Don McLean - 1967 Nineteensixtyseven - A song against war

[KopiteP250505]

"Every other Saturday's my half day off, and it's off to the match I go,

I love to take a stroll along the Anfield Road, me and my old pal Joe."

[zilcheynon]

It's a good thing that war is so terrible, or we might get to enjoy it. Robert E. Lee

[antiquemusique]

Soon to be fulfilled - Psalm 46:9 and Isaiah 2:4 Yes, not so very long from now!!

[Sparksis]

You all can't even stop arguing with like minded people here on this song...... and you're calling for end to wars.. You all are the reason. He is a sage-muse-prophet-beautiful person.

[goldteeth14]

Why must there be wars why cant there be peace plz sombofy need to stop starting wars.

[alaxyoung1]

DON MCLEAN NEVER WENT TO VIETNAM

[bronxboy1952]

@alaxyoung1 So what? The horrors of war are not just experienced by those who were there, but also by those who lost loved ones who were there (as in my case). The words of this song hold the same meaning today as they did when the song was written.

[rafhenlow]

@alaxyoung1 AND?

[vimmerman]

We cannot ever be honest, in our words or deeds. There will always be people who will disagree, and therefore, we become what we had tried to avoid. No good deed, nor word, goes unpunished.

[Homaira143]

no one can really understand what its like to born in a war torn homeland but people who was born in such a country like me :/

[tbaer80]

I Have been to war, had friends die, if you don't know what this song is about, you never will, has nothing to do with liberals, conservatives, dems or reps/ listen and experience

[rafhenlow]

@tbaer80 I have never been to war. Have been in a country that was at war within itself. People don't seem to understand that these sort of songs are sung for everyone!! Winners, losers. Why can we not just live in peace!?

Unfortunately there is always going to be injustice, bullies, the greedy. Some satiate their greed through 'legitimate' means, others, the Mugabe's of this world, through force. Sometimes we have to stand up & be counted.

I agree with your sentiment, (Sir?).

[janiceswong]

Wars...Why...This Song Speaks it all.......and still Pertinent...

[FragileBitch]

Joe? This one was impressive. Compare to these "song" now a day they only cry out about love love and love but this one told and tale the story that was may forgotten.

[haroos]

kind of strange to hear a guy sing first person about returning from combat, when he didn't serve for even one day.

[swisme]

@haroos Whether or not he served, he has some very important things to say about the impact of war, and he's said it perfectly...... that's the point surely. First person makes it more powerful.

[Jericokaty]

@haroos Have you never heard the word fiction he wrote a song don't meen he had to live it.

[dylan3657]

@haroos well thats one more that dint burn skin of little childern war is a sickness like cancer get to the root and remove it

[dylan3657]

@haroos well thats one more that dint burn skin of little childern war is a sickness like cancer get to the root and remove it get the instagators and lock them up in aplace for the crimnaly insane and pump them full of tranquiliser

[haroos]

@dylan3657 OK, so now what ?

i'm supposed to retaliate by praise to war ?

is that what you think ?

some wars are fought to save lives.

get over the brainwashing liberals.

[dylan3657]

@haroos sorry posted this to wrong comment

[raysrsharp1690]

a song that cant but touch your heart about all the forgotten fallen and those that make it back who are also forgotten x x to all of you thankyou

[namnoiz]

I never heard this song until today. I graduated high school in 1967. 1968 facing the draft , i joined the air force . Ended up going to Vietnam in 1971. Lyndon Johnson you are dead and i still hate you!

[Jericokaty]

Do not think it is a song against war but rather the sadness of war.

[blortner]

@Jericokaty: I think it's about the futility and senselessness of war.

[Jericokaty]

@blortner It is true that it is senseless to have to go to war but sometimes necessary. I hate war as much as anyone. However if we did not have that opption we would be sitting ducks and no longer a country

[gotchabye]

This one for the warmongers of the world

[theshadow1932]

The saddest part is that we DID win, and got talked out of it. Rot in Hell, Lyndon Johnson and Walter Cronchite. If one of you hadn't screwed up and the other LIED to us, there'd be a free, united Viet Nam today. And, never fear, the country deeply regrets the way it treated it's returning heroes. It will NEVER happen again.

