Paul McCartney – Pipes of Peace Lyrics | Genius Lyrics
Cover art for Pipes of Peace by Paul McCartney

Pipes of Peace

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Oct. 28, 19831 viewer17K views

Pipes of Peace Lyrics

[Intro]
I light a candle to our love
In love our problems disappear
But all in all, we'll soon discover
That one and one is all we long to hear

[Verse 1]
All around the world
Little children being born to the world
Got to give them all we can 'til the war is won
Then will the work be done?

[Chorus]
Help them to learn (Help them to learn)
Songs of joy instead of "burn, baby, burn" (Burn, baby, burn)
Let us show them how to play the pipes of peace
Play the pipes of peace

[Chorus 2]
Help me to learn
Songs of joy instead of "burn, baby, burn"
Won't you show me how to play (How to play)
The pipes of peace? (Pipes of peace)
Play the pipes of peace
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh
[Verse 2]
What do you say? (Do you say)
Will the human race be run in a day? (In a day)
Or will someone save this planet we're playing on?
Is it the only one?
What are we going to do?

[Chorus 3]
Help them to see (Help them to see)
That the people here are like you and me (Like you and me)
Let us show them how to play (How to play)
The pipes of peace (Pipes of peace)
Play the pipes of peace
Ooh, ooh, ooh, ooh

[Outro]
I light a candle to our love
In love our problems disappear
But all in all, we soon discover
That one and one is all we long to hear

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About

This song bio is unreviewed
Genius Annotation

George Melly wrote to me and said, ‘There’s this children’s organization and they want a peaceful song for children, a hopeful song for the future. Would you be interested in doing it?’ So I set about trying to do it – then it became a song for me. If you can do an anti-war song that doesn’t feel too cloying, then it’s really good if you’re an anti-war person, as I am. You feel you’ve done something worthwhile.

Paul McCartney, from Club Sandwich N°47/48, Spring 1988

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

What is "Burn baby burn? a reference to something special?
Genius Answer

I believe this refers to some kind of “rebel attitude”, as the song tells us to give a chance to the pipes of peace and leave negativity/bad attitudes behind

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