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War Song

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"War Song"
SinglebyNeil YoungandGraham Nash
B-side"The Needle and the Damage Done"
ReleasedJune 24, 1972
RecordedMay 22, 1972
StudioBroken Arrow Ranch
GenreRock
Length3:35
LabelReprise
Songwriter(s)Neil Young
Producer(s)
Neil Young singles chronology
"Old Man"
(1972)
"War Song"
(1972)
"Time Fades Away"
(1973)
Graham Nash singles chronology
"I Used to Be a King"
(1971)
"War Song"
(1972)
"Prison Song"
(1973)

"War Song"is a 1972singlecredited toNeil Young&Graham Nash,backed byThe Stray Gators.It was released in support ofGeorge McGovern's1972 presidential campaign,who was running against incumbent PresidentRichard Nixon.Young had already voiced his opinions of Nixon two years prior with "Ohio"while a member ofCrosby, Stills, Nash & Young,and once again tried to make an impact with aprotest song.Despite his and Nash's intentions, the single failed to make a serious impression.

Cash Boxdescribed the song as a "philosophical/political opus in the groove of [theCrosby, Stills, Nash & Youngsong] 'Ohio.' "[1]Record Worldcalled it "an angry reply to the renewed bombing ofNorth Vietnam"and said that" it's the best Young has sounded in some time. "[2]

The single itself soon wentout of print.Warner Brothers released the song on their 1974loss leaderSeries albumHard Goods(a promotional series used primarily to promote rock acts on the label at the time). After that, "War Song" would remain unreleased in any other format until June 2009, when it was released on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray on a box set byNeil YoungcalledThe Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972.

Charts

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Weekly charts

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Chart (1972) Peak

position

CanadaRPMTop Singles 40
USBillboardHot 100 61
USCashboxTop 100[3] 52
USRecord WorldTop 100[4] 51
Japan (Oricon)[5] 97

See also

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References

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  1. ^"CashBox Record Reviews"(PDF).Cash Box.June 17, 1972. p. 16.Retrieved2022-01-12.
  2. ^"Hits of the Week"(PDF).Record World.June 24, 1972. p. 1.Retrieved2023-03-31.
  3. ^"CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996".worldradiohistory.Retrieved2021-04-02.
  4. ^"RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982".worldradiohistory.Retrieved2021-04-02.
  5. ^Okamoto, Satoshi (2011).Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010(in Japanese).Roppongi, Tokyo:Oricon Entertainment.ISBN978-4-87131-088-8.