Why Can't We Live Together
Why Can’t We Live Together is a 1972 soul and R&B song written and recorded by Timmy Thomas. Thomas wrote it after moving to Miami, inspired by news reports about the Vietnam War. The simple plea—“Why can’t we live together?”—calls for peace and says that all people are brothers, no matter their color.
Thomas recorded the song as a one-man project, using a Lowrey organ and an early rhythm machine for percussion. He made a demo at Bobby Dukoff Recording Studios in North Miami, and a local radio station, WEBF, started playing it, helping it become a hit. The single, with the B-side “Funky Me,” was released in late 1972. The single version runs about 3:24, while the album version is longer at 4:50.
TK Records producer Steve Alaimo chose not to re-cut the track with a full band, deciding the song was finished as is. It became a major hit in early 1973, reaching number one on the R&B chart and number three on the Billboard Pop Singles chart, selling over two million copies. It remained Timmy Thomas’s only major hit. The song also charted in Canada (about #6), the UK (#12), and Australia (#25). A 1979 re-release appeared, with a live version as the B-side on the European 7" release.
Why Can’t We Live Together is noted for its sparse, mono production and its early use of a rhythm machine. It has been covered by many artists and remains a landmark in soul music.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 10:41 (CET).