My Top Anti-War Songs

[@Lachlanmacdiarmid]

A subject that is close to my heart, so many great anti-war songs through the decades. Hopefully one day the world will be at peace. Wars are easy to start but difficult to end. Lachlan.

[@KevinButler-bm8lw]

For me one track outshines all others by a country mile-------------Twelfth Night, Sequences 2018------------------brilliant epic music, lyrically genius. RIP Geoff Mann.

[@tombaranyai6683]

What a great topic Phil. I'd forgotten about Gillan's Mutually Assured Destruction. I'll have to dig it out of my collection and play it. It's been a while.

[@abdulbasheer6551]

Great episode. Sadly War is a topic that was and is and will be always going on. Here are some of my favourites. 1. Who's Gonna Win the War by Hawkwind 2. Army Dreamers by Kate Bush 3. Forgotten Sons by Marillion 4. Soldier of the Line by Magnum 5. Invisible Sun by The Police I like Masters of War alot and like the version by Joan Osborne. Lots more anti war songs I like but these are some that I just like to mention.

[@INSTITUTE22-BG]

Uriah Heep - Come away Melinda is my number two after War Pigs, always leaves me with a lump in my throat & a tear in my eye

[@BlackDog-ur9tq]

Excellent topic Phil. Some of the go to Anti-War tunes for me are - Nena - 99 Luftballoons Redgum - I Was Only 19 (A Walk In The Light Green) Johnny Hates Jazz - I Don't Want To Be A Hero Eric Bogle - (And The Band Played) Waltzing Matilda

[@Nitramessahc]

Excellent video! I was expecting Child in time. Some of my favorites here: Dylan - With God on our side CSN - Wooden Ships Dire Straits - Brothers in Arms Hendrix - Machine gun and Izabella

[@thomaswery3087]

The two that came to me were Edwin Starr-War and The Temptations-Ball Of Confusion(That's What The World Is Taday)

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Two excellent choices - thank you 🤩

[@rogertemple7193]

Where Have all the Flowers Gone (Pete Seeger, the Kingston Trio), Eve of Destruction (Barry McGuire) are great anti war songs and i listen to them occasionally thank you Phil.🎶🎤🎸🎸🎹🥁🎶

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Thank you 🙏 great choices

[@mikemclintock3893]

Great list, I have all my CDs ripped to FLAC files and have a 1.5 TB micro SD card in my DAP so I'm going to make a playlist out of what I own. I'd say I have about 75 percent of the songs. "Some Mother's Son" by The Kinks is a great anti war song, essentially at the end of the day every soldier was some mother's son, on each side. A couple McCartney songs, "Give Ireland Back to the Irish" and "Despite Repeated Warnings", a brilliant song from his Egypt Station album which is more about the corrupt leaders and blindly following them. A fantastic song, the second one is. Off to make my playlist, thanks Phil!

[@garym6688]

Great list, Phil! One track that came to mind for me after you named your first two "Christmas-themed" anti-war songs, was "I Want To Come Home For Christmas" by Mr. Marvin Gaye. It's also one that you rarely (if ever) hear whilst out shopping, but the tale of a P.O.W. dreaming of being home for the holidays and hoping his family hasn't forgotten him isn't the typical grocery store fare, I suppose. Of course, the man himself did feature later in your rankings with the sublime "What's Going On," a track that belongs on ANY list of great songs, but if you don't know "I Want To Come Home For Christmas," please check that one out.

[@daicullinane7746]

Phil, this video was top of the list of YT recommendations.

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Wow 🤩 that’s good to know :)

[@twatson4887]

Great selection Phil, totally agree. I think I would add 'Bells of Berlin' and 'Lonely Soldier' by Lone star. Thank you- keep doing what you do, its thought provoking

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Lone Star, great choice !

[@thomasroth4533]

But the 60s was the decade for anti war songs. One of my favorites is Donovan's "To Susan On The West Coast Waiting". It's so intimate and so quiet. He almost whispers the words. Andy is in Vietnam and he is writing a letter to Susan at home. Very gripping. In this case less is more.

