An anti-war song is a musical composition that either states anti-war sentiments directly, or one which is perceived (by the public and/or critics) as having an anti-war theme. Some show the negative aspects of war, while others satirize war. Most promote peace, in some form or another, while others speak out against certain specific armed conflicts. Many of these songs are considered protest songs, and some have been embraced by various peace movements.

This is an incomplete list of songs, which may never be able to satisfy certain standards for completeness.

Revisions and sourced additions are welcome.

Some popular songs of this variety include:

General peace

• "Bring the Boys Back Home" – Pink Floyd (1979)
• "Brothers in Arms" – Dire Straits (1985)
• "Death Is a Star" – The Clash (1980)
• "Fight War, Not Wars!" – Crass (1978)
• "Friedenspanzer" - Die Ärzte (1993)
• "Give Peace a Chance" – John Lennon (1969)
• "Heal the World" – Michael Jackson (1991)
• "I Don't Want To Be A Hero" – Johnny Hates Jazz (1987)
• "Imagine" – John Lennon (1971)
• "In Our Garden" – Naomi Shemer (1995?)
• "Internationale – Eugène Edine Pottier (poem) and Pierre Degeyter (music) (1888)
• "Luglio, agosto, settembre (nero)" – Area International POPular group (1973)
• "Last Night I Had the Strangest Dream" – Ed McCurdy (1950)
• "Living with War" – Neil Young (2006)
• "No More Trouble" – Bob Marley (1978)
• "Major General Despair" – Crass (1982)
• "Masters of War" – Bob Dylan (1963)
• "M.I.A." – Avenged Sevenfold (2005)
• "Military Madness" – Graham Nash (1971)
• "One Tin Soldier" – Original Caste (covered by Coven) (1969)
• "Peace Train" – Cat Stevens (1971)
• "Peace Will Come" – Tom Paxton (1977)
• "Pipes of Peace" – Paul McCartney (1982)
• "Ratziti Sheteda" – Uzi Hitman (2003)
• "Soldier's Poem" – Muse (2006)
• "Tank" – The Stranglers (1978)
• "Turn! Turn! Turn!" – Pete Seeger (covered by The Byrds) (1962)
• "Universal Soldier" – Buffy Sainte-Marie (1964)
• "Waiting on the World to Change" – John Mayer (2006)
• "War" – Edwin Starr (1970)
• "War" – Bob Marley (1976)
• "War?" – System of a Down (1998)
• "Wardance" – Killing Joke (1980)
• "War Pigs" – Black Sabbath (covered by The Dresden Dolls)(covered by Faith No More) (1970)
• "War Song" – Neil Young and Graham Nash (1971)
• "Washington Bullets" – The Clash (1980)
• "Wasted Life" – Stiff Little Fingers (1978)
• "What's Going On?" – Marvin Gaye (also recorded by Cyndi Lauper, Artists Against AIDS Worldwide and Chaka Khan) (1971)
• "Where Have All the Flowers Gone?" – Pete Seeger (1960)
• "Where Is the Love?" – The Black Eyed Peas (2003)

World War I

Main article: World War I

• " The Accrington Pals" – Mike Harding (1984)
• "And The Band Played Waltzing Matilda" – Eric Bogle (1972)
• "Christmas 1914" – Mike Harding^[1] (1977)
• "Christmas in the Trenches" – John McCutcheon (1984)
• "Green Fields of France" – Eric Bogle and the The Fureys (1976)
• "One" – Metallica (1988)
• "Paschendale" – Iron Maiden (2003)

Spanish Civil war

Main article: Spanish Civil War

• "If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next" – Manic Street Preachers (1998)
• "Spanish Bombs" – The Clash (1979)
• "1936" – Sin Dios (1997)

World War II

Main article: World War II

• "Goodbye Blue Sky" – Pink Floyd (1979)
• "Nagasaki Nightmare" – Crass (1981)
• "Reality Asylum" – Crass (1979)
• "Sullivan" – Caroline's Spine (1993)
• "When the Tigers Broke Free" – Pink Floyd (1982)

