I am going to make a few antiwar CDs but I only know one antiwar song. I'll start it. <hr> System of a Down - Boom
Randy Newman - Political Science (1972) No one likes us I don't know why. We may not be perfect But heaven knows we try. But all around even our old friends put us down. Let's drop the big one and see what happens. We give them money But are they grateful? No they're spiteful And they're hateful. They don't respect us so let's surprise them; We'll drop the big one and pulverize them. Now Asia's crowded And Europe's too old. Africa's far too hot, And Canada's too cold. And South America stole our name. Let's drop the big one; there'll be no one left to blame us. Bridge: We'll save Australia; Don't wanna hurt no kangaroo. We'll build an all-American amusement park there; They've got surfing, too. Well, boom goes London, And boom Paris. More room for you And more room for me. And every city the whole world round Will just be another American town. Oh, how peaceful it'll be; We'll set everybody free; You'll have Japanese kimonos, baby, There'll be Italian shoes for me. They all hate us anyhow, So let's drop the big one now. Let's drop the big one now. PS: It's only too cold if you're a wussy.
Here's some links to some song lists: http://www.zmag.org/songs/songarchive.htm http://www.daveyd.com/commentarylantiwarsonglist.html And here's an interesting article on the commercial viability of anti-war songs: Anti-war songs take risk By Geoff Boucher Los Angeles Times March 19, 2003 HOLLYWOOD -- The growing anti-war songbook in 2003 raises some intriguing questions about protest-as-pop: Can Madonna's "American Life" add to her list of hits? Can John Mellencamp's "To Washington" get its message on U.S. radio? And do the Beastie Boys really think President Bush and Saddam Hussein have partied together? Some answers to the first two queries should present themselves in the next week. Mellencamp will debut the song on television with a performance today on "Late Show With David Letterman." The song also was sent late last week to U.S. radio programmers. As for the answer to the third question, the Beastie Boys advise the two world leaders to "kick it like back in the day/With the cocaine and the Courvoisier." The line is a goof, but the song, posted last week as a free download on the group's Web site, is serious. "This is a statement against an unjustified war," Beastie member Adam Horovitz states on the site. On the flip side of the issue, country artists Toby Keith ("Courtesy of the Red, White and Blue") and Darryl Worley ("Have You Forgotten?") have heralded military action in the Middle East. John Ivey, vice president of programming for Clear Channel's cluster of Los Angeles radio stations, says there is a hesitation to bank on songs that take a stand on a war in Iraq. "You take them, pro or con, on a case-by-case basis," he said, "but I don't think anybody is looking to fill up the airwaves with songs about the war." This week, Mellencamp hopes to buck that with "To Washington," a folk song that bitterly disparages Bush and his policies. Some lyrics: "What is the thought process to take a human's life?/What would be the reason to think that this is right?" Ivey does, however, hear one hit in the activist group. "I've heard the Madonna song, and it's left of center, because that's what she has shown she has liked to do, but it's also a great Madonna track. She's such a staple of pop radio." "American Life" is for sale this week on her Web site for $1.49 and will be e-mailed to U.S. fans next Monday. A video is coming in April, too. There's buzz that it is jolting. Could an especially incendiary video hurt the song's mass appeal on radio? "Well, if it's too controversial, VH1 and the stations won't touch it," Ivey says. "It might not get aired at all." Leave it to Madonna to figure out how to produce a political statement and a radio hit.
I found this site with some modern anti-war songs: http://www.daveyd.com/commentarylantiwarsonglist.html And here is a site with Songs About Nuclear War from the Eighties: http://www.inthe80s.com/nuclearwar/a.shtml I also found some group threads about punk, rock, and reggae anti-war songs: Punk http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...m=3a70ac2a.4345894%40netnews.worldnet.att.net Rock http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...v=/groups?sourceid=navclient&q=anti-war+songs Reggae http://groups.google.com/groups?hl=...m=7oslr6%24gfa%241%40nntp9.atl.mindspring.net
Sorry for the length.... Masters of War - Bob Dylan My favorite... Dumb All Over - Frank Zappa Whoever we are Wherever we're from We shoulda noticed by now Our behavior is dumb And if our chances Expect to improve It's gonna take a lot more Than tryin' to remove The other race Or the other whatever From the face Of the planet altogether They call it THE EARTH Which is a dumb kinda name But they named it right 'Cause we behave the same... *We are dumb all over* Dumb all over, Yes we are Dumb all over, Near 'n far Dumb all over, Black 'n white People, we is not wrapped tight Nurds on the left Nurds on the right Religous fanatics On the air every night Sayin' the Bible Tells the story Makes the details Sound real gory 'Bout what to do If the geeks over there Don't believe in the book We got over here You can't run a race Without no feet 'N pretty soon There won't be no street For dummies to jog on Or doggies to dog on Religous fanatics Can make it be all gone (I mean it won't blow up 'N disappear It'll just look ugly For a thousand years...) You can't run a country By a book of religion Not by a heap Or a lump or a smidgeon Of foolish rules Of ancient date Designed to make You all feel great While you fold, spindle And mutilate Those unbelievers From a neighboring state TO ARMS! TO ARMS! Hooray! That's great Two legs ain't bad Unless there's a crate They ship the parts To mama in For souvenirs: two ears *(Get Down!)* Not his, not hers, *(but what the hey?)* The Good Book says: *("It gotta be that way!")* But their book says: *"REVENGE THE CRUSADES... With whips 'n chains 'N hand grenades..."* TWO ARMS? TWO ARMS? Have another and another Our God says: "There ain't no other!"* Our God says *"It's all okay!"* Our God says *"This is the way!"* It says in the book: *"Burn 'n destroy...* *'N repent, 'n redeem* *'N revenge, 'n deploy* *'N rumble thee forth* *To the land of the unbelieving scum on the other side* *'Cause they don't go for what's in the book* *'N that makes 'em BAD* *So verily we must choppeth them up* *And stompeth them down* *Or rent a nice French bomb* *To poof them out of existance *While leaving their real estate just where we need it* *To use again* *For temples in which to praise OUR GOD* *("Cause he can really take care of business!")* And when his humble TV servant With humble white hair And humble glasses And a nice brown suit And maybe a blond wife who takes phone calls Tells us our God says It's okay to do this stuff Then we gotta do it, 'Cause if we don't do it, We ain't gwine up to *hebbin!* (Depending on which book you're using at the time...Can't use theirs... it don't work...it's all lies...Gotta use mine...) Ain't that right? That's what they say Every night... Every day... Hey, we can't really be dumb If we're just following *God's Orders* Hey, let's get serious... God knows what he's doin' He wrote this book here An' the book says: *He made us all to be just like Him," so... If we're dumb... Then God is dumb... *(An' maybe even a little ugly on the side)* I Don't Wanna Get Drafted - Frank Zappa
