Edwin Starr: "War" (1969)

"War" is a soul song written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong for the Motown label in 1969. Whitfield first produced the song — a blatant anti-Vietnam War protest — with The Temptations as the original vocalists.

After Motown began receiving repeated requests to release "War" as a single, Whitfield re-recorded the song with Edwin Starr as the vocalist, deciding to withhold the Temptations' version so as not to alienate their more conservative fans. Starr's version of "War" was a number-one hit on the Billboard Hot 100 chart in 1970, and is not only the most successful and well-known record of his career, but is also one of the most popular protest songs ever recorded. Its power was reasserted when Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band took their rendition into the U.S. Top 10 in 1986.

According to wikipedia, following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the song was placed on the list of post-9/11 inappropriate titles distributed by Clear Channel.


- Lyrics:

War-huh-yeah
what is it good for?
absolutely nothing
Say it again
War-I despise
'Cos it means destruction
Of innocent lives
War means tears
To thousands of mothers how
When their sons go off to fight
And lose their lives
I said
War-huh
It ain't nothing but a heartbreak
War
Friend only to the undertaker
It's an enemy of all mankind
the thought of war blows my mind
war has caused unrest within the younger generation
induction then destruction, who wants to die?
It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker
War
it got one friend that's the undertaker
War has shattered
Many young men's dreams
made him disabled, bitter, and mean
life is much too short and precious to spend fighting wars these days
war can't give life, it can only take it away
It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker
War
Friend only to the undertaker
We've got no place for it today
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord knows there's just got to be a better way
War
War
War-Good God, yall
Give it to me, yeah
What is it good for?