War! Ugh! Good God! What is it good for? Absolutely nothin'!

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When anti-war protesters gathered in Washington on Jan. 18 to demonstrate against President Bush's impending war against Iraq, the rally was jumpstarted by the British band Chumbawamba -- yes, those folks who had a huge hit in 1997 with "Tubthumping"

"Hellfire and brimstone swapped for oil and guns," the Chumbawamba guy sings. "When we're pushing up daisies we all look the same . . . 9/11 got branded, 9/11 got sold, there will be no one left to water all the seeds you sow . . . and they sent him to the wars to be slain. On this Jacob's ladder, the only way up is down, one step from disaster."

Bless Chumbawamba for having their hearts in the right place But where are today's music artists as America's saber-rattling crescendos? Why haven't more post-grunge rockers, rappers or neo-folkies crafted a sequel to Bob Dylan's "Masters of War," Bruce Springsteen's "Born in the U.S.A.," the Temptations' "Ball of Confusion," Marvin Gaye's "What's Going On," John Lennon's "Give Peace a Chance" and "Imagine," or John Prine's "Your Flag Decal Won't Get You Into Heaven Anymore"?

Are they apathetic? I doubt it. The river of political rock didn't dry up after the 1960s. Pearl Jam, Public Enemy and many other artists in the '90s have assailed racism, police brutality and many other grave issues.

Do today's artists sport different, more conservative politics? Ted Nugent aside, I doubt it.

So why don't we have any current anthems like "War Pigs," that old Black Sabbath war horse that former Sabbath madman Ozzy Osbourne presciently performed during last year's Ozzfest: "Generals gathered in their masses, just like witches at black masses. Evil minds that plot destruction, sorcerers of death's construction. In the fields the bodies burning, as the war machine keeps turning. . . . Politicians hide themselves away, they only started the war. Why should they go out to fight?"

Maybe today's artists have been caught flat-footed by Bush's escalating warmongering, and they simply haven't had the time to marshal their weapons of mass sonic protest. If that's the case, rockers and rappers, it's high time to go to war against the war.

What happened to the protest and anti war songs?

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"If any good songs are going to come out of World War Three, we'de better start writing them now."
-Tom Lehrer

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Amen

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What are wars good for?

Preventing Hitlers from killing 10 million innocent human beings.

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I wasn't around for WWII. But I don't ever remember hearing it described as preventing any innocent deaths.

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WW II reduced unemployment

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They always have to go back to Hitler to justify war, as if that justifies all war. Not true. Even WWII could have been prevented or at least kept small if everybody with a stake in it had acted with enough foresight.

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Stick to the subject=> Protest-songs

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Strafe them creeps in the rice paddy daddies (diddy womp)
Is it true what they say about Ho Chi Minh (diddy womp)
Old Chou En Lai he like hair pie (diddy womp)
Burn my belly with napalm jelly and rape my frame with a torch full of fire...
Burn mother burn
Burn mother burn
Burn mother burn (burning burning burning)
Burn mother burn

The puke hangs out of the nose
Shattered ganglia twitch out of the dead man's spine
Mouth choked up with worms slobber and foam

The Earth screams blood
No more war
The meat goes to war

The vultures drool on the school
Hissing drops of blood burn inside the smashed babe's face
Napalm rotissery cooks the world a meal

Does it feel good
To be so abstracted?
Is this just an atomic trip?

No more war
Will you go to war
For a botched civilization?

by Ed Sanders "WAR SONG"

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Kill kill kill for peace
Kill kill kill for peace
Near or far or very middle east
Far or near or very middle east
Kill kill kill for peace

If you don't like the people or the way that they talk
If you don't like their manners or the way that they walk
Kill kill kill for peace

Kill kill it will feel so good
Just like my captain said it should
Kill kill it'll give you a big release

If you don't kill them then the Chinese will
If you don't want America to play second fiddle
Kill kill kill for peace

Kill'em kill'em strafe those ---- creeps

Ed Sanders "KILL FOR PEACE"

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Give Peace a Chance
John Lennon

Ev'rybody's talking about
Bagism, Shagism, Dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism
This-ism, that-ism, is-m, is-m, is-m.
All we are saying is give peace a chance
All we are saying is give peace a chance
C'mon
Ev'rybody's talking about Ministers,
Sinisters, Banisters and canisters
Bishops and Fishops and Rabbis and Pop eyes,
And bye bye, bye byes.
All we are saying is give peace a chance

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This is a Styx song with some editing I recevied in an e-mail from a friend:

Here's the 'W' muttering along with a great Styx song...

