Some anti-war songs lament aspects of wars, while others satirize war. Most promote peace in some form, while others sing out against specific armed conflicts. Still others depict the physical and psychological destruction that warfare causes to soldiers, innocent civilians, and humanity as a whole. Many of these songs are considered protest songs, and some have been embraced by war-weary people, various peace movements, and peace activists.

General pacifist and anti-war songs

American Civil War

American Indian Wars

World War I

Spanish Civil War

World War II

Cold War and nuclear annihilation

Vietnam War

Dominican Civil War

Turkish invasion of Cyprus

Soviet-Afghan War

Iran-Iraq War

The Troubles of Northern Ireland

Falklands War

Contras, Latin America

Yugoslav Wars

Gulf Wars, Iraq, 9/11, and the War on Terror

Israeli–Palestinian conflict

Russian invasion of Ukraine

Anti-draft

Traditional music

Apart from the various genres of modern music, some traditional and contemporary folk songs reflect the futile efforts of war and the attitudes of objectors prior to the major wars of the 20th century. Some of these include:

Musicals