1964.
The Byrds sang, “Turn! Turn! Turn!” at the end of 1965.
“For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield in 1966.
“Sky Pilot” by Eric Burdon and the Animals was released in 1967.
Needless to say, the list goes on and on with catalyst songs sung by Joan Baez, Pete Seeger to even the Smothers Brothers, Beach Boys, and Bobby Darin, too!
Heck, along with Woodie Guthrie (among others), I would even nominate Billie Holiday as one of the earliest catalysts of the 1960’s Jesus movement with her late 1930’s song, “Strange Fruit.”
However, though, I’d like to swing to the other side of the pendulum and suggest what also may have been an equally significant catalyst in turning peoples eyes from fear and destruction toward seeking and finding Jesus:
“Just As I Am” sung most often at Billy Graham Crusades worldwide, and recognized as a song of repentance as well as comfort and acceptance.
It’s sort of it’s own revolutionary message at the eve of destruction.
Shalom, Peace…
🙂
So enjoying how you are bring these songs up, that I for one grew up with and lived so much in the Jesus Movement days. We are again at a major change in the world. May we see God’s Spirit sweep this country and the world and may we seek a great revival.
After he became a Christian, Barry did what would now be a “remix” of the song. And while you are right about things feeling the same, the answer is the same as well. Listen to the whole thing, with the “solution” at the end