“ Although one wonders if "War and Peace" would have been as highly acclaimed as it was if it was published under its original name "War: What Is It Good For?"
This song was written in a style that emulates military march cadence songs, especially the ones from the U.S. Army. They sing pro-war songs like this during marching drills and this came out during the height of the Vietnam War. So, it's was meant to be a protest track.
Back in Jan. 1974, Edwin Starr performed this live on Midnight Special and had members of the band dressed in uniform, lying down on the stage as if shot to death in war, while Edwin told the audience that war is disgusting. Very moving. Look for video of it here on YT. I would post the link but the whole comment would disappear.
I agree. No matter what they leave richer than they came in. A government employees salary for 40 years does not equal half a billion or a billion in any known metric except for insider trading and using their spouse and family to buy stock they know will be going up. It's made unnecessarily complicated for that reason alone. To keep all the lawyers in power and those who employ them.
We need ACTUAL HUMAN BEINGS who won't fall for the age old concept of absolute power corrupting absolutely. That's why we need term limits. And the jury selection system for public office to prevent any form of monarchy for the executive branches. Or any branch for that matter. It's all bs. I Hate being smart.
Interedtingly, "War", which at the time of recording was directed at the Vietnam War, was originally recorded by the Temptations. Motown began receiving repeated requests to release "War" as a single. So, they re-recorded the song with Edwin Starr as the vocalist, and decided to withhold the Temptations' version from single release so as not to alienate that group's more conservative fans.
Sooo many of these awesome singles you play were a part of our daily lives! Radio On all the time! In Cars too! So many artists putting out their best! 70’s! The Best Era of music!! Boomers know A LOT of music from Many genres and artists!
@@sandrapeters6064 I'm just two years behind you Sandra, so I feel historical myself, still growing, still learning, still loving music and still dancing, shine on Sandra!!👍😎
Excellent reactions to Classic in your face Anthem "War" by Edwin Starr. Check out his other big hit " 25 Miles". Another great vocal desperation+ conviction oozes.
I was still in high school. This was a protest, the Vietnam war song. We all had friends that had to go to this very unpopular and controversial war ‘Eve of Destruction” time period.
Country, Joe McDonald, and the Fish the song is I’m fixing to die rag. Black Sabbath war pigs. I forgotten the name of the artist song is called sunshine. It has extended title sunshine “go away today..” The Beatles single release the faster version of revolution.
While it's a general statement about war, (which sometimes is absolutely necessary), This came out during Vietnam era, as just about every Band or artist put out a song about it. Did my one-year tour from 1971 -72.
The choices open to people with this surname were suddenly doubled when this single hit. Now their children could be named Edwin as well as just Ringo.
😊❤ Hi! 😅 Loved your reaction! This song will always be relevant. I would love nothing more than to have this song resurface and become the anthem of another young generation!! As it was for mine!! ❤ It made me think and feel at a level beyond my years!! 😳😉 If it could actually change the world; maybe this song would only be in history class!! 😊❤❤
on the same vein, I would highly encourage you to watch country Joe and the fish at Woodstock ( the original Woodstock) and they have an anti-war song called I think it's called the Vietnam song? pretty interesting and very cool
Awesome choice and reaction..So much emotion in this song..Gotta go with more MOTOWN bands! As others said The Temptations Ball of Confusion is a good start..Hell, anything by The Temps (Papa was a Rolling Stone)...ANother good one is Get Ready...but it's done better by RARE EARTH...Keep on Chooglin with your reactions!
also... this is still in that same genre of thought but George Carlin has a really good video and it's called *you have no rights*. I think you would really vibe to what he is saying.
Though I'm quite sympathetic to the lesson of this song, it has to be said that things are complex. The folks in Europe were probably pretty glad the US got involved in WWII. Of course, no matter how justified a war is, all the other things you mentioned will still go on, which undermines any moral superiority. In terms of the bad soap opera that is national politics, I have to point out that it's us who make it that way. Those folks aren't stupid. They do what gets them reelected. If it didn't, they would stop because they fundamentally want to get reelected. When we stop treating politics like a sport with almost everyone on one side of the field or another, and reward politicians for nuanced approaches, then they'll start doing that. But we never do. Any nuanced approached will be used against the politician who attempts it.
Wow I'm glad that you were not in government during the cold war. Since you like and enjoy history, you should know the contextual difference between some of the historical events you mentioned. Song written in protest of the war that was going on then, Vietnam.