Vietnam War

Main article: Vietnam War

See also: List of songs about the Vietnam War

• "19" – Paul Hardcastle (1985)
• "2+2=?" – Bob Seger (1968)
• "Alice's Restaurant" – Arlo Guthrie (1967)
• "American Woman" – The Guess Who (1970)
• "Ball of Confusion (That's What the World Is Today)" – The Temptations (1970)
• "Billy Don't Be a Hero" – Paper Lace (also recorded by Bo Donaldson) (1974)
• "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos" – Public Enemy (1989)
• "Blowin' in the Wind" – Bob Dylan (1963)
• "Born in the USA" – Bruce Springsteen (1984)
• "Bring Them Home" – Pete Seeger (1966)
• "Civil War" – Guns N' Roses (1990)
• "Charlie Don't Surf" – The Clash (1980)
• "The End" – The Doors (1967)
• "Fortunate Son" – Creedence Clearwater Revival (1969)
• "Happy Xmas (War is Over)" – John Lennon (1971)
• "Harvest for the World" – The Isley Brothers (1976)
• "I Ain't Marching Anymore" – Phil Ochs (1965)
• "I Don't Wanna Go To Vietnam" – John Lee Hooker (1968)
• "I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-To-Die Rag" – Country Joe and the Fish (1967)
• "I Should Be Proud" – Martha and the Vandellas (1970)
• "I Was Only Nineteen (A Walk in the Light Green)" – Redgum (1983)
• "Imagine" – John Lennon (1971)
• "Inoculated City" – The Clash (1982)
• "Jimmy Newman" – Tom Paxton (1969)
• "Last Train to Nuremberg" – Pete Seeger (1970)
• "Lyndon Johnson Told The Nation" – Tom Paxton (1965)
• "My Son John" – Tom Paxton (1966)
• "People, Let's Stop the War" – Grand Funk Railroad (1971)
• "Saigon Bride" – Joan Baez (1967)
• "Sam Stone" – John Prine (1971)
• "Simple Song of Freedom" – Bobby Darin (1968)
• "Sky Pilot" – Eric Burdon and The Animals (1968)
• "Stoned Love" – The Supremes (1970)
• "Straight to Hell" – The Clash (1982)
• "Talking Vietnam" – Phil Ochs (1964)
• "The War Is Over" – Phil Ochs (1968)
• "Three-Five-Zero-Zero" from the musical, Hair (1968)
• "Travelin' Soldier" – Dixie Chicks (2002)
• "Unknown Soldier" – The Doors (1968)
• "Vietnam" – Phil Ochs (1962)
• "Vietnam" – Jimmy Cliff (1970)
• "Wasted Life" – Stiff Little Fingers (1978)
• "War Pigs" – Black Sabbath (1971)
• "White Boots Marching In A Yellow Land" – Phil Ochs (1968)
• "Where Are You Now, My Son?" – Joan Baez (1973)

Kent State shootings

Main article: Kent State shootings

• "Ohio" – Crosby, Stills & Nash (and Young)/Neil Young (1970)

IRA "Troubles"

Main article: The Troubles

• "Peace on Earth" – U2 (2000)
• "Sunday Bloody Sunday" – U2 (1983)
• "Zombie" – The Cranberries (1994)

Hand guns/Firearms

Main article: Gun violence in the United States

• "Buy a Gun for Your Son" – Tom Paxton (1965)
• "Put Out the Fire" – Queen (1982)
• "To The Teeth" – Ani DiFranco (1999)

Anti-draft/Anti-authority

Main article: Draft dodger

• "The Call Up" – The Clash (1980)
• "Draft Dodger Rag" – Phil Ochs (1965)
• "Draft Morning" – The Byrds (1967)
• "Draft Resister" – Steppenwolf (1969)
• "Kill the President" - The Offspring (1989)
• "Refuse/Resist" – Sepultura (1994)

