Eve of Destruction (song) - Lyrical References

Lyrical References

• "You’re old enough to kill, but not for votin’" refers to the fact that in the United States, men were subject to the draft at age 18, while at that time the minimum voting age (in all but four states) was 21.
• "And even the Jordan River has bodies floatin’" refers to The War over Water.
• The song also makes reference to Selma, Alabama where Bloody Sunday took place. (The version by Jan and Dean substitutes "Watts, California" in the lyrics, in apparent reference to the Watts Riots.)
• "You may leave here for four days in space, but when you return it's the same old place" refers to the June 1965 mission of Gemini 4, which lasted just over four days.
• According to Sloan, the lyric "The pounding of the drums, the pride and disgrace" refers to the Kennedy assassination.