Top 10 Classic Anti-War Protest Songs

1. "Bring Em Home" - Pete Seeger

When Pete Seeger originally wrote this song, he was singing for the soldiers in Vietnam ("If you love your Uncle Sam, bring em home. Bring em home...") Lately, however, Seeger and others have resurrected the tune as a tribute to the soldiers serving in Iraq and Afghanistan. This version was reprised by rock icon Bruce Springsteen in his tribute to Seeger in 2006. Purchase/Downloand

2. "This Land is Your Land" - Woody Guthrie

Woody Guthrie wrote this song in 1940, and it was originally called "God Blessed America For Me." But while recording it in 1944, he decided to change the last line of each verse to "This land was made for you and me." The song is a great tribute to the working class, and an editorial on the distribution of wealth and power in the America. It's a great call to protest, claiming this land belongs to us, and noone can take that away. Purchase/Download

3. "Draft Dodger Rag" - Phil Ochs

Phil Ochs was undeniably one of the greatest protest songwriters to have lived. This is only one of his great compositions, and it uses Ochs' wry whit and humor to depict a soldier trying to get out of being drafted. Through the silliness of the lyrics, Ochs was able to paint a clear picture of the opposition to the draft so many men felt during the Vietnam war era. | Purchase/Download

4. "Give Peace a Chance" - John Lennon

At the end of his week-long "bed-in" in 1969 with his new wife Yoko Ono, John Lennon had recording equipment brought into the hotel room. There, along with Timothy Leary, members of the Canadian Radha Krishna Temple, and a roomful of others, John recorded this song. It was the height of the Vietnam war, and this song became an anthem of the peace movement that summer. It has lived on in its anthemic quality since then during peace movements all over the world. Purchase/Download

5. "People Have the Power" - Patti Smith

Calling Patti Smith a folksinger would surely upset fans in both Folk music and Rock circles. But her anthem, "People Have the Power," is one of the most potent, lyrical, lovely protest songs I've ever heard. And it's certainly a big part of what has taken her work to legendary status. Recorded in 1988, "People Have the Power" serves as a reminder that, as she sings at the end of the song, "everything we dream can come to pass through our union." | Purchase/Download

6. "Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation" - Tom Paxton

Tom Paxton is another one of those artists who has just penned song after song of exquisit empowerment and protest. His classic "Lyndon Johnson Told the Nation" was pointedly about being drafted to serve in Vietnam, but if you substitute any international conflict, the words still ring true. The song sings about being part of an escalation of troops, fighting a neverending war, using force to proliferate peace: all topics as topical today (unfortunately) as they were when the song was penned. | purchase/download

7. "If I Had a Hammer" - Pete Seeger

This is one of those songs that has seeped so far into the public consciousness that it's included in children's songbooks. It's a simple, easy song to remember. It so idealistic that people can't help but sing along. | Purchase/Download

8. "War" - Edwinn Starr

Originally recorded by the Temptations, this song was popularized in 1970 by Edwin Starr. The Vietnam war was at the height of its conflict, and the peace movement was gaining speed. The song talks about war in general, not specifically the one in Vietnam. The lyrics raise the question of whether there must be a better way to resolve conflict.

9. "I Ain't Marchin' Anymore" - Phil Ochs

Phil Ochs was one of the most prolific "protest song" writers on the scene in the 60s and 70s. This song takes the voice of a young soldier who is refusing to fight in any more wars, after having seen and participated in so many killings at war. It's a poetic look into the inside of the ugliness of war, and a staunch claim for Och's "War is Over" stance. | Purchase/Download

10. "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" - Pete Seeger

That Pete Seeger really knows how to write those protest songs. This is yet another classic by Woody's protege. The simple recurring lyrics make it completely sing-along-able. The story is of the cycle of war, beginning with young girls picking flowers that eventually end up on the graves of their dead soldier husbands. The recanting of "When will they ever learn" is so pretty and catchy that it gets sung at peace demonstrations even still. | Purchase/Download