Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964. New York, USA) is an Ame… Read Full Bio ↴Leonard Albert "Lenny" Kravitz (born May 26, 1964. New York, USA) is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, guitarist and actor whose retro amalgam of rock, pop, funk, and even techno is inspired by such music icons as David Bowie, Jimi Hendrix and John Lennon. Like Prince and Sly Stone before him, Kravitz uses a multi-ethnic, mixed-gender backing band.

Kravitz plays guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, percussion, and sitar. He often plays these instruments on each recorded track, but frequently collaborates with other musicians as well when recording.

His 1989 debut album Let Love Rule was a moderate success. In 1991 he released his second album, Mama Said, which reached the top 40 of the Billboard album charts. In 1993, the album Are You Gonna Go My Way was released, reaching #12 on the Billboard 200 and Kravitz earned a Brit Award for best international male artist in 1994. He released the Circus album in 1995, which reached number 10 on the Billboard chart on the back of his past achievement. With 5 (1999), Kravitz embraced digital technology such as Pro Tools and samplers for the first time. He would win the first of his four consecutive Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 1999.

His cover version of The Guess Who's hit "American Woman" won him another Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance at the Grammy Awards of 2000. Kravitz released a Greatest Hits compilation in 2000. It proved to be his most successful album. The single "Again" would earn him his third consecutive Grammy for the Best Male Rock Vocal in the Grammy Awards of 2001. Kravitz released his sixth album Lenny in October 2001. He won his fourth consecutive Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal at the Grammy Awards of 2002. Kravitz's seventh album Baptism was released in May 2004. His album, It Is Time For A Love Revolution was released in 2008. He has always edited his albums on Virgin Records America. The lead single from Kravitz’s ninth album, Black and White America, "Stand" was released on June 3, 2011. (Stand Songfacts).

He is the son of Ukrainian-Jewish American NBC television news producer Sy Kravitz, and Bahamian American actress Roxie Roker, best known as her character Helen Willis on the hit 1970s television sitcom The Jeffersons. Black and White America's title track is an autobiographical look back at his upbringing in New York. (Black and White America Songfacts).

Artist website: www.lennykravitz.com

War
Lenny Kravitz Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Do you think we can start over
Do we have the eyes to see
Is there any more devotion
Left inside our will to be

Or do you think that it's over
Inevitable prophecy
Do you see any other

Way that we can recover
If so, you can work with me

I say, war
No more
I'm not gonna fight this war no more
I say, war
Oh-oh oh
I'm not gonna fight this war no more

You and I, shoulder to shoulder
That's the way we used to be
How the nights keep getting colder
What's become of you and me

Has our world come crashing towards
An enormous, thunderous sea
Or will we discover
That our future's in each other
And avoid this travesty (hey)

I say, war
No more
I'm not gonna fight this war no more
I say, war
Oh-oh oh
I'm not gonna fight this war no more

I say, war (war)
No more
I'm not gonna fight this war no more
I say, war
Oh-oh oh (oh)
I'm not gonna fight this war no more

Oooh

I say, war
No more
I'm not gonna fight this war no more
I say, war (war)
Oh-oh oh
I'm not gonna fight this war no more

I say, war (ooh)
No more (hey)
I'm not gonna fight this war no more
I say, war (war)
Oh-oh oh
I'm not gonna fight this war no more (ooh)

I say, war (war)
No more
I'm not gonna fight this war no more
I say, war (war)
Oh-oh oh (no more, hoh)
I'm not gonna fight this war no more (ooh)

I say, war
No more (oh)
I'm not gonna fight this war no more (hey-hey)
I say, war (ooh)

Oh-oh oh (hey)
I'm not gonna fight this war no more (heyy)

Overall Meaning

In the song "War" by Lenny Kravitz, he uses the metaphor of war to symbolize the struggles and conflicts that people face in their relationships with one another. He asks if it's possible for two people to start over and find the devotion they once had for each other. He wonders if it's worth trying to recover what they once had or if their relationship is simply doomed to fail. Kravitz seems to be pleading with his partner to work with him to find a way to avoid this "travesty" and to instead "discover that our future's in each other." He repeats the phrase "I'm not gonna fight this war no more" throughout the song, emphasizing his desire to resolve their issues and move forward peacefully.

Kravitz's lyrics point to the importance of communication, compromise, and working together in order to find common ground and resolve conflicts. Instead of resorting to fighting and arguing, he suggests finding a way to come together and rebuild what has been lost. The use of the metaphor of war also serves to illustrate the destructive nature of conflict and the toll it can take on relationships.

Overall, "War" is a heartfelt plea for reconciliation and understanding in the face of conflict. Kravitz's message is one that is easily relatable to anyone who has dealt with the difficulties of maintaining a relationship.

Line by Line Meaning

Do you think we can start over
Is it possible for us to begin again?

Do we have the eyes to see
Do we possess the vision to recognize the solution?

Is there any more devotion
Do we still have the commitment to make a change?

Left inside our will to be
Do we have the desire to make things right?

Or do you think that it's over
Is it too late to fix our problems?

Inevitable prophecy
Is our failure predetermined?

Do you see any other
Can you envision any other way?

Way that we can recover
A path to restore what is broken.

If so, you can work with me
If you have an idea, I am willing to work together to make a change.

I say, war
Conflict, confrontation, anger.

No more
I refuse to participate in this struggle anymore.