The Beat Generation is recognized for a wide variety of styles and a mixture of genres and cultures. And in "War (Absolutely Nothing)," they shift their focus, letting recent global events guide their style, genre, and personal inspiration. What emerges is a robust piece of instrumental music for visual media, rooted less in beauty than in urgency and reflection.
The lyrics to the song originated in a meditative lyric written by Norman Whitfield and Barrett Strong during the Vietnam War. It's a deliberate choice to express the song instrumentally, allowing feelings to find voice without verbalization and giving you the freedom to project your own meaning onto the tune.
"War (Absolutely Nothing)" was designed with visual media in mind, and its filmic quality renders it only slightly more powerful. It is equally easy to imagine the song soundtracking scenes of fighting, pondering, or the aftermath moments where noise and silence coalesce. The music gives people time to think, forcing them to consider not only what happened but why it keeps happening.
That release gains its power because it is so current. The Beat Generation is holding up a mirror and asking you to confront the unsettling reality that we still aren't quite done making progress. "War (Absolutely Nothing)" is a sobering reminder that music can do more than entertain. It's a statement that is timeless, urgent, and, for its honesty, quietly heartbreaking.
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