"Battle Scars" is a song by Australian singer-songwriter Guy Sebastian featuring American rapper Lupe Fiasco. It was released as a single on August 10, 2012, with its music video directed by Jonathan and Josh Baker. The song appears as the third track from Sebastian's sixth album, Armageddon, and the eleventh track from Fiasco's fourth studio album, Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt. 1.
In an interview with radio station Nova FM, Sebastian explained of the song's meaning, "It's about your own personal battle scars, and for every individual those are different; some might be words or labels… it might be relationship scars. When I wrote this song, and when Lupe wrote his bits, we just really wanted it to be something that just inspired people to, sort of, confront those things, and also maybe try and work to think about burying and ripping up those labels; throwing them away."[1] The song became Sebastian's tenth of 12 top ten singles in Australia and sixth to reach number one, and Fiasco's third Australian top ten and first number one single. It went on to become 14× platinum by the Australian Recording Industry Association.
Background[]
Originally "Battle Scars" was planned to only be released in Australia, though Sebastian inquired if Fiasco wanted it to drop anywhere else.[2] In an interview with Time Out, Sebastian discussed the record's process, where he wrote it, created a demo, and sent it to Fiasco. He estimated it to be around the height of the Lasers album, where he believed it may not reach the rapper but may as well ask. Two days later, Fiasco replied how he loved the song and wanted to do it. Sebastian added, "Everything he wrote for his rap just nailed me, I was almost in tears. He doesn't just rap about being in a club or shaking your booty, he raps about a lot of deep stuff, politically."[3]
Fiasco traveled to the Sydney studio to record his part. He had two raps written, though Sebastian immediately fell in love with the first version.[4] He told Take 40 Australia, "I knew I was going to get something with depth, something with a bit of heart to it […] He loved the track, we got along really well, he's just chill, you know? […] You know, he put down one version and I was like 'Bruh, that is ridic[ulous]' – That was just so friggin' perfect for the song, everything that I imagined…."
Fiasco recalled how his label was not pleased about the collab, where Mike Kyser told him it wasn't a good look for him, deciding to not sign off on the release.[5]
Accolades[]
| Award | Category | Year | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ARIA Music Awards | Best Pop Release | 2012
|
Nominated | |
| POPreplublic.tv. IT List Awards | Favorite Single of 2012 | Won | ||
| NAACP Image Awards | Outstanding Duo, Group or Collaboration | 2013
|
Nominated | |
| International Songwriting Competition | R&B/Hip | Won |
Personnel[]
- Darrale Jones – producer
- David Ryan Harris – writer
- Guy Sebastian – lead artist, vocals, writer
- James Kang – assistant mixer
- Jasper Dent – engineer
- Joe Peluso – recording
- Leon Zervos – masterer
- Miles Walker – mixer
- Pro-Jay – producer
- Wasalu "Lupe Fiasco" Jaco – featured artist, vocals, writer
Charts[]
Weekly charts[]
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Year-end charts[]
Decade-end charts[]
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Certifications[]
| Region | Certification | Certified units/sales |
|---|---|---|
| Australia (ARIA) | 14× Platinum | 980,000‡ |
| Denmark (IFPI Danmark) | Gold | 45,000‡ |
| New Zealand (RMNZ) | 2× Platinum | 30,000* |
| Sweden (GLF) | Gold | 20,000‡ |
| United Kingdom (BPI) | Silver | 200,000‡ |
| United States (RIAA) | Platinum | 1,000,000‡ |
* Sales figures based on certification alone.
‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone. | ||
Releases[]
Europe[]
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Country: Finland Label: 1st & 15th, Atlantic Format: CDr, promo Released: 2013 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: 075679957993 Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
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Country: Germany Label: 1st & 15th, Atlantic Format: Digital download Released: August 10, 2012 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: N/A Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
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North America[]
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Country: United States Label: 1st & 15th, Atlantic, WEA Format: Digital download Released: August 28, 2012 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: N/A Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
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Oceania[]
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Country: Australia Label: Sony Music Australia Format: Digital download Released: August 10, 2012 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: N/A Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
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Country: Australia Label: Sony Music Australia Format: Digital download Released: January 11, 2013 Catalog #: N/A Barcode: N/A Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
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| No. | Title | Length |
|---|---|---|
| 1. | "Battle Scars" (featuring Lupe Fiasco) | 4:08 |
| 2. | "Gold" (Live in Concert) | 3:33 |
| 3. | "Like It Like That" (Live in Concert) | 6:01 |
| Total length: | 13:42 | |
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Country: Australia Label: Sony Music Australia Format: CD Released: 2012 Catalog #: 88725462192 Barcode: 887254621928 Artwork: N/A Photography: N/A Design: N/A |
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Gallery[]
Cultural references[]
- Cupid is the god of desire, often depicted as a young boy with a bow and arrow. Anyone (mortal or divine) shot by his arrow is filled with uncontrollable desire.
