UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (author's version)
Buffy Sainte-Marie
© Caleb Music-ASCAP I wrote "Universal Soldier" in the basement of The Purple Onion coffee house in Toronto in the
early sixties. It's about individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all.
Donovan had a hit with it in 1965. He's five feet two and he's six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years
He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain,
a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
and he knows he shouldn't kill
and he knows he always will
kill you for me my friend and me for you
And he's fighting for Canada,
he's fighting for France,
he's fighting for the USA,
and he's fighting for the Russians
and he's fighting for Japan,
and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way
And he's fighting for Democracy
and fighting for the Reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide
who's to live and who's to die
and he never sees the writing on the walls
But without him how would Hitler have
condemned him at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
as a weapon to a war
and without him all this killing can't go on
He's the universal soldier and he
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can't you see
this is not the way we put an end to war. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q09f1OE7R8s | I underlined the one line in the DT lyrics that is significantly different. -JRO-
UNIVERSAL SOLDIER (DT Lyrics)
(Buffy Ste. Marie)
He's five foot two and he's six foot four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years
He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist and a Jain
A Buddhist, a Baptist and a Jew
And he knows he shouldn't kill and he knows he always will
Kill you for me, my friends, and me for you
He's fighting for Canada, he's fighting for France
He's fighting for the USA
and he's fighting for the Russians and he's fighting for Japan
And he thinks he'll put an end to war this way
He's fighting for democracy, he's fighting for the Reds
He's fighting for the good of all
He's the one who must decide who's to live and who's to die
And he never reads the writing on the wall
But without him how could Hitler have condemned him at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body as a weapon of the war
and without him all this killing can't go on.
He's the universal soldier and he is really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him and you and me and brothers, can't you see
This is not the way to put an end to war
Copyright Caleb Music
see also UNIVPACF
@war @soldier @political
sung by Buffy Ste. Marie on It's My Way
filename[ UNIVSOLD
TUNE FILE: UNIVSOLD
CLICK TO PLAY
SOF |
sj