Favourite peace songs

Not exactly a peace song but it's a song about a soldier in Nam who refused to leave his wounded buddy behind despite being ordered to do so by the commanding officer.

Thu, 2009-11-12 10:20

#15

Scott Piatkowski Scott Piatkowski's picture

Elvis Costello (via Nick Lowe)

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eJ1ZQ99pKbY&feature=related](What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace Love and Understanding[/url]

Thu, 2009-11-12 10:34

#16

jrootham

Another by Eric Bogle: No Man's Land

And Judy Small: Mother's, Daughters, Wives

Thu, 2009-11-12 11:07

#17

N.Beltov

The World Turned Upside Down, Leon Rosselson

In 1649
To St. George's Hill,
A ragged band they called the Diggers
Came to show the people's will
They defied the landlords
They defied the laws
They were the dispossessed reclaiming what was theirs

We come in peace they said
To dig and sow
We come to work the lands in common
And to make the waste ground grow
This earth divided
We will make whole
So it will be
A common treasury for all

The sin of property
We do disdain
No man has any right to buy and sell
The earth for private gain
By theft and murder
They took the land
Now everywhere the walls
Spring up at their command

They make the laws
To chain us well
The clergy dazzle us with heaven
Or they damn us into hell
We will not worship
The God they serve
The God of greed who feed the rich
While poor folk starve

We work we eat together
We need no swords
We will not bow to the masters
Or pay rent to the lords
Still we are free
Though we are poor
You Diggers all stand up for glory
Stand up now

From the men of property
The orders came
They sent the hired men and troopers
To wipe out the Diggers' claim
Tear down their cottages
Destroy their corn
They were dispersed
But still the vision lingers on

You poor take courage
You rich take care
This earth was made a common treasury
For everyone to share
All things in common
All people one
We come in peace
The orders came to cut them down

Thu, 2009-11-12 11:15

#18

kropotkin1951

I like the Diggers Song a lot and perform it sometimes. My favourite Canadian "peace song" is James Keelaghan's Kiri's Piano.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6Lx7mjwNr0

Of all of Kiri Ito's joys, the thing she loved the best
Was to play her prized piano when the sun had gone to rest
I used to hear the notes drift down along the silent water
As Kiri played the notes and scales for her dear sons and daughters
Now me I played piano though not as good as Kiri
She went in for that long haired stuff but my she played it pretty
The old piano had a tone would set my heart to aching
It always sounded sweetest though when it was Kiri playing

In December when the seventh fleet was turned to smoke and ashes
The order came to confiscate their fishing boats and caches
And Kiri's husband forced to go and work in labour camps
And Kiri left alone to fend and hold the fort as best she can
But the music did not drift as often from up the cove at Kiri's house
And when it did it sounded haunted played with worry played with doubt
For Kiri knew that soon she too would be compelled to leave
And the old upright would stay behind and Kiri she would grieve

I loaded Kiri on the bus with stoic internees
The crime that they were guilty of was that they were not like me
And if I was ashamed I didn't know it at the time
They were flotsam on the wave of war they were no friends of mine
I went up to Kiri's house to tag all their belongings
And set them out for auctioneers who'd claim them in the morning
One piece that I thought I'd keep and hold back for myself
Was that haunting ivory upright that Kiri played so well

But Kiri had not left it there for me to take as plunder
She'd rolled it down onto the dock and on into the harbor
That old upright in strangers' hands was a thought she couldn't bear
So she consigned it to the sea to settle the affair
So many years have come and gone since Kiri's relocation
I look back now upon that time with shame and resignation
For Kiri knew what I did not that if we must be free
Then sometimes we must sacrifice to gain our dignity
Yes Kiri knew what I did not that if we must be free
Then sometimes we must sacrifice to gain our dignity

Thu, 2009-11-12 11:22

#19

melovesproles

I just heard The Flying Burrito Brothers My Uncle last year and the lyrics are great, a nostalgic song for the freedom loving Vancouver that has been under assault as of late.

Thu, 2009-11-12 11:29

#20

p-sto

I rather liked A Perfect Circle's Emotive where they covered a number of classics and I think included one or two orginials.

This is the track list:

1. Annihilation

2. Imagine

3. Peace Love and Understanding

4. What's Going On

5. Passive

6. Gimmie Gimmie Gimmie

7. People are People

8. Freedom of Choice

9. Let's Have A War

10. Counting Bodies Like Sheep to the Rhythm of the War Drum

11. When the Levee Breaks

12. Fiddle and the Drum

Giving respect to the origional performers I have to admit there were one or two song that didn't quite fit APC's tone and didn't translate too well. There were others that I felt were quite exceptional.

Thu, 2009-11-12 12:37

#21

Lard Tunderin Jeezus Lard Tunderin Jeezus's picture

Here's a few more:

We Don't Stop / Michael Franti & Spearhead

Feed The Hungry / The Pop Group

We want peace / Lenny Kravitz

War Again / Oingo Boingo

Might Makes Right / Camper Van Beethoven

(We don't need this) Fascist groove thang / British Electric Foundation

Where is the Love / Black Eyed Peas

Scarecrow People / XTC

Thu, 2009-11-12 15:15

#22

Polly B

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

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp1mIYJNKWQ

and of course, Sam Stone.

