When will the cycle end?
Where Have all the Flowers Gone? by Pete Seeger
Hi all,
Thank you for joining me for this week’s song, “Where Have all the Flowers Gone?”, by Pete Seeger.
Note: today’s article is written at a level of TOEFL (PBT) <350, Eiken 3, CEFR A1.
(200 words)
Today’s song has a long history. People who lived in an area between Russia and Ukraine sang it over 100 years ago. An American singer named Pete Seeger heard the song and wrote the words in a little notebook. In 1955, he wrote the words again and sang them with an old Irish melody.
When you listen to the music, it sounds like a happy song. When you listen to the words, you feel sad about the memories of war.
Listen to the song and read the lyrics (words to the song). If you like, leave your answer the question below. The singer is Joan Baez.
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Young girls picked them, every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young girls gone?
…
Gone to young men, every one
Where have all the young men gone?
…
Gone for soldiers, every one…
Where have all the soldiers gone?
…
Gone to graveyards, every one
Where have all the graveyards gone?
…
Gone to flowers, every one
When will they ever learn?
Question:
Which part of the song impressed you?
VOCABULARY
singer 歌手
memories 思い出
graveyard 墓地
impressed 印象に残りました
Source
Ellingham, M. Where Have All the Flowers Gone? — an anti-war song with roots in the Don valley. Financial Times. https://ig.ft.com/life-of-a-song/where-have-all-the-flowers-gone.html Accessed 10 February 2024.
When will they/we ever learn? A perennial question and therein lies the sorrow.
A sad and beautiful song. The version I'm familiar with is by Peter, Paul and Mary.