The first time I ever heard "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye" performed live in a coffee house, it was done with great dignity and passion, along with an obvious reverence to its origins and deeper meaning. It, along with "Mrs. McGrath," speak eloquently of conscripted soldiers, treated like "cannon fodder," as they have been for centuries. There have been many others, Dylan's "Where Have All the Flowers Gone," among many more contemporary songs. Gordon Lightfoot's "Patriot's Dream" also comes to mind. But, it is hard to argue with the real poignancy of the historical material and the poor souls that inspired it.