Peter, Paul and Mary - El Salvador (25th Anniversary Concert)

Peter, Paul and Mary perform "El Salvador" live at their 25th anniversary concert in 1986. Now, two and a half decades later, in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the formation of the group in the famed Greenwich Village, this joyous yet deeply moving live concert is being first released on DVD by Shout! Factory.
Get the DVD here: www.shoutfactor...
"El Salvador" is a 1982 protest song about United States involvement in the Salvadoran Civil War, written by Noel Paul Stookey and performed by Peter, Paul and Mary. The song appeared on the 1999 compilation album Songs of Conscience and Concern and also was included in a 25th anniversary concert in New York's Greenwich Village at The Bitter End.
Stookey wrote the song on Mother's Day, 1982, inspired by an article in a Roman Catholic magazine, and has related that the song was controversial even with the group's fans. In a 1997 interview with the Houston Chronicle, Stookey commented, "The most recent surprise we had was in the mid- to late-'80s, when we were singing a song called 'El Salvador.' The last line was, 'Don't you think it's time we leave El Salvador?' We actually got booed at our concerts, which was something we hadn't heard since the civil rights movement or the anti-war movement."
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Lyrics:
There's a sunny little country south of Mexico
Where the winds are gentle and the waters flow
But breezes aren't the only things that blow
in El Salvador
If you took the little lady for a moonlight drive
Odds are still good you'd come back alive
But everyone is innocent until they arrive
in El Salvador
If the rebels take a bus on the grand highway
The government destroys a village miles away
The man on the radio says 'now we'll play South of the Border'
And in the morning the natives say,
We're happy you have lived another day
Last night a thousand more passed away
in El Salvador
There's a television crew here from ABC
Filming Rio Lempa and the refugees
Calling murdered children the 'tragedy'
of El Salvador
Before the government cameras 20 feet away
Another man is asking for continued aid
Food and medicine and hand grenades
for El Salvador
There's a thump, a rumble, and the buildings sway
A soldier fires the acid spray
The public address system starts to play South of the Border
You run for cover and hide your eyes
You hear the screams from paradise
They've fallen further than you realize
in El Salvador
Just like Poland is 'protected' by her Russian friends
The junta is 'assisted' by Americans
And if 60 million dollars seems too much to spend
in El Salvador
They say for half a billion they could do it right
Bomb all day, burn all night
Until there's not a living thing upright
in El Salvador
They'll continue training troops in the USA
And watch the nuns that got away
And teach the military bands to play South of the Border
And kill the people to set them free
Who put this price on their liberty?
Don't you think it's time to leave
El Salvador?

[@davidholdren1358]

I was extremely happy to see the standing ovation! This song has a very special place in my heart, as my now 23 year old son, is Salvadorian, we adopted him when he was a baby. I researched the plight of the beautiful Salvadoran people, and I cry every time I hear this song.

[@mysteryshrimp]

Paul Stookey is one of the stealthily best guitarist ever. Never flashy. Always exactly what is needed. A huge influence on my own playing.

[@steinfranken1108]

Paul puts so much of himself into this song it is truly remarkable. His guitar playing is top-notch and his singing - the high notes he hits! Amazing artistry! Thanks to PP&M. Rest in peace Mary.

[@frenchfilmbug2]

It means so much to me, as a young Salvadoran that they sang this song in the eighties...the bad years of the war. Thank you Peter, Paul, and Mary (RIP).

[@mandelman]

This song brings tears to my eyes every time I hear it. We need more PPMs today, our world is not what it was when we had them around.

[@manyofthepeople]

i am from El Salvador and every time i hear it i cry so much

[@feenex69]

Home of M S 13!

[@kksd2]

They were singing in Washington DC in 1971 during the Vietnam War protest march!

[@hml3672]

@@feenex69 MS 13?

[@annefischer1433]

The folk music singers of the 60s and 70s really raised a lot of awareness about the condition of our world. I miss them dearly. I have so many collections of that music- PPM, Joan Baez et al.

[@jhendin]

I saw them perform this song at Ravinia right around this time (1986) and the response was the same... a standing ovation. After the concert I hung around with friends who work as security guards for the concert. Once the audience left Mary and Peter came out and we chatted with then for a while. Upon leaving I shook Peter's hand and gave Mary a hug (she was a wonderful person). There will always be a special place in my heart for these three.

[@dianaznavor1008]

We were there.

[@CharlesJett]

Absolutely so chilling and wonderful to hear this legendary and magnificent group sing something important - as they usually did in their day. Bless them.

