Fuck a War

Annotation — Civil Rights Songs

Southern Hip Hop & Gangsta Rap group, formed in 1986 in Houston, Texas, USA. The song "Fuck a War" is one of dozens of 90s songs inspired by the First Gulf War (1990-91), also referred to as Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, the names of US operations against Iraq, directed by the US president George H. W. Bush. The track begins with a phone call, informing the MC that he's been drafted to fight in the First Gulf War. The lyrics then outline his opposition to the conflict, arguing that the conflict is a waste of time. Furthermore, it contained an argument often seen in 60s / 70s Vietnam War songs, and highlighted by Martin Luther King Jr. in his opposition to the war - which is why should African Americans fight for the country when they do not receive equal rights at home, thus containing a Civil Rights message: "they puttin' niggas on the front line, but when it comes to gettin' ahead, they put us way behind", and thus they declared: "yo, Bush! I ain't your damn ho". The narrator then used Vietnam as a reference point for comparison: "in Vietnam a lot of niggas died young". It also noted the Prisoner of War issue: "P.O.W.'s got hung".

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

Annotation — Rap / Hip Hop Songs

Southern Hip Hop & Gangsta Rap group, formed in 1986 in Houston, Texas, USA. The song "Fuck a War" (Rap-A-Lot Records # 4XL 57161) is one of dozens of 90s songs inspired by the First Gulf War (1990-91), also referred to as Operation Desert Shield and Operation Desert Storm, the names of US operations against Iraq, directed by the US president George H. W. Bush. The track begins with a phone call, informing the MC that he's been drafted to fight in the First Gulf War. The lyrics then outline his opposition to the conflict, arguing that the conflict is a waste of time. Furthermore, it contained an argument often seen in 60s / 70s Vietnam War songs, and highlighted by Martin Luther King Jr. in his opposition to the war - which is why should African Americans fight for the country when they do not receive equal rights at home, thus containing a Civil Rights message: "they puttin' niggas on the front line, but when it comes to gettin' ahead, they put us way behind", and thus they declared: "yo, Bush! I ain't your damn ho". The narrator then used Vietnam as a reference point for comparison: "in Vietnam a lot of niggas died young". It also noted the Prisoner of War issue: "P.O.W.'s got…

Annotation by Justin A. Brummer

About the artist

Southern Hip Hop & Gangsta Rap group, formed in 1986 in Houston, Texas, USA.

Themes

First Gulf War · Iraq · George H. Bush · Grenade · P.O.W. · Medals · Civil Rights · Draft Inequality · Vietnam Analogy · Draft

In collections

Civil Rights Songs · P.O.W. / M.I.A. Songs · Rap / Hip Hop Songs