Comments on: War Nerd: Abba, Civil War Songs—Anything But Gaza

By: tom

tom — Wed, 31 Aug 2011 04:15:36 +0000

how about the song 40 to 1 by Sabaton. Swedish power metal, about the Battle of Wizna

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivgCD31iKyg

By: pub

pub — Sat, 19 Sep 2009 15:11:28 +0000

Drive by — just wanted to say you’re such a hatemonger and so are your fans. Go kill yourselves.

By: bachelor

bachelor — Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:41:12 +0000

pity stop attacking abba if you don’t like them don’t talk about them
there’s no more stupid lyrics than the john lennon imagine wich makes me sick with all the crap in it
without any religion we will be like neanderthal or cromagnon
it’s not religion that brings war ,it’s stupid guys who listen to more stupid people or women !

By: Lexington Green

Lexington Green — Fri, 01 May 2009 23:53:53 +0000

One of your best yet.

“…it settled down into my brain and I knew the difference between North and South from the words to those songs. ”

Only quibble: Words AND the MUSIC of the two songs.

The Yankees take things very seriously. They are on a mission — a noble mission, based on duty and a vision.

The Southerners have a lightheartedness, an easygoingness, but that is the surface over a hard pride and love their homes and their ways, including being masters of their slaves.

As a child I heard both songs, and I agree, something beyond words sinks into you about the war, but it is the combination of sound and words that does it.

By: Nkunda

Nkunda — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 20:27:02 +0000

Do not ever, ever piss me off, Brecher.

By: jaysan

jaysan — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 14:21:47 +0000

Hi Gary,

You’re only talking about Gaza these days. What about Sri Lanka? That’s another big one in the news. How about some opinions on that?

By: Alan Millar

Alan Millar — Thu, 05 Feb 2009 08:43:51 +0000

OT Request: Love your ability to cut through the hysterical moral, nationalistic descriptions of conflicts.

I’d love to see your take on the Angolan civil war – particularly the battle of Cuito Carnivale (isn’t that a great name?), which the South Africans and the Angolans simultaneously claimed as decisive victories.

By: OrangePlus

OrangePlus — Tue, 03 Feb 2009 19:24:48 +0000

What happened, did peace break out? Where’s my new War Nerd posts?

By: Oksana

Oksana — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 08:31:56 +0000

Hey Gary
little Oksana misses you. I don’t care about Gaza, but wanna write an article on Nkunda?

I bought your book – two copies of it actually, one for a friend who didn’t give a shit about it, but to me it’s better than meth – so can’t say I don’t support you.

By: nobody

nobody — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 21:01:31 +0000

You forgot the obvious one…

Can you hear the drums Fernando?
I remember long ago another starry night like this
In the firelight fernando
You were humming to yourself and softly strumming your guitar
I could hear the distant drums
And sounds of bugle calls were coming from afar

By: Butters McGinty

Butters McGinty — Thu, 29 Jan 2009 09:45:03 +0000

Nu Mr Brecher, so where is it already?

I live in Tel Aviv and your analyses keep me sane.

By: kos

kos — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:38:25 +0000

Gary,
The way you talk about the Civil War songs you used to like so much as a kid reminds me of my own teenage affection – Vladimir Vysotsky, an iconic russian songwriter/singer/actor of the 70s (and 80s, after he died. He wrote many great songs including quite a few about the WWII some of which are now available in English (surprisinly with little being lost in translation). V.V. was enourmously popular with the WWII vets although he himself never faught that war. Here are a couple of my favorites I thought you might like, too.

Stars

This bloody battle I got on the brain -
Death our names was calling…
And from the sky, like a soundless rain,
Stars kept on falling.

Another went down and I wished not to die,
Not to be killed in that action…
That’s how my life to the star I could tie -
A stupid connection…

We were pushed forward, they ordered us: ”Fight!
Spare no shells, no soldiers!”
Here the second star fell from its height
Straight on your shoulders.

This shooting was over and luck took my part -
Seems like I’ve drawn three sevens…
Here a stray star shot me in the heart
Straight from the heavens…

Stars in the sky are like fish in the sea -
Each man can get his packet…
Had I not fallen I’d also receive
A star on my jacket.

I could have given this star to my boy -
Come, sonny, fetch it…
A star in the sky shines so timid and coy -
There’s no one to catch it…

(The line “We were pushed forward, they ordered us: ”Fight! Spare no shells, no soldiers!”” is about the common practice of SMERSH pushing the troops to fight and shooting on the spot those who would turn their backs)

The black jackets

The failures and sunsets – that’s all that we commonly share,
And yet no rise so far to improve such a terrible plight.
I want to believe that the black jackets we have to wear
Will give us tomorrow the chances to see the sunlight.

