JFK: A Life Celebrated in Music

Vinyl Bay 777, the best new record shop on Long Island, looks back at the music inspired by JFK.

Today marks the 53^rd anniversary of the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr., our 35^th President of the United States. A nation shocked by the event, many remember exactly where they were when JFK was tragically shot down during a parade in Dallas, Texas in 1963.

Like many tragedies, JFK’s death sparked much creativity in his name. Many musicians of the time channeled their sadness into song. Even artists who were not directly affected by the event used it as a cultural jumping-off point to express certain feelings on a subject.

One of the most notable songs to come out of that time period was Simon and Garfunkel’s “The Sound of Silence.” Though not expressly about the incident, many have taken it to be contemplation on what happened. However, the 1964 song was more a temperature gage of the public atmosphere following it. The song’s somber tones marked the time period too well.

Then, you had artists who expressly wrote about how the incident affected them. The Byrds’ song “He Was a Friend of Mine” suggests that while the singer never met the President, he felt like he knew him. Axel Rose wrote in Guns N’ Roses’ 1990 song “Civil War” how one of his first memories was going numb when he heard about the gunshots and how it awoke him politically. Lou Reed, in the poetic storytelling of his song “The Day John Kennedy Died,” recants exactly where he was when it happened. The event hit home with many, and many found comfort in writing about it.

Besides being a dark day for America, it was also a cultural event that has sparked inspiration years after it happened. For example, songs like “Brain of J” by Pearl Jam and “Sleeping In” by The Postal Service dealt more with the conspiracy theories that popped up around the incident. Focusing more on Jacqueline Kennedy, Tori Amos wrote in “Jackie’s Strength” about what she must have gone through sitting next to his lifeless body in that motorcade. The Cranberries mention him and his “saintliness” briefly in their song “I’m Still Remembering.”

Although indirectly, JFK’s death even ushered in a new era of music and creativity. At the same time people were dealing with the loss of the President, they were also welcoming bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones and Jimi Hendrix to the States, while the “Summer of Love” was only a few years away. This new era would help America heal going forward and find new ways to honor his legacy.

There is a lot of creativity that comes out of a tragedy like the assassination of John F. Kennedy Jr. 

While many artists found it apt to pay tribute in song, others found its cultural significance and created a larger picture. In the end, America was able to find its footing again and move on. But the country has continued to be inspired by JFK and the legacy the cultural and political legacy he left behind.

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Find music from all the artists mentioned at Vinyl Bay 777, the newest and best record shop on Long Island. Shop from thousands of titles, both new and used, on vinyl, CD, cassette and more in store, as well as online at vinylbay777.com.