Subject: Favourite war protest songs From: Georgiansilver Date: 27 Dec 04 - 07:07 AM I suppose you could say I am anti-war and as such I appreciate many anti-war songs....The ones I know however, are limited and I would like to know more please...can you help. Some of my favourites are:- "What Have They Done to the Rain?" (Malvina Reynolds) from the 60's "Brothers in Arms" (Dire Straits) "Green Fields of France" [No Man's Land] (Eric Bogle) "The Town I Loved So Well" (Luke Kelly) Perhaps if you just put a couple of your favourites I might pick up on some good stuff. Best wishes, Mike. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Peace Date: 27 Dec 04 - 07:18 AM Make Love Not War Abraham, Martin and John – Dick Holler/Dion All the Weary Mothers of the Earth – Joan Baez Blowin' in the Wind – Bob Dylan Draft Dodger Rag – Phil Ochs Eve of Destruction – Barry McGuire For What It's Worth – Stephen Stills/Buffalo Springfield Fortunate Son – John Fogarty/Creedence Clearwater Revival Get Together – The Youngbloods Give Peace a Chance – John Lennon I Feel like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag – Country Joe McDonald I Ain't Marchin' Anymore – Phil Ochs I Don't Want to Be a Soldier – trad. If I Had a Hammer – Pete Seeger & Lee Hays Imagine – John Lennon Masters of War – Bob Dylan Ohio – Neil Young People Got to Be Free – The Rascals Run through the Jungle – John Fogarty/Creedence Clearwater Revival 7 O'clock News/Silent Night – Simon & Garfunkel Signs – Five Man Electrical Band Sky Pilot – Eric Burdon & The Animals Society's Child – Janis Ian Subterranean Homesick Blues – Bob Dylan The Times They Are A-Changin' – Bob Dylan Universal Soldier – Buffy Sainte-Marie The Unknown Soldier – The Doors War – Bob Marley & The Wailers War – The Temptations The War Is Over – Phil Ochs We Can Change the World – Graham Nash Where Have All the Flowers Gone? – Pete Seeger & Joe Hickerson With God on Our Side – Bob Dylan The above are from a google of Anti War Songs: 566+ new and classic peace songs There are many mp3 downloads available, and the site is filled with info and links to still other sites. I really like about fifteen of the above and absolutely love certain of them. BM |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Georgiansilver Date: 27 Dec 04 - 07:20 AM Yes I had forgotten "Universal Soldier"..and to think I used to sing it!. Thanks Brucie..you're a pal. Best wishes, Mike. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: cetmst Date: 27 Dec 04 - 07:33 AM Go to "Greatest Anti-War Song Ever" thread |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: freda underhill Date: 27 Dec 04 - 07:40 AM And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda – Eric Bogle |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Dec 04 - 08:04 AM CLICK HERE--PREVIOUS THREAD OR are you trying to differentiate between "Protest" and "Anti-War?" I could see a difference there. If you aren't though, I would have added to the other thread and refreshed it. Spaw |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: number 6 Date: 27 Dec 04 - 08:33 AM Bob Dylan's 'With God on Our Side' has to be one of the most profound anti war songs. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Georgiansilver Date: 27 Dec 04 - 08:59 AM Thanks cemst and spaw...welcomed. Best wishes, Mike. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Once Famous Date: 27 Dec 04 - 09:20 AM I don't know how anyone could leave off "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" by Ed McCurdy. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: catspaw49 Date: 27 Dec 04 - 09:22 AM Generally mentioned but often only well into the thread is John McCutcheon's Christmas in the Trenches. It's powerful because it makes no political statement but rather in a few lines shows us the stark reality of what we do in war. Spaw |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: EagleWing Date: 27 Dec 04 - 09:28 AM The Sun Is Burning by Ian Campbell (though whether that's anti-war or "ban the bomb" is a matter for opinion I guess. Across the Hills (sung by Ian Campbell written by Leon Rosselson) Frank L. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: breezy Date: 27 Dec 04 - 09:56 AM Flowers in the Guns Little Play Soldiers – Marty Cooper The Year of the Drum – Wendy Joseph Flanders March – Huw Williams Jimmy Newman – Tom Paxton Happy New Year, may peace prevail one and all. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Peace Date: 27 Dec 04 - 10:15 AM One Tin Soldier |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: mg Date: 27 Dec 04 - 10:39 AM If you want to find the sergeant etc. [The Old Barbed Wire]...I doubt it is a protest song originally...just a very good description. mg |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Leadfingers Date: 27 Dec 04 - 11:40 AM Eric Bogle has already had a couple of mentions -All the Fine Young Men ! Then The Late Keith Marsden deserves recognition for Normandy Orchards and St Aubin sur Mer. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Don(Wyziwyg)T Date: 27 Dec 04 - 12:31 PM Add:- "Christmas 1914", now known to be true, tho thought to be a myth for many years. And how could any list not include:- "High Germany"
"Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: sixtieschick Date: 27 Dec 04 - 12:31 PM "I Feel like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" by Country Joe and the Fish echoes of the dark absurdity of the Vietnam War. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: sixtieschick Date: 27 Dec 04 - 01:25 PM Oy vey. I was speaking on the phone with my college roommate from 1970 and trying to type this at the same time. Let me try again: "I Feel like I'm Fixin' to Die Rag" by Country Joe and the Fish Great black humor and a major crowd pleaser at Vietnam protests in the Bay Area. Always preceded by the "Fish Cheer" or one of it variations. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GUEST,Ravenman Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:00 PM One that is not so well known; "Protocol" by Gordon Lightfoot. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: JedMarum Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:05 PM Greatest war protest songs? I suppose it depends upon which you think was the greatest war. ;-) |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Cats Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:08 PM For me it has to be Poor Murdered Men by Jon Heslop |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GUEST,The Vulgar Boatman Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:17 PM Have you heard Les Barker/Martin Carthy's "Such a War Has Never Been"? I've often heard Les Barker dismissed as a clown - just goes to show you how disturbing clowns can be. KYBTTS |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Strollin' Johnny Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:19 PM GS, me old mucker, I think you'll find Eric Bogle called his song 'No Man's Land' - it was retitled 'The Green Fields Of France' when the Irish stole it and claimed it as one of their traditional songs. Remind me on Friday and I might, just might, sing it. Glad to hear you're on the mend old lad. S:0) |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Little Robyn Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:34 PM From a different perspective:
Dead little girl of Hiroshima [I Come and Stand at Every Door]
or more recent:
Where do you lie my Father [Whaur Dae Ye Lie?] Robyn |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: DonMeixner Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:37 PM "I Come and Stand at Every Door" |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Georgiansilver Date: 27 Dec 04 - 02:44 PM John. If you are going to sing that song on Friday....illness, aye nor death, will keep me away.....Looking forward to seeing you on New Years Eve..been a long time eh?? I have so missed the Folk scene whilst I have been ill. Best wishes, Mike. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: goodbar Date: 27 Dec 04 - 03:25 PM a bunch of phil ochs songs, those eric bogle ones others mentioned, crass songs....... |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Murray MacLeod Date: 27 Dec 04 - 05:29 PM I find almost all anti-war songs unbearably mawkish. One great exception is "When the Boys are on Parade", by NZ writer Marcus Turner. If you don't know it already, try to make a point of hearing it. Andy Irvine has recorded it on his latest CD. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: andymac Date: 28 Dec 04 - 03:05 AM Why are some of the best songs about the worst of subjects? Here are some of my favourites though I'm sure there are plenty of others I've forgotten... Childhoods End The Writing of Tipperary Eve of Destruction Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream Jimmy Newman Grave The Ballad of Penny Evans Lots of Little Soldiers Portland Town Andy |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Strollin' Johnny Date: 28 Dec 04 - 05:01 AM A matter of opinion, Goodbar, but isn't that what the 'Cat's for? Glad you're back GS. I'm brushing the words to 'NML' up right now. S:0) |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Peace Date: 28 Dec 04 - 05:20 AM "Business Goes on as Usual". I think it was written by Silverstein and I know it was done by the Mitchell Trio (maybe even the Chad Mitchell Trio). |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Peace Date: 28 Dec 04 - 05:22 AM I can't remember if anyone has mentioned Ochs' "There But for Fortune". That is a gem. Great lyrics and fantastic melody. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: goodbar Date: 28 Dec 04 - 01:43 PM Strollin' Johnny, what??? |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Songster Bob Date: 28 Dec 04 - 02:34 PM There have been NO "Great" war protest songs, because we're still fighting 'em, so all those damned songs failed. Dammit! Bob Clayton |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Susanne (skw) Date: 28 Dec 04 - 06:46 PM Songster Bob, I don't think this is an indictment of anti-war songs - more of human nature! Just as socialism has been called a great concept for the wrong people, too many human beings seem to be unable to grasp the concept of peace. I'm afraid we'll have to live with that, but it shouldn't stop people singing (and writing) anti-war songs. Thanks for mentioning Mike Harding's Christmas 1914. (I know I'm in a minority but I prefer it to Christmas in the Trenches.) The Observer ran an article featuring the last known surviving soldier of the Great War, Scotsman Alfred Anderson (108 years); in its Christmas edition. Some years back another 'last' survivor was reported to have died, but they must have been updating their files.) |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Margret RoadKnight Date: 28 Dec 04 - 06:51 PM Aforementioned "Business Goes on as Usual" is actually by the wonderfully prolific Fred hellerman & Fran Minkoff (writers of many of 'our' classics such as "Come Away Melinda") |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: number 6 Date: 28 Dec 04 - 07:02 PM Good point Bob, but we must never, ever giveup writing and singing them. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: freda underhill Date: 28 Dec 04 - 07:02 PM Nursery Rhyme In 1916 during the First World War a poet named Frank Wilmot (who wrote under the name Furnley Maurice) turned his revulsion at the conscription of young people into this poem. It was set to music in the mid 1950s by Chris Kempster, and when he sang it at a folk session thirty years later, this led to Miguel Heatwole writing an arrangement of it for the Solidarity Choir. That version is on the choir's CD "Ten Years Strong". |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: pdq Date: 28 Dec 04 - 07:26 PM Gordon Lightfoot's "Leaves of Grass" is polite and quite poetic but an anti-war song it is. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: RobbieWilson Date: 29 Dec 04 - 09:57 AM The first I really remember is "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye." But there are so many: for something seasonal how about Jonah Lewey's " Wish I could be home for Christmas" or John Lennon's " Happy Xmas, war is over." And as to whether the songs fail; well there are more people opposed to war now than ever before but the dangers of complacency are as great as ever. There are always waves in peoples attitudes but it is important to keep the head of pressure acting in the right direction. love Robbie |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Big Jim from Jackson Date: 29 Dec 04 - 02:46 PM Small Potatoes' song "1000 Candles, 1000 Cranes" deserves a prominent place in such a list. And "There Were Roses" sung by our own Seamus Kennedy, among many others, Makes a profound comment on that other kind of war. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Strollin' Johnny Date: 29 Dec 04 - 03:50 PM Goodbar, you describe 'those other Eric Bogle songs others mentioned' as 'crass songs'. It's a matter of opinion. I don't share yours. Nor do a very great many other people. But that's OK because that's what the 'Cat's for - exchanging views. Got it now? S:0) |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: goodbar Date: 29 Dec 04 - 06:00 PM oh, no. you misunderstood me. i was listing a few of my favorite artists who do some great protest songs. among them was the band crass. i wasn't using it as an adjective to describe the bogle songs, but naming the band crass as another group that does great protest songs. sorry for not being clear. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GUEST,# Date: 03 Jun 21 - 10:12 PM "Old Man Atom (Talking Atomic Blues)" Ozie Waters; song by Vern Partlow & Irving Bibo. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QlxqCoCzq1U Lyrics are provided at the link. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GUEST,# Date: 03 Jun 21 - 10:31 PM Pursuant to the 03 Jun 21 - 10:12 PM post, the song is of interest because there is so much 'precious little' about it on the www. The song was released near the beginning of the McCarthy Era (1950-4) so it makes me wonder if it was hushed up. Does anyone out there know anything about it?? (I know it's not a great song, but it's certainly ahead of its time in terms of A-bomb protest.) |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GUEST,# Date: 03 Jun 21 - 10:42 PM There is an excellent write-up about the song at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vern_Partlow |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GerryM Date: 03 Jun 21 - 10:58 PM At the Sam Hinton website, the page about Old Man Atom, it says, Sam recorded Old Man Atom in 1950 for ABC Eagle, a small independent label. Influential New York disc jockey Martin Block played the record on his show 'Make Believe Ballroom.' Overwhelming listener response prompted Columbia Records to acquire the rights for national distribution. From all indications, it promised to be one of the year's biggest novelty records. RCA Victor rush-released a cover version by the Sons of the Pioneers. Bing Crosby was reportedly ready to record Old Man Atom for Decca when right-wing organizations began attacking Columbia and RCA Victor for releasing a song that reflected a Communist ideology. Buckling under pressure, both Columbia and RCA Victor withdrew Old Man Atom from distribution. Old Man Atom is still in print as track #3 on Washington Square Memoirs: The Great Urban Folk Boom. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GUEST,# Date: 03 Jun 21 - 11:06 PM Thank you, GerryM. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: Lighter Date: 04 Jun 21 - 07:55 AM "Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye" started out as a music-hall gross-out joke in 1867. Strange but true. |
Subject: RE: Greatest war protest songs From: GUEST,henryp Date: 04 Jun 21 - 11:18 AM In Flanders Fields; Coope Boyes and Simpson "The more we learn about war, the more important it becomes to sing about peace." Peace has been a recurring theme of the powerful and distinctive singing and songwriting of the English acappella trio Barry Coope, Jim Boyes and Lester Simpson. It was the strength of their writing about the events of the First World War that led Piet Chielens, Co-ordinator of the In Flanders Fields Museum in Ieper, to commission them to compose and perform for the Flemish arts organisation, Peace Concerts Passendale in 1993. They eventually took part in five different Peace Concert productions in Belgium and England, performing on former battlefields like Hill 60, among the memorials at Tyne Cot and at the request of the town of Passendale for their eightieth anniversary commemoration of the battle of Passchendaele. These experiences then inspired their words and music production, In Flanders Fields, which combines their own writing with the biting humour of the Tommies' wartime observations and music. Songs like Jim Boyes' "Flanders" and Lester Simpson's, "Standing in Line" and Barry Coope's singing of "Robin's Song" were also the reason that the author, Michael Morpurgo, asked them to join him in concert performances of his novel Private Peaceful, with its message of the futility of war and, later, in the adaptation of The Best Christmas Present in the World, his story about the Christmas Truce of 1914. In Flanders Fields is the culmination of this involvement, bringing together newly written songs, existing and first time recordings of songs from Peace Concerts Passendale and songs and music of the "War to end all Wars". |
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