"The World Is a Ghetto"
Single by War
from the album The World Is a Ghetto
B-side"Four Cornered Room"
ReleasedOctober 1972 (1972-10)
Genre
Length3:59 (single version) 10:10 (album version)
LabelUnited Artists
Songwriter(s)War
Producer(s)Jerry Goldstein
War singles chronology
"Slippin' into Darkness"
(1971) 		"The World Is a Ghetto"
(1972) 		"The Cisco Kid"
(1973)

"The World Is a Ghetto" is a song written and performed by War. The song was produced by Jerry Goldstein,[2] and was featured on their 1972 album The World Is a Ghetto.[3]

Background

The single version radio edit was less than 4 minutes. The album version, over 10 minutes long, featured a third verse, a longer intro, a saxophone solo in the instrumental section, and an extended coda featuring an electric guitar solo while War repeatedly sang the song's title before the fade.

Chart performance

It reached #3 on the U.S. R&B chart and #7 on the U.S. pop chart in 1973.[4] It also reached the Top 40 in Canada.[5] The song ranked #94 on Billboard magazine's Top 100 singles of 1973.[6]

Certifications

Region Certification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA)[7] Gold 1,000,000^

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Other charting versions

Other versions

Sampling

References

  1. ^ Don Wallace (1 November 2007). One Great Game: Two Teams, Two Dreams, in the First Ever National Championship High School Football Game. Simon and Schuster. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-1-4165-8641-8.
  2. ^ "War, "The World Is a Ghetto" Single Release". Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  3. ^ "War, The World Is a Ghetto". Discogs. 1972. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  4. ^ "War, "The World Is a Ghetto" Chart Positions". Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  5. ^ "Item Display - RPM - Library and Archives Canada". Collectionscanada.gc.ca. 1973-02-17. Retrieved 2021-02-10.
  6. ^ "Billboard Top 100 – 1973". Archived from the original on 2010-11-25. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  7. ^ "American single certifications – War – The World Is a Ghetto". Recording Industry Association of America. Retrieved August 21, 2019.
  8. ^ "Will Downing, "The World Is a Ghetto" Chart Position". Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  9. ^ "Ahmad Jamal, "The World Is a Ghetto" Single Release". Discogs. 1973. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  10. ^ "Charles Kynard, Your Mama Don't Dance". Discogs. 1973. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  11. ^ "James Moody, Sax & Flute Man". Discogs. 1973. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  12. ^ "Sonny Stitt, Mr. Bojangles". Discogs. 1973. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  13. ^ "George Shearing, The Way We Are". Discogs. 1974. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  14. ^ "George Benson, "The World Is a Ghetto" Single Release". Discogs. 1977. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  15. ^ "The Sax Pack, The Sax Pack". Discogs. 18 March 2008. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  16. ^ "DJ Spinna, The Boogie Back: Post Disco Club Jams". Discogs. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  17. ^ "The Paragons, On the Beach with The Paragons". Discogs. Retrieved April 3, 2019.
  18. ^ "Kandace Springs, Soul Eyes". Discogs. 24 June 2016. Retrieved April 3, 2019.


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