War Song

This article is about the Neil Young and Graham Nash song. For songs named "War", see War (disambiguation). For other uses, see War song (disambiguation).

1972 single by Neil Young and Graham Nash

"War Song"

Single by Neil Young and Graham Nash
B-side| "The Needle and the Damage Done"
Released| June 24, 1972
Recorded| May 22, 1972
Studio| Broken Arrow Ranch
Genre| Rock
Length| 3:35
Label| Reprise
Songwriter(s)| Neil Young
Producer(s)|

* Elliot Mazer
* Tim Mulligan
* L.A. Johnson
* Neil Young

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 1972 single credited to Neil Young & Graham Nash, backed by The Stray Gators. It was released in support of George McGovern's 1972 presidential campaign, who was running against incumbent President Richard Nixon. Young had already voiced his opinions of Nixon two years prior with "Ohio" while a member of Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, and once again tried to make an impact with a protest song. Despite his and Nash's intentions, the single failed to make a serious impression.

Cash Box described the song as a "philosophical/political opus in the groove of [the Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young song] 'Ohio.'"[1] Record World called it "an angry reply to the renewed bombing of North Vietnam" and said that "it's the best Young has sounded in some time."[2]

The single itself soon went out of print. Warner Brothers released the song on their 1974 loss leader Series album Hard 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 by Neil Young called The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972.

## Personnel

[edit]

* Neil Young – guitar, harmonica, vocals
* Graham Nash – vocals
* Ben Keith – pedal steel guitar
* Jack Nitzsche – piano
* Tim Drummond – bass
* Kenny Buttrey – drums[3]

## Charts

[edit]

### Weekly charts

[edit]

Chart (1972)  | Peak

position

|

Canada RPM Top Singles  | 40
US Billboard Hot 100 | 61
US Cashbox Top 100[4] | 52
US Record World Top 100[5] | 51
Japan (Oricon)[6] | 97

## See also

[edit]

* List of anti-war songs

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "CashBox Record Reviews" (PDF). Cash Box. June 17, 1972. p. 16. Retrieved 2022-01-12.
2. ^ "Hits of the Week" (PDF). Record World. June 24, 1972. p. 1. Retrieved 2023-03-31.
3. ^ "War Song". Retrieved July 4, 2025.
4. ^ "CASH BOX MAGAZINE: Music and coin machine magazine 1942 to 1996". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
5. ^ "RECORD WORLD MAGAZINE: 1942 to 1982". worldradiohistory.com. Retrieved 2021-04-02.
6. ^ Okamoto, Satoshi (2011). Single Chart Book: Complete Edition 1968–2010 (in Japanese). Roppongi, Tokyo: Oricon Entertainment. ISBN 978-4-87131-088-8.

* v
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* e

Neil Young

* Crazy Horse
* The Stray Gators
* Promise of the Real

Studio albums|

* Neil Young
* Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere
* After the Gold Rush
* Harvest
* On the Beach
* Tonight's the Night
* Zuma
* American Stars 'n Bars
* Comes a Time
* Rust Never Sleeps
* Hawks & Doves
* Re·ac·tor
* Trans
* Everybody's Rockin'
* Old Ways
* Landing on Water
* Life
* This Note's for You
* Freedom
* Ragged Glory
* Harvest Moon
* Sleeps with Angels
* Mirror Ball
* Broken Arrow
* Silver & Gold
* Are You Passionate?
* Greendale
* Prairie Wind
* Living with War
* Living with War: "In the Beginning"
* Chrome Dreams II
* Fork in the Road
* Le Noise
* Americana
* Psychedelic Pill
* A Letter Home
* Storytone
* The Monsanto Years
* Peace Trail
* The Visitor
* Colorado
* Barn
* World Record
* Talkin to the Trees

EPs|

* Eldorado
* The Times

Live albums|

* Time Fades Away
* Live Rust
* Weld
* Arc
* Unplugged
* Year of the Horse
* Road Rock Vol. 1
* Earth
* Noise & Flowers
* Before and After
* Fuckin' Up

Soundtracks|

* Journey Through the Past
* Where the Buffalo Roam
* Philadelphia
* Dead Man
* Paradox
* Coastal: The Soundtrack

Compilations|

* Decade
* Lucky Thirteen
* Greatest Hits

Archives series|

| Box sets|

* The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972
* Neil Young Archives Volume II: 1972–1976
* Neil Young Archives Volume III: 1976–1987

|

Performance series|

* Live at the Fillmore East
* Live at Massey Hall 1971
* Sugar Mountain – Live at Canterbury House 1968
* Live at the Riverboat 1969
* Dreamin' Man Live '92
* A Treasure
* Live at the Cellar Door
* Bluenote Café
* Roxy: Tonight's the Night Live
* Songs for Judy
* Tuscaloosa
* Return to Greendale
* Way Down in the Rust Bucket
* Young Shakespeare

