A US Marine sergeant touches a headstone as he walks through the Aisne-Marne American Cemetery in Belleau, France, on May 27, 2018. (Virginia Mayo / AP Photo)
It seems obvious that the best way to support the troops is to make every effort to keep them out of harm’s way. That means engaging in military action only as a true last resort. In this vein, here are my Top 10 Veterans Day Songs paying tribute to those who serve. The list is highly debatable; songs about war and attendant suffering cut across musical genres. Old-timers will rightly bemoan the omission of hippie classics like “Where Have All the Flowers Gone?,” “Blowin’ in the Wind,” and “Give Peace a Chance.” Others could fairly say I’ve neglected an important sub-genre of vintage heavy-metal antiwar anthems like Motorhead’s “1916” and Metallica’s 1989 classic “One,” while also giving short shrift to the rich history of punk rock treatment of war. Sorry!
1) Bill Withers, I Can’t Write Left-Handed
2) Bob Dylan, Masters of War
3) Phil Ochs, I Ain’t Marching Anymore
4) Edwin Starr, War
5) Eric Bogle, The Green Fields of France
6) Freda Payne, Bring the Boys Home
7) Vera Lynn, White Cliffs of Dover
8) Bob Marley, War
9) Loretta Lynn, Dear Uncle Sam
10) Stiff Little Fingers, Tin Soldiers
Bonus Track #1, The Clash, Hate and War
Bonus Track #2, Nena, 99 Luftballons
Bonus Track #3, Gil Scott-Heron, Work for Peace
Peter RothbergTwitterPeter Rothberg is the The Nation’s associate publisher.