Thu, 2009-11-12 16:21

#23

Polunatic2

Here's a couple of unlikely ones suggested to me on the subway today by a peacenik friend:

Last Train to Clarksville - The Monkees

Quote:
.... 'Cause I'm leavin' in the morning

And I must see you again
We'll have one more night together
'Til the morning brings my train.
And I must go, oh, no, no, no!
Oh, no, no, no!
And I don't know if I'm ever coming home....

Galveston - sung by Glen Campbell - Spanish-American War

Quote:
Galveston, oh Galveston, I still hear your sea waves crashing
While I watch the cannons flashing
I clean my gun and dream of Galveston

I still see her standing by the water
Standing there lookin' out to sea
And is she waiting there for me?
On the beach where we used to run

Thu, 2009-11-12 16:26

#24

Fidel

I think there was a certain feeling of dread among my generation that nuclear war was a possibility. This was a silly song and a lot of young people I knew were asking what the words meant when it first played on radio. Eventually one or two of us figured it out.

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9whehyybLqU]99 luftballons[/url] 1984

Hold on to your balloons, Nena.

Fri, 2009-11-13 09:53

#25

jrose

Here's to the State of Mississippi, by Phil Ochs.

And here's to the cops of Mississippi
They're chewing their tobacco as they lock the prison door
Their bellies bounce inside them when they knock you to the floor
No they don't like taking prisoners in their private little war
Behind their broken badges there are murderers and more
Oh, here's to the land you've torn out the heart of
Mississippi find yourself another country to be part of

Fri, 2009-11-13 09:58

#26

Unionist

You know, jrose, it isn't exactly a "peace song", but reading the lyrics, I can hear Phil Ochs' voice singing that song, and tears come to my eyes. So I guess what I'm saying is, thanks.

Fri, 2009-11-13 10:02

#27

Polunatic2

This thread is a babble war-free zone.

Fri, 2009-11-13 22:00

#28

al-Qa'bong

Peerless Quartet: I Didn't Raise My Boy To Be A Soldier

Morton Harvey's version

Fri, 2009-11-13 22:17

#29

Webgear

Fuck The British Army

Fri, 2009-11-13 22:23

#30

Webgear

Status Quo - In The Army Now

Fri, 2009-11-13 22:33

#31

Webgear

I was only 19

Fri, 2009-11-13 23:37

#32

al-Qa'bong

THE ADICTS...JOHNNY WAS A SOLDIER

The Clash - The Call Up

The Exploited - Army Life

Bob Marley - Trench Town Rock

Sat, 2009-11-14 01:27

#33

Fidel

[url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NzJ2NKp23WU]All You Need is Love[/url] [img]http://salsa.net/peace/symbol/peace.gif[/img]

Sat, 2010-01-09 00:10

#34

Webgear

The Herd - Starship Troopers

Sat, 2010-01-09 00:29

#35

Ken Burch

How Will I Ever Be Simple Again-Richard Thompson

Oh she danced in the street with the guns all around her
All torn like a rag doll, barefoot in the rain
And she sang like a child, toora-day toora-daddy
Oh how will I ever be simple again
She sat by the banks of the dirty grey river
And tried for a fish with a worm on a pin
There was nothing but fever and ghosts in the water
Oh how will I ever be simple again
War was my love and my friend and companion
And what did I care for the pretty and plain
But her smile was so clear and my heart was so troubled
Oh how will I ever be simple again
In her poor burned-out house I sat at her table
The smell of her hair was like cornfields in May
And I wanted to weep and my eyes ached from trying
Oh how will I ever be simple again
So graceful she moved through the dust and the ruin
And happy she was in her dances and games
Oh teach me to see with your innocent eyes, love
Oh how will I ever be simple again
Oh how will I ever be simple again

and STOP THE CAVALRY, by Jona Lewie

(This was a hit recored in the UK at Christmas 1980. I just discovered it a few weeks ago).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hVEdE0O5tA&feature=related

Hey, Mr. Churchill comes over here
To say we're doing splendidly
But it's very cold out here in the snow
Marching to and from from the enemy
Oh, I say it's tough, I have had enough
Can you stop the cavalry?

I have had to fight, almost every night
Down throughout these centuries
That is when I say, oh yes, yet again
Can you stop the cavalry?

Mary Bradley waits at home

In the nuclear fall-out zone
Wish, I could be dancing now
In the arms of the girl I love

Dub a dub a dum dum
Dub a dub a dum
Dub a dum dum dub a dub
Dub a dub a dum

Dub a dub a dum dum
Dub a dub a dum
[ Find more Lyrics on http://mp3lyrics.org/cs ]
Dub a dum dum dub a dub
Dub a dub a dum

Wish, I was at home for Christmas

Bang, that's another bomb on another town
While Luzar and Jim have tea
If I get home, live to tell the tale
I'll run for all presidencies
If I get elected I'll stop,
I will stop the cavalry

Dub a dub a dum dum
Dub a dub a dum
Dub a dum dum dub a dub
Dub a dub a dum

Wish, I was at home for Christmas

Wish I could be dancing now
In the arms of the girl I love
Mary Bradley waits at home
She's been waiting two years long

Wish, I was at home for Christmas