THE 1000 BEST SONGS IN THE WORLD EVER.

159-Pete Seeger-Where Have All the Flowers Gone.

1955-It has never charted in the UK.

Best Bit-At 1.42. The lyrics tell of the cycle of war. The girls pick the flowers, the men pick the girls, the men go off to war and fill graves with their dead, to which the girls then cover with flowers.

Peter Seeger was born on May 3rd, 1919, in New York City, United States, he died on January 27th, 2014, also in New York City, at the age of 94. In 1941 at the age of 21 Seeger performed as a member of ‘The Almanac Singers,’ who were an American Folk Music group, that also included Millard Lampell, (1919-1997) Lee Hays, (1914-1981) Woody Guthrie (1912-1967.) The group specialised in topical songs, mostly songs advocating an anti-war, anti-racism, and pro-union philosophy, The Almanac Singers remained active until 1943.
In 1948 Seeger and Hays formed the Folk group ‘The Weavers’ with Ronnie Gilbert, (1926-2015) and Fred Hellerman, (1927-2016) they had great success selling millions of records, including their cover of the Lead Belly (see also best songs 431) composition ‘Goodnight Irene,’ which spent 13 weeks at Number 1 on Billboard in America in 1950.

‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone’ is perhaps the song that Seeger is best remembered for, but two of his other co-writes, ‘If I Had a Hammer,’ made Number 3 for Trini Lopez on Billboard in 1963. and Turn! Turn! Turn!’ reached Number 1 on Billboard in 1965, when recorded by ‘The Byrds.’ Pete Seeger wrote ‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone’ as a call for peace, his initial inspiration for the song came while reading the 1934 novel ‘And Quiet Flows the Don,’ written by Mikhail Sholokhov (1905-1984) in which lyrics from the traditional Cossack folk song ‘Koloda-Duda’ are referenced,’Where are the flowers, the girls have plucked them. Where are the girls, they’ve all taken husbands. Where are the men, they’re all in the army.’ Seeger has said that he borrowed the melody for the song from an Irish lumberjack song with the words ‘Johnson says he’ll load more hay.’ He simply slowed the tune, and incorporated the lines into it.

Seeger completed the song in 1955, but it was Joe Hickerson, who was born on October 20th, 1935, in Lake Forest, Illinois, United States, who after hearing Seeger perform the song decided to add a further two verses,’Where have all the soldiers gone, gone to graveyards everyone. Where have all the graveyards gone, covered with flowers everyone.’ Hickerson’s name was added to the songs writing credits, with Seeger saying that he gives him 20% royalties.

‘Where Have All the Flowers Gone’ has been recorded by hundreds of artists in many differing styles. The Folk group ‘The Kingston Trio’ were the first to have a hit with it, when making Number 21 on Billboard in 1961. The actress Marlene Dietrich (1901-1992) recorded the song in English, French and German, while the American R&B group Earth Wind & Fire gave the song a complete musical overall on their 1972 Album ‘Last Days and Time.’

‘Where have all the graveyards gone, long time passing, gone to flowers everyone. Oh, when will they ever learn, oh, when will they ever learn.’