"The Ballad of October 16th"

 "The Ballad of October 16th"

"The Ballad of October 16th" was a folk song released in May of 1941 on the album Songs for John Doe. The lyrics were written by Millard Rampell and the song was recorded by the Almanac Singers. The members of this band were among isolationists who promoted peace. Therefore, many of the songs on the album, including "The Ballad of October 16th", were considered to be anti-war songs. 

Although World War II was going on at the time of the songs release, the United States remained neutral and The Soviet Union and Nazi Germany remained at peace. However, soon after its release, Germany invaded The Soviet Union. As a result, The Almanac Singers began pushing for U.S. intervention in Europe. Therefore, they pulled Songs for John Doe from distribution and encouraged those who purchased the album to return them. The Almanacs began supporting involvement in the war in their songs and albums from that point on (although it was in a very controversial way). They considered themselves to be political activists.

What is "The Ballad of October 16th" About?

As mentioned, "The Ballad of October 16th" is an anti-war song that discouraged U.S. intervention in the war. The song revolves around The Selective Service Training Act, which registered millions of American men to serve in the military. The title of the song contains the date of which the act itself went into effect - October 16th, 1940. It details the negative experience of being selected to serve in the war against ones choice under this act and intended to disrupt the government institutions and systems that established it. Ultimately, The Ballad of October 16th" was a "song of protest".

Reference to The Selective Service Training Act:

"It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shining bright
They passed the conscription bill
And the people they did say for many miles away
‘Twas the President and his boys on Capitol Hill."

Distaste in Participating in The War:

"When my poor old mother died I was sitting by her side
A-promising to war I’d never go."

Why Did Smith Include This Song In Her Book?

Kathleen Smith references "The Ballad of October 16th" in chapter 8 of her book God Bless America: Tin Pan Alley Goes To War. She utilizes the song in order to exemplify the division of Americans in the midst of the war. There were isolationists who were against involvement with Europe's problems, and interventionists, who supported helping Europe. This division could also be heard through the music of different musicians and bands. The Almanac Singers as one of the best knownfolksinger groups who hoped to use their songs as "ideological weapons" in order to discourage Americans from taking part in war efforts. The song includes themes that are portrayed throughout Smith's book such as wartime morale, the role of economics, and the role of the government and government entities. The Almanacs and this song were a perfect esample of fighting for political, social, and economic change in the times before and during the war.

Opposition to Government and Government Entities:

"Oh, Franklin Roosevelt told the people how he felt
We damned near believed what he said
He said, “I hate war, and so does Eleanor
But we won’t be safe ’til everybody’s dead.”

The Role of Economics:

"I have wandered o’er this land, a roaming working man
No clothes to wear and not much food to eat.
But now the government foots the bill
Gives me clothes and feeds me swill"

Tin Pan Alley Guidelines

Although "The Ballad of October 16th" was pulled from distribution prior to the OWI's guidelines for the writers of Tin Pan Alley, it definitely would not have aligned with them. However, at the time, it still received a lot of negative coverage in the media and many of its excerpts were published and criticized by New York newspapers. Some even claimed that the song's lyrics could be considered illegal under the Selective Service Act criminal provisions. 

The song was hostile towards the U.S. government, U.S. involvement in the war, and the legislation being passed at the time.  It also referenced the horrors of war through lyrics such as, "gets me shot and puts me underground six feet". Furthermore, the song would not have been considered to raise wartime morale, rather it would have severly lowered it due to the negative image that it paints about the war and efforts involved. This song would not have been productive towards driving national unity - something that many of The Almanac's songs were specifically criticized for. 

Lyrics that stood out to me:

"Why nothing can be wrong if it makes our country strong
We got to get tough to save democracy.
And though it may mean war
We must defend Singapore
This don’t hurt you half as much as it hurts me."

The Ballad Of October 16th is Still Relevant and Controversial

Songs for John Doe