| "He War" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single byCat Power | ||||
| from the albumYou Are Free | ||||
| Released | 2003 | |||
| Recorded | 2002 | |||
| Genre | Indie rock | |||
| Length | 3:31 | |||
| Label | Matador | |||
| Songwriter(s) | Chan Marshall | |||
| Producer(s) | Adam Kasper (engineer only) | |||
| Cat Power singles chronology | ||||
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"He War" is a song by theAmerican singer/songwriterCat Power and the secondsingle from her 2003 album,You Are Free.Foo Fighters' frontmanDave Grohl provided drumming for the track. In anticipation of the release ofYou Are Free, a digital preview of "He War" was released on theMatador Records website.[1]
In 2006,Saturday Night Live cast memberFred Armisen cited Cat Power as "very popular in the SNL offices" and that "'He War' was played all the time." In the same interview, an opposing Chan Marshall expressed strong discontent with the studio recording of "He War" that ended up onYou Are Free. She exclaimed, "Horrible song. It's supposed to sound like the original recordings-- moreStones-y. With a live band. But when I went to record it by myself in the studio doing everything, it sounds like..."[2]
Delicate piano notes serve as an introduction before the guitar rhythm begins. "He War" exhibits clean,electric guitarpower chords backed by a shuffling drum beat. High, chiming guitar notes provide alead section alongside sprinkles of piano. An unrefined,double-trackvocal harmony by Marshall carries throughout the entire song and builds into a bright, soaring chorus.
Lyrically, "He War" appears to reference the demise of an old relationship and the decision to move forward.
Avideo directed by Brett Vapnek was filmed for the single. It gained airplay onMTV2'sSubterranean.
Marshall described the video as "good" but elaborated on the discomfort in filming it, specifically acting, lip syncing, and looking into the camera which felt unnatural:
Allmusic's Tom Maginnis wrote a thorough review of "He War," calling it "one of the heaviest rock songs" onYou Are Free as well as one of the mostproduced. He added, "'He War' show signs of a maturity, of an artist more comfortable in the studio setting and confident enough to make it work to her advantage." It was also named an AMG Track Pick ofYou Are Free.
Chris Ott ofPitchfork Media praised the song, noting that "'He War' underscores how remarkable Marshall's voice is, turning an otherwise pedestrian, technically amateur tune into an assured rock anthem draped in sonorous, shrill wails. The tune proves a worthy successor to the detached, bemused innocence of 'Cross Bones Style'."[1]