Album: It's My Way! (1964)

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• He's five-foot-two and he's six-feet-four
  He fights with missiles and with spears
  He's all of thirty-one and he's only seventeen
  He's been a soldier for a thousand years
  
  He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an Atheist, a Jain
  A Buddhist, and a Baptist and a Jew
  And he knows he shouldn't kill
  And he knows he always will kill
  You for me my friend and me for you
  
  And he's fighting for Canada
  He's fighting for France
  He's fighting for the USA
  And he's fighting for the Russians
  And he's fighting for Japan
  And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way
  
  And he's fighting for democracy
  He's fighting for the Reds
  He says it's for the peace of all
  He's the one who must decide
  Who's to live and who's to die
  And he never sees the writing on the wall
  
  But without him how would Hitler have condemned him at Dachau
  Without him Caesar would've stood alone
  He's the one who gives his body as the weapon of the war
  And without him, all this killing can't go on
  
  He's the universal soldier and he really is to blame
  His orders come from far away no more
  They come from him and you and me
  And brothers, can't you see
  This is not the way we put an end to war? Writer/s: Buffy Sainte-Marie
  Publisher: Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
  Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 9

• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn October 9th 1965, Glen Campbell performed "Universal Soldier" on the ABC-TV program 'Shindig!'; twenty days earlier on September 19th the song entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart at position #90 {See next post below}...
  R.I.P. Jimmy O'Neill {Shindig's host, 1940 -2013}.
• Barry from Sauquoit, NyOn September 19th 1965, two covered versions of Buffy Sainte Marie's "The Universal Soldier" entered Billboard's Hot Top 100 chart; Donovan at position #84 and Glen Campbell at #90...
  Both versions stayed on the Top 100 for seven weeks; and both versions also peaked on the same day, October 24th, Glen Campbell at #45 {for 1 week} while Donovan reached #53 {also for 1 week}...
  May God bless and watch over Mr. Campbell.
• Donald from Rangoon, MyanmarGlen Campbell's version is also very good and I prefer his to the one by Donovan although Donovan's is more well-known. Donald (Burma)
• Sara from Silver Spring, MdAccording to The Originals Project The Highywaymen released the song in 1963 prior to
  Buffy St. Marie's version
• Sara from Silver Spring, MdIn 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.
• Joel from Columbia, ScThis 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.
• Zachariah from Detroit, MiThe passage of time never forgets to ignore this song's message. Alas.
• John from Overland Park, KsGlen Campbell also covered this song.
• Hugh from Kansas City, MoThere 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.

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