Vietnam is no different than any other war. Unnecessary and bloody and profit filled. We like to revise history these days to fit certain agendas, but there has never been a just war. And never will be until humanity rallies against skynet 🤣🤣 it always has been about power, pissing contents, and money. And it will never be anything different from that. Even Ww2 is being revised. I know the atrocities both sides committed in the name of war. There are no good guys. We were not the good guys. We just won. And it just so happened that our enemy was more vile and bloodthirsty then we were. But that's the brutal reality we live in. We want the Hollywood version of the world, but that's just not what we have in history. And guess who the next boogeyman was? Korea? Vietnam? Afghanistan? All of the insurgency in South America? It's all us. We have toppled entire elected governments. And that wasn't even our military. And this is coming from a military brat who loves his country. We just so happen to have committed a lot of terrible stuff like every major power in the world has. That's reality. The burning flesh. And the happy politician playing golf. And everything in between.
I absolutely agree with the lyrics of this song! Unfortunately, it's not always so clear cut. For instances, imo, Ukraine and Gaza (Palestinians) need our aid at this time because they've experienced catastrophic destruction and genocide by no fault of their own.
Still extremely topical. War. It's good for the military industrial complex. No good for humans. For another cool song by Edwin Starr check out "funky music sho 'nuff turns me on"
The Viet Nam war killed over 50,000 Americans and countless civilians and Vietnamese North and South. I was in high school and my brothers were both in the military. My oldest brother went to Viet Nam and survived. My other brother joined the Coast Guard to avoid the draft. It was a perilous journey through the 60s and 70s with changes in so many factors in our lives. We are again at a crossroads in our country and our rights are going to be stripped away. Do not be surprised if the draft is not reintroduced because racist members of Congress think there are too many brown people and women. It’s just ugly.
Sadly this classic anthem is still relevent and still ignored by the war mongers. Frankie goes to Hollywood did a decent cover version. 'Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong Are here to make right everything that's wrong' Billy Bragg - 'Levi Stubbs tears'
Another good time period anti was song was “Bring the Boys Home" by singer Freda Payne in 1971. It was a big hit, but was banned by the American Forces Network.
Good God, y'all! This is an incredible song. It has lost nothing in 50 years.
What a classic 👌 I had no idea that saying came from this song. It really is good for nothing.
"Ball of Confusion" by the Temptations is in this vein and a banger.
This song was played non stop in my college years 1968-1972. We thought we could change things.
One of the best no holds bared anti war song ever: Monster of a Song
“Good god y’all” such a potent lyric!
It really is. They made great use out of it here
“ Although one wonders if "War and Peace" would have been as highly acclaimed as it was if it was published under its original name "War: What Is It Good For?"
😂
Jerry really sold that one! Poor Elaine.🤣
And then she went on to sing that part of the song to Testikov. Hilarious.
Came home from Nam - this song released - My anthem of my time in war.
This song was written in a style that emulates military march cadence songs, especially the ones from the U.S. Army. They sing pro-war songs like this during marching drills and this came out during the height of the Vietnam War. So, it's was meant to be a protest track.
A great song and a great voice this song is as good now as it was 1970 when I was 14 .
Remember buying the single back in 1970😊
Back in Jan. 1974, Edwin Starr performed this live on Midnight Special and had members of the band dressed in uniform, lying down on the stage as if shot to death in war, while Edwin told the audience that war is disgusting. Very moving. Look for video of it here on YT.
I would post the link but the whole comment would disappear.
Huge #1 single. I bought the record back in 1970 when l was 14 years old. 👍
I love Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker singing this in the movie Rush Hour.
Edwin was a writer, too. Norman Whitfield was one of the all-time great writers and producers. Such a unique and influential sound!
Where in Congress are the teachers, historians, artists, farmers, poets and just real people, not all lawyers and millionaires.
I agree. No matter what they leave richer than they came in. A government employees salary for 40 years does not equal half a billion or a billion in any known metric except for insider trading and using their spouse and family to buy stock they know will be going up. It's made unnecessarily complicated for that reason alone. To keep all the lawyers in power and those who employ them.
We need ACTUAL HUMAN BEINGS who won't fall for the age old concept of absolute power corrupting absolutely. That's why we need term limits. And the jury selection system for public office to prevent any form of monarchy for the executive branches. Or any branch for that matter. It's all bs. I Hate being smart.
... should be playing 24/7 somewhere. Especially now. Great choice bro! 🎶✌️
This song still gives me goosebumps and makes me want to blast it through the neighborhood!!!!
Springsteen does an amazing live cover/tribute of this song everyone should check out.
