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.
What Wondrous Love is This
Country Joe McDonald Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
What wondrous love is this, that knows no prejudice,
But seeks an earthly bliss for all souls, for all souls,
Yet seeks an earthly bliss for all souls.
Tho' bigots may assail, O my soul, O my soul!
Tho' bigots may assail, O my soul!
But truth will yet prevail in my soul, in my soul,
The truth will yet prevail in my soul.
When I am sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
When I am sinking down, sinking down.
When I am sinking down, I'll not in silence drown,
Yet speak tho' tyrants frown, for my soul, for my soul,
Yet speak tho' tyrants frown, for my soul!
When every one is free, we'll sing on, we'll sing on,
When every one is free, we'll sing on.
When every one is free, we'll rise and joyful be,
And through eternity, we'll sing on, we'll sing on,
And through eternity, we'll sing on!
Country Joe McDonald's song "What Wondrous Love Is This" speaks to the power and beauty of love that transcends all boundaries. The opening line, "What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!" sets the tone for the rest of the song as the lyrics explore the idea of a love that is all-encompassing and knows no prejudice. The love that McDonald sings about seeks to bring about an earthly bliss for all souls, not just some.
The song also addresses the idea of bigotry and prejudice, acknowledging that there will always be those who seek to undermine love and inclusion. However, McDonald remains steadfast in his belief that love will ultimately prevail. He sings, "Tho' bigots may assail, O my soul, O my soul! Tho' bigots may assail, 'twill be to no avail, but truth will yet prevail in my soul." This line suggests that no matter how hard bigots may try to tear love and acceptance down, they will ultimately be unsuccessful because love is more powerful than hate.
Line by Line Meaning
What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul!
Expressing a deep sense of wonder and awe at the love being experienced, addressing the soul.
What wondrous love is this, O my soul!
Reiteration of the above line for emphasis and focus on the magnificent nature of the love being described.
What wondrous love is this, that knows no prejudice,
Describing the love as all-inclusive and without bias or discrimination towards anyone.
But seeks an earthly bliss for all souls, for all souls,
Expressing the love's desire for everyone to experience happiness and fulfillment here on Earth.
Yet seeks an earthly bliss for all souls.
Reiteration of the above line for emphasis and clarity.
Tho' bigots may assail, O my soul, O my soul!
Acknowledging that despite potential bigotry and hate, the love being experienced and described will remain unchanged.
Tho' bigots may assail, O my soul!
Reiteration of the above line for emphasis and focus on the resilience of the love.
Tho' bigots may assail, 'twill be to no avail,
Asserting that the hate of bigots will not be able to diminish or diminish the powerful and inclusive nature of the love being described.
But truth will yet prevail in my soul, in my soul,
Declaring that the love is true and will not be diminished by external forces.
The truth will yet prevail in my soul.
Reiteration of the above line for emphasis on the steadfast nature of the love.
When I am sinking down, sinking down, sinking down,
Describing a moment of personal struggle or despair.
When I am sinking down, sinking down.
Reiteration of the above line for emphasis and focus on the challenging times.
When I am sinking down, I'll not in silence drown,
Asserting that even in difficult times, the love and its message will not be silenced or diminished.
Yet speak tho' tyrants frown, for my soul, for my soul,
Encouraging the act of speaking up and standing up for what you believe in, even in the face of oppression or opposition.
Yet speak tho' tyrants frown, for my soul!
Reiteration of the above line for emphasis and to underscore the importance of speaking up for oneself.
When every one is free, we'll sing on, we'll sing on,
Painting a picture of a peaceful and liberated world, where everyone is free to live their life according to their own beliefs and desires.
When every one is free, we'll rise and joyful be,
Describing a state of happiness and freedom that all can experience when there is true equality and liberation.
And through eternity, we'll sing on, we'll sing on,
Imagining a future where the peaceful and inclusive love being described is still present and celebrated.
And through eternity, we'll sing on!
Reiteration of the above line for emphasis and to hint at the lasting power and importance of the love's message.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GEORGE WEISS, HUGO PERETTI, LUIGI CREATORE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind