What are your favorite antiwar songs?

[Ithuilwen]

I'm burning a mix of antiwar songs, and I'd love to have some input. Choice #1: Rockin' in the Free World by Neil Young (after all, it is the song that plays during the credits of Fahrenheit 9/11!)

[flamingyouth]

1. "War" by Edwin Starr

"Masters of War" by Dylan

Gods, I could think of a million more if I wasn't stuck at work with this damn headache...:grr:

[Ithuilwen]

3. Thanks, and I'm sorry...

headaches are awful. :(

[LuLu550]

2. Born in the USA

Blowin in the Wind

Lucky Man

Fortunate Son

Fixin to Die Rag

Ohio - (Crosby Stills and Nash, not the Pretenders)

Wooden Ships

Lather

[Ithuilwen]

7. I love Ohio

I just busted out my mom's Crosby, Stills, Nash, & Young record the other day and listened to it. It's great! Now, to just get it a form I can put on CD... :)

[name not needed]

4. Here they are

Black Sabbath - War Pigs
Metallica - One
Metallica - Disposable Heroes
Edwin Starr - War
System of a Down - Boom
Dead Kennedys - When ya get Drafted

[olddem43]

5. Universal soldier -

I am unsure which group did this - maybe the Birds.

[Lautremont]

6. Universal Soldier

written by Buffy Saint Marie. If you can only visualize Big Bird when you hear her voice, try the Donovan version. It's good too.

"A Day Like Today" and "No Train to Stockholm" are off the Lee Hazlewood album Cowboy in Sweden, and are both good anti-war songs.

[avb7]

8. "I feel like I'm Fixin' to Die"

Country Joe and the Fish.....circa 1965

[jjmalonejr]

9. With God On Our Side by Bob Dylan

[jjmalonejr]

10. The "Merry Little Minuet" by the Kingston Trio is good too

[Bluebear]

11. Too late for Praying

Gordon Lightfoot. Not specifically antiwar but pretty much sums up a world gone mad.


It was only yesterday
When I heard the teacher say
Patiently, 'one and two make three'..
We were children, you and me
Let us pray for the ones they call
The children of today.

Nothing left but promises
Nothing much is certain
All we see is want and need across the board--
Why, thank you Lord.
We're living in the glory of Your care ...
Skies of blue have all turned brown
to the sound of sighing.
Lord abide, let us stem the tide
of broken dreams.
Sometimes you seem to tell us
It's too late for praying.

See the ocean wild and blue,
Think of all that's in her
She will not surrender to the likes of us
But then she must
They tell us, wise men tell us, it's too late
For each child with eyes that smile
There'll be ten more crying
Lord abide, let us stem the time
Of helplessness
But then I guess we're living
Is it too late for trying

Nothing here but grains of sand
Nothing much worth saving
Guess we've all got problems of our own to bear
And still we share
Tomorrow could get better than today
To the ones who loved in vain
Will you be beholding
Lord abide, let us stem the tide
Of broken dreams
Sometimes you seem to tell us
It's too late for praying

[punpirate]

12. "I Ain't Marchin' Any More" - Phil Ochs n/t

[Mojambo]

13. Phil Ochs - "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore"

Oh I marched to the battle of New Orleans
At the end of the early British war
The young land started growing
The young blood started flowing
But I ain't marchin' anymore

For I've killed my share of Indians
In a thousand different fights
I was there at the Little Big Horn
I heard many men lying I saw many more dying
But I ain't marchin' anymore

chorus)
It's always the old to lead us to the war
It's always the young to fall
Now look at all we've won with the saber and the gun
Tell me is it worth it all

For I stole California from the Mexican land
Fought in the bloody Civil War
Yes I even killed my brothers
And so many others But I ain't marchin' anymore

For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' anymore

(chorus)

For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burning I knew that I was learning
That I ain't marchin' anymore

Now the labor leader's screamin'
when they close the missile plants,
United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore,
Call it "Peace" or call it "Treason,"
Call it "Love" or call it "Reason,"
But I ain't marchin' any more,
No I ain't marchin' any more

[sleepyhead]

23. Another vote for Phil Ochs

I Ain't Marching Anymore. Best antiwar song ever.

[AlCzervik]

14. I'd love to change the world-Ten years after

[Cybergata]

15. Off the top of my head

Masters of War -Bob Dylan

With God on Our Side -Bob Dylan

I Ain't Marchin' Anymore -Phil Ochs

If I Had a Hammer - Pete Seeger

Where Have All the Flowes Gone? - Pete Seeger

It's the End of the World as We Know It -R.E.M.

Hey Joe, especially the Jimmy Hendrix version

Lives in the Balance -Jackson Browne

Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore - John Prine

:hippie: I've been singing the last one on the list a lot recently

[Droopy]

16. "Disposeable Heros" by Metallica

If you can handle a little heavy metal.

[phiddle]

17. Bob Dylan

Masters of War

[jackofhearts]

21. I second this pick...Masters Of War...

Come you masters of war
You that build all the guns
You that build the death planes
You that build the big bombs
You that hide behind walls
You that hide behind desks
I just want you to know
I can see through your masks

You that never done nothin'
But build to destroy
You play with my world
Like it's your little toy
You put a gun in my hand
And you hide from my eyes
And you turn and run farther
When the fast bullets fly

Like Judas of old
You lie and deceive
A world war can be won
You want me to believe
But I see through your eyes
And I see through your brain
Like I see through the water
That runs down my drain

You fasten the triggers
For the others to fire
Then you set back and watch
When the death count gets higher
You hide in your mansion
As young people's blood
Flows out of their bodies
And is buried in the mud

You've thrown the worst fear
That can ever be hurled
Fear to bring children
Into the world
For threatening my baby
Unborn and unnamed
You ain't worth the blood
That runs in your veins

How much do I know
To talk out of turn
You might say that I'm young
You might say I'm unlearned
But there's one thing I know
Though I'm younger than you
Even Jesus would never
Forgive what you do

Let me ask you one question
Is your money that good
Will it buy you forgiveness
Do you think that it could
I think you will find
When your death takes its toll
All the money you made
Will never buy back your soul

And I hope that you die
And your death'll come soon
I will follow your casket
In the pale afternoon
And I'll watch while you're lowered
Down to your deathbed
And I'll stand o'er your grave
'Til I'm sure that you're dead

[kodi]

36. john brown

John Brown went off to war to fight on a foreign shore.
His mama sure was proud of him!
He stood straight and tall in his uniform and all.
His mama's face broke out all in a grin.

"Oh son, you look so fine, I'm glad you're a son of mine,
You make me proud to know you hold a gun.
Do what the captain says, lots of medals you will get,
And we'll put them on the wall when you come home."

As that old train pulled out, John's ma began to shout,
Tellin' ev'ryone in the neighborhood:
"That's my son that's about to go, he's a soldier now, you know."
She made well sure her neighbors understood.

She got a letter once in a while and her face broke into a smile
As she showed them to the people from next door.
And she bragged about her son with his uniform and gun,
And these things you called a good old-fashioned war.

Oh! Good old-fashioned war!

Then the letters ceased to come, for a long time they did not come.
They ceased to come for about ten months or more.
Then a letter finally came saying, "Go down and meet the train.
Your son's a-coming home from the war."

She smiled and went right down, she looked everywhere around
But she could not see her soldier son in sight.
But as all the people passed, she saw her son at last,
When she did she could hardly believe her eyes.

Oh his face was all shot up and his hand was all blown off
And he wore a metal brace around his waist.
He whispered kind of slow, in a voice she did not know,
While she couldn't even recognize his face!

Oh! Lord! Not even recognize his face.

"Oh tell me, my darling son, pray tell me what they done.
How is it you come to be this way?"
He tried his best to talk but his mouth could hardly move
And the mother had to turn her face away.

"Don't you remember, Ma, when I went off to war
You thought it was the best thing I could do?
I was on the battleground, you were home . . . acting proud.
You wasn't there standing in my shoes."

"Oh, and I thought when I was there, God, what am I doing here?
I'm a-tryin' to kill somebody or die tryin'.
But the thing that scared me most was when my enemy came close
And I saw that his face looked just like mine."

Oh! Lord! Just like mine!

"And I couldn't help but think, through the thunder rolling and stink,
That I was just a puppet in a play.
And through the roar and smoke, this string is finally broke,
And a cannon ball blew my eyes away."

As he turned away to walk, his Ma was still in shock
At seein' the metal brace that helped him stand.
But as he turned to go, he called his mother close
And he dropped his medals down into her hand.



Copyright © 1963; renewed 1991 Special Rider Music

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

38. and With God on Our Side

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

39. Country Joe... Feel Like I'm Fixin to Die

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

40. Arlo Guthrie -Alice's Restaurant

[GOPisEvil]

18. War Pigs, by Black Sabbath

[achtung_circus]

19. ELVIS COSTELLO

(What's So Funny 'Bout)Peace, Love And Understanding

As I walk through
This wicked world
Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity.

I ask myself
Is all hope lost?
Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?

And each time I feel like this inside,
There's one thing I wanna know:
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

And as I walked on
Through troubled times
My spirit gets so downhearted sometimes
So where are the strong
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.

'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?


So where are the strong?
And who are the trusted?
And where is the harmony?
Sweet harmony.

'Cause each time I feel it slippin' away, just makes me wanna cry.
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding? Ohhhh
What's so funny 'bout peace love & understanding?

[Ithuilwen]

20. This is great stuff guys!

Keep it coming! Please! :)

[RebelYell]

22. Give Peace A Chance

John Lennon

(We need you again, John. RIP)

[Ithuilwen]

25. In that case

we can't forget Imagine!

[Reciprocity]

24. One from OZ...

AND THE BAND PLAYED WALTZING MATILDA
ERIC BOGLE

When I was a young man I carried my pack
And I lived the free life of a rover
From the Murrays green basin to the dusty outback
I waltzed my Matilda all over
Then in nineteen fifteen my country said Son
It's time to stop rambling 'cause there's work to be done
So they gave me a tin hat and they gave me a gun
And they sent me away to the war
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we sailed away from the quay
And amidst all the tears and the shouts and the cheers
We sailed off to Gallipoli

How well I remember that terrible day
How the blood stained the sand and the water
And how in that hell that they called Suvla Bay
We were butchered like lambs at the slaughter
Johnny Turk he was ready, he primed himself well
He chased us with bullets, he rained us with shells
And in five minutes flat he'd blown us all to hell
Nearly blew us right back to Australia
But the band played Waltzing Matilda
As we stopped to bury our slain
We buried ours and the Turks buried theirs
Then we started all over again

Now those that were left, well we tried to survive
In a mad world of blood, death and fire
And for ten weary weeks I kept myself alive
But around me the corpses piled higher
Then a big Turkish shell knocked me arse over tit
And when I woke up in my hospital bed
And saw what it had done, I wished I was dead
Never knew there were worse things than dying
For no more I'll go waltzing Matilda
All around the green bush far and near
For to hump tent and pegs, a man needs two legs
No more waltzing Matilda for me

So they collected the cripples, the wounded, the maimed
And they shipped us back home to Australia
The armless, the legless, the blind, the insane
Those proud wounded heroes of Suvla
And as our ship pulled into Circular Quay
I looked at the place where my legs used to be
And thank Christ there was nobody waiting for me
To grieve and to mourn and to pity
And the band played Waltzing Matilda
As they carried us down the gangway
But nobody cheered, they just stood and stared
Then turned all their faces away

And now every April I sit on my porch
And I watch the parade pass before me
And I watch my old comrades, how proudly they march
Reliving old dreams of past glory
And the old men march slowly, all bent, stiff and sore
The forgotten heroes from a forgotten war
And the young people ask, "What are they marching for?"
And I ask myself the same question
And the band plays Waltzing Matilda
And the old men answer to the call
But year after year their numbers get fewer
Some day no one will march there at all

Waltzing Matilda, Waltzing Matilda
Who'll come a waltzing Matilda with me
And their ghosts may be heard as you pass the Billabong
Who'll come-a-waltzing Matilda with me?

http://www.fortunecity.com/tinpan/parton/2/bogle.html

[LWolf]

26. Masters of War and a bunch more:

"I feel like I'm fixin' to die rag" Country Joe & the fish...of course. If you check his website, you can find some versions updated for Iraq.

Eve of Destruction--Barry McGuire
Let there be peace on earth--Vince Gill
What are we making weapons for--Chad Mitchell Trio
Throw your hatred down--Neil Young
One Tin Soldier--Coven, Baez, whoever you can find it by
What Ever Happened to Peace on Earth? --Willie Nelson
The Night the bombs came down-Hugh Blumenfeld
Alice's Restaurant--Arlo Guthrie
Jimmy's Road--Willie Nelson
Blowin' in the wind--Dylan
If I had a hammer--Pete Seeger & a bunch of others
Imagine--Lennon
Get Together--Youngbloods
What's that sound--Buffalo Springfield

I could go on, but I'd never get to click "post!"

[Kahuna]

27. Harvest for the World. Isley Bros.

nt

[AlFrankenFan]

28. "To Washington" by John Mellencamp

There's also an anti-Bush CD out there...

[griffi94]

29. the flying burrito brothers

my uncle...from the guilded palace of sin record

[riverwalker]

30. Marvin Gaye

What's Goin' On
and
Save the Children

[TroubleMan]

33. What's Goin' On gets my vote.

nt.

[realisticphish]

31. March Of Death

by Zack de la Rocha (solo song). Specifically anti-iraq war and anti-bush

"See the cowboy riding in the saddle...he don't know a missile from a gavel..."


:hippie:

[riverwalker]

32. Sky Pilot

by Eric Burdon (my main, main, main MAN)
about the Chaplain blessing the troops before battle while echoing "Thou Shalt not Kill" some versions are haunting.

[Reciprocity]

34. Goodnight Saigon

Goodnight Saigon
Billy Joel

We met as soul mates on Parris Island
We left as inmates from an asylum
And we were sharp, as sharp as knives
And we were so gung ho to lay down our lives

We came in spastic like tameless horses
We left in plastic as numbered corpses
And we learned fast to travel light
Our arms were heavy but our bellies were tight

We had no home front, we had no soft soap
They sent us Playboy, they gave us Bob Hope
We dug in deep and shot on sight
And prayed to Jesus Christ with all our might

We had no cameras to shoot the landscape
We passed the hash pipe and played our Doors tapes
And it was dark, so dark at night
And we held on to each other
Like brother to brother
We promised our mothers we'd write

And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

Remember Charlie, remember Baker
They left their childhood on every acre
And who was wrong? And who was right?
It didn't matter in the thick of the fight

We held the day in the palm of our hand
They ruled the night, and the night
Seemed to last as long as six weeks...

...On Parris Island
We held the coastline, they held the highlands
And they were sharp, as sharp as knives
They heard the hum of our motors
They counted the rotors
And waited for us to arrive

And we would all go down together
We said we'd all go down together
Yes we would all go down together

[Dob Bole]

35. The whole "WAR" album by U2

Listened to it on the day of 9/11, in fact.

[nothingshocksmeanymore]

37. Graham Nash - Military Madness

[FredScuttle]

41. My personal fave is Jimmy Cliff's Vietnam

Vietnam
by Jimmy Cliff


Hey
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam.
Yesterday I got a letter
from my friend
fighting in Vietnam

and this is what he had to say:
'tell all my friends
that I'll be coming home soon

my time 'll be up some time in june.
Don't forget' he said
'to tell
my sweet Mary

her golden lips as sweet as cherries'.
And it came from:
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam !

It was just the next day
his mother got a Telegram

it was addressed from Vietnam.
Now mistress Brown she lives in the U.S.A
and this is
what she wrote and said:
'Don't be alarmed'
she told me the telegram said

'but mistress Brown
your son is dead !'
and it came from:
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam !

Somebody please stop that war now !
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam

Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam
Vietnam !

[achtung_circus]

42. Sitting on the deck, tunes off the laptop, this came on. Sung to BUSH?

It Could Happen To You
by Blue Rodeo

They broke off the locks and they opened the doors
Fixed up the windows and painted the floors
Grew a little garden outside in the rust and sand
Raised up the roof till it touched the sky
Picked up the pieces that were left to die
Brought this building back with a healing hand

When you see trouble
You're bound to move on the double
You leave your mark on everything
In your head those Liberty Bells still ring
But we know that you don't even mean a thing you say

So you brought in the army to do your job
Kicking in doors and swinging their clubs
Back in the morning to watch
Themselves on the news
You're doing the bidding of the money man
If it turns out right they'll call you a friend
One little favor how could you really refuse

Oh my heart is sinking
Same old useless worn out thinking
You live your life in the court of kings
Bow to the ruler and kiss the ring

But we don't even understand a thing you say
It could happen to you
It could happen to you
It could happen to you sometime
When you least expect it

Done by the ones that you never suspected
All your bills come due
It could happen to you
You really got to wonder why you did for
Cause you don't need an army
to move out the poor

You brought it out once I know
You could bring it again
Oh my heart is sinking
Same old useless thinking
Live your life in the court of kings
Count your money as the raven sings

Safe and sound when the wrecking ball swings
But all your riches won't mean a thing someday
It could happen to you
It could happen to you
It could happen to you

[FDRLincoln]

43. When the Tigers Broke Free/Pink Floyd

It was just before dawn
one miserable morning in black '44
when the forward commander was told to sit tight
when he asked that his men be withdrawn
and the generals gave thanks as the
other ranks held back the enemy tanks
for awhile
and the Anzio bridgehead was held for the price
of a few hundred ordinary lives

And kind old King George
sent mother a note when he heard that father was gone
it was I recall in the form of a scroll
with gold leaf and all
and I found it one day
in a drawer of old photographs
hidden away
and my eyes still grow damp to remember
His Majesty signed it with his own
rubber stamp

It was dark all around
there was frost on the ground
when the Tigers broke free
and no one survived
from the Royal Fusiliers
Company C
They were all left behind
most of them dead, the rest of them dying
and that's how the High Command
took my daddy
from me

--------Roger Waters, 1983

[aint_no_life_nowhere]

44. "Oooh, what a lucky man he was" - Emerson, Lake & Palmer

"He had white horses and ladies by the score
All dressed in satin and waiting by the door

Oooh, what a lucky man he was
Oooh, what a lucky man he was

White lace and feathers, they made up his bed
A gold covered mattress on which he was laid

Oooh, what a lucky man he was
Oooh, what a lucky man he was

Aaaah
He went to fight wars for his country and his king
Of his honor and his glory the people would sing

Oooh, what a lucky man he was
Oooh, what a lucky man he was

A bullet had found him, his blood ran as he cried
No money could save him, so he laid down and he died

Oooh, what a lucky man he was
Oooh, what a lucky man he was"

[Calico Jack Rackham]

45. "Charlie Don't Surf"

by the Clash was a good one. I also like "1945" by Social Distortion.

[Kazak]

46. Stereolab - Avant Garde M.O.R., or Ping Pong

Avant Garde M.O.R.
Now it is the time to say no to the war
Yes, we can stop them before it gets too far
The process is already engendered
Stop it before it does get too far
The ways to pressurize are numerous
Often at the threshold of your door
Can't you see our power is limitless
It can take us beyond any bounds


Ping Pong
it's alright 'cause the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

you see the recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry for things will look after themselves
it's alright recovery always comes 'round again
there's nothing to worry if things can only get better

there's only millions that lose their jobs and homes and sometimes accents
there's only millions that die in their bloody wars, it's alright

it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing
it's only their lives and the lives of their next of kin that they are losing

it's alright 'cause the historical pattern has shown
how the economical cycle tends to revolve
in a round of decades three stages stand out in a loop
a slump and war then peel back to square one and back for more

bigger slump and bigger wars and a smaller recovery
huger slump and greater wars and a shallower recovery

don't worry be happy things will get better naturally
don't worry shut up sit down go with it and be happy

dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah
dum, dum, dum, de dum dum, de duh de duh de dum dum dum... ah ah

[Rhiannon12866]

47. Where are the classics?

"Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" by Pete Seeger

"Blowin' in the Wind" by Bob Dylan

"If I Had a Hammer" by Peter, Paul and Mary

"For What It's Worth" by Buffalo Springfield

Those are my favorites.:-)

[tcfrogs]

48. War - Edwin Starr

Absolutely Nothing! - Also, the alternate title of War & Peace, War, what is it good for, absolutely nothing! According to Jerry and then Elaine on Seinfeld!

[greymattermom]

49. antiwar song

Bring 'em Home by Pete Seeger

[Bill Wade]

50. Michael Franti and Spearhead - Bomb the World

I'm surprised it hasn't been mentioned yet. :)

[Zomby Woof]

51. War Ensemble by Slayer

From the highly-recommended "Seasons In The Abyss" album.