Give it a chance: 20 inspirational songs about peace

On John Mayer’s 2006 single “Waiting on the World to Change,” the singer reflects on how young people are often scolded for not fighting for what’s right. However, Mayer also wants people to understand that the younger generation sometimes feels powerless against events taking place in the world, so they’re waiting to see something change in the world. As he sings in the first verse, “Now we see everything that's going wrong / With the world and those who lead it / We just feel like we don't have the means / To rise above and beat it.”

In addition to Michael Jackson’s music career, he was also known as a philanthropist who believed in helping as many people as he could. In 1992, he released his single “Heal the World,” an anthem that showed Jackson’s stance on people showing love, support, and community that would make life worth living. As he sings on the first verse, “There's a place in your heart / And I know that it is love / And this place could be much brighter than tomorrow.”

People have always lived in a world of wars and brutality, and in 1971, Marvin Gaye called for a peaceful world on “What’s Going On.” The track finds Gaye reflecting on families dealing with tragedies, as he wishes the world can be a better place. As he says on the second verse, “Father, father / We don't need to escalate / You see, war is not the answer / For only love can conquer hate.”

John Lennon calls for peace, unity, and a world without judgment on his 1971 single “Imagine.” He believes that if people can actually picture a better world, then they’ll act upon that vision to make it so. He gives this stance on the hook singing, “You may say I'm a dreamer / But I'm not the only one / I hope someday you'll join us / And the world will live as one.”

In 1971, Curtis Mayfield called for the end of wars on his track “We Got to Have Peace.” On the track, Mayfield stresses that the world should work out any conflict while giving children a chance to live a joyful life. His stance is evident in the first verse as he sings, “We got to have peace / To keep the world alive and war to cease / We got to have joy / True in our hearts with strength we can't destroy / People hear us / Through our voice, the world knows there's no choice.”

The Black Eyed Peas teamed up with Justin Timberlake on their 2003 single “Where Is the Love?” On the track, the group details how they witness so much hate, violence, and drama, and are questioning just what is wrong with people in the world. As they sing on the second verse, “It just ain't the same, old ways have changed / New days are strange, is the world insane? / If love and peace is so strong / Why are there pieces of love that don't belong?”

In 1975, rock band the Eagles released their fourth studio album One of These Nights. One of the standout album cuts is “I Wish You Peace,” in which the band highlights of wishing someone well even when they’re going through hard times. Throughout the song, they say, “I wish you peace when times are hard / The light to guide you through the dark.”

In 1977, Bob Marley & The Wailers were calling for unity on their single “One Love / People Get Ready.” They stress how everyone is part of the human race and should be able to live in harmony without any conflict. As their popular hook goes, “One love, one heart / Let's get together and feel alright.”

Norah Jones took the world by storm in 2002 with her debut album Come Away With Me. In addition to her massive singles, a solid track on the album’s deluxe version is “Peace.” On the track, Jones details the importance of being at peace with herself and her life. Her stance is heard on the hook as she sings, “When you find peace of mind / Leave your worries behind / Don't say that it can't be done / With a new point of view / Life's true meaning comes to you.”

On Dionne Warwick’s cover of the Burt Bacharach-/Hal David-penned “What the World Needs Now (Is Love),” she details how people deal with enough lows in their lives, and how everyone is deserving of love. It’s evident from the beginning of the song as she sings, “What the world needs now is love, sweet love / It's the only thing that there's just too little of.”

Michael Bolton teamed up with Justin Jesso on their track “Beautiful World.” The song finds the singers reflecting on how the world puts a lot of stress and hardships on people, but they’re going to continue to persevere. They’re heard on the hook singing, “We're gonna love like we've never been hurt / We're gonna rise like we've never been burned / And after all of the lessons we've learned / We're gonna make this a beautiful world.”

On Alicia Keys’ 2014 single “We Are Here,” the singer details how the world is constantly dealing with conflicts, wars, gun violence, and unjust laws. While she mentions that all the chaos can cause confusion, it’s up to the people to try to make the change they want to see. As she sings on the second verse, “Let's talk about our part / My heart to your heart / Let's talk about, let's talk about living / Had enough of dying / Not what we all about / Let's do more giving, do more forgiving.” 

Bob Dylan’s 1963 single “Blowin’ in the Wind” has often been revered as a protest song that asks a series of hypothetical questions about war and freedom. Although Dylan questions how people can change and call for peace, he stresses that the answers to the questions are right in front of us all. 

Koryn Hawthorne teamed up with Jonathan McReynolds on their track “Peace.” In the song, they detail dealing with a relationship that no longer serves them, and finding peace in the decision to move on. As they sing on the hook, “So I gotta hold on to my peace / 'Cause I can't get it back from nobody once it's all gone / Gotta protect all of my peace / I can feel it in my soul, when it ain't right, it's all wrong.”

On Mac Miller’s 2020 track “Blue World,” the rapper reflects on dealing with the highs and lows of life. However, no matter how hard life may get, he’s aware that there can always be a better tomorrow. Like he raps on the track, “Hey, one of these days / We'll all get by / Don't be afraid, don’t fall.”

Back in 1964, Sam Cooke detailed about dealing with discrimination and hardships on his single “A Change Is Gonna Come.” Although Cooke was very hopeful that the world will change for the better, people today are still dealing with the same issues that the singer stressed about. On the third verse, he details dealing with segregation and discrimination, “I go to the movie / And I go downtown / Somebody keep tellin' me 'don't hang around.'"

In 2020, country singer Carrie Underwood released her first Christmas album The Gift. On the track “Let There Be Peace,” Underwood details that the only thing on her Christmas list is to have peace in the world. She sings on the hook, “And let there be peace / Peace to every nation / Let there be hope / For all the world to see.”

P!nk and her daughter Willow Sage Hart are hoping for a better tomorrow on their 2021 track “Cover Me In Sunshine.” Sometimes life can get so hard, that you’re just hoping to see something of peace and serenity. They join forces on the hook as they sing, “Cover me in sunshine / Shower me with good times / Tell me that the world's been spinning since the beginning / And everything'll be alright.”

“People Get Ready” became the most successful single by soul group The Impressions. Group member Curtis Mayfield wrote the song as a way to help highlight the then-growing Civil Rights Movement. The song became a top 20 hit on the Billboard Hot 100. 

Sometimes the weight of the world can seem like it’s too hard to bear for some people, and it takes just a little bit of faith to believe that things will be okay. Emeli Sandé stresses this sentiment on her 2022 track “Brighter Days.” As she sings on the hook, “But there's gonna be brighter days, brighter days / I'll keep you lifted when you're losing faith / There's gonna be brighter days, brighter days / Though it seems distant, know the world will change.”