Universal Soldier (song)
Encyclopedia
"Universal Soldier" is a song written and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter
Buffy Sainte-Marie
. The song was originally released on Sainte-Marie's debut album It's My Way!
in 1964. "Universal Soldier" was not a popular hit at the time of its release, but it did garner attention within the contemporary folk music
community. 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."
, who recorded it using a similar arrangement to Buffy Sainte-Marie's original recording. Donovan's recording was released on an EP
titled The Universal Soldier in the United Kingdom (15 August 1965, Pye NEP 24219). The EP continued Donovan's run of high charting releases in the UK by reaching #5 on the charts. Tracks on the EP: "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 (Hickory 45-1338). 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 USA single release of "Universal Soldier" (released 9/1965, b/w "Do You Hear Me Now?", Hickory 45-1338) also became a hit, charting higher than his previous single "Colours" and ultimately reaching #53 on the Billboard charts. 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".
, Glen Campbell
(#45 USA, #16 AUS, #4 SWE), Joan Baez
, Phil Ochs
, First Aid Kit
and Chumbawamba
also covered the song.
The Finnish folk singer Hector (real name Heikki Harma) recorded a cover version with lyrics in Finnish, as "Palkkasoturi" ("The Mercenary") in 1965, as his debut single.
Dutch singer/songwriter Boudewijn de Groot
covered the song in Dutch, called "De eeuwige soldaat". The lyrics are translated almost literally.
Juliane Werding
did a German cover "Der Ewige Soldat", and Ámmun Johnskareng a Northern Sami
cover "Máilmmálaš soalddát" ("The Universal/Global Soldier").
Jan Berry of Jan and Dean
recorded a version of the song with the lyrics changed to match the opposite point of view, titled "The Universal Coward" (Dean Torrence objected and did not participate). It was released as a single in 1965.
Aimee Allen
performed a version in 2008 at the Target Center
during Campaign for Liberty's "Rally for the Republic", hosted by Ron Paul
, at his request.
, failed to recognize the lyrics of the song, written on a cot from a Vietnam War
era troopship. The error was caught and commented on by more than 285 readers.
Singer-songwriter
Singer-songwriters are musicians who write, compose and sing their own musical material including lyrics and melodies. As opposed to contemporary popular music singers who write their own songs, the term singer-songwriter describes a distinct form of artistry, closely associated with the...
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie
Buffy Sainte-Marie, OC is a Canadian Cree singer-songwriter, musician, composer, visual artist, educator, pacifist, and social activist. Throughout her career in all of these areas, her work has focused on issues of Indigenous peoples of the Americas. Her singing and writing repertoire includes...
. The song was originally released on Sainte-Marie's debut album It's My Way!
It's My Way!
It’s My Way is first album by folk singer Buffy Sainte-Marie. It is most famous for two widely-covered folk standards, "Universal Soldier" and "Cod'ine", as well as "Now That the Buffalo's Gone", a lament about the continued confiscation of Indian lands, as evidenced by the building of the Kinzua...
in 1964. "Universal Soldier" was not a popular hit at the time of its release, but it did garner attention within the contemporary folk music
Folk music
Folk music is an English term encompassing both traditional folk music and contemporary folk music. The term originated in the 19th century. Traditional folk music has been defined in several ways: as music transmitted by mouth, as music of the lower classes, and as music with unknown composers....
community. Sainte-Marie said of the song: "I wrote 'Universal Soldier' in the basement of The Purple Onion coffee house in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
in the early sixties. It's about individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all."
Donovan cover
By 1965 the song had caught the attention of budding folk singer DonovanDonovan
Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
, who recorded it using a similar arrangement to Buffy Sainte-Marie's original recording. Donovan's recording was released on an EP
Extended play
An EP is a musical recording which contains more music than a single, but is too short to qualify as a full album or LP. The term EP originally referred only to specific types of vinyl records other than 78 rpm standard play records and LP records, but it is now applied to mid-length Compact...
titled The Universal Soldier in the United Kingdom (15 August 1965, Pye NEP 24219). The EP continued Donovan's run of high charting releases in the UK by reaching #5 on the charts. Tracks on the EP: "Universal Soldier"; "The Ballad of a Crystal Man" b/w "Do You Hear Me Now" (Bert Jansch
Bert Jansch
Herbert "Bert" Jansch was a Scottish folk musician and founding member of the band Pentangle. He was born in Glasgow and came to prominence in London in the 1960s, as an acoustic guitarist, as well as a singer-songwriter...
