Why Can't We Be Friends? (song) - Wikipedia

1975 single by War For the 1929 song, see Can't We Be Friends? For "Y Can't We B Friends", see Bryce Vine § Singles.

"Why Can't We Be Friends?"
Single by War
from the album Why Can't We Be Friends?
B-side	"In Mazatlan"
Released	April 1975
Genre	Funk[1][2] pop[2] reggae[3] R&B[3] soul[3]
Length	3:50
Label	United Artists
Songwriters	Papa Dee Allen Harold Ray Brown B. B. Dickerson Lonnie Jordan Charles Miller Lee Oskar Howard E. Scott Jerry Goldstein
Producer	Jerry Goldstein
War singles chronology
"Ballero" (1974) "Why Can't We Be Friends?" (1975) "Low Rider" (1975)
Music video
Why Can't We Be Friends on YouTube

"Why Can't We Be Friends?" is a song by American funk band War, from their 1975 studio album of the same name. It has a simple structure, with the phrase "Why can't we be friends?" being sung four times after each two-line verse. The song reached No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the summer of 1975, and uniquely features each band member singing their own verse. It was played in outer space when NASA beamed it to the linking of Soviet cosmonauts and U.S. astronauts for the Apollo–Soyuz Test Project.[4] Billboard ranked it as the No. 24 song of that year.

Charts

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Weekly charts [edit] Chart (1975) Peakposition Australia (Kent Music Report)[5] 93 Canada RPM Top Singles[6] 6 US Billboard Hot 100[7] 6 US Hot Soul Singles (Billboard)[8] 9 US Cash Box Top 100 5

Year-end charts [edit] Chart (1975) Rank Canada[9] 75 US Billboard Hot 100[10] 24

Certifications

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Region	Certification	Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[11]	Gold	1,000,000^
^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Smash Mouth version

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"Why Can't We Be Friends?"
Single by Smash Mouth
from the album Fush Yu Mang
Released	January 12, 1998 (1998-01-12)[12]
Genre	Ska punk alternative rock[13]
Length	4:46 (album version) 3:17 (radio edit)
Label	Interscope
Songwriters	Papa Dee Allen, Harold Ray Brown, B. B. Dickerson, Lonnie Jordan, Charles Miller, Lee Oskar, Howard E. Scott, Jerry Goldstein
Producer	Eric Valentine
Smash Mouth singles chronology
"The Fonz" (1997) "Why Can't We Be Friends?" (1998) "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" (1998)
Music video
"Why Can't We Be Friends?" on YouTube

American pop rock band Smash Mouth covered the song on their debut album, Fush Yu Mang, and released it as the album's third single in January 1998.

Critical reception

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Larry Flick from Billboard wrote, "Hot on the heels of 'Walkin' On The Sun' comes a wonderfully festive, anthemic rendition of War's pop/R&B chestnut. The song's original funk-flavored arrangement proves perfectly accessible to Smash mouth's pop/ska style. The heartfelt 'let's get along' tone of the lyrics remains as relevant as ever to today's social and political climate, and the band's rousing approach makes the message all the more user-friendly to the pop masses. Another sure-fire multi-format hit from the album Fush Yu Mang."[14]

Charts

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Chart (1998)	Peakposition
Australia (ARIA)[15]	67
Iceland (Íslenski Listinn Topp 40)[16]	19
Netherlands (Dutch Top 40 Tipparade)[17]	19
Netherlands (Single Top 100)[18]	89
New Zealand (Recorded Music NZ)[19]	39
Spain (AFYVE)[20]	5
Sweden (Sverigetopplistan)[21]	29
US Alternative Airplay (Billboard)[22]	28

