When Will We Ever Learn?

1967: My father was a student at the University of Washington. I was five years old. Our country was at war and Pete Seeger's song was being sung at rallies and protests at universities across the nation, including the UW.

Even though my father was in the military and considering a career in the U.S. Navy, my parents were warily supportive of the protests and anti-war sentiments. I grew up listening to and singing the tunes of Seeger, the Guthries (Woody and Arlo), Joan Baez, Peter, Paul and Mary, Judy Collins and others.

I'm sure the first time I heard the tune, "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" I had no idea of it's meaning, except that it had the word "flowers" in it and I LOVED flowers.

I remember one day my parents discussed going on to the UW campus and my father nixing the idea because access to the campus was blocked and it was full of "flower children." I clearly remember hearing the words "flower children" and my interest was piqued. Perhaps I HAD heard Seeger's song and in my little naive mind, the "flower children" held the answer to the whereabouts of those missing flowers. In any case, I was determined (at five) to meet one of them and obtain my very own flower. I remember BEGGING my father to take me to see the flower children; alas, to no avail.

It would be a long time before I truly understood the implications of this song and now that I am an aging flower child myself with a personal interest in this "new" war, the lyrics are sadly more meaningful than I wish them to be. "When will we EVER learn," indeed?

WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE
words and music by Pete Seeger
performed by Pete Seeger and Tao Rodriguez-Seeger

Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have 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?
Taken husbands every one
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
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Gone to graveyards every one
When will they ever learn?
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?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?