Interedtingly, "War", which at the time of recording was directed at the Vietnam War, was originally recorded by the Temptations. Motown began receiving repeated requests to release "War" as a single. So, they re-recorded the song with Edwin Starr as the vocalist, and decided to withhold the Temptations' version from single release so as not to alienate that group's more conservative fans.
Sooo many of these awesome singles you play were a part of our daily lives! Radio On all the time! In Cars too! So many artists putting out their best! 70’s! The Best Era of music!! Boomers know A LOT of music from Many genres and artists!
We mostly just heard artists. Never seen them..
His voice so strong. Sadly, we are still dealing with Wars😢. Great lyrics
"War" is one of those "how does he top that" songs. Iconic, but can often turn into an artist's nightmare...
Edwin Starrs been around a long time.Go way back to Agent Double O Soul.Also 25 Miles From Home. Good stuff!
If I Had A Rocket Launcher-Bruce Cockburn, I Was Only 19-Redgum, Masters of War-Dylan
Both Bruce Cockburn's "If I had a rocket launcher" and Bob Dylan's "Masters of War" are incredible historical songs I agree!!
@@Rhiannon011 Thanks! As a woman of 75 years, I feel pretty historical myself.
@@sandrapeters6064 I'm just two years behind you Sandra, so I feel historical myself, still growing, still learning, still loving music and still dancing, shine on Sandra!!👍😎
Remember this one. Sadly, it is applicable now a days😮
great great great song
Good God, y’all! Ace track.
A classic
Banging horn section.
preach,brother!
2 more great anti war songs to check out, Eve of Destruction by Barry McGuire and Dylans Masters of War
There is absolutely no reason on this planet that dictates the reason for war. (Except for the ones with the power to incite wars)
Excellent reactions to Classic in your face Anthem "War" by Edwin Starr. Check out his other big hit
" 25 Miles". Another great vocal desperation+ conviction oozes.
The Undisputed Truth hit song Smiling Faces Sometimes
This was our Hippy Anthem, protesting Vietnam 💖‼️
Yep, that's where that saying came from! ✌️
Good music too!
I was still in high school. This was a protest, the Vietnam war song. We all had friends that had to go to this very unpopular and controversial war ‘Eve of Destruction” time period.
Also the draft was alive. Our men were forced to go
Agree 100%
Country, Joe McDonald, and the Fish the song is I’m fixing to die rag. Black Sabbath war pigs. I forgotten the name of the artist song is called sunshine. It has extended title sunshine “go away today..” The Beatles single release the faster version of revolution.
Another fantastic Edwin Starr single is 25 Miles...Highly recommended.
Gail, Awesome Pick!! One of my Favorites, Great to see Lee's Reaction!!
While it's a general statement about war, (which sometimes is absolutely necessary), This came out during Vietnam era, as just about every Band or artist put out a song about it. Did my one-year tour from 1971 -72.
Ball of Confusion is EXCELLENT , PLEASE REACT TO IT!
Brilliant song. Great reaction.
Saw him live ,this got us all on our feet shouting "nothin' " answer to "what is it good for " great anti war song.
Edwin was so impressed with the lack of racism in England compared to the US that he moved here and became a country gent in the heart of England.
Ball of Confusion is another Great One! Another protest song.
Well said brother!! Thank you for the reaction. Enjoy your channel!!!
Regular citizens take one year in Congress and their job at home is protected etc. Random. I like that too.
So you know about Dresden. I'm impressed. Before the firebombing it was one of the most beautiful cities in the world
Great choice and reaction
Thank you Stephen I appreciate that 🙏
The choices open to people with this surname were suddenly doubled when this single hit. Now their children could be named Edwin as well as just Ringo.
"History with Lee !"
Where are our protest songs today? Rage Against the Machine, maybe but not exactly mass market
😊❤ Hi! 😅 Loved your reaction! This song will always be relevant. I would love nothing more than to have this song resurface and become the anthem of another young generation!! As it was for mine!! ❤ It made me think and feel at a level beyond my years!! 😳😉 If it could actually change the world; maybe this song would only be in history class!! 😊❤❤
Luv his song 25 miles.. oh great
This was the anthem of my generation, I was a war protester who burned my draft card in front of the white house 💙✌️😎
I wish you were my Postman, Lee. They're not as determined as you.
🤣🤣 well I'm glad someone caught that one lol
Also a great cover version by Frankie Goes to Hollywood
Great pick awesome song from the days of my youth
Listened to it on a 45 when it first came out
hes right
❤️❤️❤️
lots of people know War from the legendary movie Rush Hour!
This is probably the greatest anti-war song I know of. Though War Pigs runs a close second.
