Favorite anti-war songs (mainly from the Vietnam war era)

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U2democrat

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Mods-please don't move this to B&C, I'm looking for more of a political angle with this thread.

Anyway, I'm making a CD of my favorite anti-war songs, particulary those that came out of the influence of the Vietnam War.

I'm thinking along the lines of:
"I'd Love to Change the World"-Ten Years After
"Fortunate Son"-CCR
"Volunteers"-Jefferson Airplane
"For What it's Worth"-Buffalo Springfield
"Eve of Destruction"-can't remember the name of the artist
"Let's Get Together"-The Youngbloods

also (not from the Vietnam era) I'm thinking about
"Imagine"-John Lennon
"Invisible Sun"-The Police
plus Please, Bullet the Blue Sky, Peace on Earth, Love and Peace or Else, Sunday Bloody Sunday
"Deja Vu All Over Again"-John Fogerty

I think y'all can kind of get the track I'm on so any additions would be great, as I said I would particularly like ones from the Vietnam era.
 
Ohio -- Crosby, Stills, Nash, and Young

War -- Edwin Starr
 
War

Bob Marley and the Wailers

Until the philosophy which hold one race
Superior and another inferior
Is finally and permanently discredited and abandoned
Everywhere is war, me say war

That until there are no longer first class
And second class citizens of any nation
Until the colour of a man's skin
Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes
Me say war

That until the basic human rights are equally
Guaranteed to all, without regard to race
Dis a war

That until that day
The dream of lasting peace, world citizenship
Rule of international morality
Will remain in but a fleeting illusion
To be pursued, but never attained
Now everywhere is war, war

And until the ignoble and unhappy regimes
That hold our brothers in Angola, in Mozambique,
South Africa sub-human bondage
Have been toppled, utterly destroyed
Well, everywehre is war, me say war

War in the east, war in the west
War up north, war down south
War, war, rumours of war

And until that day, the African continent
Will not know peace, we Africans will fight

We find it necessary and we know we shall win
As we are confident in the victory

Of good over evil, good over evil, good over evil
Good over evil, good over evil, good over evil
 
Blowin' in the Wind -- Bob Dylan

Not so specific about Vietnam, more of a general anti injustice song.

Alice's Restaurant -- Arlo Guthrie (very long and funny as hell, but one of my all time faves :yes: )

and "What's Going On?" -- Marvin Gaye (damned great song!)
 
Last edited:
indra said:
Blowin' in the Wind -- Bob Dylan

Not so specific about Vietnam, more of a general anti injustice song.

Alice's Restaurant -- Arlo Guthrie (very long and funny as hell, but one of my all time faves :yes: )
Click to expand...

Shite we agree on something.:wink:
 
Where have all the flowers gone - Marlene Dittrich.

I prefer the German version, but it's a great song anyways.
 
Vietnam Song -- Country Joe and The Fish

Intro Spoken
Give me an "F! ..."F"! give me a "U"! ..."U"!
Give me a "C"! ..."C" Give me a "K"! ..."K"!
WHATS THAT SPELL? ..."FUCK!" (x5)

Well come on all of you big strong men, Uncle Sam needs your help again,
he got himself in a terrible jam, way down yonder in Vietnam,
put down your books and pick up a gun, we're gunna have a whole lotta fun.

CHORUS
and its 1,2,3 what are we fightin for?
don't ask me i don't give a dam, the next stop is Vietnam,
and its 5,6,7 open up the pearly gates. Well there aint no time to wonder why...WHOPEE we're all gunna die.

now come on wall street don't be slow, why man this's war a-go-go,
there's plenty good money to be made, supplyin' the army with the tools of the trade,
just hope and pray that when they drop the bomb, they drop it on the Vietcong.

CHORUS

now come on generals lets move fast, your big chance is here at last.
nite you go out and get those reds cuz the only good commie is one thats dead,
you know that peace can only be won, when you blow em all to kingdom come.
CHORUS

(spoken)- listen people i dont know you expect to ever stop the war if you cant sing any better than that... theres about 300,000 of you fuc|ers out there.. i want you to start singing..

CHORUS

now come on mothers throughout the land, pack your boys off to vietnam,
come on fathers don't hesitate, send your sons off before its too late,
be the first one on your block, to have your boy come home in a box

CHORUS

Alrite !!!!!!!


(from Woodstock)
 
U2democrat said:
I just have to put "The End" by The Doors on there too. :drool: such a good song.
Click to expand...

