War Songs (1 Viewer)

[Sue_New]

New topic off the top of my head. I just viewed the video for Faithless's new single Mass Destruction. Faithless is one of my very favorite artists. I'm not always astute to Maxi Jazz's lyric meanings, but I enjoy his 'raps' a lot. If you look up the lyrics (or listen to the song) you know it is centered around war. However, I'm having a hard time discerning if it is more "pro" war than "anti" war, or vice versa. If anyone is familiar with the song or wishes to look up the lyrics and would like to give an opinion, I'd be really interested to hear your take on this song.

Alongside this, list songs centered around war as the subject. For fun.

A couple off the top of my head:
"War Games" - The Monkees
"Fallen Flowers" - Hollie Smith (or Steven McDonald)
"Celtic Warrior" - Steven McDonald
"The Last Resort" - The Eagles (Ok, not exactly about war, but about conquering the West)

hmmm, that's all I can conjure up for now.

Any takers?

 

[Danny Tse]

"99 Nuft Balloons" - Nena
"The War Song" - Culture Club
"Two Tribes" - Frankie Goes To Hollywood
"War" - Edwin Starr or Bruce Springsteen
"Brothers In Arms" - Dire Straits

 

[Tom McDonald]

"Masters of War" Bob Dylan
"Military Madness" Graham Nash
"Word Game" Stephen Stills
"Find The Cost Of Freedom" Neil Young
"So Much Trouble In The World" Bob Marley

 

[TomCW]

Try these:

War - Jonatha Brooke
I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag - Country Joe (McDonald) and the Fish
Never Kill Another Man - Steve Miller Band
A War Is On - Erica Smith

Tom

 

[Nick Hallett]

How about anything by Manowar...

 

[John Garcia]

Imagine - John Lennon
Sunday Bloody Sunday - U2 (probably anything off the WAR album? )
What's Going On - Marvin Gaye

 

[TomCW]

Good one, John!

Tom

 

[Robert Powers]

"American Woman" - The Guess Who
"Another One Bites The Dust" - Queen
"Blowin In The Wind" - Bob Dylan
"Bad Moon Rising" - CCR
"Doctor My Eyes" - Jackson Browne
"Fortunate Son" - CCR
"For What It's Worth" - Buffalo Springfield
"Give Peace A Chance" - John Lennon & Yoko Ono
"Gimmie Shelter" - The Rolling Stones
"Hey Joe" - Jimmie Hendrix
"I Don't Want to Miss A Thing" - Aerosmith
"I'd Like To Teach The World To Sing" - The New Seekers
"It's The End Of The World As We Know It - REM
"New Years Day - U2
"Orange Crush" - REM
"Peace On Earth" - U2
"People Get Ready - The Impressions
"People Got To Be Free" - Boz Scaggs
"Riders On The Storm" - The Doors
"Rockin' In The Free World - Neil Young
"The Sounds Of Silence" - Simon & Garfunkle
"Stand" - REM
"Us And Them" - Pink Floyd
"Why Can't We Be Friends" - War

 

[BrianB]

It's most definitely anti-war, and most definitely against the current war in Iraq. I don't know how there can be much confusion about it.

 

[Matt Butler]

Disposible Heroes- Metallica
War Ensamble- Slayer
The Trooper
Paschendale
Aces High
Tailgunner- Iron Maiden
Gods of War- Def Leppard

 

[John Garcia]

This is war - Smile Empty Soul
Fragile
They Dance Alone - Sting

 

[Rob Gardiner]

Here are a couple Christmas/War songs:

"Christmas in the Trenches" - John McCutcheon
"Stop the Cavalry" - Jonah Lewie



How about:

"Pencil Rain" - They Might Be Giants
"We Gotta Get Out of This Place" - Eric Burdon & Animals
"Ride of the Valkyries" - Richard Wagner

 

[Garrett Lundy]

"World Wars 3 & 4" - Carnivore.

 

[Tony-B]

Metallica - One
Dispatch - The General
System of a Down - War
Probot - Red War

 

[Sue_New]

Hmmm, you say that and that's fine that you interpret it that way. (Wow, four 'that's!) But when I re-read the lyrics, it sounds more pro-war to me. More like pro-action.

Would you be willing to state why you come that particular conclusion?

Update:
Never mind, I finally found an interview online of their intentions and you are correct. But still I feel the lyrics could be interpreted in another direction, especially with verse 2 of 3 (that usually gets missed) in the song. I suppose that's the power of prose. I'm not an English major. I'm a mechanical engineer. Give me a technical document!!! LOL

************************************************** *******

Thanks all for listing the war songs. I enjoy your contributions; even though I haven't heard of half of them. I would like to hear some of those, though. Keep going!!!

 

[Tony-B]

Sue, I really REALLY recommend checking out The General by Dispatch. It is one of the best songs I've ever heard.

 

[Rachael B]

Life During War Time by Talking Heads

Send Your Son To Die by Blodwynn Pig

Mr. Big Pig & Air Algiers by Country Joe McDonald

If I Die by Rare Earth

Volunteers by Jefferson Airplane

D-Day by The Busboys

World War III by Root Boy Slim & the Sex Change Band with the Rootettes

War Pigs by Black Sabath

 

[andrew markworthy]

Shipbuilding - Elvis Costello
Fighting for Strangers - Steeleye Span
Going Underground - The Jam ('it's the kidney machines that pay for rockets and guns')

 

[JordanS]

One of the most moving, haunting, emotional songs about war I have ever heard is "The Gunners Dream" by Pink Floyd (Roger Waters) in 1983's The Final Cut.

It possibly is Roger Waters' best solo song he has ever done. I highly recommend it to anyone.

 

[Jeremy Little]

Let's have a War - Fear