(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding

Song infobox
Name = (What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding


Artist = Brinsley Schwarz
Album = The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz
Released = 1974
track_no = 1
Recorded = April-May, 1974
Genre = Rock
Length = 3:34
Label = United Artists
Writer = Nick Lowe
Producer = Dave Edmunds
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next_no = 2"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding" is a 1970s song written by English musician Nick Lowe and recorded in the most known version by Elvis Costello & The Attractions.

The song was originally released in 1974 on the album "The New Favourites of Brinsley Schwarz" by Lowe's band Brinsley Schwarz.

The Elvis Costello & The Attractions version was first issued as the B side of Lowe's "American Squirm" and was credited to Nick Lowe and His Sound. At the time Lowe was Elvis Costello's producer, and he produced this track as well. When the song became a hit, it was quickly appended as the last track to the U.S. edition of Costello's album "Armed Forces".

In 1991, The Party also covered the tune sung by Chase Hampton. The instrumental part was replaced by a rap done by Albert Fields and Chase. This song was released on their 2nd album "In The Meantime, In Between Time".

In 2004, the song was covered by A Perfect Circle and released on their album Emotive.

According to Will Birch's seminal book on pub rock "No Sleep Till Canvey Island," the royalties from Curtis Stigers's version of the song made Lowe independently wealthy. Stigers's version appeared on the soundtrack album for the film "The Bodyguard", which sold 17 million copies in the United States alone.

The title/chorus was used as the theme song for the sitcom "Aliens in America", which aired on The CW.

The song was also featured in the 2003 Sofia Coppola directed film "Lost in Translation", in which the Bill Murray character sings the song as a karaoke performance.

In 2004 The Rolling Stone magazine ranked Elvis Costellos 1979 version of the song as the 284th best song of all time.

ubsequent versions

* Midnight Oil (1987) : Appears on the B side of the "Put down that weapon" Australian 7-inch single from the "Diesel and Dust" album.
* The Flaming Lips (1988) : B-side of "Drug Machine" single
* Curtis Stigers (1992) : Appears on the "The Bodyguard" soundtrack album.
* Trip Shakespeare (1992) : CD Single "Volt".
* Chris Dowd (1994) : Soundtrack album to the movie "Floundering".
* Lucy Kaplansky (1996) : Album "Flesh and Bone".
* Down By Law (1997) : Compilation album "Before You Were Punk".
* Unsteady (1997) : Album "Double or Nothing".
* Sam the Butcher (1998) : Album "Assembly Line"
* The Wallflowers (2000) : Appears on the Japanese edition of album "Red Letter Days".
* Joel Goldmark (2001) : Album "Strong Like Bull but Sensitive Like Squirrel".
* The Flaming Lips (2002) : Album "The Day They Shot a Hole in the Jesus Egg"
* Audioslave (2003) : Performed at Lollapalooza 2003.
* Robben Ford (2003) : Album "Keep on Running".
* Memorably sung by Bill Murray's character (Bob Harris) in a karaoke booth in a scene in the 2003 film "Lost In Translation (Universal Studios, Focus Features)".
* Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band : Used in encores of 2004 Vote for Change shows.
* Pearl Jam (2004) : Also performed at Vote for Change 2004.
* A Perfect Circle (2004) : Album Emotive.
* Steve Earle (2004) : Live recording, released as "Just An American Boy".
* Keb' Mo' (2004) : Album "Peace...Back By Popular Demand".
* Chris Cornell and Maynard James Keenan (2004) : Album "Axis of Justice: Concert Series Volume 1".
* The Ataris : Live acoustic recording, released on "Live at the Metro"
* [http://www.crosstide.net/ Crosstide] (2007) : Compilation Album ""
* The Holmes Brothers (2007) : Album "State of Grace".
* Chris Cornell (2006) "Unplugged in Sweden"
* Nick Lowe (2007): Solo acoustic bonus track for album "At My Age"
* P. J. Olsson (2007) : Album "American Scream"
* Lost Pilgrims (2007) : Album "Lost Pilgrims"
* Kory & The Fireflies (2007) : Album "Love to Give".

External links

* [http://www.elviscostello.info/lyrics/af.html#peace_love_and_understanding Lyrics (Elvis Costello version)]