They don't write

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 2:31 pm

anti-war songs they way they used to do they?

abba soldiers - YouTube

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 3:25 pm

gmc;1401441 wrote: anti-war songs they way they used to do they?

abba soldiers - YouTube

Oh yes they do :-

Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - YouTube

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 3:39 pm

Bryn Mawr;1401452 wrote: Oh yes they do :-

Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - YouTube

From the same source :-

No Man's Land - YouTube

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 4:14 pm

Bryn Mawr;1401452 wrote: Oh yes they do :-

Eric Bogle - The Band Played Waltzing Matilda - YouTube

You rather help make my point - they both pre-date the abba song by about ten years. Can you think of any in the last thirty years or so that make you stop and listen to the words? There must be but I can't think of any at the moment.

Post by **spot** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:43 pm

A notable year for songs connected with conflicts overseas, 1971. Sam Stone was written then too.

I'll have a think what might qualify from the current generation.

Post by **spot** » Sun Aug 19, 2012 5:55 pm

"Yo George" By Tori Amos

"Shock and Awe" by Neil Young

"The Jewel In The Crown" - recorded down the road by the usual suspects a while back in a venue now lost. Lyrics here

"America First" by Merle Haggard, 2005 - forget the others, this is all you really need

George W. Told The Nation - Tom Paxton with the finest rhymes of the decade

I'd add some Steve Earle but the bugger's utterly incapable of clear diction, God only knows what he's whining on about

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 12:53 am

It's funny, for all the reaction to the dixie chicks comments a lot of country songs are actually very left wing in their sentiments yet no one seems to notice or see them as in any way socialist in their sentiment. I don't think the ones you suggest are in the same league as eric goggle green fields of France, very few songs imo sum up the utter despair and pointlessness of a war quite so well - maybe it was the celt in him.

Bruv · Post by **Bruv** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 4:01 am

Elvis Costello Ship ?

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 6:57 am

Bruv;1401495 wrote: Elvis Costello Ship ?

Never been a fan of elvis costello Maybe I should have said anti/war protest songs. A good one should make you want to punch someone not send you to sleep or want to slash your wrists. That's just depressing. This is a real master at work

Mark Knopfler - Why aye man [Lyon -05] Great sound! - YouTube

Sing the Commie hits at 2011 Labour conference (29Sept11) - YouTube

You'd think an essential requirement would be to able to sing in tune. Enough to make you vote tory.

Apparently they don't sing jerusalem at the scottish labour party conference, can't think why.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:05 am

I think Vietnam was different because of the draft. In an all-volunteer army, much less people are affected, & the general populace don't personally know the soldiers. There is a feeling the military chose this life, not that they were plucked from life to serve. I am not suggesting a return to the draft for better songs.

Post by **spot** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:07 am

AnneBoleyn;1401514 wrote: I think Vietnam was different because of the draft. In an all-volunteer army, much less people are affected, & the general populace don't personally know the soldiers. There is a feeling the military chose this life, not that they were plucked from life to serve.

I agree entirely.

I am not suggesting a return to the draft for better songs.
Oh go on... let's.

AnneBoleyn · Post by **AnneBoleyn** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:10 am

"am not suggesting a return to the draft for better songs." Oh go on... let's.

Control yourself man! In the longrun & shortrun too the loss of life & misery isn't worth it. I'm sure Neil Young agrees with me.

Post by **spot** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:19 am

AnneBoleyn;1401518 wrote: "am not suggesting a return to the draft for better songs." Oh go on... let's.

Control yourself man! In the longrun & shortrun too the loss of life & misery isn't worth it. I'm sure Neil Young agrees with me.Good lord you don't have to deploy the buggers abroad! Conscript them, go back to full employment and set them to repairing your roads, bridges and waterways. Crime will halve overnight.

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 9:45 am

I didnt listen to much folk music as I grew up. It was rock music for the most part for me and one of the first anti war/anti vietnam albums I heard was Paranoid by Black Sabbath. Not one that would immediately come to mind but enough for the record company to change the albums name from " War Pigs " The message wasn't lost on the listeners though, both here and in the US

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:18 pm

gmc;1401483 wrote: It's funny, for all the reaction to the dixie chicks comments a lot of country songs are actually very left wing in their sentiments yet no one seems to notice or see them as in any way socialist in their sentiment. I don't think the ones you suggest are in the same league as eric goggle green fields of France, very few songs imo sum up the utter despair and pointlessness of a war quite so well - maybe it was the celt in him.

Of the two I actually prefer his "The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" - as well as showing the pointlessness and waste of war it throws in how quickly the succeeding generations forget the past and the sacrifice that has been made :-

So now every April, I sit on my porch, and I watch the parade pass before me,

and I see my old comrades, how proudly they march, reviving old dreams and past glories,

the old men march slowly, their bones stiff and sore, they're tired old heroes of a forgotten war

and the young people ask "What are they marching for"? and I ask myself the same question

Look out as well for his "Singing the Spirit Home" - truly spine tingling.

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:29 pm

Snowfire;1401525 wrote: I didnt listen to much folk music as I grew up. It was rock music for the most part for me and one of the first anti war/anti vietnam albums I heard was Paranoid by Black Sabbath. Not one that would immediately come to mind but enough for the record company to change the albums name from " War Pigs " The message wasn't lost on the listeners though, both here and in the US

For heavy metal anti war songs have you considered Uriah Heap?

Uriah Heep - Lady in black - YouTube

Uriah Heep - The Park - YouTube

Snowfire · Post by **Snowfire** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 1:49 pm

Popular music is full of protest, Its its bread and butter.

Megadeath.........Peace sells.....but who's buying

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:04 pm

Post by **spot** » Mon Aug 20, 2012 5:21 pm

I'm not sure there's even one line in "Over There" which qualifies it as an anti-war song. Maybe I'm listening to it wrong.

Johnnie show the Hun you're a son of a gun. Hoist the flag and let her fly, Yankee Doodle do or die. Pack your little kit, show your grit, do your bit, Yankees to the ranks from the towns and the tanks. Make your mother proud, of you and the old Red White and Blue, over there, over there, send the word, send the word over there that the Yanks are coming, the Yanks are coming...

Nope. Pro-war jingoist patriotism from the first letter to the last full stop and several seconds beyond that too.

I wonder whether they sing it in Kabul these days and if not, why not.

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 4:23 pm

"I'm not sure there's even one line in "Over There" which qualifies it as an anti-war song. Maybe I'm listening to it wrong."

No, you are correct, mr. spot, so I deleted it from my post.

Wandrin · Post by **Wandrin** » Tue Aug 21, 2012 4:49 pm

Oh, this thread caused me to remember some of the great ones.

gmc · Post by **gmc** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 7:35 am

Bryn Mawr;1401583 wrote: For heavy metal anti war songs have you considered Uriah Heap?

Uriah Heep - Lady in black - YouTube

Uriah Heep - The Park - YouTube

Hadn't thought of heavy metal at all I was just trawling on you tube and came across the abba one. How about green day American idiot as a p[rotest song? don;t know if that is what they intended.

Post by **spot** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 8:13 am

It's what they intended, it's just a pity they can't play their instruments.

Post by **Oscar Namechange** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 9:01 am

Not sure If this qualifies as an anti war song Auld Yin. I think It was 1985

Nineteen - Paul Hardcastle - YouTube

Post by **spot** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 11:51 am

This may, if looked at right, be as anti-war as a song can get.

Victoria Wood - Pam Song LIVE - YouTube

Post by **Bryn Mawr** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:21 pm

gmc;1401744 wrote: Hadn't thought of heavy metal at all I was just trawling on you tube and came across the abba one. How about green day American idiot as a p[rotest song? don;t know if that is what they intended.

It was the reference to Paranoid / War Pigs that triggered the thought - and Lady in Black being one of my favourite anti-war songs.

littleCJelkton · Post by **littleCJelkton** » Wed Aug 22, 2012 12:55 pm

I think they don't write them as much because the great ones are timeless and can be considered relevant in all wars. On top of that the creative quality that allowed for the rebellious art to be expressed has also been extinguished by the current powers in the music industry.

Post by **spot** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 1:41 pm

Albert Hammond - The Free Electric Band 1973 - YouTube

along-for-the-ride · Post by **along-for-the-ride** » Sat Aug 25, 2012 5:17 pm

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