- What-War-0.mp3
- What-War-0.mp4
- What-War-I.mp3
- What-War-I.mp4
- What-War-Reprise.mp3
- What-War-prelude.mp3
[Intro]
in statu quo res erant ante bellum
in the state in which things were before the war
[Bridge]
In status quo (I don’t know)
[Instrumental, Guitar Solo]
What war?
[Refrain]
(At any rate:)
In the state
In which things were
(Before the war!)
[Bridge]
Here we go (go, go!)
Before war
(Evermore!)
[Verse]
Before counting heads
(Of all the dead)
Bring them back to life
(Erase the strife!)
[Bridge]
Here we go (go, go!)
Before war
(Evermore!)
Here we go (go, go!)
Before war
(Evermore!)
[Refrain]
(At any rate:)
In the state
In which things were
(Before the war!)
[Outro]
Here we go (go, go!)
Before war
(Evermore!)
ABOUT THE SONG
The term “status quo” comes from the Latin phrase “in statu quo res erant ante bellum”, meaning “in the state in which things were before the war.” Over time, it was shortened to status quo, referring to the current state or condition of things.
It originated in diplomatic and legal contexts, where it was used to describe maintaining or restoring a prior state of affairs, particularly after conflicts or disputes. Today, it is widely used in various contexts to refer to the existing situation, especially when discussing resistance to change or preservation of norms.
(So, I asked, “What war?”)
The Latin phrase “in statu quo res erant ante bellum” (meaning “in the state in which things were before the war”) doesn’t refer to a specific war but was a general diplomatic term used in treaty negotiations. It was employed to describe the restoration of territories, relationships, or conditions to their state prior to a conflict.
This concept became particularly prominent during the negotiations of European treaties in the early modern period, such as the Peace of Westphalia (1648) or the Congress of Vienna (1815), where the phrase was used to outline the goal of returning to a pre-war balance of power. The idea of “status quo” evolved from these contexts to its broader modern usage, describing the maintenance of an existing condition or resisting change in general.