Edwin Starr was born in Nashville, Tennessee in 1942. He and his cousins (soul singers Roger and Willie Hatcher) moved to Cleveland, Ohio where they were raised.
In 1957 Starr formed a doo-wop group The Future Tones and began his singing career. Starr lived in Detroit, Michigan in the 1960s and recorded at first for the small record label Ric-Tic, and later for the famed Motown after it absorbed Ric-Tic in 1968.
The song which began his career was "Agent Double'O'Soul" (1965), a take-off on the James Bond films which were popular at the time.
He recorded more soul music for the next three years before having an international chart-topper in "25 Miles" (1968). As of 2005 it is one of only two Starr songs on oldies radio.
The biggest hit of his career, which cemented his reputation as a great soul artist, was the anti-Vietnam War protest song "War" (1970). A rousing tour-de-force, the vocals to "War" were - according to Starr - recorded in one take: an accomplishment which might make modern artists quail with apprehension. In explanation, Starr remained characteristically modest, explaining that he'd been allocated little studio time, so had to give each song his best shot.
Starr's intense vocals transformed a Temptations album track into a #1 chart success, which spent three weeks in that top position on the US Billboard charts, an anthem for the antiwar movement and a cultural milestone that continues to resound a generation later in movie soundtracks and hip hop music samples.
"War" appeared on both Starr's War and Peace LP and its follow-up, Involved. Involved also featured another song of very similar construction titled "Stop the War Now", which was a minor hit in its own right.
Moving to England in 1973, Starr continued to record music into the 1970s, most notably recording the song "Hell Up In Harlem" for the 1974 film, Hell Up In Harlem, which was the sequel to Black Caesar, an earlier hit with a soundtrack by James Brown.
In 1979 Starr reappeared on the charts with a pair of disco hits, titled "(Eye-To-Eye) Contact" and "H.A.P.P.Y. Radio". By now he had joined the well-established disco boom, and had further singles out on the record label 20th Century Records. Over the years he released tracks on many labels including Avatar, Calibre, 10 Records, Motown (a return to his former label for a 1989 remix of "25 Miles"), Streetwave and Hippodrome.
In 1985 Starr released "It Ain't Fair". Despite garnering the attention of many in the soul and dance clubs, it fell short of becoming the hit many felt it deserved to be.
In 1988 Starr teamed up with the popular and successful Stock, Aitken and Waterman production company for the club hit "Whatever Makes Our Love Grow".
In 1989, a number 17 uk hit by the Cookie Crew called "Got to Keep On" sampled a portion of "25 Miles" [1]. This track was then featured on a 1990 dance medley made for the BRIT Awards which made number 2 in the UK Singles Chart [2]. A club mix of various artists, it included the previous years remix of "25 Miles". Starr also appeared on the charity number one single "Let It Be" by Ferry Aid, again a various artist project.
Starr resurfaced briefly in 2000, to team up with the UK band Utah Saints to record a new version of his song "Funky Music Sho Nuff Turns Me On". He appeared again in 2002 to record a song with the British musician Jools Holland, singing "Snowflake Boogie" on Holland's compact disc More Friends; and to record another track with Utah Saints, a so far unreleased version of his number one hit "War" - his last ever recording.
Starr remained a hero on England's Northern Soul circuit - and also in Germany, where his energy and dedication to delivering a quality performance were greatly appreciated. He was affectionately renowned to be "The nicest man in Showbiz."
Edwin Starr died of a heart attack at the age of 61 in his home in Beeston near Nottingham.
War
Edwin Starr Lyrics
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What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, uhh
War, huh, yeah
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it again, y'all
War, huh (good God)
Absolutely nothing, listen to me, oh
War, I despise
'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives
War means tears to thousands of mother's eyes
When their sons go off to fight
And lose their lives
I said, war, huh (good God, y'all)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, just say it again
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
(War) It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker
Oh, war it's an enemy to all mankind
The thought of war blows my mind
War has caused unrest
Within the younger generation
Induction then destruction
Who wants to die? Oh
War, huh (good God y'all)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it, say it, say it
War (uh-huh), huh (yeah, huh)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
(War) It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker
(War) It's got one friend that's The Undertaker
Oh, war, has shattered many a young man's dreams
Made him disabled, bitter and mean
Life is much too short and precious
To spend fighting wars each day
War can't give life
It can only take it away, oh
War, huh (good God y'all)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, say it again
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)
What is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
(War) It ain't nothing but a heart breaker
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker, woo
Peace, love and understanding, tell me
Is there no place for them today?
They say we must fight to keep our freedom
But Lord knows there's got to be a better way, oh
War, huh (God y'all)
What is it good for? You tell me (nothing)
Say it, say it, say it, say it
War (good God), huh (now, huh)
What is it good for?
