War
The BB Band Lyrics

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Oh no-there's got to be a better way
Say it again
There's got to be a better way-yeah
What is it good for? (war)

Man has a sense for the discovery of beauty
How rich is the world for one who makes you for us to show
Beauty must have power over man, war

After the end of the war I want to devote myself
To my thoughts for five to ten years and to writing them down
War has caused unrest among the younger generation
Induction then destruction, who wants to die?
Wars come and go what remains are only the values of culture

Then of course there is revolutionary love
Love of comrades fighting for the people and love of people
Not an abstract people but people one meets and works with
When Che Guevara taught of love being
At the center of revolutionary endeavor, he meant both

For people like Che or George Jackson or Malcolm X
Love was the prime mover of their struggle
That love cost them their lives, love coupled with a man's pride
Love coupled with a man's pride
Give it to you on top, now

War, I despise 'cause 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, good god, now, what is it good for?
Absolutely, nothing
Say it again, war, 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, war

(War, war, war, war)
War, what is it good for?
Absolutely nothing
Say it, war, good god now, what is it good for?
Absolutely nothing, say it, (war)

Oh no, there's got to be a better way
Say it again, there's got to be a better way

Yeah, what is it good for?
War, what is it good for?

Overall Meaning

The BB Band's song War is a powerful anti-war anthem that repeats the question "what is it good for?" with the answer being "absolutely nothing". The lyrics of the song express the singers' disgust and condemnation of war, arguing that it destroys innocent lives, brings tears to mothers, and creates unrest among the younger generation. The song suggests that there must be a better way to resolve conflicts and disputes than war.

The lyrics also touch upon the idea of revolutionary love, where camaraderie and love for the people are the prime movers of the struggle against war. Che Guevara, George Jackson, and Malcolm X are mentioned as examples of people who fought for their beliefs driven by love and pride. The song acknowledges the cost of this love, which often led to their premature deaths.

The usage of a call-and-response style, repetitive lyrics, and a catchy melody makes the song memorable and easy to sing along with, which helps to reinforce the message of the lyrics. The song is a classic example of the soul music genre in the 1960s.

Line by Line Meaning

Oh no-there's got to be a better way
There has to be an alternate method to the current one

Say it again
Repeat the previous statement

There's got to be a better way-yeah
An improved solution must exist

What is it good for? (war)
Why should we continue with war?

Man has a sense for the discovery of beauty
Humans have an inclination towards finding beautiful things

How rich is the world for one who makes you for us to show
The world is fortunate when there is an entity to showcase beauty on one's behalf

Beauty must have power over man, war
Every man should realize the control beauty has over their being and not let war ruin it

After the end of the war I want to devote myself
Following the conclusion of war, I plan on focusing on my thoughts

To my thoughts for five to ten years and to writing them down
It is essential to document one's ideas through writing for an extensive period

War has caused unrest among the younger generation
Youth is agitated by the presence of war

Induction then destruction, who wants to die?
The process of being drafted then dying - who would want to go through this?

Wars come and go what remains are only the values of culture
When conflicts finish, it is only culture's fundamental beliefs that prevail

Then of course, there is revolutionary love
One can partake in revolutionary action through love

Love of comrades fighting for the people and love of people
The love felt for comrades rises from fighting for the people and furthermore from the people

Not an abstract people but people one meets and works with
The people stood for are not theoretical, but rather the ones worked with and faced on a daily basis

When Che Guevara taught of love being
When Che Guevara mentions love representing

At the center of revolutionary endeavor, he meant both
This love is the core of revolutionary work and is a combination of the aforementioned types

For people like Che or George Jackson or Malcolm X
Individuals like Che, George Jackson, and Malcolm X

Love was the prime mover of their struggle
Love was the driving factor in their fight

That love cost them their lives, love coupled with a man's pride
This leading love is what eventually led to their demise, coupled with a person's dignity

Love coupled with a man's pride
Love connected with one's sense of self-respect

Give it to you on top, now
This is the height of the situation

War, I despise 'cause it means destruction of innocent lives
I hate war due to its tendency to obliterate innocent individuals

War, means tears to thousands of mothers how
War results in numerous mothers shedding tears

When their sons go off to fight and lose their lives
This is the reason why mothers cry - sending their children off to war only to have them die

I said, war, good god, now, what is it good for?
Rhetorical inquiry: why continue with war?

Absolutely, nothing
War serves no useful purpose

Say it again, war, what is it good for?
Restate the previous rhetorical question

Absolutely, nothing, listen to me
War is unequivocally pointless - pay attention

War, it ain't nothing but a heart breaker
War only creates heartache and emotional pain

War, friend only to the undertaker, war
Undertakers are the only ones who benefit from war

(War, war, war, war)
Repetition of the word 'war'