Volunteers

"Volunteers" is a Jefferson Airplane single from 1969 that was released to promote the album Volunteers two months before the album's release. It was written by Marty Balin and Paul Kantner. Balin was woken up by a truck one morning, which happened to be a truck with Volunteers of America painted on the side. Marty started writing lyrics down and then asked Paul to help him with the music. Record World called it "an instant smash." Chart performance B-Side "We Can Be Together" "We Can Be Together" is the B-side of the "Volunteers" 45 and the first track on Volunteers. The song's music and lyrics were written by Paul Kantner. Kantner was inspired by the Black Panther Party's use of the phrase "Up against the wall, motherfucker" and included it in the chorus. The Airplane performed "We Can Be Together" uncensored on The Dick Cavett Show on August 19, 1969.