Want to Levitate the Pentagon? These Songs Might Help

On this date in 1967, some 50,000 protesters marched on the Pentagon with the intention of levitating it and exorcising any "evil spirits" within. The effort was led by Yippie leader Abbie Hoffman, poet Allen Ginberg, and Ed Sanders and satirically-minded rockers the Fugs. As we all know, the exorcism worked, the Vietnam War ended the next day, and peace and love have reigned supreme for over 30 years.

Ha ha, no. But Rocks Off isn't all about sarcasm and laughing at hippies, we're here to help, even if it is a few decades too late. So with that in mind, here are some tunes that might have helped Hoffman and company in getting that building off the ground.

Modest Mouse, "Float On"

We can't help but wonder if the hippies, grateful as they might be for the levitational assistance, wouldn't end behaving like most petulant MM fans anyway and accuse the band of selling out because they played in front of 50,000 people.

U2, "Elevation"

Even a week after the concert, we managed to throw some U2 in there. And we can't be the only ones who think the "The Claw" would look pretty cool sitting in the middle of the DoD's headquarters.

John Denver, "Fly Away"

Denver might be too precious even for hippies who cut their teeth on Joan Baez and Peter, Paul, and Mary. In fact, rumor has it the chant of "Out demons out" was actually aimed at Denver after he played an early version of "Take Me Home, Country Roads."

Hüsker Dü, "Eight Miles High"

We're surprised the Byrds weren't originally asked to contribute their song to the protest, but maybe eight miles was to large a telekinetic task for a crowd of potheads. We think the Hüsker Dü version has a little more "oomph," anyway.

Salt n Pepa, "Push It"

Could even the National Guard or the 82nd Airborne, as stoic a military division as has ever marched the earth, have remained un-funky during S 'N' P's call to "push" the Pentagon into orbit? Alas, we'll never know, but we have our doubts.