- Tom Hanks is an American actor and filmmaker. Fiasco refers to his role as Captain John Miller in Saving Private Ryan (1998), where Miller must save a soldier from the battlefield.
- The Hurt Locker (2008) follows an Iraq War Explosive Ordnance Disposal team who are targeted by insurgents and shows their psychological reactions to the stress of combat.
Lyrics[]
[Intro: Lupe Fiasco]
The wound heals but it never does
That's 'cause you're at war with love
You're at war with love, yeah
[Chorus: Guy Sebastian]
These battle scars don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle
[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]
Never let a wound ruin me
But I feel like ruin's ruin me
Arrow holes that never close from Cupid on a shooting spree
Feeling stupid 'cause I know it ain't no you and me
But when you're trying to beat the odds up
Been trying to keep your nods up and you know that you should know
And let her go but the fear of the unknown
Holding on another lover's phone sends you back into the zone
(Go!) With no Tom Hanks to bring you home
A lover not a fighter on the frontline with a poem
Trying to write yourself a rifle, maybe sharpen up a song
To fight the tanks and drones of you being alone
[Pre-Chorus: Guy Sebastian]
I wish I never looked, I wish I never touched
I wish that I could stop loving you so much
'Cause I'm the only one that's tryna keep us together
When all of the signs say that I should forget her
I wish you weren't the best, the best I ever had
I wish that the good outweighed the bad
'Cause it'll never be over, until you tell me it's over
[Chorus: Guy Sebastian]
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle
[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]
(And just leave then)
You shouldn't have but you said it
(And I hope you never come back)
It shouldn't have happened but you let it
Now you're down on the ground screaming "medic"
The only thing that comes is the post-traumatic stresses
Shields, body armors and vests
Don't properly work, that's why you're in a locker full of hurt
The enemy within and all the fires from your friends
The best medicine is to probably just let her win
[Pre-Chorus 2: Guy Sebastian]
I wish I couldn't feel, I wish I couldn't love
I wish that I could stop 'cause it hurts so much
'Cause I'm the only one that's trying to keep us together
When all of the signs say that I should forget her
I wish you weren't the best, the best I ever had
I wish that the good outweighed the bad
'Cause it'll never be over, until you tell me it's over
[Chorus: Guy Sebastian]
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle
[Bridge: Guy Sebastian, Lupe Fiasco]
'Cause you've set me on fire
I've never felt so alive, yeah
No, hoping wounds heal, but it never does
That's because you're at war with love
And I'm at the point of breaking
And it's impossible to shake it
[Pre-Chorus: Lupe Fiasco]
See, you hoped the wound heals, but it never does
That's 'cause you're at war with love
Hope it heals, but it never does
That's 'cause you're at war with love
[Chorus: Guy Sebastian]
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
I ain't ever gonna change
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
They ain't never gonna change
These battle scars, don't look like they're fading
Don't look like they're ever going away
I ain't ever gonna change
These battle
References[]
- ↑ "Behind the Video: Guy Sebastian's "Battle Scars" (feat. Lupe Fiasco) Music Video". Nova FM. Archived from the original on January 23, 2015.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco Interview with KC Chopz". YouTube. May 28, 2013.
- ↑ Hewett, Jenny (January 28, 2014). "Aussie X Factor Star Guy Sebastian Interview". Time Out.
- ↑ "Guy Sebastian Talks About Battle Scars and Lupe Fiasco (Interview August 2012)". YouTube. August 29, 2012.
- ↑ "Lupe Fiasco (@LupeFiasco)". Twitter. August 1, 2022.
- ↑ "Nominees for Best Pop Release". ARIA.
- ↑ Manser, Robert (February 14, 2013). "IT LIST Awards Winners POPRepublic.tv". Archived from the original on May 17, 2013.
- ↑ Couch, Aaron (February 1, 2013). "NAACP Image Awards: Winners Announced". The Hollywood Reporter.
- ↑ "International Songwriting Competition Winners". Archived from the original on April 30, 2013.