![]() ![]() ![]() So, why should songwriters waste so much time and effort fighting a hopeless battle? Given human history, the resurgence of the “strongman fetish” and the extreme political polarization engulfing many countries, I’d say the chances are pretty high that a fairly significant war will occur in our lifetimes and even the greatest anti-war song ever composed will be unable to stop it. Whether the cause is bellicose individuals, incompetent leaders, territorial pissing, religious differences or rabid patriotism, it’s highly unlikely that war will soon become a thing of the past. Most leaders try to avoid war, but there are many instances of bellicose individuals enthusiastically seeking out armed conflict. Wars usually begin due to a dispute between nations and break out because governmental leaders cannot solve their problems peacefully. Guess what? I don’t think Putin gives a shit. You’d think that after centuries of effort with nothing to show for it that songwriters would have abandoned the practice, but Wikipedia lists ten songs protesting the Russian invasion of Ukraine. I am not aware of any high-level confabs of top government officials where one of the participants said, “Hey, I was listening to Phil Ochs the other day and he made a pretty convincing case against going to war,” or “Hey, maybe John Lennon was right-maybe we should give peace a chance.” Wikipedia has a fairly comprehensive list, a little light on the traditional side, but enough to demonstrate the many attempts by songwriters to raise awareness of the evils of war through protest, satire or graphic descriptions of the human cost of armed conflict.īut none of them achieved the desired effect. He died in 2003 following a heart attack, at age 61.Hundreds of anti-war songs have been written throughout the centuries and none have ever prevented or stopped a war. He continued to record for a variety of labels, having some success (especially in the U.K.) in the Disco field. Tiring of Motown’s formulaic approach, Starr left the label and moved to England. Starr’s subsequent singles sold poorly, although his last release for Motown, the soundtrack "Hell Up In Harlem," would become an often sampled Funk classic. 1, becoming a anthem for the antiwar movement. ![]() With Starr’s ferocious lead vocal and its chorus of "War, huh, what is it good for? Absolutely nothing" the single spent three weeks at No. Whitfield decided it would be a good fit for Starr, with his impassioned delivery, and they re-recorded the song. In 1970, Motown staff producer Norman Whitfield recorded “War,” an anti Viet Nam War song, with the top-selling group the Temptations, but the label declined to release it as a single, due to worries that the group’s fans wouldn’t accept an antiwar message. Though Starr’s rough vocal style was atypical for Motown, his gritty delivery was a perfect fit for his first Top 10 hit at the label, the bouncy “25 Miles.” Starr recorded a series of moderately successful singles for Ric-Tic then he became a Motown artist when Motown owner Berry Gordy bought the label in 1968. Though his career stretched from Doo-Wop to Disco, Edwin Starr will best be remembered for his groundbreaking hit “War,” one of the first Soul records to deliver serious social commentary along with the beat.īorn Charles Edwin Hatcher, Starr pursued a musical career in Detroit after serving in the army, adopting his stage name and signing to the local Ric-Tic label. ![]()
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