when I was a kid in school (1960s) I remember learning a song.?

Question

It went "Last night I had the strangest dream I've ever dreamed before" and finished with "and guns and swords and uniforms were scattered on the ground" Now I am pretty certain it was an anti war/vietnam protest type song but why was I taught this in school at the age of 4/5, (in the UK) who wrote it/sang it and why have I never heard it since?

Answer 1

The song title is ‘Last Night I had the strangest dream’. It was written by Ed McCurdy in the early 50’s and recorded by the Kingston Trio, the Chad Mitchell Trio and Simon and Garfunkel. I believe it was written about World War 1.

Here are the lyrics:
Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war
I dreamed I saw a mighty room
The room was filled with men
And the paper they were signing said
They'd never fight again

And when the papers all were signed
And a million copies made
They all joined hands end bowed their heads
And grateful prayers were prayed
And the people in the streets below
Were dancing round and round
And guns and swords and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground

Last night I had the strangest dream
I ever dreamed before
I dreamed the world had all agreed
To put an end to war

Answer 2

Last night I had the strangest dream
I've ever dreamed before
'Cause I dreamed the world
Had all agreed to put an end to war

I dreamed I saw a mighty room
Filled with women and men
And the papers that they signed
Said they'd never fight again

And when the papers were all signed
And a million copies made
They all joined hands and bowed their heads
And a million prayers were prayed

And people in the streets below
Were dancing 'round and 'round
And swords and guns and uniforms
Were scattered on the ground

Last night I had the strangest dream
I'd ever dreamed before
'Cause I dreamed the world
Had all agreed to put an end to war.

Answer 3

The origins of the song are probably way back. In the 1960s there was plenty of anti-war protest here in UK and not simply against the Vietnam war but against all war.

Anti war protest in UK has a very long history and tradition. I think the song may have been from the 18th or even 19th century and revamped as it were.

Answer 4

Simon and Garfunkel: Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream



Lyrics:

http://kids.niehs.nih.gov/lyrics/lastnite.htm



g-day!

Answer 5

why did i read this, rings a bell for me too also @ school in the 60s

donavan? or dylan


Simon and Garfunkel: Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream

Answer 6

There is a lot of songs that go around the board rooms and schools and family functions that never make it to the big time. I just imagine there had to be a lot of political crap to get the USA to send 56,000 young men to their death for some people on the other side of the world who didn't want them there. when they left the war was quickly over and it was said by relatives they told us we should learn to speak Chinese. It is a scare tactice.
They had the draft they were forcing men from poor familys to go fight and die in the jungle for some stupid political ideal that the vietnaeze didn't even care about.
That was createing a surplus of women without men to try to find jobs and support themselves. Like what is going to happen in the US. Wasn't 20,000 coming home from Iraq permanently disabled. Who is going to suppport them?

Answer 7

Lol I started listening to music when I was like 8 years old and I loved all the skating and wrestling game music. Saliva - Always and The Doors- Break On Through listened to both of those alot lol.

Answer 8

I have never heard of it, but then I was on active service with the military in the 60s.

Answer 9

Who cares, the UK was not involved in the Vietnam war, so it was probably some commie-pinko-hippy-hug-the-tree-

commune-protest song.

Answer 10

they still teach it until the mid 1990-s in UK