Edwin Starr, Rest in Peace

Dear Readers:

At a moment in history when America is waging a controversial war, it may be good to reflect upon the words of soul singer Edwin Starr, who died April 2 of an apparent heart attack at his home near Nottingham, England. He was 61.

Starr recorded a number of hits for Motown, but by far his greatest achievement was “War,” a peace anthem that reached No. 1 in 1970, during the height of the Vietnam War protests. With lyrics written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong, “War” gets its power from the manly growling of Starr’s gritty baritone. Bruce Springsteen has tried to do justice to the song in concert, and performed duets with Starr, but his versions serve only to highlight the soulful brilliance of the original.

According to the lyrics,

Ahhh war.
I despise, cause it means destruction of innocent life.
War means tears to thousands of mothers’ eyes,
When their sons go off to fight and lose their lives.

War.
It ain’t nothin’ but a heart breaker.
War.
Friend only to the undertaker.

Doc encourages his readers to listen to a clip of Starr’s original (there’s a sample on this page at Amazon.com) and to Doc’s own version (above). In this time of war, we know how to consult the generals and the politicians. Let’s not forget the poets and the artists.

[ List your favorite antiwar songs. ]