Every week we pick 5 Creative Commons songs to get your creative juices flowing. In honor of Memorial Day weekend, we have five songs evocative of war imagery.
This weekend in the United States we celebrate Memorial Day, a day to honor the men and women of the armed forces who have served our country. So here are some tunes perfect for that film or video project about wars or battles. [Click here to learn about Creative Commons licenses and meanings.]
U.S. Army Song (Caissons Go Rolling Along) by US Army Old Guard Fife & Drum Corp (Public Domain). I can think of no better way to kick off a Memorial Day-themed collection than a couple of songs from the U.S. Army. Whether or not you live in America, chances are you’ve heard this classic tune.
Reveille Variation/Drum Call, et. al. by US Army Old Guard Fife & Drum Corp (Public Domain). From the recognizable “alarm clock” tune designed to get troops out of bed, to a variation on “Yankee Doodle Dandy”, this little ditty evokes a sense of U.S. pride and history.
Ride of the Valkyries (8-bit Version) by 1Manué (CC BY-SA). I don’t think that now iconic scene from Apocalypse Now would be as iconic (nor the helicopters as ominous) if they were blasting this version of Richard Wagner’s opera classic. But I could see you using this, perhaps in a documentary about competing software companies. (If you’re jonesing to hear the real deal, here ya go:)
Black Vortex by Kevin MacLeod (CC BY). This one start slow, then builds into a rush of drums and strings. Great for the calm before the storm kind of scene.
Sing, Sing, Sing by Benny Goodman (Public Domain on Archive.org). Are you ready to get your swing on? I can’t hear this swingin’ classic and not think of 1940s GIs jitterbuggin’ and Lindy Hopping on the floor with their beautiful babies while Benny and the band bring the house down. [Note: I’m not 100% positive this song is really in the public domain, so use at your own risk. If nothing else, download it and add it to your jazz collection.]
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