Lay Down Your Arms - Israeli Peace Song

Lay Down Your Arms is a peace song composed by Doron Levinson, an Israeli soldier temporarily blinded in war, written in memory of his comrades who fell in battle. The English lyrics were penned by Lisa Catherine Cohen, and the bridge was written by Harry Lewis. The song is a favorite among those whose deepest yearning is for a world without war and has been performed by children's choirs around the world. The song was recorded in 1992 by the Habonim Youth Choir of Toronto, conducted by Esther Ghan-Firestone and directed by Eli Rubenstein.

More information about the song is available at: www.laydownyourarms.ca/
Sheet music may be found at: www.laydownyourarms.ca/ sheet_music.htm


The Hebrew words, taken from Isaiah 2:4, read: "They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation shall no longer raise up arms against nation, neither shall they teach their children war anymore."

The English lyrics are:
Dear God, please hear us — Listen to our prayer,
And help us do Thy will upon this Earth...
Let the children suffer war no more.
And let a peaceful world be given birth
Every hand that holds a sword can hold a baby
Every heart can learn to love...
Lay down your arms
Begin the journey home
And join the human family
Bridge: The road is long and steep
What we sow, we reap
Children need you:
Let us lead you -
Promises we make we all must keep
Somewhere deep inside the soldier,
Theres a dreamer
Dreaming of a world of peace...
Lay down your arms -
Let Time heal every wound,
And Love will someday set us free!

(Interesting side-note:

The soloist in this video was 17 year old Tara Strong who sang the part in the early 1990s when she was still attending high school in Toronto.

You can also listen to Tara Strong sing Lay Down Your Arms in 2005, when she had already moved to LA, married, had children, and built a thriving career.

The url is:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buFs-Ef116U

Category:

Music

Tags:

• folk
• religious
• pop

[witchywoman2008]

Can anyone give me the Hebrew lyrics?

[uiaeli]

The lyrics are from Isaiah 2:4. Do you want them in English, Hebrew, or hebrew transliteration?

The English words are:

And they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their sword into pruning hooks. Nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

[6MariFer123]

wow Tara is very talented!!! she's still as amazing as she was back then.

[mindovermatter2009]

wow,very moving.Just like all the innocent children of all ages - so beautifull! Thank you for posting this video. The world needs to see the affects of our decisions. Life,War and Death is not a board game we can close, put on a dusty shelf and forget about when we go to bed at night. No matter what country we are in we need to evolve and keep our fighting to round tables before we errivocably change lives we've never known. Thank You For the Song,love lisa. "must we" is my song. Peace to all.

[Washu1973]

All of the guns will be laid down and melted down as scrap metal when the last suicide bomber and rocket crew gives up their weapons and does the same.

[rsgarus]

@xKristyLee God Bless Israel!

[Kabman89]

@Kabman89 Oh never mind. It says 1992.

[Kabman89]

Tara can sing. What year was this?

[SHAKTIVVAAN]

L o v e -_-) א ה ב ה

[General0007ktk]

why dont you just lay down your arms?



[phoenixred999]

if Arabs lay down their arms, there will be no more war

If Israel lays down its arms, there will be no more Israel

[xKristyLee]

I sung this as a 13 year old, for a singing festival for children where I live. I sung the solo in Hebrew too.

everytime, this song makes me tear up.. may peace prevail.