Henry's Songbook

I marched to the battle of New Orleans
At the end of the early British wars
The young men started growing
The young blood started flowing
But I ain't marchin' any more

For I killed my share of Indians in a thousand different fights
I was there at the Little Big Horn
I heard many men a-lying
I saw many more a-dying
But I ain't marchin' any more

It's always the old who lead us to the wars
Always the young to fall
Now look at what we've won with our sabre and our gun
Tell me is it worth it all

For I stole California from the Mexican land
Fought in the bloody Civil War
Yes, I even killed my brothers
And so many others
But I ain't marchin' any more

For I marched to the battles of the German trench
In a war that was bound to end all wars
Oh I must have killed a million men
And now they want me back again
But I ain't marchin' any more

It's always the old who lead us to the wars
Always the young to fall
Now look at what we've won with our sabre and our gun
Tell me is it worth it all

For I flew the final mission in the Japanese sky
Set off the mighty mushroom roar
When I saw the cities burnin'
I knew that I was learnin'
That I ain't marchin' any more

Now the labour leaders screaming when they close a missile plant
United Fruit screams at the Cuban shore
Call it peace or call it treason
Call it love or call it reason
But I ain't marchin' any more

I ain't marchin' any more

[1978:] [General Sir Edward Pakenham] played a less happy role in the battle of New Orleans in 1815, when he led eight thousand British troops in a frontal assault against the American earthworks, in what Winston Churchill called 'one of the most unintelligent manoeuvres in the history of British warfare'. The battle was brief and bloody [...]. It was not only a disastrous defeat but arguably a pointless one, since, unknown to the protagonists (the leader of the other side was Andrew Jackson, the future President of the United States), peace between England and America had already been signed. (Craig, Longford 20)

  [1979:] Einen hohen Stellenwert hatten im Programm von Ochs die Anti-Kriegs-Lieder. Sein bekanntestes, das im Verlauf der Jahre zu DER Anti-Vietnam-Kriegshymne wurde, war [dieses]. Es ist vergleichbar mit Dylans Masters of War. 1965 schrieb Ochs zu diesem Lied: "Dies grenzt sowohl an Pazifismus als auch an Verrat und verbindet die besten Merkmale von beiden miteinander. Die Tatsache, daß man dieses Lied nicht im Radio hören wird, ist mehr als Grund genug dafür, daß es geschrieben wurde." (Gerd Schinkel, Folk Michel 12)

  [1997:] Most of the historical events referenced in this song are probably pretty obvious, with the possible exception of "United Fruit." Further information can be found in the notes to the song United Fruit. (www.cs.pdx.edu/~trent/ochs, 21 Apr)