The War Song
{{Short description|1984 single by Culture Club}}
{{About|the song by Culture Club|songs named "War"|War (disambiguation)|other uses|war song (disambiguation)}}
{{Use British English|date=June 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2025}}
{{Infobox song
| name = The War Song
| cover = The War Song.jpg
| alt =
| type = single
| artist = Culture Club
| album = Waking Up with the House on Fire
| B-side = La cancion de guerra
| released = {{start date|1984|9|24|df=y}}{{cite magazine|title=New Singles|magazine=Music Week|page=30|date=22 September 1984}}
| recorded =
| studio =
| venue =
| genre = New pop{{cite book|first=Bob |last=Stanley|title=Yeah Yeah Yeah: The Story of Modern Pop |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9emZAAAAQBAJ&pg=PT7|date=13 September 2013|publisher=Faber & Faber|isbn=978-0-571-28198-5|page=92}}
| length = 4:14
| writer = Boy George, Roy Hay, Mikey Craig, Jon Moss
| producer = Steve Levine
| prev_title = It's a Miracle
| prev_year = 1984
| next_title = The Medal Song
| next_year = 1984
}}
"The War Song" is a song by British band Culture Club, featuring background vocals from Clare Torry. It was released as the lead single from the band's third album, Waking Up with the House on Fire (1984), in September 1984. The song became the group's seventh top-five hit on the UK Singles Chart. In the United States, the single peaked at number 17 on the Billboard Hot 100. Elsewhere, it reached the top 10 in several countries, including Australia, Canada, and Ireland, peaking at number one in the latter country.
Lead singer Boy George later stated on BBC3 that "most people are very ignorant politically and we're all told how glamorous war is."{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/theguardian/2006/jun/27/features11.g22|title=Julian Baggini: Should pop stars do politics?|website=TheGuardian.com|date=27 June 2006}} The band mostly played the song live during the 1980s. The group played the song at a gig on New Year's Eve 2011. They also performed the song in 2014.{{cite web|author=Caroline Sullivan |url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2014/oct/22/culture-club-review-boy-george-reunion |title=Culture Club review – Boy George puts his self-destruction behind him |work=The Guardian |date=22 October 2014 |access-date=29 August 2018}}
Critical reception
Cash Box said that "this strong anti-war statement is delivered with simple but effective words and a varied melody."{{cite magazine|url=https://worldradiohistory.com/Archive-All-Music/Cash-Box/80s/1984/CB-1984-10-06.pdf|title=Reviews|magazine=Cash Box|volume=XLVII|number=18|page=15|date=6 October 1984|access-date=25 July 2022}} Billboard called it "an effervescent protest song, hard to disagree with."{{cite magazine|magazine=Billboard|title=Singles Reviews|date=13 October 1984|accessdate=10 February 2023|page=70|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=MiQEAAAAMBAJ}}
Track listings
Depending on region, Spanish B-side "La cancion de guerra" is another alternate-language version, including French version "La chanson de guerre",{{cite AV media notes|title=The War Song|others=Culture Club|year=1984|type=French 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Virgin Records|id=90149}} German version "Der Kriegsgesang",{{cite AV media notes|title=The War Song|others=Culture Club|year=1984|type=German 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Virgin Records|id=106 852}} and Japanese version "Sensō no uta" ("戦争のうた").{{cite AV media notes|title=The War Song|others=Culture Club|year=1984|type=Japanese 7-inch single vinyl disc|publisher=Virgin Records|id=07VA-1001}}
:A. "The War Song" – 3:57
:B. "La cancion de guerra" – 4:06
:A1. "The War Song" (ultimate dance mix) – 6:51
:B1. "The War Song" (Shriek mix) – 6:16
:B2. "La cancion de guerra"
Chart
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
=Weekly charts=
| class="wikitable sortable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center"
!scope="col"|Chart (1984–1985) !scope="col"|Peak |
| scope="row"|Australia (Kent Music Report){{cite book|last=Kent|first=David|author-link=David Kent (historian)|title=Australian Chart Book 1970–1992|edition=Illustrated|publisher=Australian Chart Book|location=St Ives, N.S.W.|year=1993|page=79|isbn=0-646-11917-6}}
|2 |
|---|
| {{single chart|Flanders|4|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true|access-date=14 December 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Canadatopsingles|7|chartid=0560|rowheader=true|access-date=27 July 2022}} |
| scope="row"| El Salvador (UPI){{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ztVDAAAAIBAJ&dq=branigan&pg=PA14&article_id=1722,3517608|title=Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica|newspaper=La Opinión (Los Angeles)|language=es|access-date=11 October 2024|date=19 November 1984}}
| 3 |
| scope="row"|Europe (European Hot 100 Singles){{cite magazine|title=European Top 100 Singles|magazine=Eurotipsheet|volume=1|issue=32|page=14|date=5 November 1984}}
|3 |
| {{single chart|France|7|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true|access-date=21 July 2013}} |
| {{single chart|Ireland2|1|song=The War Song|rowheader=true|access-date=27 July 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch40|5|year=1984|week=44|rowheader=true|access-date=14 December 2021}} |
| {{single chart|Dutch100|7|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|New Zealand|5|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true|access-date=21 July 2013}} |
| {{single chart|Norway|5|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true}} |
| scope="row"|Spain (AFYVE){{cite book|last=Salaverri|first=Fernando|title=Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002|edition=1st|date=December 1984|publisher=Fundación Autor-SGAE|location=Spain|isbn=84-8048-639-2}}
|4 |
| {{single chart|Sweden|6|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|Switzerland|10|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|UKsinglesbyname|2|artist=Culture Club|artistid=19777|rowheader=true|access-date=27 July 2022}} |
| {{single chart|Billboardhot100|17|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|rowheader=true}} |
| {{single chart|Billboarddanceclubplay|7|artist=Culture Club|rowheader=true|access-date=10 December 2024}} |
| scope="row"| Venezuela (UPI){{cite news|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=ztVDAAAAIBAJ&dq=branigan&pg=PA14&article_id=1722,3517608|title=Las canciones más populares en Latinoamérica|newspaper=La Opinión (Los Angeles)|language=es|access-date=11 October 2024|date=19 November 1984}}
| 8 |
| {{single chart|West Germany|12|artist=Culture Club|song=The War Song|songid=1175|rowheader=true|access-date=19 March 2019}} |
{{col-2}}
=Year-end charts=
{{col-end}}
Certifications
{{Certification Table Top}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=Canada|type=single|artist=Culture Club|title=The War Song|award=Gold|relyear=1984|certyear=1985|access-date=27 July 2022}}
{{Certification Table Entry|region=United Kingdom|type=single|artist=Boy George & Culture Club|title=The War Song|award=Silver|relyear=1984|certyear=1984|id=7478-1016-1|access-date=27 July 2022}}
{{Certification Table Bottom|nosales=true}}
See also
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Culture Club}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:War Song, The}}
Category:Music videos directed by Russell Mulcahy
Category:Song recordings produced by Steve Levine
Category:Songs written by Boy George
Category:Songs written by Jon Moss
Category:Songs written by Mikey Craig