Norm

[ShmoozaLoser]

Such a beautiful song for such a sad subject.

[tegmen1975]

good

[shadowandman]

when the hippies understand the meaning of beef and war and that they wouldnt be hippies had the tea not been thrown into the bay and that is what war is for aka war must come before peace without war and those who say war is bad talk to a world war 2 vet and tell him that freeing 50million people from certain death and god only knows how many from teriny

[Ghostboy177]

@shadowandman war is always bad, there isn't ever a good war. There are wars worth fighting, and I agree on WWII, but it wasn't a good thing to have a mass slaughter in the world. now the song is directly aimed towards Vietnam. My dad's a vietnam vet, he's been saying how that war was a lie for a long time, that explains my view on it.

[raysrsharp1690]

@shadowandman please don't use an argument about heavy taxes as an excuse for the war of independence (there is a lot more to it than that ) Wars have always been fought by the working class for the betterment of the rulers whether royalty or governments many have died and few are remembered but the rich have got richer on the back of it ps I'm certainly no hippie

[shadowandman]

i don't care who you are but you have no opinion on war until you have been in one and you see your best freind lying on the ground with no life in his body until then shut the f#@$ up

[troubledownbelowsir]

@shadowandman From your comments, you don't have any business telling anybody to shut up. You shut up. War must come before peace? You sound like a Christian or Muslim fundamentalist. If everybody will just do what we say, there'll be peace. You don't understand life.

[beschev]

I didn.t know this one......it's beautiful

[Magrat67]

This is one of my favourite Don McLean songs. It's perfectly sung, and heart wrenching.

[s14man]

I will never forget my buddy Joe!

[thumper549]

WOW, Can not believe i just discovered this!

 Very hart felt, very touching.

We should all do what we can to make this song known !

[TreborRebore]

1991, one of his later songs

[simplysteffy]

thanks for posting this.

does anyone know if don mclean wrote this from personal experience? was joe really his friend and did they go to vietnam together?

[unkaremus]

thanx,

i really like don mclean and i'd never heard this.

my most inciteful song of this genre is "and the band played waltzing mathilda" by the pogues

my funnest anti-war song-your flag decal won't get you into heaven anymore-john prine

my most crushing thought-john prine, too

"we lost davy in the korean war..and i don't know what for...don't matter anymore

[cwfoster]

What an incredible song. I've long been a fan of Don McLean, but I never heard this one even though I lived through the sixties. Thanks for posting with the lyrics. Deeply meaningful to any of us who lost people we loved during the war then or now.

[Kevinchng08]

Can u give me the link to download this song please? I really need it.

[XxShindouxX]

I will never forget my uncle his a hero in my books this was my first time hearing this song and it brought tears to my eyes and brought back meromeries how i wish he will still here

[SoMuchKoolerOnline]

WE SURE TAKE OUR MILITARY FOR GRANTED. War is not something any of us want, but thank God for our militay that's so dedicated to protecting us.

[jg4876]

Liberals, Conservatives what a joke. the whole thing has become just useless drivel. You have a bunch of rich people who are conservative in their dogmas (Democrats and Republicans) Throwing landmines at glass houses. Grow up it doesn't matter which party runs the show, either way its a bunch of rich people who have no idea whats going on in the real world until its too late

[rutger5000]

@jg4876 : The party might not matter much, I won't debate about that. But do you really think that it doesn't matter who is president? I mean look what a incompetent fool as george bush did, Obama might not fix it, but hell he won't make it worse. Besides, it dangerous to think that lowly about polotics. That kind of spirit is what put extremist in charge. It happened in germany with hitler, and now it's happing in my country with Geert Wilders.

[DAVEY500MUSIC]

@jg4876 very true

[blortner]

Conservative: disposed to preserve existing conditions, institutions, etc., or to restore traditional ones, and to limit change.

Progressive: favoring or advocating progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are, esp. in political matters.

...

That's from the dictionary, folks.

