McDonald was born in Washington, DC, and grew up in El Monte, California, where he was student conductor and president of his high school marching band. At the age of 17, he enlisted in the United States Navy for three years and was stationed in Japan. After his enlistment, he attended Los Angeles City College for a year. In the early 1960s, he began busking on Telegraph Avenue in Berkeley, California. His father, Worden McDonald, from Oklahoma, was of Scottish Presbyterian heritage (the son of a minister); he worked for a telephone company. His mother, Florence Plotnick, was the daughter of Russian Jewish immigrants and served for many years on the Berkeley City Council. In their youth, both were Communist Party members before renouncing the cause, and named their son after Joseph Stalin.
McDonald has recorded 33 albums and has written hundreds of songs over a career spanning 40 years. In 1965, he and Barry Melton co-founded Country Joe & the Fish which became a pioneer psychedelic rock band with their eclectic performances at the Avalon Ballroom, the Fillmore, the Monterey Pop Festival, and both the original and 1979 reunion Woodstock Festivals.
In the fall of 2005, political commentator Bill O'Reilly compared McDonald to Cuban President Fidel Castro, remarking on McDonald's involvement in Cindy Sheehan's protests against the Iraq War.
In 2015, McDonald (with assistance from Alec Palao), formed The Electric Music Band; the intention of the group was to perform the early psychedelic material of the early career of Country Joe And The Fish. The band has performed 'Electric Music For The Mind And Body' in its entirety, and band members include Palao, The Rain Parade's Matt Piucci and Derek See of The Chocolate Watchband.
In 2017, McDonald released an album on his own Rag Baby label entitled "50".
McDonald was married to Kathe Werum from 1963 to 1966 and married Robin Menken a year after his divorce from Werum.[12] In 1968, Menken gave birth to the couple's first daughter, Seven Anne McDonald, in San Francisco. Seven, formerly a columnist for LA Weekly and now a movie producer and artist manager,[13] had a previous career as a TV child actor in the late 1970s and early 1980s, managed Johnny Depp's Viper Room nightclub and the alternative rock band Smashing Pumpkins in the 1990s, and wrote for Details, Elle and Harper's Bazaar magazines in the 1990s and 2000s. According to Ron Cabral's biography on Country Joe and the Fish, Seven was the subject of and inspiration behind the song Silver and Gold. McDonald has noted that his ex-girlfriend at the time, Janis Joplin, showed much anger for breaking up with her to be with Menken but asked him to write a song about her; the result was "Janis".
McDonald has four other children, Devin (b. 1976) and Tara (b. 1980) from his marriage to Janice Taylor, and Emily (b. 1988) and Ryan (b. 1991) from his marriage to Kathy Wright.
As of 2012, McDonald still lived in Berkeley, California.
Pledging My Love
Country Joe McDonald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Forever, my darling, my love will be true
Always and forever I'll love just you
Just promise me darling, your love in return
Make this fire in my soul, dear, forever burn
Chorus:
My heart's at your command, dear
Making you happy is my desire, dear
Keeping you is my goal
I'll forever love you
The rest of my days
I'll never part from you
And your loving ways
The lyrics of Country Joe McDonald's song "Pledging My Love" convey the message of unconditional love and commitment to a beloved. The singer expresses his love and promises to always be true and faithful, hoping for the same in return from his lover. He describes the strong passion and burning desire in his heart that he wishes to keep forever. The chorus emphasizes his devotion and willingness to do anything to keep his lover happy and content, making it a goal to be with her for the rest of his life.
The song is a beautiful declaration of love that resonates with anyone who has ever been in a committed relationship. The lyrics capture the essence of true love, which is about making sacrifices, being selfless, and committed to one's partner. The song is also an excellent example of how music can express emotions and feelings that words alone cannot.
Line by Line Meaning
Forever, my darling, my love will be true
My affection for you will continue uninterrupted, my dear
Always and forever I'll love just you
It will always be you and I, my love, for eternity
Just promise me darling, your love in return
Kindly assure me, my love, that you too hold me dear
Make this fire in my soul, dear, forever burn
Please sustain this yearning passion inside me, my darling
Chorus:
My heart's at your command, dear
I give you power over my heart, my love
To keep love and to hold
To cherish and embrace our love, my dear
Making you happy is my desire, dear
My wish is to bring joy to your life, my love
Keeping you is my goal
My primary aim is to keep you happy and by my side, my dear
I'll forever love you
My affection for you will last indefinitely, my love
The rest of my days
For the remaining time of my existence, my dear
I'll never part from you
I could never leave you, my precious love
And your loving ways
Your tender, affectionate nature is what I hold dear, my love
Contributed by Caden E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.