HIPPIE CULTURE

By Brett Miller

The majority of crossroads between the hippie counter culture and the Vietnam War were those of protest. The hippie movement and ideology was one of gentleness, tolerance and inclusivity, going directly against any war (Jones, Created Equal, p.607). There were many songs written in protest of the war, some of which became classics while others faded into obscurity. Neil Young wrote Ohio in response to the Kent State shootings of protesters by the National Guard on May 4, 1970. The 1969 song It Better End Soon, by the band Chicago didn’t leave much to the imagination about how they felt. Then there is 1967’s iconic For What It’s Worth by Buffalo Springfield, which has become a timeless classic ironically used in commercials to sell beer. The popular artists of the day used music to voice their opinions, thoughts and concerns. Music became a great form of communication and a way to unite people to a common goal or ideology.One of the biggest influences the hippie culture had on popular music was that of The Beatles. As any Beatles fan will tell you, the album Revolver was a major change in direction for the band. They had fully embraced the counter culture in all of its experimentation with drugs and sexual freedom. Although it is difficult to say that it was merely one thing or another, it was more than just a maturing of the band. Their music had undergone a major shift from that which made them superstars during the early sixties, melodic, sing-along, happy songs, towards that of experimental and psychedelic rock like that of Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band or The white Album. Not only was music a major factor in transforming popular culture, the same can be said for the effect of popular culture on music.

HIPPIE LIFESTYLE

By Sarah Ballard

Some of the main musical events for the hippies during the 1960s were San Francisco’s summer of love (1967) and Woodstock (1969). San Francisco’s summer of love spread the fashion and culture of the hippies all over the country. Thousands of young people flocked to San Francisco and when they went home they took fashion and lifestyle ideas back with them spreading the culture even further. Woodstock was the other great musical event of the sixties for the hippies, it gathered over 500,000 people that came from all over the country to listen to music from great performers like Hendrix and The Who. Only four people died and they were all from accidents, this showed the country that a large number of people could get together in harmony.
Read more: http://socyberty.com/history/hippies-in-the-1960s/#ixzz0tbbCgdKK

THE HIPPIE MOVEMENT

Burning Man Project 2008


Woodstock 1969

The Hippie Movement came about on the heels of the Beatnik revolution. Though both shared the common idea to rebel against the “system”, the Hippie movement was a more passive means to the same end. It was a quiet social revolt. Hippies wanted to show their disapproval for the restraints of society through unconventional methods. For example, to show they thought jobs made people slaves to society, they simply said, “no” to jobs. They believed in pursuing happiness, love, and peace at all times so having jobs would take time from that pursuit.

Unlike the Beatniks who were intellectuals, elites, and invited, (even the movement’s leaders met by invitation only) the Hippies were made up of everyone, regardless of race or gender, economic or social status. Everyone was welcomed. Differences were celebrated and the only rule was there are no rules. As a hippy you committed yourself to pursue love, happiness, and freedom.

Hippies were most concentrated in the Western United States. This is also evidence of a “tag-team” revolution with the Beatniks, for though the Beatniks started on the East Coast, they soon migrated to the West. Some notable Hippies and Hippy supporters are: Cat Stevens, Jim Morrison, Joplin, and Jimmie Hendrix.