Special release series|

* Hitchhiker
* Homegrown
* Toast
* Chrome Dreams
* Odeon Budokan
* Early Daze

Songs|

| 1960s|

* "Nowadays Clancy Can't Even Sing"
* "Mr. Soul"
* "Broken Arrow"
* "Expecting to Fly"
* "Sugar Mountain"
* "The Loner"
* "I've Been Waiting for You"
* "The Old Laughing Lady"
* "Cinnamon Girl"
* "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere"
* "Down by the River"
* "Cowgirl in the Sand"
* "Dance, Dance, Dance"

|

1970s|

* "Helpless"
* "Country Girl"
* "Ohio"
* "Tell Me Why"
* "After the Gold Rush"
* "Only Love Can Break Your Heart"
* "Southern Man"
* "Don't Let It Bring You Down"
* "When You Dance I Can Really Love"
* "I Believe in You"
* "Bad Fog of Loneliness"
* "Out on the Weekend"
* "Harvest"
* "A Man Needs a Maid"
* "Heart of Gold"
* "Are You Ready for the Country?"
* "Old Man"
* "The Needle and the Damage Done"
* "War Song"
* "L.A."
* "Tonight's the Night"
* "Come On Baby Let's Go Downtown"
* "Tired Eyes"
* "New Mama"
* "Danger Bird"
* "Cortez the Killer"
* "Will to Love"
* "Like a Hurricane"
* "Love Is a Rose"
* "Lotta Love"
* "Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black)"
* "My My, Hey Hey (Out of the Blue)"
* "Pocahontas"
* "Powderfinger"
* "Sedan Delivery"

1980s and later|

* "Rainin' in My Heart"
* "Grey Riders"
* "Rockin' in the Free World"
* "Crime in the City (Sixty to Zero Part I)"
* "No More"
* "Wrecking Ball"
* "Harvest Moon"
* "Unknown Legend"
* "From Hank to Hendrix"
* "Downtown"
* "Let's Impeach the President"
* "Angry World"
* "A Rock Star Bucks a Coffee Shop"

Films and videos|

* Journey Through the Past
* Human Highway
* Neil Young in Berlin
* Solo Trans
* Muddy Track
* Weld
* Year of the Horse
* Neil Young: Silver and Gold
* Greendale
* Neil Young: Heart of Gold
* CSNY/Déjà Vu
* Neil Young Trunk Show
* Neil Young Journeys
* Paradox
* Coastal

Books|

* Waging Heavy Peace: A Hippie Dream

Related|

* Discography
* The Squires
* The Mynah Birds
* Buffalo Springfield
* Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
* The Stills–Young Band
* The Ducks
* The Bridge: A Tribute to Neil Young
* Myrmekiaphila neilyoungi
* Pono
* Old Black
* Farm Aid
* Bridge School Benefit
* Pegi Young
* Daryl Hannah
* Carrie Snodgress
* Elliot Roberts
* Pearl Jam

* Category

* v
* t
* e

Graham Nash

Albums|

* Songs for Beginners
* Wild Tales
* Earth & Sky
* Innocent Eyes
* Songs for Survivors
* This Path Tonight
* Now

Compilation|

* Over the Years

Box set|

* Reflections

Songs|

* "Chicago"
* "War Song" (with Neil Young)

See also|

* Crosby & Nash
* Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young
* The Hollies

* v
* t
* e

The Stray Gators

* Ben Keith
* Jack Nitzsche
* Danny Whitten
* Tim Drummond
* Kenny Buttrey
* John Barbata
* Spooner Oldham

Album appearances (with Neil Young)|

* Harvest
* Time Fades Away
* Tonight's the Night
* Journey Through the Past
* Harvest Moon
* The Archives Vol. 1 1963–1972

Songs (with Neil Young)|

* "Out on the Weekend"
* "Harvest"
* "A Man Needs a Maid"
* "Heart of Gold"
* "Are You Ready for the Country?
* "Old Man"
* "The Needle and the Damage Done"
* "War Song" (with Neil Young and Graham Nash)
* "L.A."
* "Unknown Legend"
* "From Hank to Hendrix"
* "Harvest Moon"

Related articles|

* Neil Young

Authority control databases |

* MusicBrainz release group

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