Talk:List of anti-war songs/Archive 1

Notability for inclusion of songs to the list
In order to keep this list to a reasonable level of quality, I think it's important to establish at least some minimal requirement as far as notability is concerned for a song's inclusion on the list. For example, I think that either the song or the author(s) or musician(s) of the song should be notable enough to at least have a legitimate Wikipedia page to be included on this list. As long as an entry meets this simple requirement, and the song expresses an anti-war message or sentiment, then I think the song can (and should) be included on the list. Geneisner (talk) 21:05, 21 July 2008 (UTC)

Documented anti war songs
There are a lot of documented anti war songs in the Danish Peace Academy. Holger Terp. editor —Preceding unsigned comment added by 83.88.116.41 (talk) 19:34, 7 April 2009 (UTC)

Sabaton
What about Swedish power metal band Sabaton? It's really anti-war band. There should be a note about it. Preceding unsigned comment added by 193.106.76.233 (talk) 18:45, 17 February 2011 (UTC)

"For the Greater Good of God" – Iron Maiden (2006)
this song is listed under "Gulf War(s), Iraq, 9/11, and the War on Terror" the song is actually about war based on religeon would anyone object if i created a new catagory called "relegious war" and moved this song to that new catagory — Preceding unsigned comment added by 82.10.108.234 (talk) 01:19, 20 July 2011 (UTC)

Inaccurate Inclusion
The Gordon Lightfoot song from 1968 can't be about Kent State, as that event took place in 1970. Either the date needs to be updated or the entry needs to be deleted. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 69.181.141.210 (talk) 04:06, 12 January 2013 (UTC)


 * I have removed the entry. The date is correct; the song is about the 1967 Detroit Riots. -- Foetusized (talk) 13:30, 12 January 2013 (UTC)

Listed as an anti-Falkland Wars song is the Jam's "Little Boy Soldiers". That song predated the Falkland Wars by over two tears and has no connection to it. I think it is fair to list it as an anti-war song, but one with an anti-imperialist bent. —Preceding unsigned comment added by Tsk9653 (talk • contribs) 16:29, 28 February 2009 (UTC)

There is a lot of Michael Jackson Songs marked as being anti-war. I don't think they all can be anti-war. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.175.44.107 (talk) 01:04, 21 November 2011 (UTC)

Gun violence in the United States
This section, while commendable for its thoughts, has nothing to do with anti-war. War is war, gun violence is gun violence, and never the twain shall meet (except on the battlefield). Randy Kryn (talk) 19:30, 30 January 2014 (UTC)

Antiwar songs, Atomic Anihilation
I tried to add All Along the Watchtower (1968) Bob Dylan. I was unable to add to the list, only the overall description/summary, which is not where it belongs. It might also be added to the Vietnam war. Anyone who knows how to update the list, please add it for me. Thanks. Rockin Ray — Preceding unsigned comment added by Rockinray45 (talk • contribs) 01:43, 12 August 2013 (UTC)

You might want to include the song, "Wooden Ships" in this category. It's credited to David Crosby, Paul Kantner, and Steven Stills IIRC, and was covered by a number of people and bands, including The Jefferson Airplane. 70.176.232.199 (talk) Warren K — Preceding undated comment added 16:43, 10 October 2014 (UTC)

Legend of a girl child Linda
I realize that this song is a bit more soft-spoken than the "average" anti-war song (if there is such a thing). But I included it here on the basis of these lines:

".... A princess lay a-sleeping so gentle and kind Whilst her prince took to battle with his confused mind....

The clash of bright metal brought the children fear But their cloaks of blue satin dried up all of these tears....

My sword, it lies broken and cast in a lake In a dream, I was told that my princess would wake."

Also, Donovan is well-known to have covered the anti-war song "Universal Soldier", so peace-sentiment shouldn't be a surprise coming from him. I also think that the anti-war sentiment is comparatively more pronounced than some of the other songs in this list, such as "Turn! Turn! Turn!" (although that's a good one, too.)

Since it's come to my attention that this addition to the list has already been deleted inbetween the time I first added it, and the time to took to type out this explanation, so I'm going to go ahead and re-add it.

Knightofcups89 (talk) 18:16, 19 October 2014 (UTC)

Lennon's "Sunday Bloody Sunday" & "The Luck of the Irish"
I removed these two songs because they are both NOT anti-war. "The Luck of the Irish" says that Irish people are pretty great, but that they're awfully oppressed, and that British people are the brigands who oppress them, so "Goddamn! Goddamn!" them. Well, praising your own group and cursing the other group isn't really what anti-war is about, no matter who's writing the lyrics.

Lennon's song "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is even worse. It's really quite clearly anti-peace, a sectarian song. And, as such, it's been recorded by openly sectarian groups trying to fan the flames of militant sentiment. In other words, it makes people want to fight more; it says to destroy the enemy; it says 'put the English back to sea'. It says, Here! Fight because of this! This is why you should fight! That's anti-peace, not anti-war. Knightofcups89 (talk) 03:55, 24 January 2015 (UTC)
 * Wow. Some people are really thick (as a brick).

