emma's revolution

11 - Study War No More

Trad. Arranged by Holly Near / © Hereford Music (ASCAP)

Holly writes: A spiritual rising up from the African American tradition, this song takes on profound meaning defined each time by context. In the religious context, I understand that to "study" can mean to allow your mind to dwell on something. So, for example, to study war suggests it has become acceptable to you and therefore you participate in it. So in the reverse, to not study war is to stay in close relationship to the unacceptability of war and to one's refusal to participate. As is true in any craft, to be an activist in opposition to war requires practice. War to me includes domestic violence, world hunger, inhumane systems of education, prisons, emotional and physical abuse of children, harsh and critical language and so on. So as we sing this song (in this rendition as a prayer) we both honor the tradition from which the song comes as well as we are committing ourselves to the practice of unlearning behaviors that are not useful to the evolution of life on this earth.

I ain't gonna study war no more,
I ain't gonna study war no more,
Study war no more.
I ain't gonna study war no more,
I ain't gonna study war no more,
Study war no more

I'm gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
I'm gonna lay down my burden
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
And study war no more

I'm gonna lay down my sword and shield
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Down by the riverside
Why don't we all lay down the guns and bombs
Down by the riverside
Ain't gonna study war no more

I ain't gonna study war no more,
I ain't gonna study war no more,
Study war no more.
I ain't gonna study war no more,
I ain't gonna study war no more,
Study war no more