[@jenniferjusten7253]

My husband escaped torturous conditions..in 1980.. beautiful people in El Salvador ! ❤❤❤❤❤

[@musicislife2000]

I just discovered this 2021 chills up my spine tears down my face beautiful song

[@vforvixen7012]

Thank you. This song is very under the radar.

[@joelbenedetti2748]

No doubt

[@rdreese84]

Same. This is the true power of music and ever so rare these days.

[@ronmerchantjr1851]

Very 👍 nice.great song.ive been listening to this in the late 80s.enjoy.peace out.

[@victoriasaper1625]

Hi, if you want to know what when on in El Salvador do watch Oliver Stone’s movie called Salvador, It’s a great pity that more people have no idea of the tragedy there. Viet Nam, Cambodia, Chile Nicaragua, Salvador the list has no end.

[@walterargueta9773]

Thanks a God those years they're long gone poor little country that is my country Now era we have a new dream s hopefully this President keep it that way even if other's countries They are not agree What is going on in our country right now we are happy so far Thank you President bukele 🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻🇸🇻🇺🇲

[@larrybleck2206]

Great, great song. Oh the meaning of the lyrics.

[@ScottCrozier]

A beautifully constructed and meaningful song.

[@andretremblay5344]

What a terrific song beautifully performed.

[@deacjansp2]

PP & M took some heat for this song when they first introduced it. Notice the very mixed reception from the audience at the end. It was cutting edge to acknowledge our role in thee Salvadoran war and our indifference to the suffering.

[@tonybenn1000]

Just Incredible, no words needed.

[@criticalhard]

OMG i didn't know about this, i'm salvadoran and i really thank PP&M for what kind of humans they were/are, thanks for this thank you very much. :) this was when people were humble now idiots want to build walls between humans, such a shame times change for the bad. :( Now were better than back then, PP&M quality artists thanks again.

[@markj.beukema2131]

criticalhard Make America Great Again!

[@cryptozoomauler5505]

It's the gangs and their drugs that have made things so bad now. Along with a justice system that is crooked. It used to be that El Salvador was a beacon for hope, like when they stood up to China and said Tibet wanted to be free again, so they should be. But the U.N. ignored them, and while India harbored the Tibetan Dalai Lama and government, they didn't stand up for Tibet like El Salvador did. Nowadays, though, El Salvador has become what it fought against back then - it has become a place of murder. I hope and pray that El Salvador can bounce back and not let evil prevail.

[@andreworiez8920]

@@markj.beukema2131 We DID!! By voting his butt out!

[@armandogonzalez7864]

Thanks to Peter, and Mary for your sensibility and concern in justice.

[@DriftwoodScarecrow]

peter paul and mary brought an energy to each concert that I have never experienced with any other artist or group. I wish they could still be touring today

[@tinafarrar2527]

I was fortunate to learn/heard this live and all should hear these words!

[@kevinbraden798]

Wow....the passion

[@hidexsasaki9968]

I've been listening to PPM's songs for fifty years.Though the times have certainly changed,PPM's conscience, belief, and the attitude of anti-war and anti US government's evil are still alive!! (I miss Mary) "El Salvador" is the song for all the people of suffering under the intolerable situation.

[@keepinganeyeout6813]

Scott Amundsen Its SOOO true! What a fantastic beauty and unbelievable fierce voice!!!! When I was younger, My parents used to take me to yearly? Bi-Yearly concerts of PPM at Valley Forge convention center... I am sure I saw 20 of their concerts.... We just happened to get sold out orchestra pit tickets after it was sold out, and we were closer than first row... any way long story short... I decided (much to my parents irritation, but also to their approval of my strong spirit...) I decided I was going to wait to meet them out back after the show - we had always left and driven out and driven past this crowd of people - Even as an 8 yr old I knew they were waiting to meet them.... Turns out - sparing too many details, we got to meet Dick, and Paul had to leave, but then met Peter and Mary - I was 18.... Blond haired - same haircut as Mary always had.... Happened to accidentally get front row at the concert and knew every word of every song (and all the harmonies of course).... And they came up to me in....1997?? 1996??? and peter and mary came up to me and said, "there's that girl who has been singing the whole time." And then Peter said.... "It is SO AMAZING for us to know that the YOUNGER generation is still hearing the message... We are so happy you are here." And he kissed me on the cheek and so did Mary, and I thought I died and went to heaven. Can you imagine? These soldiers for human and civil rights, (For G_Ds Sake they sang at the Washington Monument with MLK!???And they thanked ME for paying attention and knowing the words??? I was beyond blown away. Anyhoo - THIS particular song... So deep - S0 relevant for 2014. not cute little folky songs... Meaningful and beautiful, and not easy to listen to .... Bravo. Thanks for letting me tell my little stupid story - its all about the music - but- there arent many people in the world who could appreciate a PP&M +D (Dick Kniss) meeting, so I thought I would share it here. ;) You should totally google MARY with PP&M KILLING it in and being FIERCE at the washington monument along side the civil rights march... they were so young!!! Can you imagine how overwhelmed they must have been!??? But they held it together and inspired people. God bless america :)

[@Scottsteaux63]

RIP Mary. Your voice will never be stilled.

