Darin was a very special and talented entertainer. He was a Grammy award winning singer ('Mack The Knife'), a respected member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ('Dream Lover', 'Splish Splash', 'If I Were A Carpenter') a member of the Songwriters Hall of Fame, a successful record producer, an Oscar nominated actor and a strong supporter of the American Heart Association. Bobby was married to actress Sandra Dee from 1960-1967. They had one son, Dodd, born in December 1961. As a result of complications from a rheumatic heart, Bobby's life was tragically cut short in 1973.
Darin's mother, Vanina Cassotto, had given birth to him when she was 16, and as a result, her parents raised Darin as though he were their son while Vanina was presented off as his elder sister. Darin did not learn the truth about his parentage until he was 32.
For more on Bobby Darin, watch "Beyond the Sea," in which Kevin Spacey portrays the entertainer.
Where Have All The Flowers Gone?
Bobby Darin Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Long time passing
Where have all the flowers gone?
Long time ago
Where have all the flowers gone?
Picked by young girls 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?
Gone to young men 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 to soldiers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Long, 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?
Gone to flowers every one
When will they ever learn?
When will they ever learn?
The lyrics of Bobby Darin's song "Where Have All The Flowers Gone?" take the form of a circular narrative, in which each verse leads naturally to the next, and the last verse circles back to the beginning. The song is thematically focused on the human cost of war. It is a lament for the cyclical nature of conflict, as well as a call for human empathy and understanding.
The lyrics trace the transience and fragility of life, with flowers standing for the beauty and innocence of youth, while young girls, young men, and soldiers represent different stages of life, with each subsequent group sent off to battle until they all succumb to it. The final verse, "Where have all the graveyards gone / gone to flowers every one," is a reference to the cycle of life, and how even the specter of death can be transformed into new life.
The song raises a recurring question: "when will they ever learn?" which emphasizes the futility of war and encapsulates the song's pacifist message. The song's melody is simple and repetitive, and the use of the past tense and long time ago, in each verse, underscores the inevitability and sadness of war.
Line by Line Meaning
Where have all the flowers gone?
What has happened to all the flowers that used to exist?
Long time passing
It's been a long time since they disappeared
Where have all the flowers gone?
Where did all the flowers go?
Long time ago
It happened a long time back
Where have all the flowers gone?
What has become of the flowers?
Picked by young girls every one
Each and every flower was plucked by young girls
When will they ever learn?
When will people learn from this pattern?
When will they ever learn?
Why haven't they learned their lesson yet?
Where have all the young girls gone?
What happened to all the young girls?
Long time passing
It's been a while since the disappearance of young girls
Where have all the young girls gone?
Where did they all disappear?
Long time ago
The girls disappeared many years back
Where have all the young girls gone?
What caused the sudden disappearance of young girls?
Gone to young men every one
Each and every young girl is now with a young man
When will they ever learn?
Why don't they realize this is a recurrent pattern?
When will they ever learn?
When will people start learning from this repetitive cycle?
Where have all the young men gone?
What happened to all the young men?
Long time passing
It's been a long time since the disappearance of young men
Where have all the young men gone?
Where did the young men go?
Long time ago
The young men disappeared many years ago
Where have all the young men gone?
What caused the sudden disappearance of young men?
Gone to soldiers every one
All young men have been shipped off to war and become soldiers
When will they ever learn?
Will people ever realize war isn't the answer?
When will they ever learn?
Why haven't people learned from the mistakes of the past?
Where have all the soldiers gone?
What has become of all the soldiers?
Long, long time passing
A very long time has elapsed since the soldiers disappeared
Where have all the soldiers gone?
Where did all the soldiers go?
Long time ago
The soldiers vanished long ago
Where have all the soldiers gone?
What happened to the soldiers?
Gone to graveyards every one
Each and every soldier lies buried in a graveyard
When will they ever learn?
Why do people keep resorting to war when it leads to the same outcome?
When will they ever learn?
Will people ever learn from the consequences of war?
Where have all the graveyards gone?
What happened to all the graveyards?
Long time passing
It's been a significant time since the graveyards disappeared
Where have all the graveyards gone?
Where did all the graveyards go?
Long time ago
The graveyards vanished long ago
Where have all the graveyards gone?
What caused the disappearance of all the graveyards?
Gone to flowers every one
Flowers now grow where graveyards once stood
When will they ever learn?
Why can't people break free from this destructive cycle?
When will they ever learn?
When will people understand the recurring theme underlying this song?
Lyrics © CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: Peter Seeger
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Daniel
on Bill Bailey, Won't You Please Come Home
One heck of a entertainer. A life cut way to soon. RIP Mr. Darin. Remember one thing he was one of the first Emmy winners, in the late 50s. When the emmys started.