I've Known No War
Encyclopedia
"I've Known No War" is a song by British
rock band The Who
, originally released on their 1982 album It's Hard
. Written by Pete Townshend
, the song reflects personal thoughts on the Cold War
, and contains lyrics referring to the end of World War II
.
Townshend felt confident about the song, even stating that he felt it was one of the best tracks The Who ever did.
Parke Puterbaugh of Rolling Stone
magazine stated that the song was the key to the album, as he wrote in his 1982 review of It's Hard: "'I've Known No War,' [is] a song that could become an anthem to our generation much the way 'Won't Get Fooled Again
' did a decade ago. 'I've Known No War' is one conscientious objector's statement of defiant opposition, tempered by the realities of the present day. To wit, that a nuclear war, despite our best pacifistic inclinations, is in the hands of a few men who will simply decide to push a button, and that the ensuing annihilation will be sudden, certain and eternal". Despite the review, it remains one of the lesser-known tracks in the group's canon.
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
rock band The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
, originally released on their 1982 album It's Hard
It's Hard
It's Hard is the tenth studio album by English rock band The Who. It is the last Who album to feature bassist John Entwistle and drummer Kenney Jones, as well as the last to be released on Warner Bros. Records in the US. It was their last album until 2006's Endless Wire. It was released in 1982 on...
. Written by Pete Townshend
Pete Townshend
Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
, the song reflects personal thoughts on the Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
, and contains lyrics referring to the end of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Townshend felt confident about the song, even stating that he felt it was one of the best tracks The Who ever did.
Parke Puterbaugh of Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone
Rolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
magazine stated that the song was the key to the album, as he wrote in his 1982 review of It's Hard: "'I've Known No War,' [is] a song that could become an anthem to our generation much the way 'Won't Get Fooled Again
Won't Get Fooled Again
"Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next...
' did a decade ago. 'I've Known No War' is one conscientious objector's statement of defiant opposition, tempered by the realities of the present day. To wit, that a nuclear war, despite our best pacifistic inclinations, is in the hands of a few men who will simply decide to push a button, and that the ensuing annihilation will be sudden, certain and eternal". Despite the review, it remains one of the lesser-known tracks in the group's canon.