This is a protest song about the Vietnam War, although it makes a broader statement of the need for harmony in our everyday lives."War" was one of the first Motown songs to make a political statement. The label had always been focused on making hit songs, but around this time Motown artists like The Temptations and Marvin Gaye started releasing songs with social commentary, many of which were written by Whitfield.The Temptations were the first to record this; it was included on their 1970 album