Generals and Majors

"Generals and Majors" is a song written by Colin Moulding of the English rock band XTC, released as the first single from their 1980 album Black Sea. Moulding accordingly wrote the song as a satirical take on the phrase "oh, what a lovely war".^[3] The song charted in the UK single chart at No. 32 and No. 104 on the US singles chart, while reaching No. 28 on Billboard's Album Rock Tracks chart. It was the first XTC single to chart in the U.S., and it also had chart success in Canada, Australia and New Zealand.

"Generals and Majors"
Single by XTC
from the album Black Sea
B-side	"Don't Lose Your Temper"
Released	August 1980
Recorded	1980
Genre	Post-punk[1] pop[2]
Length	4:05 (album version) 3:42 (single version) 5:02 (rehearsal tape version)
Label	Virgin
Songwriter(s)	Colin Moulding
Producer(s)	Steve Lillywhite
XTC singles chronology
"Wait Till Your Boat Goes Down" (1980) "Generals and Majors" (1980) "Towers of London" (1980)
Music video
"Generals and Majors" on YouTube

The track was initially released as a double 7" single with a gatefold sleeve, limited to 15,000 copies.^[4] The additional record featured Moulding's "Smokeless Zone" and Partridge's "The Somnambulist".

Music video

The music video shows the band playing servers and a group of men in military uniforms; one of them is Richard Branson, driving a Go-kart and jumping on a bouncy castle. According to Andy Partridge, Branson appeared "because he's a complete publicity hog. He decided he was gonna turn up and keep suggesting that he be in the video. That is the worst video ever made by man."^[5]

Personnel

XTC

• Andy Partridge
• Colin Moulding
• Dave Gregory
• Terry Chambers

Charts

Chart (1980)	Peak position
Australia (Kent Music Report)[6]	24
Canadian Single Chart[7]	92
New Zealand Single Chart[8]	16
UK Singles Chart[9]	32
US Billboard Bubbling Under Hot 100[10]	104
US Billboard Album Rock Tracks[11]	28

See also

• List of anti-war songs