War (Edwin Starr Song)

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The song War , written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong , is one of the most famous anti-war songs . The song was written in 1969 as a protest against the Vietnam War .

The song was originally written by the two authors for their main band, the Temptations , who also recorded the song for the album Psychedelic Shack (1970). Although it was well received by the audience, out of consideration for rather conservative fans, the controversial title was not released as a single. Instead, another interpreter was sought.

For the course came Edwin Starr , two years already a top 10 hit before with Twenty-Five Miles had. The new version was produced by Norman Whitfield. After its publication in June 1970 it reached number 1 in the USA , number 3 in Great Britain and number 9 in Germany.

Starr gave the soul song a greater intensity than the Temptations original. A loudly shouted “War!” Is followed by chanting “What is it good for? Absolutely nothing! ” (What is it good for? For absolutely nothing!), Which became a succinct and popular saying of the anti-war movement.

For Starr, who then recorded more songs with Whitfield, there were a few smaller hits in the episode, but War remains by far his most famous. The song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame in 1999 and is featured on The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll list of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame .

In the mid-1980s, the song got new honors when a live recording by Bruce Springsteen again became a top 10 hit. There are also better-known versions of Frankie Goes to Hollywood , Joan Osborne , Laibach , DOA (band) , the Beastie Boys and a revival of Edwin Starr with the Utah Saints from 2002.

The song is sung several times by Jackie Chan in the film series Rush Hour and also appears in the film Gulliver's Travels - Something big happens to us at the end when Gulliver explains to two kings that war is useless. The music project 1,000 Days, 1,000 Songs published the title on its website in June 2017 as a protest against the policies of US President Donald Trump .

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ grammy.com, Grammy Hall of Fame Award, List of Awards Letter "W"
  2. ↑ rockhall.com, The Songs That Shaped Rock and Roll
  3. ↑ 1,000 Days, 1,000 Songs. Dave Eggers & Jordan Kurland, accessed June 1, 2017 .