[@assistanttotheregionalmana325]

Thank you for this beautiful song Noel Stookey!

[@williamrichardsully8828]

Brilliant thanks for all your amazing tunes throughout the year's.

[@yzzyfuentes1666]

Wow this is beautiful thanks peter paul and mary n viva el salvador

[@tinafarrar8350]

Their music always had something to listen & learn from. I will miss them & all of their music. I felt so fortunate to be at a concert when I first heard this song. It really grabbed me. We were very fortunate to have them with us for their time!

[@moudieblues5228]

That was a wonderful courageous protest song against one of the US Imperialist intervention. Bravo Paul Stookey for writing this great song and PPM for performing it! Admirable job indeed.

[@colettenasielski3886]

this song makes me cry a whole lot

[@jorgensindycortez1398]

I fought during the last yrs of the war..and i lot people now on this days tells me how hard they have it and its hell for them...even my wife dont believe this long lost forgot warr...but thank you to those that realy know about this and did something thank you..."viva el FMLN. leave free or die trying"

[@melanieortiz712]

JorgeNSindy Cortez my fiance was born in San Salvador. Grew up in La Paz during the civil war. 😪 Stories he tells me at times.

[@mikasadankerman8832]

FMLN were just as bad as the military. Viva El Salvador! Not radical political parties.

[@militodiax360]

THIS BAND WAS BETHWEEN MOS GREATS POPULARS BANDS IN THE 60 IN USA, IS A HONOR THAT MAKE THIS GREAT SONG FOR EL SALVADOR.

[@willsully1303]

brilliant performance by Paul wat a great voice.

[@AR-rz7kz]

Mary Travers was a gift from God.

[@dwaneyocum1718]

I cry every time I hear this song, and I'm ashamed of my country. There's a documentary that is a background story for this song, and if I can find it, I'll post it here.

[@MrANYELINI]

🇸🇻 Lots of thi g keep Happening 🥺 (came 1980 ) aound the World 🇺🇲

[@pmflynn1]

Great is all i can say!. people cared beyond themselves. Pm

[@WillRamirez]

I am a Salvadoran who left the country as a child during the war. I am telling my story in a documentary and I would like to license this song. Anyone know who I can contact.

[@cryptozoomauler5505]

www.peterpaulandmary.com/ down at the bottom where it says Contact Us. Good luck with your documentary and let us know when it is finished and how we might get to see it. Btw, I am not associated with them, just being helpful.

[@jgpenate]

Did you make the documentary William?

[@WillRamirez]

I did make it, but didn’t end up licensing this song. You can watch the doc on my KZbin channel.

[@Joe_Gunn]

@@WillRamirez oh geez Will you could have probably used the song with-out permission. P,Pand Mary are old school and wouldn't care if someone used their music especially for documentary on the subject. That being said I don't know who owns the music today.

[@WillRamirez]

@@Joe_Gunn Yeah its less about the artist themselves and more about who ever owns the copyright now. Using music is always frustrating because there is often a perfect song in mind and hard to find a version that wouldn't result in a flag from KZbin. Even if KZbin recognizes a song playing the background, any money I would make from that video will go to the copyright holder.

[@aec9174]

Classiest protest song I ever heard!!

[@militodiax360]

THIS BAND WAS A BETWEEN MOST GREATS AMERICAN GROUPS IN THE 60....

[@dukedumby]

still amazing today

[@Fregulus5]

Songs like this got heaps of praise during the Vietnam years, but this one was made during the jingoistic Reagan era. People were holding up signs at their shows saying: “If I Had A Hammer And Sickle”.

[@oldbettles1690]

* * * Even before Peter, Paul and Mary visited El Salvador, Martin Sheen was there, I believe. I've seen him in a documentary made back in those days (early/mid-1980s). I believe that he has done voiceover narrations on a couple of others, too. I think that one was for a US television network.

