| War Song | |
| Cover: | Ws_small.jpg |
| Type: | single |
| Artist: | 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 |
| Producer: |
|
| Chronology: | Neil Young |
| Prev Title: | Old Man |
| Prev Year: | 1972 |
| Next Title: | Time Fades Away |
| Next Year: | 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.
| Chart (1972) | Peakposition |
|---|---|
| Canada RPM Top Singles | 40 |
| US Billboard Hot 100 | 61 |
| US Cashbox Top 100[3] | 52 |
| US Record World Top 100[4] | 51 |
| Japan (Oricon)[5] | 97 |