Somehow it pissed my wife off that I wanted this to be our wedding song.
:shrug:
 
interesting ... what's the song that was used for the opening credits of China Beach? it went "we've got to get out of this place/ if it's the last thing we ever do."

also:

happy xmas (war is over) -- john lennon

not sure what else ... will think ... but as i was in the gym this evening, i tend to get reflective, and i was thinking that "sunday bloody sunday" is destined to be an all time classic of the genre. it's every bit as good as anything written in the 60s, and i think it was martha's signature that kind of blew my mind -- a quote by bono, "america, this is your song now." simply gets at war as the least best option, and while i don't think it's entirely pacifist (white flags aside) it does view war as a failure. which it is, by definition.
 
War (Bruce Springsteen cover of Norman Whitfield/Edwin Starr song)

War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
War is something that I despise
For it means destruction of innocent lives
For it means tears in thousands of mothers' eyes
When their sons go out to fight to give their lives

War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again
War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing

War
It's nothing but a heartbreaker
War
Friend only to the undertaker
War is the enemy of all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind
Handed down from generation to generation
Induction destruction
Who wants to die

War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again
War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing

War has shattered many young men's dreams
Made them disabled bitter and meanLife is too precious to be fighting wars
each day
War can't give life it can only take it away

War
It's nothing but a heartbreaker
War
Friend only to the undertaker
Peace love and understanding
There must be some place for these things today
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord there's gotta be a better way
That's better than
War

War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
Say it again
War
What is it good for
Absolutely nothing
 
Irvine511 said:
interesting ... what's the song that was used for the opening credits of China Beach? it went "we've got to get out of this place/ if it's the last thing we ever do."
Click to expand...

by the Animals called "we gotta get out of this place"
 
Son of a Bush by Public Enemy - great song!

Lots of Floydian stuff.. albums The Wall, The Final Cut (a whole album about the Falklands, very Roger)
 
THE PRICE OF OIL

Voices on the radio
Tell us that we're going to war
Those brave men and women in uniform
They want to know what they're fighting for
The generals want to hear the end game
The allies won't approve the plan
But the oil men in the White House
They just don't give a damn

'Cause it's all about the price of oil
It's all about the price of oil
Don't give me no shit about blood, sweat, tears and toil
It's all about the price of oil

Now, I ain't no fan of Saddam Hussein
No, please don't get me wrong
If it's freeing the Iraqi people you're after
Then why have we waited so long ?
Why didn't we sort this out last time ?
Was he less evil then than he is now ?
The stock market holds the answer
To "Why him? Why here? Why now?"

Saddam killed his own people
Just like General Pinochet
And once upon a time both these evil men
Were supported by the USA
To whisper it, even Bin Laden
Once drank from America's cup
Just like that election down in Florida
This shit doesn't all add up

Words & Music : Billy Bragg
 
dem lyrics - shoutout to my man Prof. Griff

OH NO
STRUCK BY GREASED LIGHTNING
F--D BY THE SAME LAST NAME, YOU KNOW WHAT?
CHINA AINT NEVER GIVIN BACK THAT GOTTDAMN PLANE
MUST GOT THIS OL NATION TRAINED
ON SOME KENNEL RATION
REFRAIN
THE SAME TRAIN
FULLA COCAINE
FROZE THE BRAIN
HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN
I BEEN THRU THE FIRST TERM OF ROTTEN
THE FATHER ,THE SON
AND THE HOLY BUSH-IT WE ALL IN
DONT LOOK AT ME
I AINT CALLIN FOR NO ASSASSINATION
IM JUST SAYIN/ SAYIN WHO VOTED FOR THIS ASSHOLE OF THE NATION



DEJA BUSH
CRUSHED BY THE HEAD RUSH
15 YEARS BACK
WHEN I WROTE THE FIRST BUM RUSH
SAW YOU SALUTE
TO THE THEN
VICE PREZ
WHO DID WHAT RAYGUN SAID
AND THEN BECAME PREZ
HIMSELF WENT FOR DELF
KNEE DEEP IN HIS DAMN SELF
STUCK IN A 3 HEADED BUCKET
OF TRILATERAL BUSH-IT
SORRY AINT NO BETTER WAY OF PUTTIN IT
NOYOU CANNOT FREESTYLE THIS
CAUSE YO ASS STILL AINT FREE
IF I FIGHT FOR YALL
AND THEY GET ME
HOW MANY OF YALL
IS COMIN TO GET ME?
NONE
CAUSE ITS EASIER TO FORGET ME
AINT THAT A BUSH
SON OF A BUSH IS HERE
ALL UP IN YOUR ZONE
YOU AINT NEVER HEARD SO MUCH SOUL TO THE BONE
I TOLD YALL WHEN THE FIRST BUSH WAS TAPPIN MY PHONE
SPY VS SPY
CANT TRUSS EM
AS YOU SALUTE TO THE ILLUMINATI
TAKE YOUR ASS TO YOUR 1 MILLIONTH PARTY

