Where have all the flowers gone, long time passing? Girls have picked them ev'ry one.
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago? Taken husbands, every one.
Where have all the young men gone, long time passing? They're all in uniform.
Oh, when will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone? They've gone to graveyards, every one.
Oh, when will we ever learn? When will we ever learn?
Where have all the flowers gone? Youngs girls pricked them, every one.
Oh, when will they ever learn? Oh, when will they ever learn?
WORLD WAR II 1939-1945 fatalities: 50,000,000
VIETNAM WAR 1955-1975 fatalities: unknown
IRAN-IRAQ WAR 1980-1988 fatalities: 1,300,000
BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA WAR 1992-1995 fatalities: 242,000
SECOND CONGO WAR 1998-2003 fatalities: 3,500,000
SECOND INTIFADA, Israel, West Bank & Gaza 2000-2009 fatalities: 8,000
AFGHANISTAN WAR 2001-ongoing fatalities: unknown
IRAQ WAR 2003-2011 fatalities: 500,000
DARFUR WAR 2003-2011 fatalities: 500,000
PAKISTAN WAR 2003-ongoing fatalities: unknown
SYRIAN CIVIL WAR 2011-ongoing fatalities: 400,000
SOUTH SUDAN CIVIL WAR 2013-ongoing fatalities: 383,000
There is an old Russian folksong that goes a bit like this: "Where are the girls? The girls have married and gone away. And where are the Cossacks? They have gone to war."
The song inspired the American folksingers Pete Seeger and Joe Hickerson to write the song "Where have all the flowers gone?" The song was released in 1960.
The German-American actress Marlene Dietrich picked up the song and recorded it in French, English and German in 1962. After 2 World Wars many households still faced an empty chair at the dinner table where fathers, husbands, sons and brothers used to sit, and the song strongly resonated with the people. It went on to become one of the top 20 Political songs.
At the top of this page you'll have read the lyrics. Below you can listen to it as well.
It is a long time ago that this song was released; a long time passing. One wonders: "Where have all the ears gone?" But that is another story.
Is there any other species on earth that kills so many of its own as human do?