Where have all the flowers gone lyrics and chords
Song Meaning: "Where Have All the Flowers Gone""Where Have All the Flowers Gone" is a powerful folk song written by Pete Seeger in 1955, with additional verses later added by Joe Hickerson. The song became a global anthem for peace and anti-war movements, especially during the 1960s and 1970s. Its simple yet haunting lyrics carry a cyclical narrative and a timeless message about the futility of war.
Themes and Meaning:
Musical Style:The song’s melody is simple and mournful, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. Its repetitive structure and gentle rhythm make it easy to remember and sing along to, which contributed to its widespread popularity in folk and protest circles.
Legacy:"Where Have All the Flowers Gone" has been covered by numerous artists, including The Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary. It became a defining song of the Vietnam War era, but its message remains relevant today, continuing to resonate as a timeless plea for peace.
Conclusion:"Where Have All the Flowers Gone" is a poignant reflection on the human cost of war and the cycle of loss. Its enduring message of peace, coupled with its hauntingly beautiful melody, has made it a beloved anthem for generations.
Themes and Meaning:
- Anti-War Message:
The song uses the imagery of flowers, soldiers, and graves to highlight the senseless cycle of war and loss. Each verse questions the disappearance of something beautiful or innocent, eventually leading to a poignant realization of lives lost to conflict.- "Where have all the flowers gone? Young girls have picked them every one."
This verse symbolizes the loss of youth and innocence, as flowers are often associated with life and beauty. - "Where have all the young men gone? Gone for soldiers, every one."
This line shifts the focus to young men being sent off to war, emphasizing the human cost of violence.
- "Where have all the flowers gone? Young girls have picked them every one."
- Cyclical Nature of War:
The song’s structure reflects the repetition of history—each verse moves from flowers to young girls, young men, soldiers, and finally to graves, only to return to flowers. This suggests that war and suffering are recurring tragedies. - Loss and Mourning:
There is a deep sense of sorrow throughout the song. The repeated question of "Where have they gone?" reflects mourning for those lost to war, while also questioning society’s willingness to let such tragedies continue. - Call for Peace:
By leaving the questions unanswered, the song implicitly calls on listeners to break the cycle. It became a unifying anthem for peace movements, urging humanity to reflect on the consequences of war and to choose a different path.
Musical Style:The song’s melody is simple and mournful, allowing the lyrics to take center stage. Its repetitive structure and gentle rhythm make it easy to remember and sing along to, which contributed to its widespread popularity in folk and protest circles.
Legacy:"Where Have All the Flowers Gone" has been covered by numerous artists, including The Kingston Trio, Joan Baez, and Peter, Paul and Mary. It became a defining song of the Vietnam War era, but its message remains relevant today, continuing to resonate as a timeless plea for peace.
Conclusion:"Where Have All the Flowers Gone" is a poignant reflection on the human cost of war and the cycle of loss. Its enduring message of peace, coupled with its hauntingly beautiful melody, has made it a beloved anthem for generations.
The sheet music and tin whistle notes are included. Recorded by Pete Seeger, Peter Paul And Mary, Marlène Dietrich, Joan Baez, The Kingston Trio and The Seekers to name a few. The song was also recorded in Ireland by Tommy Sands and Dolores Keane and I have given a version of the chords they use in the song. Pete Seeger also covered a little favorite of my that I made a youtube video for called Henry My Son Song song.Where have all the flowers gone mandolin and tenor banjo tab with chords in D Major included.
G Em C D
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the flowers gone?
C D Am7 D7
Young girls picked them, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the young girls gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the young girls gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone to the young men, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the young men gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the young men gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the young men gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone for soldiers, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the soldiers gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone to grave yards, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the grave yards gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the grave yards gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the grave yards gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone to flowers, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the flowers gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the flowers gone?
C D Am7 D7
Young girls picked them, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the young girls gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the young girls gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone to the young men, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the young men gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the young men gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the young men gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone for soldiers, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the soldiers gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone to grave yards, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
G Em C D
Where have all the grave yards gone, long time passing?
