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Universal Soldier (song)

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"Universal Soldier"
Song by Buffy Sainte-Marie
from the album It's My Way!
ReleasedApril 1964
GenreFolk rock
Length2:17
LabelVanguard
Songwriter(s)Buffy Sainte-Marie
Producer(s)Maynard Solomon

"Universal Soldier" is a song written by singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. The first released recording was a single by The Highwaymen, released in September 1963.[1] The song was also released on Sainte-Marie's debut album It's My Way!, released in April 1964. "Universal Soldier" was not an immediate popular hit at the time of its release, but it did garner attention within the contemporary folk music community. It became a hit a year later when Donovan covered it, as did Glen Campbell. Sainte-Marie said of the song: "I wrote 'Universal Soldier' in the basement of The Purple Onion coffee house in Toronto in the early sixties. It's about individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all."[2] The idea was based on that politicians, with power over the military, in democratic states are elected by the people.[3]

Sainte-Marie has said she approached writing the song from the perspective of a student writing an essay for a professor who didn't see eye-to-eye with her perspective, hoping to present him with a different point of view.[4]

Composition

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In the six verses of the song, soldiers of different heights, ages, religious and political backgrounds are depicted, fighting in different times, for different countries (starting with Canada, where Buffy Sainte-Marie claimed to come from), and with different motives, all thinking that they are fighting for peace but never realizing that they are part of the problem. The song ends with:

He's the Universal Soldier
and he really is to blame.
His orders come from far away no more.
They come from here and there and you and me,
and brothers, can't you see
this is not the way to put an end to war.[5]

Sainte-Marie sold the publishing rights to the song, but later bought them back for $25,000.[6]

Donovan cover

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"Universal Soldier"
Song by Donovan
from the EP The Universal Soldier
ReleasedAugust 15, 1965 (1965-08-15)
GenreFolk rock
Length2:16
LabelPye (NEP 24219)
Songwriter(s)Buffy Sainte-Marie
Producer(s)
  • Terry Kennedy
  • Peter Eden
  • Geoff Stephens
The Universal Soldier EP track listing
4 tracks
Side one
  1. "Universal Soldier"
  2. "The Ballad of a Crystal Man"
Side two
  1. "Do You Hear Me Now?"
  2. "The War Drags On"

By 1965, the song had caught the attention of budding folk singer Donovan, who recorded it using a similar arrangement to Buffy Sainte-Marie's original recording.[5] In Donovan's version, Dachau became Liebau (Lubawka, Poland), a training center for Hitler Youth.[citation needed] Donovan's recording was released on an EP titled The Universal Soldier in the United Kingdom (August 15, 1965). The EP continued Donovan's run of high charting releases in the UK by reaching No. 5 on the charts. The tracks on the EP are "Universal Soldier"; "The Ballad of a Crystal Man" b/w "Do You Hear Me Now?" (Bert Jansch); "The War Drags On" (Mick Softley).

The lack of interest in the EP format within the United States led Hickory Records to release the song as a single in September 1965. Donovan's cover of "Universal Soldier" was backed with another track from the British EP: Bert Jansch's "Do You Hear Me Now?". Donovan's US release of "Universal Soldier" also became a hit, charting higher than his previous single "Colours" and ultimately reaching No. 53 on the Billboard charts[citation needed] and No. 21 in Canada, co-charting with Glen Campbell's version.[7] This success led Hickory Records to include the song on the United States release of Donovan's second album, Fairytale, replacing a cover of Bert Jansch's "Oh Deed I Do". Cash Box described it as "a plaintive, twangy, medium-paced message-song which takes a strong anti-war stand."[8]

Sainte-Marie was glad that Donovan's success with this song got more people to hear it.[5]

Other covers

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Response

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In 1965, Jan Berry of Jan and Dean released as a single an answer song presenting the opposite point of view, titled "The Universal Coward", which criticized anti-war protesters.[10] Dean Torrence objected and did not participate.[11]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ Ray McGinnis (July 15, 2020). "The Universal Soldier by Glen Travis Campbell". Vancouver Signature Songs. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  2. ^ "It's My Way (1964)". Buffy Sainte-Marie.
  3. ^ English. "Universal Soldier". Canadian Songwriters Hall of Fame. Retrieved January 31, 2023.
  4. ^ Friend, David (February 3, 2017). "Return of the protest song". The Hamilton Spectator/ The Canadian Press.
  5. ^ a b c Gilliland, John (1969). "Show 34 – Revolt of the Fat Angel: American musicians respond to the British invaders. [Part 2] : UNT Digital Library" (audio). Pop Chronicles. University of North Texas Libraries.
  6. ^ "Buffy Sainte-Marie is recording again". Financial Times.
  7. ^ "RPM Magazine - October 18, 1965 - page 5" (PDF).
  8. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. September 11, 1965. p. 14. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  9. ^ "YouTube". YouTube. September 3, 2008. Retrieved November 21, 2013.[dead YouTube link]
  10. ^ Moore, Mark A. (2016). The Jan & Dean Record: A Chronology of Studio Sessions, Live Performances and Chart Positions. Jefferson, N.C.: McFarland & Co. p. 261. ISBN 9780786498123. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
  11. ^ Cohen, Ronald D.; Kaufman, Will (2015). Singing for Peace: Antiwar Songs in American History. Abingdon, England: Routledge. p. 86. ISBN 9781612058078. Retrieved August 12, 2019.
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