music and first three verses by Pete Seger [1955]
last three verses added by Joe Hickerson [1960]
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, long time passing?
Where have all the young girls gone, long time ago?
Where have all the young girls gone?
Gone for young men everyone.
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the young men gone, long time passing?
Where have all the young men gone, long time ago?
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time passing?
Where have all the soldiers gone, long time a go?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time passing?
Where have all the graveyards gone, long time ago?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Gone to flowers, everyone.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
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.
Oh, when will they ever learn?
Oh, when will they ever learn?
etikser 
Oh, yes, says this old Army helicopter jockey. So many lives lost. There may be worse things than war, but precious few.
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I’ve got to go back and play that song one more time, but for me, it speaks Viet Nam, and so many lost.
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I heard it first from Peter, Paul and Mary in the mid 1960s. Very much so. I turned 18 on June 16, 1968, and drove downtown to register for the draft. Sobering.
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Yes, I took it from a Peter, Paul & Mary songbook. And yes, so sobering.
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Some info about this song, however I think it would be relatable to any war. Appropriate for Memorial Day
“Where Have All the Flowers Gone?” is a modern folk-style song. The melody and the first three verses were written by Pete Seeger in 1955 and published in Sing Out! magazine. Additional verses were added in May 1960 by Joe Hickerson, who turned it into a circular song.
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That’s very interesting. I didn’t know that. It’s one of a small number of songs I play on my guitar regularly. I’ve always liked the melody, and assumed it was related to the Viet Nam war. But I didn’t read all the stanzas and notice it was a circular song until a few weeks ago. Thanks so much for the information.
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You’re welcome, my pleasure.
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