Last week, we noted four recent songs addressing the war. We were challenged to come up with ten songs from the sixties and seventies that addressed Vietnam "if you think you can." Ten? We could come up with a hundred. But we'll stick with ten.
1) Phil Ochs' "I Ain't Marching Anymore." Addressing all the American wars and responding, in each chorus, that he wasn't marching anymore. We think Tennesse Guerilla Women said it best this month, "It's a damn pity, but his lyrics are as relevant as ever."
2) Joan Baze' "Where Are You Now My Son?" Recorded in a studio and "on location" in Vietnam. In Christmas of '72, Baez went to Vietnam and took a portable recorder with her to make a record of her trip. Upon her return, she took pieces of that and mixed with a studio recording of one of her own compositions. Haunting for the studio performance as much as for the recordings of the bombs falling, the sirens and much more. "They say that the war is done, but where are you now my son?"
3) "Universal Soldier" written by Buffy Sainte-Marie and performed by her and many others. It's the sort of song that made the higher-ups nervous. One listen and you'll understand why.
4) Donovan was among the artists who covered "Universal Soldier" and he also covered "The War Drags On" (which community members who've never even heard the song can quote from as a result of it appearing every Sunday and Thursday night at The Common Ills). As the war in Iraq drags on, this earlier tale of Vietnam has new meaning. (Check out for the "for the last twenty years" line.)
5) John Lennon's "Imagine." As the war raged, Lennon shared his dream of what might be if "all the people" were "living for today." Naturally, when Bully Boy's corporate booster looked at 9-11 one of the first things they (Clear Channel) saw was the need to ban this song of peace.
6) Laura Nyro's "Save The Country." A hit for the Fifth Dimension. We prefer Nyro's more free-form version. "I got fury in my soul . . ." We hear you.
7) The Doors' "Unknown Soldier." It's all over, as Jim Morrison sings in haunting (and spooky as hell) vocal, for the unknown soldier.
8) Edwinn Starr's "War." Asked the question "What is it good for?" and answered "Absolutely nothing, say it again." Say it again? We'd be happy if some of the musicians today could even say it once.
9) "Give Peace A Chance." John and Yoko make a statement against the war and the press comes running. Not to report, but to laugh and mock the bed-in. Joke was on the press, John and Yoko knew they were getting the message out. This was recorded as the bed-in drew to a close.
10) "Happy Xmas (War Is Over)." John makes the list three times, Yoko twice. Both were committed to peace throughout the partnership (and Ono has continued to strongly advocate for peace in the years since Lennon was assassinated). "And so this is Christmas, and what have you done" opens the song and hooks you right away. Covered by many, including Carly Simon on her 2002 and 2003 Christmas Is Almost Here (2003 contains additional tracks) -- before the illegal invasion started and after the war was underweigh. Though Simon saw the importance of the song, others either didn't or were too scared to offer the refrain "War is over if you want it."
Or maybe they just didn't want it?