Where Have All the Flowers Gone - An Appreciation

One of Pete Seeger’s finest. My introduction to this song was via Johnny Rivers or perhaps Peter Paul and Mary.

A touching anti-war statement and we won’t discuss that political aspect out of respect.

Please share your favourite version and how you were touched by this song.

 

Kingston Trio & Peter Paul & Mary. My moms record, played on the hi-fi. Also on the radio. The Vietnam war had started. As a kid in a family with strong military service background it was bittersweet. Its one of those songs that struck my young mind & heart with the immense sadness and worldly finality that is death at a young age. The suffering of those that lost a young family member, and of course we knew them. How could any American not then? It was deeply moving and I would pray for this to not happen to anyone.

 

I always thought that they tried to stuff too many words into the "Oh, when will they ever learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?" phrase. Peter, Paul & Mary's version from their first album sing it with those lyrics...

The Kingston Trio's version sings it which a much "smoother" cadence without the word "Oh". They sing it as "When will they ever learn? When will they ever learn?"

My preferred version by the Kingston Trio...



The "too many syllables" version by PPM:

Where Have All The Flowers Gone

 

It is a classic signature-song of the "protest" years.

It's not a song that I've warmed to, it's one I tolerate by the artists mentioned but I prefer other songs they do. I find it a bit cliched and hippy-folk music. However, I am looking at the song from latter times. It was written in 1955, so in this context it could be considered to have been 10-12 years ahead of it's time.

 

It chilled me upon first hearing and still does just as "Ohio," "Blowin' In The Wind," "Turn, Turn, Turn," "Powderfinger," etc. I like songs, stories that stop me in my tracks and make me sit up and take notice. It never convinced me to think in a certain way; I was already there and have been my entire life.

 

i always liked it and used to play it a lot in my early days

 

I was raised on the Johnny Rivers version as well, but listening to it now, I find the tempo of his version really doesn't do the song much justice, outside of a Top 40 hit for him. The song really is a valuable piece of work and can be pretty moving, when performed by the right artist.

Here is a nice live version of it ...

 

I like Olivia’s version. Recorded in 2004. She omits the last verse for some reason.

 

Thanks for posting. I enjoy the song at this tempo.

 

Wisdom in pop. And then, The answer my friend...