“I went through a session where we punched pillows for a while, and it all seemed kind of strange.” »read more
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Buffy Sainte Marie wrote this song in the basement of The Purple Onion coffee house in Toronto in 1963 after witnessing wounded soldiers returning from Vietnam. She has described the song as being "About individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all." Though not a hit for her it was covered by British folk singer Donovan in 1965 on an EP titled The Universal Soldier, which was a success and bought attention to the song. In the US it was released as a single peaking at #53. The song became an anthem of the Vietnam Peace movement. (thanks, Edward Pearce - Ashford, Kent, England)
Sainte-Marie naively sold the publishing rights to this song for a dollar to a man she met one night at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village who wrote a contract on a napkin. She recalled to The Guardian July 31, 2009: "Ten years later I bought it back for 25,000 bucks – the good news is that I had 25,000 bucks."
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Comments:
According to The Originals Project The Highywaymen released the song in 1963 prior to
Buffy St. Marie's version
- Sara, Silver Spring, MD
In the Donovan version the name "Dachau" is replaced by "Labau" perhaps because it was hard for him to prounounce. He got it right at the 2007 Los Angeles Kodak Theatre performance.
- Sara, Silver Spring, MD
This is a good but controversial song. I do not support war of any type but do support the boys and girls who have to fight. Donovan has covered this song and his version is better known.
- Joel, Columbia, SC
The passage of time never forgets to ignore this song's message. Alas.
- Zachariah, Detroit, MI
Glen Campbell also covered this song.
- John, Overland Park, KS
There is a live version of the Donovan cover of this song on 'The Secret Policeman's Other Ball' benefit album. Donovan also give credit to Buffy for this prior to performing it on his recent PBS concert show.
- Hugh, Kansas City, MO