About The Song
Edwin Starr was a Tennessee singer who gained popularity with a series of garage rock hits on the UK’s Northern Soul circuit. In 1969, Motown signed Starr and found he had a powerful and versatile vocalist at his disposal. One of his songs, “War”, was a major success, reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for three weeks in August 1970. It’s a protest song that speaks out against the Vietnam War, one of the most controversial and divisive conflicts of the time. Starr admitted that “War” was a challenging song to release, given the politics of the time. However, its initial success can be attributed to its strong message and powerful performance.