Jann Arden / Bring the Boys Home

Jann Arden, a Canadian singer and songwriter, recently released "Bring the Boys Home." Freda Payne recorded this song in 1971. Obviously, in 1971, the reference was to the Vietnam war.

You can listen to the song here. Listen and see what you think.

The reference now may be to the Canadian armed forces in Afghanistan, or to the U.S., British, and other armed forces in Iraq. Canada's current Prime Minister, Stephen Harper, was keen to send the Canadian forces into a situation involving combat with Taliban forces. Recently, he has been trying to convince other NATO partners to join in that effort, but without much success. Many countries are willing to help with development and security in areas without an active conflict, but not many want to go to the region where the Canadian forces now are. There is strong opposition in Canada to the decisions of the Harper minority government about the use of the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan.

more on the flip side

I've been told that the "kill rate" for Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan is slightly higher than that for American soldiers in Iraq. The "kill rate" reflects the number of military personnel killed, as a proportion of the total number (or so I've been told).

Jann Arden comments, in an accompanying note, about her view of this song as an expression of the longing of all family members and friends for the safe return of every soldier in every war. She notes:

Ultimately, the message in this song is one of peace. I fully support our soldiers overseas, and here at home, although in contrast to that, I am always conflicted about supporting "war". My sincere wishes are always ones of hope, that all the soldiers fighting and defending freedom can return home to their families and their countries unharmed.

This song has a strong peace message, an anti-war message, at least when it comes to "senseless wars." I loved the song when I first heard it on the radio.