Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Girls have picked 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?
Long time ago
Where have all the young men gone?
Gone for soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time passing
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the soldiers 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?
Covered with flowers every one
When will we ever learn?
When will we ever learn?
歌词取自美国6,70年代的反战歌曲.过去听过the brothers four的版本.据说最早是一首乌克兰民谣.《WHERE HAVE ALL THE FLOWERS GONE》。这首歌曲是受到小说《静静的顿河》中哥萨克摇篮曲的启发而创作的。小说开头写顿河岸边的一个哥萨克村庄，时间是二十世纪初，村中的一些年轻人正要出发到白军营地去，他们不久将卷入俄国的内战。
其中一位哥萨克的妻子正唱着摇篮曲哄孩子入睡：“鹅在什么地方啊？——进芦苇去啦。”“芦苇在什么地方啊？——姑娘们砍掉啦。”“姑娘在什么地方啊？——姑娘嫁给哥萨克啦。”“哥萨克在什么地方啊？——上战场去啦……”
1961年，美国著名的民歌手彼得·西格改写了这首歌词。他反对侵略战争，而眼看着二次大战和朝鲜战争的爆发，他感到每一个美国青年就象哥萨克一样，命中注定要去打仗。
于是他把“芦苇”改成“花儿”，就象那首哥萨克摇篮曲一样，花儿被姑娘们摘走了，姑娘们嫁人了，她们的丈夫打仗去了。这些年轻人战死了，他们的坟墓很快被人遗忘了。下一代的姑娘们又来摘花，并不意识到花儿下面是坟墓，这些姑娘们又嫁人，她们的丈夫又去打仗。因此，作者问道：“我们什么时候才能明白这个道理？”