Sitting on this barstool talking like a damn fool (barstool/podium, what's the difference?)
Got the twelve o'clock news blues (damn protesters again!)
And I've given up hope on the afternoon soaps (oil is more fun!)
And a bottle of cold brew (It's COKE.... no wait, I mean... aw dammit all to hell.)
Is it any wonder I'm not crazy? Is it any wonder I'm sane at all (no comment)
Well I'm so tired of losing- I got nothing to do and all day to do it (Yeah... and they keep electing me!)
I go out cruisin' but I've no place to go and all night to get there (hmmm how about Iraq?)
Is it any wonder I'm not a criminal? (yeah, it is a wonder)
Is it any wonder I'm not in jail? (never happen)
Is it any wonder I've got
Too much time on my hands, it's ticking away with my sanity (It's already gone hahaaha)
I've got too much time on my hands, it's hard to believe such a calamity (I'm in the new's, baby)
I've got too much time on my hands and it's ticking away from me (Tick Tock, I'm a crock!)
Too much time on my hands, too much time on my hands
Too much time on my hands
Well, I'm a jet fuel genius - I can solve the world's problems (Yep)
Without even trying (Don't try, Nuke!)
I have dozens of friends and the fun never ends (Wooo hoo more friends)
That is, as long as I'm buying (How many billion?)
Is it any wonder I'm not the president (I thought I was?)
(He's not the president) (Careful now)
Is it any wonder I'm null and void? (no)
Is it any wonder I've got
Too much time on my hands, it's ticking away at my sanity (No loss really.. never had it!)
I've got too much time on my hands, it's hard to believe such a calamity (Nekkid protesters rule!)
I've got too much time on my hands and it's ticking away from me (yep, and I'll get another 4 years!)
Too much time on my hands, too much time on my hands (Beep Beep I'm a Jeep!)
Too much time on my hands

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To the tune of "If You're Happy And You Know It"
All together now.......

If you cannot find Osama, bomb Iraq.
If the markets are a drama, bomb Iraq.
If the terrorists are frisky,
Pakistan is looking shifty,
North Korea is too risky,
Bomb Iraq.

If we have no allies with us, bomb Iraq.
If we think that someone's dissed us, bomb Iraq.
So to hell with the inspections,
Let's look tough for the elections,
Close your mind and take directions,
Bomb Iraq.

It's pre-emptive non-aggression, bomb Iraq.
To prevent this mass destruction, bomb Iraq.
They've got weapons we can't see,
And that's all the proof we need,
If they're not there, they must be,
Bomb Iraq.

If you never were elected, bomb Iraq.
If your mood is quite dejected, bomb Iraq.
If you think Saddam's gone mad,
With the weapons that he had,
And he tried to kill your dad,
Bomb Iraq.

If corporate fraud is growin', bomb Iraq.
If your ties to it are showin', bomb Iraq.
If your politics are sleazy,
And hiding that ain't easy,
And your manhood's getting queasy,
Bomb Iraq.

Fall in line and follow orders, bomb Iraq.
For our might knows not our borders, bomb Iraq.
Disagree? We'll call it treason,
Let's make war not love this season,
Even if we have no reason,
Bomb Iraq.

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Former folk-rock singer Yusuf Islam, better known as Cat Stevens, arrived in Johannesburg on Friday to record a song with local artists which will be broadcast as part of the entertainment community's efforts to stop the war in Iraq.

The song, Peace Train, was a hit in the 1970s when it was first recorded by Cat Stevens, who became a Muslim in 1977. Islam ,making a return to music after a 25-year absence, decided to re-record the song.

He said he chose South Africa for the recording of Peace Train because of its approach to conflict.

"South Africa has played a crucial role in reconciliation on the continent and further afield and the approach of the South African government in addressing conflict is a lesson many other countries should learn.

"The new release of Peace Train does not signify a recreation of Cat Stevens, but I believe that I have a role to play to help avert a humanitarian crisis and the words of the song speak for themselves."

The recording will be made at the Market Theatre in Newtown by Islam and local artists.

Pascal Moloi, the Johannesburg municipality's city manager, welcomed Islam to the city.

"It is an honour that he has chosen Johannesburg to send his message of peace to the world. The inclusion of local artists in the recording is also welcomed.

"During the dark years of apartheid Newtown and the Market Theatre played a critical role in allowing freedom of expression and encouraging discussion and debate, and today we welcome the message that Yusuf Islam is sending to the world," said Moloi. - Sapa

Source: Saturday Star

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Silent soldiers on a silver screen
Framed in fantasies and dragged in dream
Unpaid actors of the mystery
The mad director knows that freedom will not make you free
And what's this got to do with me?
I declare the war is over
Its over It's over

Drums are drizzling on a grain of sand
Fading rythms of a fading land
Prove your courage in the proud parade
Trust your leaders where mistakes are almost never made
And they're afraid that I.m afraid
I'm afraid the war is over
It's over It's over

So do your duty boys and join with pride
Serve your country in her suicide
Find the flag so you can wave good-bye
This country is too young to die
I declare the war is over
It's over It's over

One legged veterans will greet the dawn
And they're whistling marches as they mow the lawn
And the gargoyle will only sit and grieve
The gypsy fortune teller told me that we'd been deceived
You only are what you believe
I believe the war is over
It's over It's over

Phil Ochs "THE WAR IS OVER"

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What about the artists performing now? Where is the anti-war song from La Spears, Christina A., Jenny from the Blocks, Nelly, Kelly, Kelly O, .....

I wanna see some action!!!!

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Anything newer than mid 70s is somebody else's deal.

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edgar

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Sounds like the peace people are waving signs today. Why don't these people support our American troops?

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If the US and it's allies hadn't entered WWII, what would have happened to all the nazi prisoners of war held captive by the Germans? More gas chamber exterminations? Wasn't Hitler's goal to kill all Jews ?

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War! Ugh! Good God! What is it good for? Absolutely nothin'!

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