The Philosophy of Modern Song: From “Masters of War” to Edwin Starrr.

Posted on April 8, 2026 by Tony Attwood

 

The Index of the current series of articles on this site can be found on the home page: Untold Dylan    Links to all the articles relating to songs nominated by Bob Dylan in the “Philosophy of Modern Song” are given at the end of this piece.

By Tony Attwood

“War” by Edwin Starr was written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong,  is one of those songs that large numbers of people can remember and indeed of which they can recite the key line, “What is it Good For? Absolutely Nothing,” not least because that phrase is repeated over and over throughout the song.

The song is centrally associated with the Vietnam War and the rejection of America’s engagement in it as expressed by vast numbers of people not only in the USA but in much of the rest of the world.   It also benefited from having some extraordinarily powerful and memorable lines within the song, and of course, because it caught the spirit of the moment among many younger people.   As such, the song seemed to retain a place as not only a protest against the Vietnam War but also against war in general (although, as I write this in the midst of the USA / Iran war it seems that all of its messages have long been forgotten – along with this song itself.  At least beyond those who tend to know a fair amount of Dylan’s music).

However, the song “War” became a number one hit, not just for its message but also for its unique musical arrangement, for it really didn’t sound like any other pop/rock song we’d heard before.

But what I found most interesting, talking around this subject with a few friends as I prepared to write this little piece, very few people know any of the lyrics beyond the catch line “War, what is it good for, absolutely nothing”.  Although a couple did recall “It ain’t nothing but a heart-breaker, Friend only to The Undertaker.”

It is noted in commentaries as the most famous of all the protest songs of the era, and I guess it really does show how widespread the protest song concept eventually spread, since many would also include “Times they are a changin” as a protest song.    “War” of course did have the benefit of its simple title, and of carrying within its lyrics, the whole notion of being against the whole entire concept of war.  Whereas “Times” had a more generalised message to the effect that parents cannot expect their children to live and think as they did.

“War” was originally conceived as a song to appear on an album by the Temptations, and it was only on second thoughts that it was offered to Edwin Starr.   But we must also note that it was part of a period of songwriting and production that turned away from the traditional themes of love, lost love and dance as the central concerns of popular music, as the label, and its artists, ventured into songs such as “Money – that’s what I want” and “I heard it through the grapevine”.

And I think one can understand at once why Bob Dylan would be interested in such music that ventured beyond the original strictures of what a song could be about, as his own work incorporated in its lyrics themes that were never previously considered appropriate for songs.

“War” was first recorded in 1970, and I do also find it interesting that it took popular music so long for non-folk orientated performers to latch onto the theme, given that in 1963 alone Bob had written and recorded not only “Masters of War”, but also “John Brown,” “Talkin World War III Blues” and then the following year “With God on our Side”.

Indeed, one might say it took popular (as opposed to “folk”) music seven years to catch up on what Bob had been doing for years, and I suspect the reason for that was the inward-looking approach to the world of music of radio programme producers, and of course, record label directors.

Here’s a live performance of “Masters of War” that I really do like….

Between 1963 and  2025 Bob performed “Masters of War” 895 times,  and as the recording above reveals, it has within it a certain flexibility that allows it to be transformed, despite the first six lines being in essence a recitation over one chord.   
And yet it has the power which many other anti-war songs do not have.  I still value it deeply.

Previously in this series

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