Stand up and shout it (nothing)
The song "War" by Edwin Starr, released in 1970, is a powerful protest against the idea of warfare. The chorus, "War, huh, yeah – what is it good for? Absolutely nothing," provides a clear and striking message against the notion of engaging in wars. The lyrics go on to explore the destructive impact of war on both individuals and communities. In the verses, Starr highlights the devastating effects of war, including the destruction of innocent lives, the tears of mothers who lose their children, and the physical and emotional damage caused to soldiers who fight for their country.
Through these lyrics, Starr raises important questions about the justification for war, and argues that it leads to unnecessary loss and destruction. Lyrics such as "War can't give life, it can only take it away," emphasize the point that war only brings pain and heartbreak, and that there are better ways to resolve conflicts between nations.
Overall, "War" is a powerful protest song that challenges the idea of war and calls for greater peace, love, and understanding between nations.
Line by Line Meaning
War, huh, yeah
The singer acknowledges war exists and is a part of our lives.
What is it good for?
The singer questions the usefulness of war.
Absolutely nothing, uhh
The singer asserts that war has no positive outcomes.
War, huh, yeah
The singer repeats the opening line to emphasize his point.
What is it good for?
The singer repeats the question to reiterate his point.
Absolutely nothing
The singer reasserts that war has no positive outcomes.
Say it again, y'all
The singer urges listeners to repeat the chorus with him.
War, huh (good God)
The singer again emphasizes that war exists and has negative consequences.
What is it good for?
The singer again questions the usefulness of war.
Absolutely nothing, listen to me, oh
The singer adamantly insists that war has no positive outcomes.
War, I despise
The singer declares his hatred for war.
'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives
The singer explains that war causes the loss of innocent lives.
War means tears to thousands of mother's eyes
The singer explains that war causes great sadness and grief to mothers.
When their sons go off to fight
The singer explains that the grief is caused by mothers losing their sons to war.
And lose their lives
The singer explains the ultimate consequence of war for soldiers and their mothers.
I said, war, huh (good God, y'all)
The singer reinforces his message of the negative consequences of war.
What is it good for?
The singer again questions the usefulness of war.
Absolutely nothing, just say it again
The singer again insists that war has no positive outcomes.
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)
The singer repeats the opening lines to reinforce the theme.
What is it good for?
The singer again questions the usefulness of war.
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
The singer again asserts that there are no positive results of war.
(War) It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker
The singer characterizes war as a destroyer of lives and dreams.
(War) Friend only to The Undertaker
The singer reinforces the idea that war brings death.
Oh, war it's an enemy to all mankind
The singer asserts that war harms everyone.
The thought of war blows my mind
The singer expresses his disbelief and disgust towards war.
War has caused unrest
The singer explains a negative consequence of war on society.
Within the younger generation
The singer specifies the group that has been affected by war.
Induction then destruction
The singer explains a vicious cycle caused by war.
Who wants to die? Oh
The singer asks a rhetorical question about the consequences of war.
War, huh (good God y'all)
The singer returns to his theme of the harm caused by war.
What is it good for?
The singer again questions the usefulness of war.
Absolutely nothing
The singer again emphasizes that there are no positive results of war.
Say it, say it, say it
The singer urges listeners to repeat the refrain with him.
War (uh-huh), huh (yeah, huh)
The singer emphasizes that war has no justification.
What is it good for?
The singer repeats his question to drive home the point.
Absolutely nothing, listen to me
The singer again asserts that war has no positive outcomes.
(War) It ain't nothing but a heart-breaker
The singer repeats his characterization of war as destructive.
(War) It's got one friend that's The Undertaker
The singer reiterates the theme that war causes death.
Oh, war, has shattered many a young man's dreams
The singer explains a negative consequence of war on young people.
Made him disabled, bitter and mean
The singer explains the physical and psychological toll of war on soldiers.
Life is much too short and precious
The singer emphasizes the value of life.
To spend fighting wars each day
The singer asserts that war is not worth the cost.
War can't give life
The singer highlights how war undermines life and creates meaningless destruction.
It can only take it away, oh
The singer emphasizes the destructive nature of war, referring to the loss of human lives.
War, huh (good God y'all)
The singer returns to his theme that war is destructive.
What is it good for?
The singer repeats his question to question the purpose of war.
Absolutely nothing, say it again
The singer urges listeners to repeat his message.
War (whoa), huh (oh Lord)
The singer repeats the opening lines to reinforce the theme.
What is it good for? You tell me (nothing)
The singer asks listeners to come to the conclusion war has no positive results.
Say it, say it, say it, say it
The singer urges listeners to repeat the refrain with him.
War (good God), huh (now, huh)
The singer repeats the theme of war causing destruction.
What is it good for?
The singer repeats his question to emphasize the message.
Stand up and shout it (nothing)
The singer urges listeners to reject war and insist that it has no positive outcome.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Norman Whitfield, Barrett Strong
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind