My 1st Time Hearing: John Farnham - When The War Is Over (Live) [The Last Time: Melbourne 2003]

I react to an EPIC live performance by John Farnham (& his band)! #johnfarnham #reactions #music #poprock #softrock #airsupply #eagles #littleriverband #journey #firefall #reospeedwagon #styx #coldchisel #jimmybarnes #waynenelson #ambrosia

[@rickandersen2284]

The more I hear the more I think the greatest vocalist of all time.

[@danschiavello]

Absolutely no doubt about it Rick!

[@dianaperry1929]

Definatey…Brilliant…💖🦘🦘🇦🇺

[@jeffreykennedy1266]

Agree totally 💯

[@njswampfox474]

How can I go home and not get blown away, not vice versa.

[@markway8208]

John is known as "THE VOICE" to Australians, he certainly has one of the best voices I have heard, also Freddy Mercury once stated that John had the best voice he had ever heard also. Here in this 2003 performance, John is around 54-55 years old and his voice is still as good now in his seventies, we have been truly blessed to have him for over 50 years performing.

[@shaz464]

This song was written by Cold Chisel’s drummer. Originally sung by Jimmy Barnes and Ian Moss. John absolutely does it justice here. I’ve been lucky enough to see all three men sing this live, at various concerts.

[@jayweb51]

The best arena concert I have been to, was The Main Event; featured John Farnham, Olivia Newton-John and Anthony Warlow. Always live performances.

[@Dr_KAP]

INCREDIBLE!! Thanks so much Roskoe love you to bits ❤️… So for anyone here who knows a bit about music.. John hits a sustained F#5 in this song - which is super high! What’s incredible though is that he hits these high notes with FULL BELTING power (head voice) without needing to slip into Falsetto. Very few male vocalists have this power in their upper register. (Think Freddy Mercury and Robert Plant). Shout out to the late Steve Prestwich (RIP), who was Cold Chisel’s drummer and writer of this beautiful song.

[@youmaderoskoe]

♥️♥️♥️♥️😁

[@karstenschaefer6203]

John, oh John, but I love the backround singer too, she is fantastic...

[@donnachatterton1639]

The singer is Danielle Gaha, who coincidentally, is the daughter of a woman who danced in John’s video of Sadie the Cleaning Lady. She was pregnant with Danielle at the time!

[@barnowl5774]

This is John's version of a Cold Chisel Song. John is very charismatic, so friendly, and absolute showman and his loved and loving audience is with him all the way. When the camera pans around over the audience in other videos you will certainly see this. In the song, 'Playing To Win, filmed with The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, one fan manages to get on stage with him. Watch it and see a lovely demonstration of the good-heartedness of the man!

[@shoresaresandy]

Yep, she sure was playing to win, LOL and ended up a winner!!

[@toddyrocket296]

Thanks for your reaction That concert was great and that performance was fantastic Thanks as well Dr Kap

[@royperkins9176]

Beautiful voice. The production raw awesome and the fans really got into it.

[@justlinsu]

The words are....How can I go home and not get blown away.....To me this is a soldiers letter to his loved one. When the War is Over...got to start again....John actually did a tour to our Australian troops who were overseas...When he sang this song you could see on the faces of those men and women that this was their wish...to make it home without being blown away. These are my thoughts anyways....Thanks for a great reaction .....and thanks to Dr_Kap who just keeps finding these awesome songs for you.

[@theghost6412]

Can also be interpreted in another way as a drunk man or someone fresh out of prison who wants to go home but is now affraid of what awaits him when he gets home. WIll the wife and family blow up at him.

[@Dr_KAP]

🤗 🤗 he’s a great reactor I’m glad we all found him!

[@rickandersen2284]

He always gives 100 percent and never sings a bad note. Thank you and thank you Dr Kap again.

[@jemxs]

John covering the Chisel's classic, there is a version when Jimmy comes out on stage for the second half of the song..they always sound great together!

