The lyrics to the protest songs, "I Ain't Marching Anymore" and "Turn Turn Turn," both give the reader a certain understanding about what was going on in America through its history and specifically the 1960's, and also what views people had towards what was happening. Each song provides lyrical reasoning as to what they want to change and describe some of the tension going on at the time. "I Ain't Marching Anymore" served as a cry out to stop all war conflict in America, and "Turn Turn Turn" stood for world peace and that there is a time for everything. With that being said, both song's lyrics demonstrate what ideologies and values some people in America had during the 1960's, which was that they both preached for a peaceful world and to stop the violence and hatred in uncalled for moments.

"I Ain't Marching Anymore" by Phil Ochs starts off by incorporating war as a common topic through the first line, "Oh, I marched to the battle of New Orleans, At the end of the early British war." The battle of New Orleans was the last battle the new United States of America fought against Great Britain and really the start of the United States' tear of wars throughout the rest of history. He then touches on the subject of how the U.S. was now free from Great Britain's reign over them, and that they were beginning to grow as a young, but energized country with the lyrics, "the young land started growing, the young blood started flowing." However, he finishes the first verse with, "But I ain't marching anymore," which states his stance on war, which happens to be that he's done marching in them. 

The artist's then goes onto his next verse mentioning the same things except this time about the fighting with the Native American Indians. This is where his take on war drastically alters from the first verse by mentioning all the killing in the war with, "For I've killed my share of Indians ...  I heard many men lying, I saw many more dying." By him stating this but then finishing the verse again with, "But I ain't marching anymore," portrays that the artist is against all of the killing happening in the war with the Indians. The artist goes on to mention other conflicts throughout his song such as the taking of California from Mexico, fighting in the civil war, battling in the German trenches of World War II, flying in the Japanese sky and setting off the "mighty mushroom roar," and finally conflicts with Cuba. With each conflict, Ochs has another line in the verse that demeans what war is doing regardless of the outcome. He makes war appear so demeaning by continually citing all the death that came with war. In accordance to his fighting in the civil war, his next line states, "Yes, I even killed my brothers, And so many others." When talking about the fighting in the German trenches in a "war that was bound to end all wars," he follows it up with, "Oh, I must have killed a million men." With dropping the atomic bomb in Japan, he states that, "When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning, That I ain't marching anymore." Him finishing each stanza that talks about a certain war with him not marching anymore goes to show how he feels about all of the killing in the wars, which he does not support. In what is considered the chorus of the song, Ochs says, "It's always the old to lead us to war, It's always the young to fall, Now look at all we've won with the saber and gun, Tell me is it worth it all." This chorus speaks for the whole song by meaning that even though the United States has won so much through fighting, that it's not all worth the bloodshed. That is the main theme of the song and it represented much of the U.S. at the time as well. Phil Ochs ends the song saying, "Call it, Peace, or call it, Treason, Call it Love, or call it, reason, But I ain't marching anymore, No, I ain't marching anymore," which states his final point that he is done marching for war because he realizes all the negatives that come with war by incorporating the conflicts the U.S. has been in.

Still staying with the theme of attempting to reach peace in the world, but not mentioning it compared with war, "Turn Turn Turn" by The Byrds focuses on both the negatives and positives that can happen in the world, but attempts to persuade the reader to go in the positive direction towards peace. In the song's lyrics, besides the chorus, brings up a topic with, "A time to ... , a time to ... " By doing this the artist creates a comfortable feeling with having a time for opposites. The lyrics state in the first verse that there is, "A time to be born, a time to die, A time to plant, a time to reap, A time to kill, a time to heal, A time to weep." Bringing all these opposites together and stating that there is a time for each one to happen shows that the artist understands that both good and bad happen in the world. 

In the chorus to the song, the artist says, "To everything  --  turn, turn, turn, There is a season  --  turn, turn, turn, And a time to every purpose under heaven" When they mention turn, turn, turn after the words everything and season, it makes a point that after everything, there will be a change in some manner, whether it be the seasons, which are always turning, or it be race relations in America, things are always changing up. There is never a set pattern to anything and whatever can happen whenever.

The Byrds finish out "Turn, Turn, Turn" with a verse stating, "A time to gain, a time to lose, A time to rend, a time to sew, A time for love, a time for hate, A time for peace, I swear it's not too late." By ending the song with, "A time for peace," and no opposite to compare it too, but instead swearing to have time to still gain peace speaks for every word sung before that line meaning that there is a time for everything, and there is still time for peace. Regardless of what has happened before or what is bound to happen in the future, there should always be a time for the chance at peace.

After analyzing both pieces of music, they both present values and ideologies that many Americans of that time supported, such as a push for peace and also a restriction from war. "Turn, Turn, Turn" brings the message about in a much more relaxed and accepting manner compared to the horrific numbers and bloodshed talked about in "I Ain't Marching Anymore." After reading both, however, it is hard to say anything except that they are both pressing for peace to come around and be a focal point in America and the world.
