Peace Now was first released on the Viral Black album in 2017. A reworked studio version was released on the album Equals in 2018
Peace Now is a protest song, it’s anti-war, it’s in the traditional of where The Alarm comes from its Marching On, it’s Across The Border, it’s Third Light, it’s Sixty Eight Guns will never die, it’s going out in a Blaze of Glory. No guitars in the war machine, Peace Now, Peace Today, Peace Tomorrow . It’s a statement song, it carries itself through into the artwork, into the lifeblood of the concert already. At the end of the day it’s what I believe in, I don’t believe in war, I don’t want to go to war, I don’t want to see my children go to war, I don’t want to see my community hurt. I don’t want to see my friends attacked from going to a convert, I don’t want see them fearful of life. So let’s have peace, that’s what I say. There’s nowhere I go these days where I don’t feel safe any more, even in rural wales where I live, there’s an element of fear crept into society, all our societies. Atrocities of recent times are very well publicised, but they’ve brought a fear to the streets that you can’t walk over a bridge in a capital city without fearing for your life, or going to a concert and fearing for your loved ones, that’s not going to go away for some time. We’re all having to learn to live with a world that’s gone crazy, and I’m a touring musician and I travel around the world and I can sense it in the cities I travel to. For some people it’s a real fear, for some it’s just an uneasy feeling, but it’s there for us all. How we’re going to change that or take that back for ourselves as human beings who just want to get on with people, have respect for our neighbours, want to walk the streets with our children without fear, I don’t know how we’re going to get back to those simpler times. We live in a very convoluted world where the firewalls we put up on our computers they’re not impenetrable, it’s easy to get beyond the barriers and corrupt our adult minds. there so many things we see right now which are changing us without us realising us, they’re harming us. So I wanted to write something that expressed that, and the only way I could find a way was go back to the simplest word I know is to say Peace Now. It’s an overworked term from the 60’s from beyond all that but we need it more than ever – Mike Peters podcast 2018
2017 Viral Black recording
Running time 3:37
Written by Mike Peters
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters – Vocals, Harmonica, Acoustic & Electric Guitar, E-bow, Electro Harmonix Mel9
Smiley – Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
James Stevenson – Electric Guitar, Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Jules Jones Peters – Piano, Backing Vocals
George Williams – Keyboards, Bass Guitar
Recorded at Bethel Chapel Studios, Wales, Parr Street Studio A, Liverpool, England
Produced and mixed by George Williams
Engineered by Tony Draper and Mark Warden
Mastered by Sean Magee at Abbey Road Studio, London
Alternative studio recordings – Acoustic in session ~ New recording
2017 Viral Black in session acoustic recording
Running time 2:36
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters : Vocals, Guitars
2018 Equals recording
Running time 3:43
Musicians & Credits
Mike Peters : Vocals, Harmonica, Baritone, Acoustic & Electric Guitars
Steve “Smiley” Barnard : Drums, Percussion, Backing Vocals
James Stevenson : Acoustic, Electric & Slide Guitar, Bass Guitar, Backing Vocal
Jules Jones Peters : Piano, Backing Vocal
George Williams : Keyboards, Bass Guitar
Recorded at Bethel Chapel studios, Wales, Parr Street studios A and C, Liverpool, England, The Doghouse studios, Henley on Thames, England and Monnow Valley, South Wales
Produced and mixed by George Williams
Engineered by Mark Warden (Bethel Chapel and The Doghouse), Tony Draper (Parr Street) and Matt Glasbey (Monnow Valley)
Album appearances and discography of studio recordings
All the following are Worldwide releases except where stated
2017 : The Alarm – Viral Black
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C089
Released on Vinyl by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C089LP
2017 recording
2017 : The Alarm – Viral Black In Session
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C092
2017 acoustic recording
2018 : The Alarm – Equals
Released on Red or Black Vinyl by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C100
Released on CD by Twenty First Century Recording Company, catalogue number 21C101
2018 recording
Single appearances and discography of studio recordings
Officially released live recordings – Audio
All are Worldwide Releases on Twenty First Century Recording Company
(Except where stated)
4th February 2017. Recorded at Venue Cymru, Llandudno, Wales
Running Length 3:58
Performed by The Alarm
Band line up : Mike Peters, James Stevenson, Steve “Smiley” Barnard, Jules Jones Peters
Released on The Alarm – Two Rivers Live At The Gathering 10″ Vinyl EP, catalogue number 21C090
10th October 2018. Recorded at Parr Street Studios, Liverpool, England
Running Length 3:31
Performed by Mike Peters solo acoustic
Recorded for National Album Day 2018
Released in 2018 on CD Mike Peters in Session 2018, catalogue number 21C106
Officially released live recordings – DVD (tba)
Viral Black Lyrics
Peace sign sprayed on a garage wall
Feels like I’ve been here before
Rising up from below the ground
With a pitchfork and a shout
Shout
Peace now, peace today
Peace tomorrow, that’s what I say
Peace now, peace today
Peace tomorrow
That’s what I say
Hey, hey, hey
No bureaucrat is gonna plow my field
(Not just another brick in the wall)
Steal my shoes or burn my seed
(Not just another brick in the wall)
I’ll be marching anyhow
With a scarecrow and a plough
Peace now, peace today
Peace tomorrow, that’s what I say
Peace now, peace today
Peace tomorrow
That’s what I say
Hey, hey, hey
(I’m not just another brick in the wall
I’m not just another brick in the wall
I’m not just another brick in the wall
I’m not just another brick in the wall)
No guitars in the war machine
My amplifier will drown your speech
You call to arms, I will not head
I bang my drums in the name of peace
Peace now, peace today
Peace tomorrow, that’s what I say
Peace now, peace today
Peace tomorrow
That’s what I say
Hey, hey, hey
No guitars in the war machine
No guitars in the war machine
No guitars in the war machine
No guitars in the war machine
Alternative Lyrics (tba)
Audio & Visual Sources ~ 1 x Video
Click on image to watch the official promotional video by Mike Peters discussing the ideas behind the song and performing an acoustic version of the song
(Page updated 11/02/2024)