[@jeffwilson7100]

The Last time was the name of the tour

[@kennykarlsson6691]

This performence will allways be one of my favorite with him. His vocal range is unbelivable. And this song is absolutly beautiful. Get well soon mr Farnham. Just remember, your the voice!!!

[@davidcruse6589]

I'm pretty sure he singing this to his partner as he's away a year at a time sometime longer when on tour and this is him telling her how he missing her and trying to reassure her his hers and no one else's

[@shoresaresandy]

Thanks Dr_KAP, love John singing this song, so much passion!

[@donnawallington4978]

JF never disappoints ❤️

[@carolynh8866]

Thank you Dr Kap. Great Suggestion This is one of my very favourite performances of this song. What an amazing, tone and range John has. And always delivers with passion. He is one of those guys that can sing any genre and sounds like he is in his own lane. The great thing is that he always writes or chooses songs with very powerful or meaningfull lyrics. It is very easy to get sucked into this very deep rabbit hole.

[@markjames3522]

Originally a Cold Chisel song but after that broke up in 1983 the Drummer and this songs writer Steve Prestwich joined the Little River Band which John Farnham was the lead singer at that moment in time. So Steve Prestwich didn’t have any new songs to offer any input with LRB so LRB started to perform When The War Is Over on their concerts on their Playing To Win tour 1985 . LRB recorded When The War Is Over for their 1986 album No Reins which flopped . Steve Prestwich and John Farnham left LRB that same year before the recording company released When The War Is Over as a single to coincide and cash in John Farnham solo success rehashed . Sadly the single didn’t chart . John Farnham loved the song so much he recorded it again as solo artist in 1988 and it was a bonus track on CD version of his hit album Age Of Reason .

[@karenstrong8887]

I was at that concert. I miss going to see John live. There is no music genre he can’t sing.

[@coraliemoller3896]

He was 53 or 54 years old in 2003.

[@svendbosanvovski4241]

Great to see John's growing legion of American fans. Thank you, bro, for posting.

[@youmaderoskoe]

Not a problem

[@Mark-ew5jm]

Consensus was that this song was about a young man who broke the law and was imprisoned and he was about to be released and re-start his life.

[@rodneycampbell2964]

When soldiers return home they have adapt, come to terms they’re not in combat zone, basically over night It’s not easy

[@youmaderoskoe]

I had a friend who had come back from the Army all messed up, so, I get it!

[@karlennis3642]

We are all suffering Down here... Olivia Now with Farnseys battle... I hope with John you see who He is,not just his voice... You won't see many in the 'Industry' actually SHOW Respect to supporting Musicians on stage. John,like Olivia 😭,is humble, aware and just a Great Soul.

[@xymonau2468]

He was 54 years old here.

[@billfairless6256]

You don't need a backstory. Every veteran from everwhere suffers in some way.

[@renlish]

Imagine John doing a duet with Freddy Mercury. That would have been golden.

[@youmaderoskoe]

Sounds magical

[@jonss1948]

My take on the story of the song is: He's in a foxhole or a trench with a close friend and they're talking about how he can get home without being killed viz 'Blown Away'. An excellent performance of this Cold Chisel song. Please tell me of a song that John has sung where he didn't give it his all. I don't know of one and I think I've heard everything he's performed hundreds of times. The Farnham rabbit hole is very deep and you have many treats coming up hearing his 3.2 octave range and his innate ability to engender such passion in his rendition. One song he performed that I highly recommend is 'Gesthemene' where he sings the role of Jesus talking to God. The song, from Jesus Christ Superstar has been performed by many great and talented vocalists and John's is up there with the very best of all of them.

[@markflint2629]

It’s pronounced Melbin not born

[@CaptainsChannel58]

Why does every reactor choose the 2003 version of this song when the late 80s version is infinitely better??

[@youmaderoskoe]

Ouch. Why not just ask if I could react to the 80's version, instead of lumping me with the pile. I'll react to the version you desire..how's that!?!