All-Time Best Anti-War Songs?

[Favelado]

The bit where the female singer's voice cracks as she screams the word "murder" is possibly the apex of rock history.

 

[sunny jim]

If you wanted to pedantic about this, it was actually about the NHS and the loss of free dental and eye care. Well the original speech the song based on was. Great song though.

 

[junglevip]

Its not very good or an anti war song. It is however short

 

[coley]

My favourite
http://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=bG99wB8moRA&desktop_uri=/watch?v=bG99wB8moRA

 

[RedDragon]

If you wanted to pedantic about this, it was actually about the NHS and the loss of free dental and eye care. Well the original speech the song based on was. Great song though.

Really? Wow. I didn't know that. I just went by its wikki entry.

The song's theme is taken from the Spanish Civil War, and the idealism of Welsh volunteers who joined the left-wing International Brigades, fighting Francisco Franco's military rebels against the Spanish Republic. The song takes its name from a Republican poster of the time, displaying a photograph of a young child killed by the Nationalists under a sky of bombers with the stark warning "If you tolerate this, your children will be next" written at the bottom.[1]
Various works on the Spanish Civil War were the inspiration for this song, and certain lyrics pertain directly to these works. For example, the line "If I can shoot rabbits/then I can shoot fascists" is attributed to a remark made by a man who signed up with the Republican fighters to his brother in an interview years later. This was originally quoted in the book Miners Against Fascism by Hywel Francis. Another work George Orwell's first-hand account, "Homage to Catalonia". "I've walkedLas Ramblas/but not with real intent" brings to mind the account in Orwell's book of fighting on the Ramblas, with the various factions seemingly getting nowhere, with the fighting and often a sense of camaraderie overriding the vaunted principles each side was supposed to be fighting for. Wire has also acknowledged that he was also inspired by a song by The Clash, "Spanish Bombs", which has a similar subject.[citation needed]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/If_You_Tolerate_This_Your_Children_Will_Be_Next

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[Favelado]

I think it's a bad song with overwrought lyrics that don't scan properly. Nice sentiment though.

 

[sunny jim]

RedDragon seems we were both right - the money saved from the stopping of free dental and eye care was to pay for Korean war.

At the February 1950 general election Labour retained office, but with an overall majority reduced to a mere six seats, and in January 1951 Attlee moved Bevan from Health and Housing to become Minister for Labour. Barely two months later he resigned from Cabinet over the proposal to bring in charges for dental and ophthalmic services, ostensibly in order to raise income for the British commitment to join the USA in fighting the Korean War, but, in the view of some historians, less of a conflict of principles than a power struggle with the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Hugh Gaitskel

From this site http://www.nyebevan.org.uk/biography/

 

[Libertad]

There's some song I'm thinking of here. What it is ain't exactly clear....

 

[Brubricker]

I'll always respect the Dixie Chicks for calling out George Bush at the height of his hubris and committing career suicide in the process. I doubt even today if Nashville has forgiven them. Should they ever re-unite for a tour it would be worth the ticket just to shake their hands.

 

[ringo]

Love that, nice one, massive tune. Just looked it up to get a copy - Ebay price £80 and upwards, Discogs £145 and upwards

 

[elbows]

In my opinion this is the best war song yet written. If you find a decent vid of it on youtube or whatever post a link. Thanks

I quite like the Anika version.

 

[Knotted]

 

[Knotted]

Not a profound lyric but...

 

[toblerone3]

Gary Clail - Rumours of War

 

[toggle]

Huge range here. nothing earlier than ww1 though?

 

[mojo pixy]

Fuck it, I'm posting this because nobody else will:

 

[Knotted]

Lightnin Hopkins, War is starting again (anti-war but with a twist):

Spoiler

 

[Knotted]

Phil Ochs - content wise better than most other efforts, beyond the standard pacifist fluff.

Spoiler

 

[sim667]

 

[Knotted]

Two Little Boys.

Spoiler

 

[RedDragon]

 

[ferrelhadley]

 

[Pingu]

no wait...

 

[Boru]

And one where the warmongers get their asses kicked..

 

[D'wards]

I like this cos it's about the poor kids getting sent off to die and kill for their country whilst the rich kids get a bye

 

[editor]

Threads merged as a pretext for me to repost this wonderful song.

 

[littlebabyjesus]

Not had this yet?