); "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 (Hickory 45-1338). 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 USA single release of "Universal Soldier" (released 9/1965, b/w "Do You Hear Me Now?", Hickory 45-1338) also became a hit, charting higher than his previous single "Colours" and ultimately reaching #53 on the Billboard charts. This success led Hickory Records to include the song on the United States release of Donovan's second album Fairytale
Fairytale (album)
Fairytale is the second album from Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was first released in the United Kingdom on October 22, 1965 through Pye Records . The U.S. version of Fairytale was released by Hickory Records in November 1965 with a slightly different set of songs...
, replacing a cover of Bert Jansch's "Oh Deed I Do".
Other covers
The HighwaymenThe Highwaymen (folk band)
The Highwaymen were a circa 1960 "collegiate folk" group, which originated at Wesleyan University and had a Billboard number-one hit in 1961 with "Michael" and another Top 20 hit in 1962 with "Cottonfields"...
, Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
(#45 USA, #16 AUS, #4 SWE), Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
, Phil Ochs
Phil Ochs
Philip David Ochs was an American protest singer and songwriter who was known for his sharp wit, sardonic humor, earnest humanism, political activism, insightful and alliterative lyrics, and haunting voice...
, First Aid Kit
First Aid Kit (band)
First Aid Kit is a Swedish folk duo composed of sisters Johanna and Klara Söderberg, whose close vocal harmonies and woodsy, folk-influenced songwriting take influence from the likes of Fleet Foxes and Joanna Newsom. Hailing from Enskede, a southern suburb of Stockholm, the teenaged siblings...
and Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba
Chumbawamba is a British musical group who have, over a career spanning nearly three decades, played punk rock, pop-influenced music, world music, and folk music...
also covered the song.
The Finnish folk singer Hector (real name Heikki Harma) recorded a cover version with lyrics in Finnish, as "Palkkasoturi" ("The Mercenary") in 1965, as his debut single.
Dutch singer/songwriter Boudewijn de Groot
Boudewijn de Groot
Boudewijn de Groot is a famous Dutch singer/songwriter. He is known for the songs "Welterusten Meneer de President" , "Land van Maas en Waal" , "Jimmy" and "Avond" among others...
covered the song in Dutch, called "De eeuwige soldaat". The lyrics are translated almost literally.
Juliane Werding
Juliane Werding
Juliane Werding is a German singer and heilpraktiker.- Life :Werding is a German singer. In 1972, she became in Germany famous for her song "Am Tag, als Conny Kramer starb" . Werding wrote several books and lives in Starnberg near Munich, where she works as heilpraktiker...
did a German cover "Der Ewige Soldat", and Ámmun Johnskareng a Northern Sami
Northern Sami
Northern or North Sami is the most widely spoken of all Sami languages. The speaking area of Northern Sami covers the northern parts of Norway, Sweden and Finland...
cover "Máilmmálaš soalddát" ("The Universal/Global Soldier").
Jan Berry of Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean
Jan and Dean were a rock and roll duo, popular from the late 1950s through the mid 1960s, consisting of William Jan Berry and Dean Ormsby Torrence...
recorded a version of the song with the lyrics changed to match the opposite point of view, titled "The Universal Coward" (Dean Torrence objected and did not participate). It was released as a single in 1965.
Aimee Allen
Aimee Allen
Aimee Allen is an American pop/rock singer/songwriter based in Los Angeles, California. She is known for her work on the dance song "Cooties" made for the soundtrack of the 2007 version of the movie Hairspray...
performed a version in 2008 at the Target Center
Target Center
The Target Center is an arena in downtown Minneapolis, Minnesota. It is sponsored by Target Corporation. The arena has a capacity of 20,500 people. It contains 702 club seats and 68 suites....
during Campaign for Liberty's "Rally for the Republic", hosted by Ron Paul
Ron Paul
Ronald Ernest "Ron" Paul is an American physician, author and United States Congressman who is seeking to be the Republican Party candidate in the 2012 presidential election. Paul represents Texas's 14th congressional district, which covers an area south and southwest of Houston that includes...
, at his request.
Smithsonian
The story Kilroy Was Here, in the October 2004 edition of SmithsonianSmithsonian (magazine)
Smithsonian is the official journal published by the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, D.C. The first issue was published in 1970.-History:...
, failed to recognize the lyrics of the song, written on a cot from a Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
era troopship. The error was caught and commented on by more than 285 readers.