(It's Not War) Just the End of Love

"(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" is a song by Manic Street Preachers and was released as the lead single from their tenth album Postcards From a Young Man.

"(It's Not War) Just the End of Love"
Single by Manic Street Preachers
from the album Postcards from a Young Man
Released	13 September 2010
Genre	Alternative rock
Length	3:27
Label	Columbia
Songwriter(s)	James Dean Bradfield, Nicky Wire, Sean Moore
Producer(s)	Dave Eringa
Manic Street Preachers singles chronology
"The Ghosts of Christmas" (2007) "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" (2010) "Some Kind of Nothingness" (2010)

The song was made Record of the Week on BBC Radio 2^[1] and added to the BBC Radio 2, BBC 6 Music and XFM playlists.^[2]

Music video

The music video, directed by Alex Smith,^[3] was premiered on GMTV on 26 August 2010. It is set in a 1970s chess tournament and stars actor Michael Sheen, who portrays an American chess master (although playing with a Welsh flag), opposite a Soviet chess master portrayed by actress Anna Friel.^[4] The entire video unfolds in slight slow motion. The match is interrupted when the two mount the chess table and kiss passionately (coinciding with the guitar solo) as the studio audience looks on aghast.

Reception

The single was enthusiastically received by BBC Wales' James McLaren, who stated "Well I like it, I really do. It's got a theatrical pop verve to it. A sweeping string-laden hook, classic Bradders growly verse and a widdly solo in the middle eight. The melody is simple but delivered with classic Manics panache."^[5] This Is Fake DIY described it: "It's simple, it's catchy and it's enjoyable, and will have many casual radio listeners rifling through their back catalogue to discover what they've been missing all these years." The NME commented that it had "nostalgia...but also an unmistakable sense of vitality and urgency".^[6] In an early review of the album, the NME described the track as "quite literally the daftest, campest, most outlandish stadium pop song the Manics have ever put their minds to. But in a really excellent way, with one of those choruses you only need to hear once to remember forever."^[7] The Fly called it a "brilliant start" to the album, saying that it "sets out its grandiose stall from the off as James Dean Bradfield's FM-friendly riff gives way to a warm orchestral flourish".^[8]

The single entered the UK Charts at #28, making "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" their lowest charting single since "Life Becoming a Landslide" (1994). It was the band's last Top 40 hit single.

Track listing

CD 1

1. "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love" – 3:29
2. "I'm Leaving You for Solitude" – 3:21
3. "Distractions" – 3:56
4. "Ostpolitik" – 2:58

CD 2

1. "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love"
2. "Lost Voices"

(Manics website exclusive format)

7" single

1. "(It's Not War) Just the End of Love"
2. "I Know the Numbers"

^[9]

Chart performance

Chart (2010)	Peak position
UK Singles (OCC)^[10]	28
BEL Singles Chart^[11]	38

References

1. "BBC Radio 2 Playlist: Week Commencing: 28 Aug 2010", BBC, retrieved 2010-08-31 March 10, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
2. "XFM Playlist", retrieved 2010-08-31 February 7, 2010, at the Wayback Machine
3. . PromoNews.tv. Archived from the original on 2014-10-18. Retrieved 2014-10-13.
4. "MANIC STREET PREACHERS UNVEIL NEW VIDEO (IT'S NOT WAR) - JUST THE END OF LOVE", stereoboard.com, 27 August 2010, retrieved 2010-08-31
5. McLaren, James (2010) "Manic Street Preachers (It's Not War) Just The End Of Love", BBC Wales Music, 26 July 2010, retrieved 2010-08-31 January 23, 2011, at the Wayback Machine
6. "10 Tracks You Have To Hear This Week", NME, 5 August 2010, retrieved 2010-08-31 October 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
7. Martin, Dan (2010) "Manic Street Preachers, ‘Postcards From A Young Man’ – First Listen", NME, 27 July 2010, retrieved 2010-08-31 October 20, 2012, at the Wayback Machine
8. Doherty, Niall (2010) "Manic Street Preachers 'Postcards From A Young Man' // First Listen 2010-08-06 at the Wayback Machine", The Fly, 29 July 2010, retrieved 2010-08-31
9. "Manic Street Preachers - (Its Not War) Just The End of Love single details and pre-order 2012-03-10 at the Wayback Machine", Columbia Records, 30 July 2010, retrieved 2010-08-31
10. "Official Singles Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company.
11. "dutchcharts.nl". Retrieved 9 December 2010.