Let's Start a War explained

Let's Start a War
Type:	album
Artist:	The Exploited
Cover:	ExploitedLetsStartAWar.jpg
Released:	1983 2001 (reissue)
Studio:	Revolution Studios, Cheadle Hulme, Cheshire
Genre:	Street punk, hardcore punk
Length:	34:36
Label:	Pax Captain Oi! (reissue)
Producer:	Wattie Buchan, Marcus Featherby
Prev Title:	Troops of Tomorrow
Prev Year:	1982
Next Title:	Horror Epics
Next Year:	1985

Let's Start a War, or Let's Start a War... (Said Maggie One Day), is the third album by Scottish punk band The Exploited, released in 1983 through Pax Records. The title refers to Margaret Thatcher's decision to go to war over the Falkland Islands in 1982, suggesting that she did so almost on a whim.^{[1] [2]} The controversial war was fodder for many protest songs in the punk movement. It was reissued on Captain Oi! Records in 2001, which featured three tracks from their Rival Leaders EP.

Lyrical themes

Being The Exploited's most politically-charged album, the lyrics on the album talk about subjects such as Margaret Thatcher's decision to go to war over the Falkland Islands, anti-war, police-driven riots, war, unemployment and hopelessness.

Despite the album's lyrics questioning the Falklands War, The Exploited later announced on stage at a gig in Argentina that the Falklands were British forever.^[3]

Track listing

• All tracks written by Wattie Buchan and Big John Duncan,^[4] unless otherwise stated.

Side one

1. "Let's Start a War (Said Maggie One Day)" – 3:13
2. "Insanity" – 4:19
3. "Safe Below" – 2:17
4. "Eyes of the Vulture" – 4:01
5. "Should We, Can't We" – 1:41
6. "Rival Leaders" – 2:43

Side two

1. "God Saved the Queen" (Buchan) – 5:43
2. "Psycho" – 2:01
3. "Kidology" – 2:09
4. "False Hopes" (Buchan) – 1:39
5. "Another Day to Go Nowhere" (Buchan) – 2:31
6. "Wankers" (Buchan) – 2:37

Personnel

The Exploited

• Wattie Buchan – vocals
• John Duncan – guitar
• Wayne Tyas – bass
• Willie Buchan – drums

Production

• Barry Sage and Stewart Picking – engineering, mixing
• Marcus Featherby – producer
• Brian Burrows – sleeve remix
• Mark Brennan – liner notes
• Mixed at Southern Studios
• Recorded at Revolution Studios
• Distributed by Red Rhino and The Cartel

Notes and References

1. Web site: The Exploited. markprindle.com. 13 June 2016.
2. Web site: Top 5 Songs Hating On Margaret Thatcher . . 20 August 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20150912102720/http://radio.com/2013/04/08/top-5-songs-hating-on-margaret-thatcher/ . 12 September 2015 . dead .
3. http://www.the-exploited.net/history.htm History of The Exploited, Written by Morat. January 2003. Retrieved 13 August 2017
4. Web site: Let's Start a War... Said Maggie One Day - The Exploited | Credits | AllMusic. allmusic.com. 13 June 2016.