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Waiting on a War - Wikipedia

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Waiting on a War"

Single by Foo Fighters

from the album Medicine at Midnight

Released

January 14, 2021

Recorded

2019

Studio

Unnamed house in Encino, Los Angeles

Genre

Rock^[1]^[2]

Length

4:14

Foo Fighters
Greg Kurstin

Foo Fighters singles chronology

"No Son of Mine"
(2021)

"Waiting on a War"
(2021)

"Making a Fire"
(2021)

Music video

"Waiting on a War" on YouTube

"Waiting on a War" is a song by American rock band Foo Fighters. It was released as the third single off of their tenth album Medicine at Midnight.

Background

The song was first released on January 14, 2021, as the third single from their tenth studio album, Medicine at Midnight, after "Shame Shame" and "No Son of Mine".^[3] The date was chosen to celebrate frontman Dave Grohl's 52nd birthday.^[3] The band debuted the song live on Jimmy Kimmel Live! on the same date.^[4]^[5]^[6]

Themes and composition

Lyrically, the song was described as the Foo Fighters' modern approach to a "Give Peace a Chance" type song, with Grohl pondering the possibility of a dark future.^[7] The lyrical content was inspired by bleak conversation Grohl had had with his own daughter Harper Grohl, in 2019,^[8] which reminded him of his own worries about the world:

"Last fall, as I was driving my daughter to school, she turned to me and asked 'Daddy, is there going to be a war?'. My heart sank as I realized that she was now living under the same dark cloud that I had felt 40 years ago. I wrote "Waiting on a War" that day. Everyday waiting for the sky to fall. Is there more to this than that? Is there more to this than just waiting on a war? Because I need more. We all do.^[7]

Grohl later explained that he himself had feared the effect of the Cold War while growing up in Washington DC.^[9] Upon the completion of the song, Grohl felt it was one of the best songs the band had ever written.^[10]

The song was described as an "acoustic-driven tune" and "aching ballad" that "explodes with rock fury in the home stretch".^[1]^[9] Most of the song is composed primarily of Grohl singing over an acoustic guitar, bass, and drums, and strings, before building in intensity in its second half, and moving into an energetic, full-band rock sound with electric guitars for the last minute.^[7]^[9] The song was noted to have a more traditional Foo Fighters sound than prior singles from the album.^[7]^[10]

Music video

A music video directed by Paola Kudacki was released for the song on January 19, 2021. It features the band performing mixed with cinematic shots of young people whose carefree outlook on life is threatened by ominous-looking adults who have brown paper bags over their heads.^[11]

Reception

Rolling Stone singled the song out as the standout track on Medicine at Midnight.^[12]

Personnel

Foo Fighters

Dave Grohl – lead vocals, acoustic guitar, production
Taylor Hawkins – drums, production
Rami Jaffee – keyboards, production
Nate Mendel – bass guitar, production
Chris Shiflett – guitar, production
Pat Smear – guitar, production

Additional Personnel

Omar Hakim - percussion
Greg Kurstin – production

Charts

Weekly charts

Weekly chart performance for "Waiting on a War"
Chart (2021)	Peak position
Australia Digital Tracks (ARIA)^[13]	33
Belgium (Ultratip Bubbling Under Wallonia)^[14]	46
Canada (Canadian Hot 100)^[15]	95
Canada Rock (Billboard)^[16]	1
Czech Republic Modern Rock (IFPI)^[17]	3
Iceland (RÚV)^[18]	11
Japan Hot Overseas (Billboard Japan)^[19]	3
New Zealand Hot Singles (RMNZ)^[20]	10
Switzerland Airplay (Schweizer Hitparade)^[21]	98
UK Singles (OCC)^[22]	53
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[23]	18
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)^[24]	1

Year-end charts

Year-end chart performance for "Waiting on a War"
Chart (2021)	Position
US Hot Rock & Alternative Songs (Billboard)^[25]	79
US Rock Airplay (Billboard)^[26]	9