"What's Going On" by Marvin Gaye. The Cyndi Lauper version is pretty good too. Mother, mother There's too many of you crying Brother, brother, brother There's far too many of you dying You know we've got to find a way To bring some lovin' here today Father, father We don't need to escalate War is not the answer For only love can conquer hate You know you've got to find a way To bring some understanding yeah today Aw, picket lines, picket signs Don't punish me with brutality Talk to me so you can see Oh what's going on,
Rashmon. Word. You Are What You Is is, I think, the most underrated Zappa record. Awesome start to finish. More Dylan anti-war stuff: John Brown A Hard Rain's A'Gonna Fall Let Me Die In My Footsteps With God On Our Side License to Kill And, of course, Blowin in the Wind That's just off the top of my head. There are surely more.
Last Stop-Dave Matthews Band Fire The sun is well asleep Moon is high above Fire grows from the east How is this Hate so deep Lead us all so blindly killing killing Fools we are If hate's the gate to peace This is the last stop For raining tears War The only way to Peace I don't fall for that Raining tears You're righteous, so righteous You're always so right Go ahead and dream Go ahead believe that you are the chosen one Raining tears Oh no Gracious even God Bloodied the cross Your sins are washed enough Mother's cry "Is hate so deep Must a baby's bones This hungry fire feed?" As smoke clouds roll in The symphony of death This is the last stop Scream Right is wrong now Shut up you big lie This black and white lie You comb your hair to hide Your lying eyes You're righteous, so righteous You're always so right But why your lie Go ahead and dream Go ahead believe that you are the chosen one This is the last stop Here there's more than is showing up Hope that we can break it down It's not so black and white You're righteous You're righteous You're righteous You're always so right There you are nailing a good tree Then say forgive me, forgive me Why Raining tears This is the last stop Here there is more than is showing up Hope that we can break it down It's not so black and white
I don't know if this song is anti-war persay, but I just love the video so damn much, I had to post it. Anyways, Land of Confusion by Genesis I must've dreamed a thousand dreams Been haunted by a million screams I can hear the marching feet They're moving into the street. Now did you read the news today They say the danger's gone away But I can see the fire's still alight Burning into the night. Too many men Too many people Making too many problems And not much love to go round Can't you see This is a land of confusion. This is the world we live in And these are the hands we're given Use them and let's start trying To make it a place worth living in. Superman where are you now Everything's gone wrong somehow The men of steel, men of power Are losing control by the hour. This is the time This is the place So we look for the future But there's not much love to go round Tell me why, this is a land of confusion. This is the world we live in And these are the hands we're given Use them and let's start trying To make it a place worth living in. I remember long ago - When the sun was shining The stars were bright All through the night And the sound of your laughter As I held you tight So long ago - I won't be coming home tonight My generation will put it right We're not just making promises That we know, we'll never keep. Too many men Too many people Making too many problems And not much love to go round Can't you see This is a land of confusion. This is the world we live in And these are the hands we're given Use them and let's start trying To make it a place worth fighting for. This is the world we live in And these are the names we're given Stand up and let's start showing Just where our lives are going to. Is Rock the Casbah appropriate with the current world situation?
dude, i am as against this war as they come, but your song is probably one of the funniest things i've heard in a while. that was awesome. i still dont think it's a just war, but i love that song. LOL
Sleater-Kinney -- "Combat Rock" They tell us there are only two sides to be on If you are on our side you're right if not you're wrong But are we innocent, paragons of good? Is our guilt erased by the pain that we've endured? Hey look it's time to pledge allegiance Oh god I love my dirty Uncle Sam Our country's marching to the beat now And we must learn to step in time Where is the questioning where is the protest song? Since when is skepticism un-American? Dissent's not treason but they talk like it's the same Those who disagree are afraid to show their face Let's break out our old machines now It sure is good to see them run again Oh gentlemen start your engines And we know where we get the oil from Are you feeling alright now (There are reasons to unite) Paint myself all red white blue (Is this why we unite?) Are you singing let's fight now (If you hate this time) Innocent people die, uh oh (Remember we are the time!) Show you love your country go out and spend some cash Red white blue hot pants doing it for Uncle Sam Flex our muscles show them we're stronger than the rest Raise your hands up baby are you sure that we're the best? We'll come out with our fists raised The good old boys are back on top again And if we let them lead us blindly The past becomes the future once again
War by Bob Marley seems like it might be anti-war but now that I think about it, it is more about equal rights for all races. Disposable Heroes by Metallica is one of my favorite anti-war songs. Also, Black Sabbath's War Pigs is a classic as well.
