Memorial Day in Music

It's good to see Pearl Jam get their mojo back, not just musically, but also withstanding their long-held discomfort of self-promotion--cos they've got a few things to get off their chest. "World Wide Suicide," the first single from their recent release, is a very fitting song for this Memorial Day (formerly known as Decoration Day--read more of the history over at Wikipedia). Yes, it's a rant against the Bush administration, but it's also an aching tribute to a friend, fallen in war, who will never be seen or heard from again.

Check out the whole video for the song hosted over at Pike Place Politics, and here are some excerpts from the lyrics to chomp on:

I felt the earth on Monday. It moved beneath my feet
in the form of a morning paper. Laid out for me to see.

Saw his face in a corner picture. I recognized the name.
Could not stop staring at the. Face I'd never see again.

It's a shame to awake in a world of pain
What does it mean when a war has taken over

[...]

Medals on a wooden mantle. Next to a handsome face.
That the president took for granted.
Writing checks that others pay.

And of course, there's also Neil Young's Living with War album (much blogged about around these parts). It's gotten more press about its anti-Bush and anti-war politics, but it also includes a very tender remembrance of a friend taken by war in "Roger and Out:"

Trippin’ down that ol’ hippie highway
Got to thinkin’ about you again
Wonderin’ how it really was for you
And how it happened in the end
But I guess I’ll never know the truth
If you were really all alone

We were just a couple of kids then
Livin’ each and every day
When we both went down to register
We were laughing all the way
That’s when we named it the hippie highway
I still call it that today

Roger and out good buddy
I still call it that today
Two Cameros racing down the road
Feels just like yesterday
Roger and out good buddy
I feel you in the air today
I know you gave for your country
I feel you in the air today

Got any other thoughts on music for this day? Add some suggestions in the comments...