What's That Spell?

 It was a Sunday morning on the campus of the University of Colorado. Across the street from the football stadium, services were beginning at the Lutheran church. Inside the football stadium, a full day of rock and roll was on tap. May 1, 1977 the headliner was Fleetwood Mac, with support acts that included Bob Seger and the Silver Bullet Band and Boulder's own Firefall. John Sebastian, former leader of the Lovin' Spoonful was slated to open the show with his autoharp and his theme from Welcome Back Kotter. Mister Sebastian who was already the object of much angst simply because he stood on a stage that would eventually be full of rock legends Fleetwood Mac antagonized the crowd still further by referring to the crowd as a group as being from Denver, some thirty miles down the turnpike. 

But before all of that excess unfolded, the promoters ran a special guest out on the stage: Country Joe McDonald. Joe was there ostensibly as a link to the days of Woodstock, and he proceeded to unleash a very loud and enthusiastic version of The Fish Cheer into the Sunday morning air. "Give me an F," he shouted, "Give me a U!" And suddenly we knew we weren't spelling out FISH. When we finished with the fourth letter he asked, "What's that spell?" Into that bright Colorado sky sixty thousand of us yelled the answer. Joe asked us again, "What's that spell?" Obligated as we were, the crowd screamed back in response. Once more for good measure, "What's that spell?" I know that every member of that Lutheran Church heard exactly what that spelled as Joe unleashed the rest of the song. 

Yeah, come on all of you, big strong men
Uncle Sam needs your help again
He's got himself in a terrible jam
Way down yonder in Vietnam
So put down your books, pick up a gun
Gonna have a whole lot of fun

Suddenly we were connected up to the thousands who filled Max Yasgur's fields back in August of 1969. Vietnam was over, but the cold war raged on, and the neo-hippies in the crowd felt the vibe. 

Come on fathers don't hesitate
Send them off before it's too late
Be the first one on your block
To have your boy come home in a box

I have been to a lot of rock shows since that Sunday morning, but this was something special. Country Joe went to that big stadium in the sky this past weekend. His musical contributions may have been slim, but they were powerful, and he stomped on the Terra. I will think of him every time I pass a Lutheran Church. 

Amen.