Throughout time, music has been influenced by the events of that time period and politics in general. Artists, such as Edwin Starr, express their political views by writing and performing songs that exemplify how they feel when it comes to certain topics (appositive). Edwin Starr's song "War" describes his views on war, as the song's title clearly states.
In the first verse, Edwin Starr blatantly tells the reader "War.../What is it good for?/Absolutely nothing." Obviously, Starr believes that there is no use for war, as it brings pain rather than peace. He further explains his views in these following lines: "War I despise/'Cause it means destruction of innocent lives/War means tears in thousands of mothers' eyes/When their sons go out to fight and lose their lives." Starr is showing that war kills innocent people who have nothing to do with the problems or views of the government. The mothers of these soldiers begin to cry as they watch their sons go off to war in order to defend their country, and possibly lose their lives in a war that they may or may not believe in. The lines "It ain't nothing but a heartbreaker.../War has shattered many young men's dreams/Made him disabled, bitter and mean" show that war destroys men's lives, causing them to be disabled and bitter. "War can't give life, it can only take it away" is Starr's overall belief of war.
Destructive and at times unnecessary, war seems to be a popular political topic that artists discuss through their music (adjectives out of order). Many people do not believe in war and find it to be a fault in human nature. The idea of being a peaceful nation was shared by many during a time when the United States was at war with another country, the Vietnam War. Because of artists like Edwin Starr, the opinions and views of many Americans were changed; war was unnecessary, and peace is what should be strived for.
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