I drive your truck 2012
I don't believe this is a war protest song or a peace song. I won't take if off the list right now myself, but if others disagree I support removing it. It seems to evoke empathy or sympathy for the American soldier's family, to the exclusion of the families killed by the American soldiers, drones, bombs etc. Preceding unsigned comment added by 190.132.77.52 (talk) 17:16, 4 February 2015 (UTC)

For What It's Worth (Buffalo Springfield song)
Although it was not written as an anti-war protest song, it became one. It was a staple at Vietnam era anti-war demonstrations. When Crosby, Stills, and Nash performed it at Woodstock 1994, with the audience singing along, nobody was thinking about the "Sunset Strip riots" in November 1966. They were singing an anti-war song. HowardMorland (talk) 03:02, 8 August 2015 (UTC)

Page needs some radical pruning/cleanup
Wikipedia doesn't have collections of trivia, doesn't typically act as a directory of everything that exists in a given category (especially if that category requires interpretation/analysis), and lists of examples (as opposed to the very rare exhaustive list like a list of letters in the alphabet, list of awards won by someone, a discography, like of cities in a country, etc.) don't try to include all possible items. The norm is to include those which are notable and to include citations justifying the inclusion of each one. I find a baseline representation of the various policies/guidelines involved is to remove anything that doesn't have either a citation to a reliable source or an article about the song (which would ideally have such sources). &mdash;  Rhododendrites talk  \\ 14:57, 5 February 2017 (UTC)

"I Known No War" - The Who
I think that this song should be added to the list. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 94.254.164.99 (talk) 14:42, 1 May 2017 (UTC)

Formatting
Maybe I'm just too OCD, but I find it annoying that all the lists are not formatted the same. I know it is a little more difficult to do, but the wikitable seems the better approach. A lot of work to fix them all at this point though. Steven.Harris (T 15:16, 10 August 2017 (UTC)

Es ist an der Zeit
I've been bold and added "Es ist an der Zeit" to the WWI list. It is a version (not a translation) of the Green Fields of France. I feel that having been released by at least 13 different artists to date (as shown on the German wikipedia ) means it is notable enough, and I hope you agree. Thesecondhalf (talk) 18:21, 10 November 2018 (UTC)

Blinded by Rainbows?
I'm quite surprised that the Rolling Stone song from Voodoo Lounge, "Blinded my Rainbows", did not make it to this list. I was equally surprised that "Blinded by Rainbows" did not have a Wikipedia page... something one poster above suggested should be a prerequisite for inclusion on this list? 141.156.129.69 (talk) 15:08, 21 December 2021 (UTC)

The final cut
Isn’t The Final Cut a concept album on war? This 1983’s album talks about the Falkland Islands war and about Roger Water’s dad, who died in WW II. I think that, even if a big number of songs are in the lists, it should be putted also on the “Concept Album against War” category. Luis JJ (talk) 18:02, 24 April 2022 (UTC)

Ordering within lists
Why is the ordering alphabetical, instead of chronological? For lists which clearly pertain to specific events in history, I think ordering by year is more coherent from the perspective of a clueless reader, encountering the subject for the first time. Obviously this would not be possible for the Folk Songs having no definite time of composition, although they typically have no definite composer, either. 80.230.56.143 (talk) 10:53, 9 May 2022 (UTC)
 * While the default order is alphabetical, you can just click on the arrow thingy to the right of Year and it will resort chronologically. You can even switch from oldest-to-newest, to vice versa. It also sorts by artist, if you prefer. CAVincent (talk) 03:06, 10 May 2022 (UTC)

A couple missing songs
I see whoever created this list failed to mention "It's A Mistake" by Men At Work, & "Killer Of Giants" by Ozzy Osbourne. Both are DEFINITELY anti-war songs. Ozzy also has one or two anti war songs on his "Black Rain" album, but at the moment, I cannot think of the names of those songs. — Preceding unsigned comment added by 76.1.70.234 (talk) 21:30, 27 January 2016 (UTC)


 * I would like to add Come Away Melinda Wendy Huber, 1965, Cats Eyes, 1970. Also I FEel Like I'm Fixin' To Die Rag by Country Joe And The Fish, 1969. What Have They Done To The Rain Searchers, 1964, perhaps West Of The Wall, Toni Fisher, 1962. 2A00:23C4:B841:BE01:65DA:79EB:3B0F:CC4E (talk) 16:53, 11 February 2023 (UTC)

Original research
How do we know that these songs are anti-war? Because some wikipedian thinks so? (t &#183; c)  buidhe  08:35, 21 December 2020 (UTC)


 * Yeah, this article is a dumpster fire of OR. Many of the songs that I'm familiar with are dubious inclusions at best. Like many list articles, I don't know that it is even worth trying to fix. CAVincent (talk) 04:53, 3 May 2022 (UTC)


 * It should probably also be pointed out that referencing a war or conflict doesn't necessarily mean that the song is anti-war, which I'm guessing is a distinction missed when many of these songs were added. CAVincent (talk) 03:26, 10 May 2022 (UTC)
 * Too many fanboys polluting the list with their irrelevant faves. Absurdly, some of these are flat-out "fight songs."  I deleted Epica's "Wings of Freedom" as a small gesture, but who has time to sift through it all and clean it up?  2603:7000:8100:3600:44EE:3BE7:69B1:F4F3 (talk) 03:05, 29 March 2023 (UTC)