Why Can't We Be Friends (song)

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"Why Can't We Be Friends?" is a song by the band War from the album of the same name. It was also covered by Smash Mouth in 1997. It is one of War's most famous songs, along with "Low Rider", also on the Why Can't We Be Friends? album. It has a simple structure, with the phrase "why can't we be friends" sung four times after each two-line verse. The line is sung over forty times during the song, which is under four minutes long. It was played in space when NASA beamed it to the linking of Soviet Cosmonots and U.S astronauts in 1975. "Why Can't We Be Friends" charted at #6 in 1975^{[citation needed]}.

[edit] Uses in popular culture

The song is featured in the 1996 Simpsons episode "The Homer They Fall", which Homer uses as his entrance music to his boxing match in the climax.

"Why Can't We Be Friends" is sung during the end credits of the film Lethal Weapon 4.

An acoustic version of the song is performed by the kids in the music classroom scenes of Bridge to Terabithia.

King of the Hill episode Hank Fixes Everything, when the four propane dealers of Heimlich county are counting their money, the song plays in the background.

In the movie Cheaper by the Dozen 2, this song is played during the movie.

It is sung by the main character (little scrub alien) in a short animated movie from Sony Image Works called "The Chubbchubbs", when he tries to avoid confrontation with who he thinks are the evil chubbchubbs.

It is sung by Mei Shan Loh in her short animated film "Journeys of a Panda Face".

It features in the movie Dazed and Confused.

When a fight breaks out on the court in Semi-Pro the song plays.

During an opening scene in Cheats, starring Trevor Fehrman, the song plays as two main characters meet in playschool.

In the movie Baseketball

[edit] Cover versions

The song was later covered by Smash Mouth on their album Fush Yu Mang. This cover version was featured on an episode of Lizzie McGuire and on the soundtrack for BASEketball.

It was covered by ska band The Pietasters.

The Muppets did a cover as part of the opening number on The Muppet Show episode featuring guest star John Denver. This version was set in the trenches of the First World War and featured various Muppets in costume from different periods of war (eg Napoleonic Wars, First World War, American Civil War).