[mocalsa]

@jg4876 You r right..............and ALL politicians are world class liars !....

[ShawDAMAN]

@jg4876 +1

[MagiMysteryTour]

They were spit on, on those few incidents so often exaggerated by militarists, by fellow citizens whose taxes paid for the killing they did, because that killing was something they were not proud of.

You don't have to be a drughead to be angered by killing. I always find it pathetically ironic when people whine about how their brave soldiers were allegedly spit on, a few times. People who are brave enough to stand in face of bullets but can't take a few drops of good old American saliva.

[checkrs]

I don't find that ironic at all. If i went off to war only to come back to have the people i was fighting for spit on me, I'd be pretty livid about it. Especially since the soldiers were drafted and had no choice but to go to Vietnam.

[wiledbil]

Spoken like a true juvenile which I'm sure you are. Soldiers have children and grandchildren parents and friends.I never met one single person in the military that wanted to go to war. You immature fool. Somewhere on this planet there is someone in their grave so you can degrade them.

[WheelieStu]

This song says everything you need to know doesn't it, can't believe I have never heard it before, thanks for putting it on. Does anyone know if it is purely art or if it is autobiographical

[wiledbil]

Purely art but great art.

[1BlackGold1]

you'll always be a young man - you always will be smiling .....

listen to the words ....we all can relate to people we love who are gone ...Dons lyrics really help when life gets hard

[1BlackGold1]

this song is from the head room albom from the 90s - saw don in cardiff uk last year - asked him why he did not perform this song during signing od cds - shook his hand , a lovely man - god bless .

[guetary]

This is such a beautiful, sad and truly profound song. The work of a true poet, and one which never fails to move me. No-one comes close to this today.

[Kevinchng08]

Can anybody tell me this song is from which album please....

[NeilPiersRobinson]

I have a 'greatest hits' album with this and starry starry night and american pie and loads of other really good songs on it..

[walkingdavid]

Glad I found this, at last, having just bought the video "Apocalypse now" a real insight into what war is like.

Don Mclean for president.

[YerDugliness]

I've always liked "The Grave" for his anti-war song, this one is now right up there. I've been listening to Don McLean since the 60's, this is the first time I've heard this song.....haunting. Don is my hero, too.

[ukpsychopunx]

this is his most under-rated song! so hard to get hold of and not on nearly enough of his comps

[dondex0710]

I cant agree more. This is my first time listing to it. And i am just blowed away...

[justaguitardude]

wish more current artist would sing what they feel and not what will sell. great song.. thanks to all the vets. I know my family has gave some and all. to many to mention.. but much love to all that have earned there wings and are flying up above. PEACE TO THE WORLD.

[wiledbil]

Sad thing is, they are singing what they feel. That is why there is so little great music today.

[nova83yutub]

Tears flow from my eyes............

[VICTOMMO]

On this, Memorial Day, I find this so apropos...would anyone agree?

[coomadoug]

Hope you dont mind me putting my two tunes on as a response. Don is my hero.

[WolfKang1]

Did any of you stop to think for one moment that the line "joe came back in plastic on the place" could possibly be the worst line ever concieved? If not then please check out Joh Van Der Slices tune "Do you remember" as this is even worse. I thin the guy was being serious. But I can not take it as such. Ever.

[prreynolds]

they brought joe back in plastic on the plane

[VICTOMMO]

The worst lyrics????? Are you nuts? I think it speaks volumes you dope!

[HARDBAL]

Beautiful Don McLean

[hgptelecomp]

whew! i thought ive heard all the songs of my favorite, i missed this one, thanks muschnik1961!

[darththc]

how many boys today never will forget their buddy?

[al28041966fitton]

I was just thinking the same thought! Plus ca change, plus c'est la meme chose! 40 years and none the wiser.

[davidlenander]

I never heard this before--where is it from?

[dmfan1111]

davidlenander, Don McLean wrote this song.

It is from one of his early '90's cd's called

"Headroom", I believe.

[OopsieDasiy]

its a very sad but good song.

[al28041966fitton]

I wept the first time I heard this song - a decade ago.

I still wipe away the tears.