[@dogfight2008]

Don't forget the song from Magnum "don't wake the lion"

[@duncanleith9172]

Has to be Morning Dew for me. So many covers, but will always be Grateful Dead's version that resonates.

[@54macdog]

Geezer is a genius. Some other anti-war songs: CCR - Fortunate Son The Jam - Little Boy Soldiers The Clash - Charlie Don't Surf Masters Apprentices - War or Hands of Time Monkees - Last Train to Clarksville Animals - Sky Pilot

[@Behind_the_Wall_of_Sleep]

Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings feels like it should be an anti-war piece.

[@askoholli9306]

Certainly effectively used in Platoon.

[@davidstafford9921]

Great video, Phil. When it comes to anti-war/protest music, Chicago's "It Better End Soon," a rock suite protesting America's involvement in Vietnam, always comes to mind. Another poignant track is "The Tea Leaf Prophecy," by Joni Mitchell--"Lay down your arms (study war no more)."

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Great choices David! Thank you for sharing :)

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

Excellent choice a better end soon is fantastic suite

[@stuartwaby3081]

Emerson, Lake and Powell, Lay Down Your Arms and Mars the bringer of war springs to mind both on the 1986 album 😊

[@anthonyferguson4102]

I’m your captain ( closer to home grand funk railroad ) and also eve of destruction ( Barry McGuire) 2 top key Selections from that era --- Anthony ( queens NYC)

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Thank you 🙏

[@anthonyferguson4102]

@ you are welcome great content- Anthony

[@mrsmith7939]

Interesting topic Phil! Those Christmas tunes are classics with Stop the Cavalry - wonderful. Good call with Savage - you don't need a reason to listen to JP - but I always find the vocals on Stained Class difficult to understand

[@julianirving9868]

Phil, a number of great songs in your lists and in the comments already listed. Forgotten Sons by Marillion would be on mine. Kind regards

[@truckerkevthepaidtourist]

Very cool list Although I would have to put in a protest song without saying it's a protest song The absolutely beautiful golden ribbons from loggins & Messina Also Jimmy Cliff Vietnam I know many people with the how they're going to put happy Xmas war is over from John Lennon but I would also add the imagine cut I don't want to be a soldier Bob Seger 2+2 check it out online Other side note I agree with you about the great what's going on Stevie wonder's innervisions is another one of those albums that will just blow you away when you really dive into that album

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Thank you for adding your suggestions - Phil :)

[@FVD]

Bonus Track!! Edwin Starr's "collaboration" with Slayer. War (On the South Side of Heaven) mashed up tastefully by Mister Bill McClintock... 😄👌

[@AJAndyO]

My fav Xmas song is also Greg Lake’s, and 2nd favourite is John & Yoko. I actually have the custom label single of Happy Xmas War Is Over, with their faces morphing between one another. When you mentioned The Stones, I just knew it was gonna be Gimme Shelter. The guitar at the beginning still always gives me goosebumps, it’s just sublime, and when the off-beat drums come in, well, it’s just one of the best things they ever did. Of course, War Pigs had to be top of the pile! What did you miss? How about War’s ‘Why Can’t We Be Friends?’ as an alternative approach? And then there’s Edwin Starr’s (I saw him perform, once, in a nightclub, in Ipswich!) ‘War’ - “What Is It Good For!”. Blondie’s ‘War Child’. The Cranberries also did their own track called ‘War Child’ Lastly, the Y&T track ‘Rock & Roll’s Gonna Save The World’ (check out the lyrics) is definitely a contender. Thanks 🙏. for another great and thought provoking video ! 🤘😎🤘 AJ.

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Some great choices Andy, thank you 🙏

[@Mikesmallfanclub]

Hi Phil a great choice not heard of some of those tracks before so checking them out now how about peace is free by Black stone cherry and maybe at a push Rooster by Alice in chains, enjoyed has always Phil.

