Starting with Ukraine, back when it was part of Russia.

The Call

Leon Russell

(Not the John Lennon song) I believe Leon Russell (with Bonnie Bramlett) wrote this song for Joe Cocker, but I prefer this version, although I do like Joe Cocker.

I posted this for lettersatoz and originally linked to that name, which is why I think the thread got rejected originally, but this thread was her/his idea.

Note: I will not be able to continue this tomorrow, as I will be going to Cathedral City to work on the kitchen there.

If anyone else continues this, please cross post to The Garden Party, for easy reference. It's a good way to keep track of what has been posted.

Thank you Lars 🙂

I'll re-post this one - it's among my favorite hymns

This is my song, O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for lands afar and mine.

This is my home, the country where my heart is,

Here are my hopes, my dreams, my holy shrine.

But other hearts in other lands are beating,

With hopes and dreams as true and high as mine.

My country’s skies are bluer than the ocean,

And sunlight beams on cloverleaf and pine.

But other lands have sunlight too, and clover,

And skies are everywhere as blue as mine.

This is my song, O God of all the nations,

A song of peace for their land and for mine.

So let us raise this melody together,

Beneath the stars that guide us through the night;

If we choose love, each storm we’ll learn to weather,

Until true peace and harmony we find,

This is our song, a hymn we raise together;

A dream of peace, uniting humankind.

Thanks, Lars! I'll continue it tomorrow. (by the way, I'm a she! 😎)

As some background for others, as mentioned in another thread last week, seeing the devastation and horrors from the war in Ukraine has impacted most of us. In some ways we’ve wondered if its appropriate to celebrate life with music while so many are hurting. But by now we’ve seen several accounts from within the war zone – someone playing the national anthem on piano or a cello left among the rubble; the little girl entertaining her fellow refugees with a sweet version of Let it Go. Music is healing. And it’s universal. So let's use music to stand with Ukraine.

And I think it's ok to take some liberties with the peace theme and it expand it into unity, brotherly love, strength, resilience.

Go-A SHUM - Euro❤️ision Song Contest

Interesting (to me) that they can wear white coveralls as camouflage.

I wish the Russian soldiers could her this. They've been duped!!!

This one was huge when I was a kid because my dad was part of a b52 crew and this song helped me cry when I heard it...and I needed to thinking of my dad gone to war....

This one is very long, almost half an hour, but you can skip parts of it, if you prefer.

Ukraine, Dec 3, 2021

More from Kalush Orchestra

"War is not the answer, for only love can conquer hate..."

Hoosli Men's Choir singing the Ukrainian and Canadian national anthems before the hockey game between the Winnipeg Jets and Montreal Canadiens.

Peter, Paul and Mary - Where Have All the Flowers Gone

Love this song - I don't know that Jeff Lynne ever did anything else remotely political besides this. The video shows Civil War imagery, but I've always thought of it as WWI - and it came out in the Vietnam era, so it's open to interpretation, IMO.

Hey Boy Blue, can't you hear all
the noise.
It's for you, all the town's waiting
there.
Let us go, there's a show like you ain't
seen before
Welcome home, where you been all
these years,
Look around, all the crowd is in tears,
It's so good to see you in the streets
of your town.

Hey Boy Blue is back. etc.

I've seen bold knights, dropping
down like flies,
I've seen kings, rolling in the mire,
I've seen God, point the finger of
doom to our foes.
I have fought in the holiest wars,
I have smashed, some of the holiest jaws
I've been jailed, been impaled, and
been dragged through the world.
One thing, I have learned through
these years,
Is that no man, should be stricken
with fear
It should be that he walks with no
care in the world.
So my friends, who are gathered here
today,
Hear this clear, for I'll not further say,
That no man, shall cause me to take
up arms again.

Hey Boy Blue is back. etc.

And here's another classic. I don't think I knew that Johnny Rivers covered it too...

The 60s produced so many great anti-war themes. The musical Hair has a number of excellent ones.

'How dare they try to end this beauty?'

Here's Buffy St. Marie's song - I like Donovan's version better, tho...

... I see a car winding up the driveway
Up to your parents' place
The old man looks up from his raking
As the color drains from your mama's face
Cryin' softly by the window now
While your daddy shakes the soldiers hands
Their taillights disappear into the woods below
He's frozen in the doorway where he stands
In the twilight, in the silent snow ...

2 from Corb Lund, dreams and reality ...

love this funky tune

I have started Part II here: https://www.gardenweb.com/discussions/6248553/weekend-music-fnm-part-ii-peace-and-war