The Universal Soldier

[Modem Butterfly]

He's 5'2" and he's 6'4"
He fights with missles and with spears
He's all of 31, and he's only 17
Been a soldier for a thousand years

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an atheist, a Jain
A Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
And he knows he shouldn't kill and he knows he always will
Killing for me my friend and me for you.

And he's fighting for Canada, he's fighting for France
He's fighting for the USA
And he's fighting for the Russians, and he's fighting for Japan
And he thinks we'll put an end to war this way

And he's fighting for Democracy, he's fighting for the Reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide who's the live and who's to die
And he never sees the writing on the wall

But without him how would Hitler have condemned him at Dachau?
Without him Caeser would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body as a weapon of the war
And without him all this killing can't go on

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 the end to war

[MuseRider]

1. One of my favorites from

years and years ago. Good one to dust off and listen to again.

[Modem Butterfly]

3. I've been thinking of this song since I saw the footage of the Marine...

...in the Mosque last night.

[Emillereid]

2. A slightly different version:

By Buffy Sainte-Marie
© Caleb Music-ASCAP


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. Donovan had a hit with it in 1965.



He's five feet two and he's six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years

He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an athiest, a Jain,
a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
and he knows he shouldn't kill
and he knows he always will
kill you for me my friend and me for you

And he's fighting for Canada,
he's fighting for France,
he's fighting for the USA,
and he's fighting for the Russians
and he's fighting for Japan,
and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way

And he's fighting for Democracy
and fighting for the Reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide
who's to live and who's to die
and he never sees the writing on the walls

But without him how would Hitler have
condemned him at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
as a weapon to a war
and without him all this killing can't go on

He's the universal soldier and he
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can't you see
this is not the way we put an end to war.

[MuseRider]

4. I heard it first

done by Donovan and it was one of the songs that really made me one of his fans. It is good no matter who is singing it though. Thanks for her explanation of how the song came about.

[derby378]

5. I thought it was LABAU instead of DACHAU

At least that's how it sounds on my CD player...

[Modem Butterfly]

6. Donovan sang LaBau, Buffy St. Marie sang Dachau