G Em C D
Where have all the grave yards gone, long time ago?
G Em
Where have all the grave yards gone?
C D Am7 D7
Gone to flowers, ev' - ry one.
C C/B G G/F# Em C C/B Am D G
When will they ev - er learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
Here are the guitar chords for the version by
Dolores Keane and Tommy Sands version.
[F]Where have all the [Dm]flowers gone?
[Bb]Long time [C]passing
[F]Where have all the [Dm]flowers gone?
[Bb]Long time a[C]go
[F]Where have all the [Dm]flowers gone?
[Bb]Young girls have picked them [C]everyone
[Bb]when will they [F]ever learn?
[Bb]when will they [C]ever [F]learn[C][F]
[F]Where have all the [Dm]young girls gone?
[Bb]Long time [C]passing
[F]Where have all the [Dm]young girls gone?
[Bb]Long time a[C]go
[F]Where have all the [Dm]young girls gone?
[Bb]Gone for husbands [C]everyone
[Bb]when will they [F]ever learn?
[Bb]when will they [C]ever [F]learn[C]?
Dolores Keane and Tommy Sands version.
[F]Where have all the [Dm]flowers gone?
[Bb]Long time [C]passing
[F]Where have all the [Dm]flowers gone?
[Bb]Long time a[C]go
[F]Where have all the [Dm]flowers gone?
[Bb]Young girls have picked them [C]everyone
[Bb]when will they [F]ever learn?
[Bb]when will they [C]ever [F]learn[C][F]
[F]Where have all the [Dm]young girls gone?
[Bb]Long time [C]passing
[F]Where have all the [Dm]young girls gone?
[Bb]Long time a[C]go
[F]Where have all the [Dm]young girls gone?
[Bb]Gone for husbands [C]everyone
[Bb]when will they [F]ever learn?
[Bb]when will they [C]ever [F]learn[C]?
OVER A LONG LIFE, I've sung songs made up by other folks, old or new, near or far. Occasionally, an idea would come to me out of the blue, which would seem good enough to jot down on a piece of paper. Music. Words. Occasionally, both at the same time. Nine times out of ten I didn't have the stick-to-it-iveness to complete the song, but as the years rolled by, I got more confident and (a little) more disciplined.
Finally, at age 74, I put together a big fat book of these 'new-old' songs of very mixed authorship. New words to old tunes. New tunes or rhythms to others' words. Sometimes just a new verse or phrase to someone else's song. To my surprise, a few of them became well-known through other people who changed them a bit and recorded them. Even though I hardly have any voice left, my wife and I can pay our bills thanks to the international copy- right law and some hardworking publisher folks.
As I write these lines, I have not heard more than a few of the tracks listed here, but I know all the singers and the great independent
I look forward to hearing how my arrangements have been rearranged. Let the folk process roll on. Special thanks to all of these musicians.
Thanks to all the song makers who came before us, unknown and indispensable.
Thanks to all the listeners who will learn a song and sing it, probably rearranging it a bit- either back to what I originally wrote, or more likely, still further to what suits your listeners best. If we do our job right, this wacky and varied human race will still be rolling on centuries from now."
-Pete Seeger
Finally, at age 74, I put together a big fat book of these 'new-old' songs of very mixed authorship. New words to old tunes. New tunes or rhythms to others' words. Sometimes just a new verse or phrase to someone else's song. To my surprise, a few of them became well-known through other people who changed them a bit and recorded them. Even though I hardly have any voice left, my wife and I can pay our bills thanks to the international copy- right law and some hardworking publisher folks.
As I write these lines, I have not heard more than a few of the tracks listed here, but I know all the singers and the great independent
I look forward to hearing how my arrangements have been rearranged. Let the folk process roll on. Special thanks to all of these musicians.
Thanks to all the song makers who came before us, unknown and indispensable.
Thanks to all the listeners who will learn a song and sing it, probably rearranging it a bit- either back to what I originally wrote, or more likely, still further to what suits your listeners best. If we do our job right, this wacky and varied human race will still be rolling on centuries from now."