[@colettenasielski3886]

this song is true history

[@johnnygeejr500]

yes well done the snazz

[@kinkins2008]

Good song

[@OrangeSunubrst]

Would like 'Playing for Change' do this

[@guayo64]

I came from El Salvador when I was only 16 years old, the Escuadron de la Muerte killed all of the kids in my home town, America is my home away from home. please vote for Bukelle help us clean El Salvador

[@jenniferjusten7253]

Eddie Torres my husbands too.. Santa Ana ,1980.

[@Mia-de8xf]

But he loves the Army.

[@mikasadankerman8832]

And Bukele has cleaned up El Salvador! And will continue to be the country's best president in decades. The future is bright :)

[@ronmerchantjr1851]

Yes what a great song sad as it is.because it's real.

[@cornellwaters9089]

🌍 Music!

[@tracyjohnson1742]

Good song! I don't think that they've ever done anything that I haven't liked alot.

[@arodriguez2007]

❤️

[@dallascowboytouchdown4319]

Hearing this song, I was thinking about what was happening in Venezuela today.

[@Questfinder1]

Listening to this play list during a pandemic that spreads worldwide, while the united states are dealing with protests and riots over the murder of a man named #GeorgeFloyd. Hope anyone who is listening to PPM finds peace today.

[@marcospeedo5412]

History repeats itself... El Salvador... Afghanistan...

[@fabiocastillo1972]

Alguna vez ellos fueron a el salvador?

[@bxdanny]

I actually remember watching that ABC News report that said "murdered children" were "the tragedy of El Salvador". I figured that author Paul Stookey must really have been there and seen it being filmed, but according to this, he wasn't.

[@joelbenedetti2748]

2

[@CaptAmerica12]

Change the name and play it today.

[@melanieortiz712]

sa ce pinche gavacho si. 😝

[@tomevans4402]

Dang

[@tonantzinorozco2938]

🇵🇸🇵🇸🇵🇸

[@Wendy-tc5wx]

❤🇸🇻

[@MONSTRBYTES]

omg guys imagine

[@multicaruana]

Well, my wife is Salvadoran- 40 years now and she left the country long before the war broke out, most of her family and people I knew when I visited there in '84 were pro government. I know there is a long history of exploitation there,but the situation is very complicated. Now the problem is gang violence. A breathtakingly beautiful country with friendly, hard working- people and certainly much more prosperity than back in '84 but it could be paradise. What a shame.

[@samuelcorleto7106]

It is getting much better now, never too late

[@multicaruana]

@@samuelcorleto7106 i THINK YOU'RE RIGHT!

[@jimiweaver8573]

Decades ago, I got got beat up after singing this in a Texas roadhouse by some serious stompers. I was bleeding from my ears, my eyes, my nose, and my mouth. I guess they really hated pretty boy leftist singers in those days.

[@timura9870]

I’m Japanese, what “ 'now we'll play South of the Border' stand for?

[@Fregulus5]

It was an old song by Marty Robbins that painted a romanticized picture of Latin America

[@timura9870]

@@Fregulus5 Thanks!

[@dannawebster476]

Us

[@johnraymond-pz9bo]

Dig the anger.

[@NDTommy]

I acknowledge the powerful song and great musicianship but what gets me angry is all the sanctimonious attitude coming from a man that sexually assaulted a 14 year old girl! Peter Yarrow is that “man”.

[@joelbenedetti2748]

Ih

[@AKC666]

I hate how applicable this is not only to El Salvador now, but to other US funded wars, like Nicaragua with the dictator Ortega, and Brazil right now as well.

[@eric3844]

Viva el FMLN.

[@mikasadankerman8832]

FMLN fue igual de mal que los militares. Otra guerra innecesaria. Que viva El Salvador! No los políticos!

[@streetdenizen]

Don’t you think it’s time to leave Ukraine?

[@Edwardscissorhands-dl4gb]

It's time for Russia to leave them be

[@tonybenn1000]

Our bombs and bullets killed lots of children in EL Salvador, just like in IRAQ Libya Afghanistan and now in Ukraine.

[@christinaescajeda1901]

Cheers to Trump !!!! Biden You had eight years what did you do for America you choose to do nothing My vote goes to our president of the United States Donald J. Trump Cheers to President Trump Go Trump !!!!

[@KevinWildes2024]

Aw rageful loooooooser😂😂

[@davidgarrard7301]

Conservatism is an embarrassment

[@itsnotme3882]

@@davidgarrard7301liberals are no better. We need moderation and common sense, not bleed if hearts and upset conservatives

[@Joe_Gunn]

I remember seeing this and thinking how old and how fat Mary Travers had gotten. It was just the begging of a big snowball slide. But now she has shriveled up I'm sure.