Awards

Year	Award	Results
2022	Grammy Award for Best Rock Song	Won

References

^ ^a ^b Trapp, Philip (January 14, 2021). "Listen to Foo Fighters' 'Waiting on a War,' a Song Written for Dave Grohl's Daughter". Loudwire. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ Breihan, Tom (January 14, 2021). "Foo Fighters – "Waiting On A War"". Stereogum. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Hussey, Allison (January 14, 2021). "Listen to Foo Fighters' New Song "Waiting on a War"". Pitchfork. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ Deriso, Nick (January 14, 2021). "Foo Fighters' New Single 'Waiting on a War' Ponders a Dark Future". Townsquare Media. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ Kohn, Daniel (January 14, 2021). "Foo Fighters Release 'Waiting on a War'". Spin. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ Ehrlich, Brenna (January 15, 2021). "Foo Fighters Debut 'Waiting on a War' on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 16, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d Kaufman, Gil (January 14, 2021). "Peace is the Only Answer on Foo Fighters Emotional 'Waiting on a War'". Billboard. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ Moore, Sam (January 14, 2021). "Listen to Foo Fighters' new single 'Waiting On A War'". NME. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ ^a ^b ^c Blistein, Jon (January 14, 2021). "Foo Fighters Drop New 'Medicine at Midnight' Song 'Waiting on a War'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ ^a ^b Carter, Emily (January 14, 2021). "Foo Fighters celebrate Dave Grohl's birthday with powerful new song, Waiting On A War". Kerrang!. Retrieved January 14, 2021.
^ Moore, Sam (January 19, 2021). "Watch Foo Fighters' stirring new video for 'Waiting on a War". NME. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
^ Grow, Kory (January 26, 2021). "The Foo Fighters' Throw a Party on 'Medicine at Midnight'". Rolling Stone. Retrieved April 25, 2021.
^ "ARIA Digital Tracks". ARIA Report. ARIA. February 15, 2021. p. 9.
^ "Foo Fighters – Waiting on a War" (in French). Ultratip. Retrieved January 29, 2021.
^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Canadian Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Canada Rock)". Billboard. Retrieved February 11, 2021.
^ "CZ - Radio - Top 20 Modern Rock - Foo Fighters - Rescued" (in Czech). IFPI Czech Republic. Retrieved June 6, 2023.
^ "Vinsældalisti Rásar 2 - RÚV". RÚV. Archived from the original on March 8, 2021. Retrieved July 24, 2023.
^ "Billboard Japan Hot Overseas" (in Japanese). Billboard Japan. Retrieved April 30, 2021.
^ "NZ Hot Singles Chart". Recorded Music NZ. February 15, 2021. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "Schweizer Airplay Charts 14/2021 - hitparade.ch". hitparade.ch. Retrieved February 22, 2022.
^ "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved February 13, 2021.
^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Hot Rock & Alternative Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved February 17, 2021.
^ "Foo Fighters Chart History (Rock Airplay)". Billboard. Retrieved March 16, 2021.
^ "Hot Rock & Alternative Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.
^ "Rock Airplay Songs – Year-End 2021". Billboard. Retrieved December 2, 2021.

v t e Foo Fighters
Dave Grohl Nate Mendel Pat Smear Chris Shiflett Rami Jaffee Josh Freese William Goldsmith Franz Stahl Taylor Hawkins
Studio albums	Foo Fighters The Colour and the Shape There Is Nothing Left to Lose One by One In Your Honor Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace Wasting Light Sonic Highways Concrete and Gold Medicine at Midnight But Here We Are
EPs	Five Songs and a Cover Songs from the Laundry Room Saint Cecilia Foo Files
Live albums	Skin and Bones
Compilations	Greatest Hits Medium Rare The Essential Foo Fighters
Videos	Everywhere but Home Skin and Bones Live at Wembley Stadium
Singles	"This Is a Call" "I'll Stick Around" "For All the Cows" "Big Me" "Alone + Easy Target" "Monkey Wrench" "Everlong" "My Hero" "Walking After You" "Learn to Fly" "Stacked Actors" "Generator" "Breakout" "Next Year" "The One" "All My Life" "Times Like These" "Low" "Have It All" "Best of You" "DOA" "Resolve" "No Way Back"/"Cold Day in the Sun" "Miracle" "The Pretender" "Long Road to Ruin" "Cheer Up, Boys (Your Make Up Is Running)" "Let It Die" "Wheels" "Rope" "White Limo" "Walk" "Arlandria" "These Days" "Bridge Burning" "Something from Nothing" "The Feast and the Famine" "Congregation" "What Did I Do? / God as My Witness" "Outside" "Saint Cecilia" "Run" "The Sky Is a Neighborhood" "The Line" "Shame Shame" "No Son of Mine" "Waiting on a War" "Making a Fire" "Love Dies Young" "Rescued" "Under You" "The Glass"
Other songs	"Friend of a Friend" "Marigold"
Concert tours	Wasting Light Tour Sonic Highways World Tour Concrete and Gold Tour Everything or Nothing at All Tour
Associated acts	Nirvana Late! Tenacious D Sunny Day Real Estate Germs Scream Probot Killing Joke Queens of the Stone Age Viva Death Nine Inch Nails Taylor Hawkins and the Coattail Riders The Fire Theft Jackson United Me First and the Gimme Gimmes No Use for a Name Them Crooked Vultures The Birds of Satan The Wallflowers
Films	Back and Forth Sonic Highways Studio 666
Related	Discography Songs Awards and nominations Members 24 Hours of Foo Roswell Records Hail Satin
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