Who performed "The Fish Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" at Woodstock?

Country Joe McDonald performed "The Fish Cheer / I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag" at Woodstock. The Vietnam War protest song was written by McDonald and became his signature performance, combining a call-and-response cheer with sharply satirical lyrics about military service and wartime profiteering.

McDonald's appearance at Woodstock was initially unplanned. On August 16, 1969, he performed an impromptu solo set with acoustic guitar after asking whether he could return to the stage for the cheer. The performance became one of the festival's most memorable moments and was included in the Woodstock documentary and soundtrack.

Country Joe and the Fish also appeared at the festival later, performing the song as part of their band set. This sometimes causes confusion, but Country Joe McDonald is the individual most directly associated with the famous Woodstock performance. The cheer was originally the family-friendly "Fish Cheer," spelling F-I-S-H; at Woodstock, McDonald led the crowd in the more provocative version that became known as the "Fuck Cheer."