Culture Club - The War Song

[Pet Shop Boy]

"War, War is stupid
And people are stupid
And love means nothing
In some strange quarters"

As protest lyrics go its not exactly Dylan. Boy George basically admits he was totally strung out on drugs at this time and its usually left off Culture Club collections despite being one of their bigger hits. (UK: #2, US: #17, CHR: #18)

However this lead single from their third album did break their run of CHR top tens and more or less finished them, though their fourth album "From Luxury To Heartache" spawned a bigger hit with "Move Away" (US #12, UK #7)

It is silly, but very catchy. The "Now we're fighting in our hearts" bit is good and Helen Terry's diva wailing, as always, lifts the song about 100%.

[Hervard]

By the time this album, called "Waking Up With The House On Fire", came out, it was clear that Boy George and the Culture Club had already had their day in the sun. The lead-off singles from their first two albums were top five hits (on R&R) ("Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" from their debut album and "Church Of The Poison Mind" from Colour By Number) while this song only got into the Top 20. There was only one more song from the "House On Fire" album, called "Mistake No. 3" and it barely scraped into the Top 30.

As for my opinion of this song, it was mediochre - good message, but the tune was sort of boring.

[Libra]

ulij20 said:

By the time this album, called "Waking Up With The House On Fire", came out, it was clear that Boy George and the Culture Club had already had their day in the sun.  The lead-off singles from their first two albums were top five hits (on R&R)  ("Do You Really Want To Hurt Me" from their debut album and "Church Of The Poison Mind" from Colour By Number) while this song only got into the Top 20.  There was only one more song from the "House On Fire" album, called "Mistake No. 3" and it barely scraped into the Top 30. 

Wouldn't Waking Up With the House On Fire have been their third album in under two years? That's overexposure so massive that it redefines the word. [/font]

[reception]

Here's the 12 inch version.

[BillboardBoy]

I used to have the 45. The only time I ever heard it was on MTV and on AT40. My local station didn't have it on their playlist.

[Deuce]

Oh who cares what the so-called critics think? This was a fun, pop song, and extremely catchy to boots.

Guerra, guerra, estupida.
Aqui la gente es estupida...

[areyoureadytojump]

A classic!!!!

[BillboardBoy]

I like it.

[areyoureadytojump]

40 years, "The War Song" debuted at #56 on the October 6, 1984 Billboard Hot 100.

Top Of The Pops:





Live in 1985:



en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_War_Song

#18 R&R: gghunt.utasites.cloud/charts/cultureclub.html