Memorial Day is a day that was originally set aside to decorate the graves of the Civil War dead. It later expanded to honor the deceased of all wars, and many use this day to remember ALL the deceased, whether they died in war or not.
Below the fold I have selected an assortment of anti-war songs that are among my favorites. Feel free to post some of your own.
There are many versions of "The Green Fields of France" available on YouTube. The lyrics vary slightly in some of these versions. I particulary like this one as it is very moving in the way it makes you understand the horrible waste that was World War I:
This song by Woody Guthrie is a social protest song, but there is enough in it to consider it an anti-war song:
The following was written by Pat Scanlon, leader of the Boston chapter of Veterans for Peace and is performed by a large contingent from that group and supporters. (I'm a member but I'm not in this):
Kossack hairylarry wrote "Blues for Peace" and performs it with Randy Gambill and Megan Heyl:
The famous Wobbly Joe Hill wrote this one. Hill was known for taking the tunes from popular songs of the day (1910's) and writing his own lyrics, but I couldn't find a tune for this, so I'll present a contemporary version:
A little girl with her father stayed, in a cabin across the sea,
Her mother dear in the cold grave lay; with her father she'd always be --
But then one day the great war broke out and the father was told to go;
The little girl pleaded -- her father she needed.
She begged, cried and pleaded so:
REFRAIN:
Don't take my papa away from me, don't leave me there all alone.
He has cared for me so tenderly, ever since mother was gone.
Nobody ever like him can be, no one can so with me play.
Don't take my papa away from me; please don't take papa away.
Her tender pleadings were all in vain, and her father went to the war.
He'll never kiss her good night again, for he fell 'mid the cannon's roar.
Greater a soldier was never born, but his brave heart was pierced one day;
And as he was dying, he heard some one crying,
A girl's voice from far away:
For the entire lyrics in English and Italian go here:
http://www.antiwarsongs.org/...
Finally is another contemporary number. Be advised this CONTAINS PROFANITY, although we must consider the way troops really feel about being in a war zone:
Have a good Memorial Day and let's all honor the departed. Support our troops: bring them home and take care of them when they get here.