References

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1. ^ Sendra, Tim. Various Artists - Sounds of the Seventies: 1975 (1990) Review at AllMusic. Retrieved February 13, 2025.
2. ^ a b Marsh, Dave (1989). The Heart of Rock & Soul: The 1001 Greatest Singles Ever Made. Plume. p. 426. ISBN 0-452-26305-0.
3. ^ a b c Melissa Ursula Dawn Goldsmith (November 22, 2019). Listen to Classic Rock! Exploring a Musical Genre. ABC-CLIO. pp. 62–. ISBN 978-1-4408-6579-4.
4. ^ Gabriel San Roman (December 23, 2010). "WAR Is the Answer (and the Question) for Lonnie Jordan". OC Weekly. Archived from the original on October 2, 2015. Retrieved February 5, 2013.
5. ^ Kent, David (1993). Australian Chart Book 1970–1992 (illustrated ed.). St Ives, N.S.W.: Australian Chart Book. p. 332. ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
6. ^ "Image : RPM Weekly - Library and Archives Canada". Bac-lac.gc.ca. July 17, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
7. ^ "War Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
8. ^ "War Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 18, 2021.
9. ^ "RPM Top 100 Singles of 1975 - December 27, 1975" (PDF).
10. ^ "Top 100 Hits of 1975/Top 100 Songs of 1975". Musicoutfitters.com. Retrieved October 10, 2016.
11. ^ "American single certifications – War – Why Can't We Be Friends". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
12. ^ "Upcoming New Releases". Hits. Vol. 11, no. 575. January 9, 1998. p. 34.
13. ^ "The 79 Best Alternative Rock Songs Of 1997". Spin. April 25, 2017. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
14. ^ Flick, Larry (March 7, 1998). "Reviews & Previews: Singles" (PDF). Billboard. p. 61. Retrieved December 6, 2020.
15. ^ "The ARIA Australian Top 100 Singles Chart Week Ending 24 May 1998". ARIA. Retrieved February 4, 2016.
16. ^ "Íslenski Listinn Topp 40 (26.2 – 5.3. 1998)". Dagblaðið Vísir (in Icelandic). February 27, 1998. Retrieved October 3, 2019.
17. ^ "Tipparade-lijst van week 20, 1998" (in Dutch). Dutch Top 40. Retrieved March 27, 2023.
18. ^ "Smash Mouth – Why Can't We Be Friends" (in Dutch). Single Top 100. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
19. ^ "Smash Mouth – Why Can't We Be Friends". Top 40 Singles. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
20. ^ Salaverri, Fernando (September 2005). Sólo éxitos: año a año, 1959–2002 (1st ed.). Spain: Fundación Autor-SGAE. ISBN 84-8048-639-2.
21. ^ "Smash Mouth – Why Can't We Be Friends". Singles Top 100. Retrieved October 6, 2018.
22. ^ "Smash Mouth Chart History (Alternative Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved October 6, 2018.

External links

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• War - Why Can't We Be Friends on YouTube

v t e War
Lonnie Jordan Marcos Reyes Howard E. Scott Harold Ray Brown Lee OskarMorris "B.B." Dickerson Charles Miller Eric Burdon Pat Rizzo J. B. Eckl
Studio albums	Eric Burdon Declares "War" (1970) The Black-Man's Burdon (1970) War (1971) All Day Music (1971) The World Is a Ghetto (1972) Deliver the Word (1973) Why Can't We Be Friends? (1975) Love Is All Around (1976) Platinum Jazz (1976) Galaxy (1977) Youngblood (1978) The Music Band (1979) The Music Band 2 (1979) Outlaw (1982) The Music Band – Jazz (1983) Life (Is So Strange) (1983) ☮ (Peace Sign) (1994)
Live albums	War Live (1973) Greatest Hits Live (2008)
Compilation albums	Greatest Hits (1976) The Very Best of War (2003)
Songs	"Spill the Wine" "They Can't Take Away Our Music" "Slippin' into Darkness" "The World Is a Ghetto" "The Cisco Kid" "Gypsy Man" "Me and Baby Brother" "Why Can't We Be Friends?" "Low Rider" "Summer"
Related artists	Discography Lowrider Band

v t e Smash Mouth
Paul De Lisle Michael Klooster Randy Cooke Sean Hurwitz Zach Goode Steve Harwell Greg Camp Michael Urbano Jason Sutter Leroy Miller
Studio albums	Fush Yu Mang Astro Lounge Smash Mouth Get the Picture? The Gift of Rock Summer Girl Magic
Compilations	All Star Smash Hits
Singles	"Walkin' on the Sun" "Why Can't We Be Friends?" "Can't Get Enough of You Baby" "All Star" "Then the Morning Comes" "I'm a Believer" "So Insane"
Other songs	"I Wan'na Be Like You"
Related articles	Discography Old Habits Mouth Albums

Authority control databases	MusicBrainz work