Hes the son of a baaad
Hes The Son Of A Bad Man

verse 2
NOW HERES THE PITCH
HIGH AND INSIDE
CERTIFIED GENOCIDE

AINT THAT A BUSH REPEAT AINT THAT A BUSH

OUT OF NOWHERE
HEADED TO THE HOTHOUSE?
KILLED 135 AT THE LAST COUNT...TEXAS BOUNCE

CATS IN THE CAGE
GOT A GHOST OF A CHANCE
OF COMIN BACK
FROM YOUR WHACK ASS KILLIN MACHINE

SON OF A BUSH AINT THAT A SON OF A BUSH

CATS DOIN BIDS
FOR DOIN THE SAME BUSH SHIT THAT YOU DID

SERIAL KILLER KID UH SERIAL KILLER KID


Hes the son of a baaad
Hes The Son Of A Bad Man



verse 3
COKE IT’S THE REAL THING
USED TO MAKE YOU SWING
USED TO BE YOUR THING

DADDY HAD YOU UNDER HIS WING

BRINGIN KILOS TO FILL UP SILOS
YOU PROBABLY SNIFFED PILES
GOT INMATES IN TEXAS SCRUBBIN TILES

THAT SHIT IS WILD
CIA CHILD
 
The Almanac Singers had the anti-War album "Songs for John Doe" in '41 before Hitler invaded the Soviet Union.

Ballad of October 16th is written against the peacetime draft law.
It was on a Saturday night and the moon was shing bright
They passed the conscription bill
And the people they did say for many miles away
'Twas the President and his boys on Capitol Hill.

CHORUS:
Oh, Franklin Roosevelt told the people how he felt
We damned near believed what he said
He said, "I hate war, and so does Eleanor
But we won't be safe 'till everybody's dead."

When my poor old mother died I was sitting by her side
A-promising to war I'd never go.
But now I'm wearing khaki jeans and eating army beans
And I'm told that J. P. Morgan loves me so,

I have wandered o'er this land, a roaming working man
No clothes to wear and not much food to eat.
But now the government foots the bill
Gives me clothes and feeds me swill
Gets me shot and puts me underground six feet.

CHORUS

Why nothing can be wrong if it makes our country strong
We got to get tough to save democracy.
And though it may mean war
We must defend Singapore
This don't hurt you half as much as it hurts me.

CHORUS
Click to expand...
 
yes the Bruce version of War is great

also Devils and Dust by Bruce, it's not blatantly "anti war" but it's the only one I know about Iraq

I got my finger on the trigger
But I don't know who to trust
When I look into your eyes
There's just devils and dust
We're a long, long way from home, Bobbie
Home's a long, long way from us
I feel a dirty wind blowing
Devils and dust

I got God on my side
I'm just trying to survive
What if what you do to survive
Kills the things you love
Fear's a powerful thing
It can turn your heart black you can trust
It'll take your God filled soul
And fill it with devils and dust

Well I dreamed of you last night
In a field of blood and stone
The blood began to dry
The smell began to rise
Well I dreamed of you last night
In a field of mud and bone
Your blood began to dry
The smell began to rise

We've got God on our side
We're just trying to survive
What if what you do to survive
Kills the things you love
Fear's a powerful thing
It'll turn your heart black you can trust
It'll take your God filled soul
Fill it with devils and dust

Now every woman and every man
They want to take a righteous stand
Find the love that God wills
And the faith that He commands
I've got my finger on the trigger
And tonight faith just ain't enough
When I look inside my heart
There's just devils and dust

Well I've got God on my side
And I'm just trying to survive
What if what you do to survive
Kills the things you love
Fear's a dangerous thing
It can turn your heart black you can trust
It'll take your God filled soul
Fill it with devils and dust

It'll take your God filled soul

Fill it with devils and dust




Paradise by Bruce, it seems to be about a terrorist/suicide bomber


Where the river runs to black
I take the schoolbooks from your pack
Plastics, wire and your kiss
The breath of eternity on your lips

In the crowded marketplace
I drift from face to face
I hold my breath and close my eyes
I hold my breath and close my eyes
And I wait for paradise
And I wait for paradise

The Virginia hills have gone to brown
Another day, another sun goin' down
I visit you in another dream
I visit you in another dream

I reach and feel your hair
Your smell lingers in the air
I brush your cheek with my fingertips
I taste the void upon your lips
And I wait for paradise
And I wait for paradise

I search for you on the other side
Where the river runs clean and wide
Up to my heart the waters rise
Up to my heart the waters rise

I sink 'neath the river cool and clear
Drifting down I disappear
I see you on the other side
I search for the peace in your eyes
But they're as empty as paradise
They're as empty as paradise

I break above the waves
I feel the sun upon my face
 
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