-Pete Seeger
WHEN I STARTED this project in 1996 I expected to involve ten or twelve artists to perform Pete's songs for a single CD. It quickly occurred to me that doing this would never capture the breadth of Pete's songs nor the scope of their impact. One CD could not capture all the facets of his writing: love songs, children's songs, political songs about social justice, the environment and songs about real people's lives. Many of Pete's songs are instantly recognizable, either because they were popularized by other artists, or because they were associated with some of the great social movements of our times. Despite the familiarity of his songs, many people do not realize Pete's connection to them.
Included on this CD are a diversity of songs, topics and musical styles. The artists range in age from five to eighty-five. The hope of this CD is that it will be a little like Pete himself, who encompasses and embraces all sources for his writing and all musical styles for people of every age. Included are artists who have been singing Pete's songs for almost as long as he has been writing them, as well as people who have only recently been
influenced by him. The goal of this CD is to celebrate Pete's songs and to carry on the message that is contained within them so that another generation may be inspired.
This celebration of Pete's songs was a labor of love. I have been listening to Pete's songs for years, as well as their various permutations and combinations. It was tough to distill his work into two CDS (and so this is just the beginning of at least four volumes). His songs have literally traveled to the four corners of the earth and have been sung in over 150 languages and covered by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Marlene Dietrich, Louis Armstrong and the Lennon Sisters. His songs have been inspirations to the union movement, and to the struggle for civil rights and world peace. Where there is a fight for social justice, Pete's songs are there, from Selma, Alabama to Tiananmen Square. From Poland to India to the streets of Washington D.C., Pete's songs have been used like a hammer to empower people. For Pete, this unique experience has been a two-way street; just as Pete's songs have influenced others, so too, Pete has been influenced by the songs, ideas and people he has encountered. He gets his ideas from every- where-snippets of songs, books and newspapers, and The Bible... He paints pictures with his pen, and his palette is the world.
Pete is a great collaborator. Woody Guthrie, Malvina Reynolds, Leadbelly, and poets around the world, are among those with whom he has collaborated. Five songs in this collection were co-written with Lee Hays of the Weavers, including such well-known favorites as Kisses Sweeter than Wine and If I Had a Hammer. This year (1998) marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Weavers. Carl Sandburg and Studs Terkel, great American writers, have referred to the Weavers as the quintessential American folk music group.
It should be noted that Pete's songs have crept into public consciousness despite the fact that Pete (along with the Weavers) was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and denied television appearances during the most prolific part of his songwriting career. Despite Pete's gentle humility, I am glad that he was recognized and honored with a Lifetime Grammy Achievement Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Kennedy Center Honors. Pete is the living connection that runs from Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly to Bruce Springsteen and Ani DiFranco. My hope is that the recent public recognition of his work and this celebration of his songs will create a renewed interest in the MESSAGE of Pete's songs.
The songs on this CD were selected by me with input from Pete. Included are some of the classics as well as more obscure songs with important messages that have never been recorded. The lyrics to these songs are available in Pete's musical autobiography, Where Have All the Flowers Gone. In general, I tried to match each song based on either the philosophical fit between the artist and the message of the song and/or their unique musical style. A few artists selected the songs themselves. Although I have listened to covers of Pete's songs for years, I was im- pressed with the unique and diverse ways in which his songs can be sung and how each artist integrated his or her own musical style.
Included on this CD are a diversity of songs, topics and musical styles. The artists range in age from five to eighty-five. The hope of this CD is that it will be a little like Pete himself, who encompasses and embraces all sources for his writing and all musical styles for people of every age. Included are artists who have been singing Pete's songs for almost as long as he has been writing them, as well as people who have only recently been
influenced by him. The goal of this CD is to celebrate Pete's songs and to carry on the message that is contained within them so that another generation may be inspired.