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Thank you 🙏

[@BanalayerPete1972]

Hi Phil. I was sure Under the Gun by Deep Purple would feature. It's my top anti-war song. "Stupid b******s and religious freaks, So safe in their castle-keeps..." feels so relevant exactly 40 years on. And Rainbow's Eyes of the World comes across as a comment on the evils of war - it's not sword-and-sorcery at all. Am sorry about your Dad in '85. I hope next year brings a kind of peace 40 years on. Hope it's ok to say that on here. Anniversaries can help, I think. Agree 100% on the Ian Hunter song! In fact, Something's Going On from the same (underrated) album is a great and clever comment on the Cold War that seems relevant again. The Lynott-Moore duo excelled at serious themes like war. Although Military Man seems to address Phil's own situation at the time, it also shows war from a soldier's perspective.

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Hi Pete, totally ok to mention my feelings about my Dad. I want to ensure I talk as openly and honestly here. We have all suffered loss and have days when we feel down. I know as a bloke I never really talked about how I was feeling. I want to help other see its good to talk. Under the Gun, how did I forget that one ! Great choice - Phil :)

[@BanalayerPete1972]

@@NowSpinningMagazine: Thanks Phil. We've touched on serious issues a couple of times (I was AlexAlexon and BlueBlazer on here, but kept forgetting passwords, so I've named myself after a robot we made at school in '72!), and, as you've said, music really is a healer. And blokes talking about their feelings is strength-giving. Cheers.

[@risingstar7161]

Summer Soldier Barclay James Harvest from Baby James Harvest. I feel sorry for the bomber who all life and limb dishonours For the people he's maimed and left alone anti war is all over this track

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Great choice - there are so many

[@slobodanudarac5]

Phil, could you create a Spotify list from that? Maybe it's too much hassle. Sometimes I think it would be an idea to make a list of uplifting songs too.

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Thank you 🙏 what a great idea. I will do this and also start to include this on any future ranking video where I focus on songs / tracks. Phil

[@freedmarine]

I hope we also get the Top Pro-War Songs.

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

I’m sure someone will be working on that right now.

[@jasongaylor2232]

@@NowSpinningMagazine Yeah, I'm sure there are some right-wing, warmongers chomping at the bit. Why would anyone be "pro-war"?! Oh, almost forgot. Defense contractors profit from war. Bunch of psychopaths.

[@merikblackmore]

Lyrics are not my focus when I listen to sonsg so my few are a bit route 1 Edwin Starr's War has been mentioned but I like Bruce's version from Live 75-85 a lot too. Dad's Gonna Kill Me by Richard Thompson 1916 by Motorhead Military Madness by Graham Nash The Bravery of Being Out of Range like a lot of Roger Waters output would qualify

[@NowSpinningMagazine]

Brilliant choices - thank you for sharing

[@nigelleaney8266]

Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire, Where Have all the Flowers Gone - Pete Seeger.

[@loungedweller]

Motorhead - Marching Off to War (1983)

[@jonholmes1845]

I agree War pigs is the sure number 1 by a mile but Slayers Angel of death is painful to listen to and certainly makes you hate war so would be my number 2

[@waynegoucher4503]

Chris Wood - '1887'

[@danneeson7056]

Jimi Hendrix Experience 1983 (A Merman I Should Turn To Be) Moon Turn The Tides....gently gently away and Jimi's Band Of Gypsy's Machine Gun.

[@chobson8602]

where are the anti war songs of today against Joe and DOnald!!!Just so sad the dreams of the boomers are dead!

[@nigelwatson8992]

War, huh, yeah, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing. I would add Military Madness by Graham Nash.

[@Godzilla-t1z]

2 Minutes To Midnight

[@Godzilla-t1z]

Emerson Lake and Palmer....Epitaph

[@neilbower9052]

Barry McGuire - Eve Of Destruction... and of course the Woodstock sing-a-long Country Joe & The Fish - I-Feel-Like-I'm-Fixin'-to-Die Rag