Cold War/Nuclear Annihilation

Main article: Cold War

• "2 Minutes to Midnight" – Iron Maiden (1984)
• "99 Luftballons" and "99 Red Balloons" – Nena (1983)
• "A Hard Rain's a-Gonna Fall" – Bob Dylan (1963)
• "Eve of Destruction" – P.F. Sloan (also recorded by Barry McGuire and The Turtles) (1965)
• "Hammer to Fall" – Queen (1983)
• "I Come and Stand at Every Door" – Pete Seeger (1962)
• "Land of Confusion" – Genesis (1986)
• "London Calling" – The Clash (1979)
• "They've Got a Bomb" – Crass (1979)
• "Two Suns in the Sunset" – Pink Floyd (1983)
• "Two Tribes" – Frankie Goes to Hollywood (1984)
• "Wind of Change" – Scorpions (1990)
• "Blackened" – Metallica (1988)
• "Fight Fire with Fire" – Metallica (1984)

The Falklands War

Main article: Falklands War

• "Little Boy Soldiers" – The Jam (1979)
• "Sheep Farming in the Falklands" – Crass (1982)
• "Shipbuilding" – Elvis Costello and the Attractions (1983)
• "Spirit of the Falklands" – New Model Army (1982)
• "Yes Sir, I Will" – Crass (1983)

Reagan/Contras

Main article: Contras

• "Bullet the Blue Sky" – U2 (1987)
• "Washington Bullets" – The Clash (1980)

Anti-globalization

Main article: Anti-globalization

• "Cops of the World" – Phil Ochs (1966)
• "Do the Evolution" – Pearl Jam (1998)

9/11, War on Terror, and Iraq

Main article (1): September 11, 2001 attacks Main article (2): War on Terrorism Main article (3): Iraq War

• "All the Young Fascists" – Shihad (2005)
• "American Idiot" – Green Day (2004)
• "Bin Laden" – Immortal Technique (2005)
• "Bloodsports" – New Model Army (2007)
• "Boom!" – System of a Down (2002)
• "B.Y.O.B." – System of a Down (2005)
• "Capital G" – Nine Inch Nails (2007)
• "Dear Mr. President" – P!nk (2007)
• "Dirty Harry" – Gorillaz (2005)
• "Everybody's Gone to War" – Nerina Pallot (2006)
• "George W. Told The Nation" – Tom Paxton (2007)
• "Handlebars" – Flobots (2007)
• "Holiday" – Green Day (2004)
• "Illegal Attacks" – Ian Brown (2007)
• "Jesus Walks" – Kanye West (2004)
• "Let Them Eat War" – Bad Religion (2004)
• "Let's Impeach the President" – Neil Young (2006)
• "Mosh" – Eminem (2004)
• "No Bravery" – James Blunt (2004)
• "Prophets of War" – Dream Theater (2007)
• "Saraba" – The GazettE (2004)
• "Shock and Awe" – Neil Young (2006)
• "Stand Up" – Flobots (2007)
• "The Holidays Are Here (And We're Still at War)" – Brett Dennen (2006)

For more songs protesting the Iraq War, see Neil Young's website.

Traditional Music

Apart from the various genres of modern music, some traditional and contemporary folk songs reflect the futile efforts of war prior to the major wars of the 20th century. Some of these include:

• "Ain't Gonna Study War No More" also known as "Down by the Riverside", and with a similar tune as "Hand Me down My Walking Cane" – African-American traditional anti-war song recorded by The Weavers and many of other people.
• "Johnny I Hardly Knew Ye" – Irish traditional anti-war and anti-recruiting song that was the basis for the song "When Johnny Comes Marching Home", and recorded as ""Fighting for Strangers" by Steeleye Span.
• "King Henry" – Pete Seeger
• "Lincoln's Army" – The Irish Rovers
• "Lowlands of Holland" – traditional recorded by Martin Carthy

References

1. ^ Christmas 1914 mikeharding.co.uk

External links

• Anti-war Songs a website collecting thousands of antiwar songs from all over the world

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