"El Salvador" is a 1982

protest song A protest song is a song that is associated with a movement for protest and social change and hence part of the broader category of ''topical'' songs (or songs connected to current events). It may be folk, classical, or commercial in genre. ...

about

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

involvement in the

Salvadoran Civil War The Salvadoran Civil War () was a twelve-year civil war in El Salvador that was fought between the government of El Salvador, backed by the United States, and the Farabundo Martí National Liberation Front (FMLN), a coalition of left-wing guer ...

, written by

Noel Paul Stookey Noel Paul Stookey (born December 30, 1937) is an American singer-songwriter and activist who is known for being a member of the 1960s folk music, folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary along with Peter Yarrow and Mary Travers. He has been known by his f ...

and performed by

Peter, Paul and Mary Peter, Paul and Mary were an American Contemporary folk music, folk group formed in New York City in 1961 during the American folk music revival. The trio consisted of Peter Yarrow (guitar, tenor vocals), Paul Stookey (guitar, baritone vocals), ...

. The song originally appeared on the 1986 album ''

No Easy Walk to Freedom ''No Easy Walk to Freedom'' is a studio album by the American folk music trio Peter, Paul and Mary, released in 1986 by Gold Castle Records. Its release coincided with the group's 25th anniversary. Produced by John McClure and Peter Yarrow, the ...

''. It was included on the 1999

compilation album A compilation album comprises Album#Tracks, tracks, which may be previously released or unreleased, usually from several separate recordings by either one Performing arts#Performers, performer or by several performers. If the recordings are from ...

Songs of Conscience and Concern ''Songs of Conscience and Concern: A Retrospective Collection'' is a 1999 compilation album by American folk group Peter, Paul and Mary. It was the group's second compilation, following 1970's ''Ten Years Together: The Best of Peter, Paul & Mary ...

''Sarah Hankel. "Peter Paul & Mary still at it," ''The Gazette'' (Cedar Rapids, IA), April 16, 1999, page 3W: "This compilation also serves as a yardstick, measuring PPM's growth from rebellious young adults to adamant older Americans. ... 'El Salvador' served to expose the injustices incurred in Central America in the '80s." and as part of a 25th anniversary concert in New York's

Greenwich Village Greenwich Village, or simply the Village, is a neighborhood on the west side of Lower Manhattan in New York City, bounded by 14th Street (Manhattan), 14th Street to the north, Broadway (Manhattan), Broadway to the east, Houston Street to the s ...

The Bitter End The Bitter End is a 230-person capacity nightclub A nightclub or dance club is a club that is open at night, usually for drinking, dancing and other entertainment. Nightclubs often have a Bar (establishment), bar and discotheque (usually s ...

."Peter, Paul, Mary at home", ''Lethbridge Herald'' (Lethbridge, AB), Associated Press. July 24, 1985, p. B-8.

Overview

Stookey wrote the song on

Mother's Day Mother's Day is a celebration honoring the mother of the family or individual, as well as motherhood, maternal bonds, and the influence of mothers in society. It is celebrated on different days in many parts of the world, most commonly in Mar ...

, 1982,"Peter, Paul, and Mary still at it", ''The Capital'' (Annapolis, MD), Associated Press. December 27, 1983, p. 30. inspired by an article in a

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

magazine,Christopher Dickey. Flying circus' of U.S. fact finders delves into El Salvador 's war", ''Washington Post'', January 24, 1983, p. A15. and has said that the song was controversial even with the group's fans. In a 1997 interview with the ''Houston Chronicle'', Stookey commented, "The most recent surprise we had was in the mid- to late-'80s, when we were singing a song called 'El Salvador'. The last line was, 'Don't you think it's time we leave El Salvador?' We actually got booed at our concerts, which was something we hadn't heard since the civil rights movement or the anti-war movement."Rick Mitchell. "Peter, Paul & Mary still finding causes", ''Indiana Gazette'' (Indiana, PA), September 11, 1997, p. 12. Segments of the lyrics often were quoted in articles of the period, including this verse: Group member

Mary Travers Mary Allin Travers (November 9, 1936 – September 16, 2009) was an American singer who found fame as a member of the 1960s folk trio Peter, Paul and Mary, along with Peter Yarrow and Paul Stookey. Travers grew up amid the burgeoning folk sce ...

traveled to

El Salvador El Salvador, officially the Republic of El Salvador, is a country in Central America. It is bordered on the northeast by Honduras, on the northwest by Guatemala, and on the south by the Pacific Ocean. El Salvador's capital and largest city is S ...

in January 1983Saundra Smokes. "Peter, Paul & Mary: from the '60s to the '80s, Mary and partners have found plenty to sing about", ''Syracuse Herald-Journal'' (Syracuse, NY), July 26, 1984, p. D1. with Rep.

Ed Feighan Edward Farrell "Ed" Feighan (born October 22, 1947) is a former American politician. He served as a member of the Ohio House of Representatives, and as a Democratic Party (United States), Democratic Party U.S. Representative from 1983 to 1993, ser ...

Gary Hengstler. "Peter, Paul, Mary remind fans times are a'changin, ''Chronicle-Telegram'' (Elyria, OH), July 20, 1984, p. A-11. in the early years of the war and subsequently was highly vocal in protest of U.S. support of "the terrorism, the rapes, and the murders", saying that as an American taxpayer, "I'm paying these murderers' salaries."

References

{{authority control 1982 songs Peter, Paul and Mary songs Anti-war songs Songs written by Paul Stookey Songs about El Salvador Songs based on actual events Salvadoran Civil War in culture *

Overview

See also

References