Today we were told “You should die like heroes, brothers”.
O.K. We will try it, we’re going to see what is on…
I only decided, while smoking the shag of the others:
“Each plays on his own – tomorrow I must see the dawn”.

A special battalion – a sapper is specially proud!
Don’t jump on my back from the branches to stab me or stun,
In vain all the efforts, ‘cause even if I am knocked out,
I’ll see, however, – I’m certain – the rise of the sun.

We crawled through the rear not stabbing them that early hour,
The pass in the wires was made and I saw in a trice -
So green and so feeble yet smart and keen-witted sunflower
Already had turned its small head towards the rise.

It’s now six-thirty! Between life and death we still hover,
We hope to rise from the failures that were base and vile!
My teeth, like a vice, hold two wires, unclean and uncovered -
I saw no sunrise but felt – it would rise in a while!

The squad’s coming back but no more than a quarter’s returning…
Yet this doesn’t matter, what matters – the fort had been blown!
I want to believe that the black job we did in the morning
Will later on let you see freely the dawn!

* Black jackets were the uniform for the penalty battalions
in the Soviet Army during the World War II.
Convicts from jails and other people,
punished for anything, were sent to these battalions.
These troops were ruthlessly used in the most desperate
operations. 98% of the black jackets were killed.

Here is the link in case you would like more… http://www.wysotsky.com/1033.htm

P.S. I can’t wait to hear your take on the Nkunda’s “arrest”

By: JSJ

JSJ — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 15:15:35 +0000

http://news.sky.com/skynews/Home/World-News/Nigeria-Police-Arrest-A-Goat-Over-Attempted-Armed-Robbery/Article/200901415210650?lpos=World_News_News_Your_Way_Region_6&lid=NewsYourWay_ARTICLE_15210650_Nigeria_Police_Arrest_A_Goat_Over_Attempted_Armed_Robbery

If Swedes can be pop-stars, then goats can be carjackers…

By: Ciaran

Ciaran — Tue, 27 Jan 2009 08:41:12 +0000

Dear War Nerd: “super troopers” are a form of stage lighting. That’s why she’s referring to the lights finding her. It’s mostly a variation on the old “bummer, I’m on tour, I miss my baby” theme. Not really a military reference at all. Just thought you should know.

P.S. Why you’re not eviscerating Wilco over “Yankee Hotel Foxtrot” is beyond me.

By: worldsedge

worldsedge — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:33:49 +0000

All of this “Battle Hymn of the Republic” discussion and not one mention of its ORIGINAL lyrics, as “John Brown’s Body.”

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Brown%27s_Body#Lyrics

@ 22, I sincerely, deeply doubt that either version would’ve been welcome in the CSA.

By: Yakov

Yakov — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 19:01:31 +0000

Has there EVER been a song that hasn’t been ruined by examining the lyrics?

By: Someone in Pittsburgh

Someone in Pittsburgh — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 12:37:21 +0000

Off topic from this article…

No! Not Nkunda!

By: Daath

Daath — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 21:05:51 +0000

Gaza turned out pretty much like Brecher said. Sure, Hamas didn’t take all that many direct hits, because it hid, but hiding from enemy has a nasty way of making you look like a total weakling. Israel didn’t really win, I think, but Hamas lost.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/7843633.stm

By: pakk

pakk — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:46:24 +0000

I have my own theory that the same people who make good cotton farmers also make good soldiers. It has been true for the Confederates, for the Uzbeks (the guys really kicked some ass in the Afghan Wars of the 90′s), for Rhodesian whites, to mention a few. It’s because cotton is quite a ‘complicated’ crop compared to any other. You spend all your time & energy on it, and there’s no reward guaranteed AT ALL. Price fluctuations are terrible, and above all you can’t eat it.

This is also why office workers can’t be good soldiers – because they believe the whole world owes them something by the right of birth.

By: Plamen Petkov

Plamen Petkov — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 18:42:02 +0000

Rayak, you got it square between the eyes. Gary’s articles have been steadily going down in quality. Of course he isn’t going to write about Gaza. It’s pretty obvious he doesn’t know shit about the real situation in Gaza, considering where he lives and what type of media he is watching. Remember his crappy Greece riots article?

Maybe exiledonline should consider hiring YOU instead to write some articles for them. You got MY vote.