Why Can’t We Be Friends? WAR’s Music Still Has the Answer
At first glance, the name WAR sounds like a call to arms. But for this band, it means the opposite—a statement against violence, and a musical weapon for unity and harmony.
Formed during the Vietnam War, WAR chose a different path. They blended funk, rock, Latin, jazz, and soul to bring people together, not push them apart.
In a 2024 interview with The Guardian, keyboardist Lonnie Jordan explained,
“A lot of the soldiers came home to a war in their own back yards. So we started waging war against wars everywhere, with our choice of weapons being our instruments. We don’t shoot bullets; we shoot rhythms. WAR was for peace.”
Songs like “Why Can’t We Be Friends” and “The World Is a Ghetto” still resonate today, addressing issues like racism, gang violence, poverty, and hunger. But WAR did it in song. Their music was a celebration of life that carried weight and meaning.
[image sourced from classicrockbob.com]
Decades later, WAR’s music feels just as timely. The world still faces many of the same struggles from the 1970s: division, inequality, and fear of the unfamiliar. WAR’s songs don’t just acknowledge these conflicts; they offer something bigger: a call to togetherness.
“Why Can’t We Be Friends?” is a simple question, but a powerful one. It cuts through politics and speaks to what people truly crave: connection. That message is why WAR’s music continues to resonate across generations.
In a world where so much of life happens behind screens, there’s something deeply healing about coming together in the same room to experience live music. A WAR concert isn’t just about hearing songs you love, it’s about sharing them. It’s singing along with strangers, dancing next to people you might not have met otherwise, and feeling the energy of a crowd in unison.
It’s an experience that’s uniquely human, something no screen or algorithm can replicate.
Because at the end of the day, that’s what WAR has always been about.
As Jordan reflected last July, in an article with Far Out Magazine:
“I only have one life to live. Listen to the music, enjoy it, the message is there for you, however you want to take it. It’s on you. Everybody’s different. Every heart is different. Everyone’s different.”
[See more on war.com]
This August, WAR is bringing their signature sound and spirit to Paducah. They’ll take the stage at The Carson Center on August 23, inviting both longtime fans and first-time listeners to share in the experience. Expect grooves that get you moving, horns that hit your soul, and a crowd united by the simple joy of live music.
