"Make love, not war" is an anti-war slogan commonly associated with the American counterculture of the 1960s. It was used primarily by those who were opposed to the Vietnam War, but has been invoked in other anti-war contexts since, around the world. The "Make love" part of the slogan often referred to the practice of

free love Free love is a social movement that accepts all forms of love. The movement's initial goal was to separate the state from sexual and romantic matters such as marriage, birth control, and adultery. It stated that such issues were the concern ...

that was growing among the American youth who denounced marriage as a tool for those who supported war and favored the traditional capitalist culture. Several people claimed to be the inventor of the phrase, including

Gershon Legman Gershon Legman (November 2, 1917 – February 23, 1999) was an American cultural critic and folklorist, best known for his books ''The Rationale of the Dirty Joke'' (1968) and ''The Horn Book: Studies in Erotic Folklore and Bibliography'' (1 ...

, Rod McKuen, radical activists

Penelope Penelope ( ; Ancient Greek: Πηνελόπεια, ''Pēnelópeia'', or el, Πηνελόπη, ''Pēnelópē'') is a character in Homer's ''Odyssey.'' She was the queen of Ithaca and was the daughter of Spartan king Icarius and naiad Periboea. Pe ...

and Franklin Rosemont and Tor Faegre, and Diane Newell Meyer, a senior at the University of Oregon in 1965, but the earliest uses in print appear to have been in anti-war protests in Berkeley, California earlier in 1965 than the April and May uses cited by Penelope Rosemont and Diane Newell Meyer. Articles mentioning signs and bumper stickers with the phrase were reported in the ''Daily Californian'' in February and the ''Oakland Tribune'' in March.

In popular culture

*The slogan was featured in two 1973 songs:

John Lennon John Winston Ono Lennon (born John Winston Lennon; 9 October 19408 December 1980) was an English singer, songwriter, musician and peace activist who achieved worldwide fame as founder, co-songwriter, co-lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of ...

's " Mind Games" and

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981; baptised in 1980 as Berhane Selassie) was a Jamaican singer, musician, and songwriter. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, his musical career was marked by fusing elements o ...

's "No More Trouble" (first released on the album '' Burnin'''). *It is also featured in the 1988 song " A Little Respect" by

Erasure Erasure () is an English synth-pop duo formed in London in 1985, consisting of lead vocalist and songwriter Andy Bell with songwriter, producer and keyboardist Vince Clarke, previously known as co-founder of the band Depeche Mode and a membe ...

. *In the 1989 film ''

Field of Dreams ''Field of Dreams'' is a 1989 American sports fantasy drama film written and directed by Phil Alden Robinson, based on Canadian novelist W. P. Kinsella's 1982 novel ''Shoeless Joe''. The film stars Kevin Costner as a farmer who builds a ...

'', fictional character Terence Mann is credited with coining the phrase. *

David Allyn David Allyn (born April 30, 1969) is an American author, educator, and consultant to nonprofit organizations. He is the former CEO of the nonprofit organization Oliver Scholars. Personal life Allyn is the stepson of the late John Wallach, foun ...

named his 2001 book after the slogan: '' Make Love, Not War: The Sexual Revolution: An Unfettered History''. *The character of 'Pop', in the 2002 futuristic

Queen Queen or QUEEN may refer to: Monarchy * Queen regnant, a female monarch of a Kingdom ** List of queens regnant * Queen consort, the wife of a reigning king * Queen dowager, the widow of a king * Queen mother, a queen dowager who is the mother ...

musical play ''

We Will Rock You "We Will Rock You" is a song written by Brian May and recorded by British rock band Queen for their 1977 album ''News of the World''. ''Rolling Stone'' ranked it number 330 of " The 500 Greatest Songs of All Time" in 2004, and it placed at num ...

'', shouts "Make love, not war!" as he is brainwashed at the start of the show, which leads into the stage performance of "

Radio Ga Ga "Radio Ga Ga" is a 1984 song performed and recorded by the British rock band Queen, written by their drummer Roger Taylor. It was released as a single with " I Go Crazy" by Brian May as the B-side. It was included on the album '' The Works'' ...

". *In the 2019 film '' Avengers: Endgame'', Stan Lee appears in his cameo driving past Camp Lehigh, shouting "Make love, not war!" to the army soldiers before driving off in his car. *in 2020 Jason Derulo and Nuka released the song " Love Not War".

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Make Love, Not War 1960s fads and trends Opposition to United States involvement in the Vietnam War Pacifism Political catchphrases Hippie movement Sexual revolution Counterculture of the 1960s 1965 neologisms

In popular culture

See also

References