Yeah these writers went off here lol so did Edwin. They all were killing it here.
on the same vein, I would highly encourage you to watch country Joe and the fish at Woodstock ( the original Woodstock)
and they have an anti-war song called I think it's called the Vietnam song? pretty interesting and very cool
Awesome choice and reaction..So much emotion in this song..Gotta go with more MOTOWN bands! As others said The Temptations Ball of Confusion is a good start..Hell, anything by The Temps (Papa was a Rolling Stone)...ANother good one is Get Ready...but it's done better by RARE EARTH...Keep on Chooglin with your reactions!
also... this is still in that same genre of thought but George Carlin has a really good video and it's called *you have no rights*.
I think you would really vibe to what he is saying.
Good review!
Great commentary. Thanks.
Yep excellent choice
I also grew up on this music
Check out Joan Osborne w Funk bros
What Becomes of the Broken Hearted
You'll Dig it
There ain’t no good guys. There ain’t no bad guys. There’s only you and me and we just disagree -DM
Geo politics is complex the simplified version. Is we don’t wanna fight them here.
Recommend the documentary about the Funk Brothers called “Standing in the Shadows of Motown”
Though I'm quite sympathetic to the lesson of this song, it has to be said that things are complex. The folks in Europe were probably pretty glad the US got involved in WWII. Of course, no matter how justified a war is, all the other things you mentioned will still go on, which undermines any moral superiority.
In terms of the bad soap opera that is national politics, I have to point out that it's us who make it that way. Those folks aren't stupid. They do what gets them reelected. If it didn't, they would stop because they fundamentally want to get reelected. When we stop treating politics like a sport with almost everyone on one side of the field or another, and reward politicians for nuanced approaches, then they'll start doing that. But we never do. Any nuanced approached will be used against the politician who attempts it.
Wow I'm glad that you were not in government during the cold war. Since you like and enjoy history, you should know the contextual difference between some of the historical events you mentioned. Song written in protest of the war that was going on then, Vietnam.
Vietnam is no different than any other war. Unnecessary and bloody and profit filled. We like to revise history these days to fit certain agendas, but there has never been a just war. And never will be until humanity rallies against skynet 🤣🤣 it always has been about power, pissing contents, and money. And it will never be anything different from that. Even Ww2 is being revised. I know the atrocities both sides committed in the name of war. There are no good guys. We were not the good guys. We just won. And it just so happened that our enemy was more vile and bloodthirsty then we were. But that's the brutal reality we live in. We want the Hollywood version of the world, but that's just not what we have in history. And guess who the next boogeyman was? Korea? Vietnam? Afghanistan? All of the insurgency in South America? It's all us. We have toppled entire elected governments. And that wasn't even our military. And this is coming from a military brat who loves his country. We just so happen to have committed a lot of terrible stuff like every major power in the world has.
That's reality. The burning flesh. And the happy politician playing golf. And everything in between.
I absolutely agree with the lyrics of this song! Unfortunately, it's not always so clear cut. For instances, imo, Ukraine and Gaza (Palestinians) need our aid at this time because they've experienced catastrophic destruction and genocide by no fault of their own.
Still extremely topical. War. It's good for the military industrial complex. No good for humans. For another cool song by Edwin Starr check out "funky music sho 'nuff turns me on"
Try, 2+2, by Bob Segar
The Viet Nam war killed over 50,000 Americans and countless civilians and Vietnamese North and South. I was in high school and my brothers were both in the military. My oldest brother went to Viet Nam and survived. My other brother joined the Coast Guard to avoid the draft. It was a perilous journey through the 60s and 70s with changes in so many factors in our lives. We are again at a crossroads in our country and our rights are going to be stripped away. Do not be surprised if the draft is not reintroduced because racist members of Congress think there are too many brown people and women. It’s just ugly.
If you haven't react to the Chambers Brothers Time Has Come Today long version also Eve of Destruction
I did time has come today! Here's the link czcams.com/video/m9kiCTvpI-k/video.html
Sadly this classic anthem is still relevent and still ignored by the war mongers.
Frankie goes to Hollywood did a decent cover version.
'Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong
Are here to make right everything that's wrong'
Billy Bragg - 'Levi Stubbs tears'
War IS good for those who make money off of it. Sad
Never more relevant.
Another good time period anti was song was “Bring the Boys Home" by singer Freda Payne in 1971. It was a big hit, but was banned by the American Forces Network.
I remember when this came out ,,Height of NAM Great Song...Vietnam War was absolutely not necessary ..Pretty sad