Songs That Changed the World--The Most Important Songs of the Rock Era: "Where Have All the Flowers Gone" by Johnny Rivers

Johnny Rivers took a popular folk song and made it better.  From flowers to young girls to husbands to soldiers to graveyards to flowers.  And repeat ad nauseum.  

"Where Have All the Flowers Gone"

by Johnny Rivers

The lines "Where are the flowers, the girls have plucked them. Where are the girls, they've all taken husbands. Where are the men, they're all in the army" are from the traditional Cossacks folk song "Tovchu, tovchu mak".  Pete Seeger adapted them and wrote the first three verses; Joe Hickerson completed the song that you hear from Johnny Rivers. 




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 pick 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
A long, long time ago
Where have all the young men gone
Gone to soldiers every one
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn?

Where have all the soilders gone
Long time passing
Where have all the soilders gone
Long time ago
Where have all the soilders 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
Gone to flowers
When will they ever learn
When will they ever learn?