This celebration of Pete's songs was a labor of love. I have been listening to Pete's songs for years, as well as their various permutations and combinations. It was tough to distill his work into two CDS (and so this is just the beginning of at least four volumes). His songs have literally traveled to the four corners of the earth and have been sung in over 150 languages and covered by artists such as Aretha Franklin, Johnny Cash, Marlene Dietrich, Louis Armstrong and the Lennon Sisters. His songs have been inspirations to the union movement, and to the struggle for civil rights and world peace. Where there is a fight for social justice, Pete's songs are there, from Selma, Alabama to Tiananmen Square. From Poland to India to the streets of Washington D.C., Pete's songs have been used like a hammer to empower people. For Pete, this unique experience has been a two-way street; just as Pete's songs have influenced others, so too, Pete has been influenced by the songs, ideas and people he has encountered. He gets his ideas from every- where-snippets of songs, books and newspapers, and The Bible... He paints pictures with his pen, and his palette is the world.
Pete is a great collaborator. Woody Guthrie, Malvina Reynolds, Leadbelly, and poets around the world, are among those with whom he has collaborated. Five songs in this collection were co-written with Lee Hays of the Weavers, including such well-known favorites as Kisses Sweeter than Wine and If I Had a Hammer. This year (1998) marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Weavers. Carl Sandburg and Studs Terkel, great American writers, have referred to the Weavers as the quintessential American folk music group.
It should be noted that Pete's songs have crept into public consciousness despite the fact that Pete (along with the Weavers) was blacklisted during the McCarthy era and denied television appearances during the most prolific part of his songwriting career. Despite Pete's gentle humility, I am glad that he was recognized and honored with a Lifetime Grammy Achievement Award, induction into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Kennedy Center Honors. Pete is the living connection that runs from Woody Guthrie and Leadbelly to Bruce Springsteen and Ani DiFranco. My hope is that the recent public recognition of his work and this celebration of his songs will create a renewed interest in the MESSAGE of Pete's songs.
The songs on this CD were selected by me with input from Pete. Included are some of the classics as well as more obscure songs with important messages that have never been recorded. The lyrics to these songs are available in Pete's musical autobiography, Where Have All the Flowers Gone. In general, I tried to match each song based on either the philosophical fit between the artist and the message of the song and/or their unique musical style. A few artists selected the songs themselves. Although I have listened to covers of Pete's songs for years, I was im- pressed with the unique and diverse ways in which his songs can be sung and how each artist integrated his or her own musical style.
Where have all the flowers gong song lyrics [2]
Where have all the flowers gone
The ones that used to bloom
In fields and gardens, bright and fair
Their beauty filled the room
Chorus:
Where have all the flowers gone
With their vibrant colors gone
Did they wilt and wither away
Or did they just move on
Verse 2:
Where have all the flowers gone
The roses and the daisies
Their sweet scents lingered in the air
Now it's all just hazy
Chorus:
Where have all the flowers gone
With their delicate petals gone
Did they fade into the ground
Or were they carried along
Bridge:
Once they stood so tall and proud
But now they're out of sight
What happened to the flowers
That brought us so much delight
Chorus:
Where have all the flowers gone
With their cheerful presence gone
Did they disappear without a trace
Or did they just move on
Outro:
Where have all the flowers gone
The ones we loved so dear
We'll never forget their beauty
And the memories they left here.
Where have all the flowers gone
The ones that used to bloom
In fields and gardens, bright and fair
Their beauty filled the room
Chorus:
Where have all the flowers gone
With their vibrant colors gone
Did they wilt and wither away
Or did they just move on
Verse 2:
Where have all the flowers gone
The roses and the daisies
Their sweet scents lingered in the air
Now it's all just hazy
Chorus:
Where have all the flowers gone
With their delicate petals gone
Did they fade into the ground
Or were they carried along
Bridge:
Once they stood so tall and proud
But now they're out of sight
What happened to the flowers
That brought us so much delight
Chorus:
Where have all the flowers gone
With their cheerful presence gone
Did they disappear without a trace
Or did they just move on
Outro:
Where have all the flowers gone
The ones we loved so dear
We'll never forget their beauty
And the memories they left here.