I am quite the science and math nerd, and interpreting art has always been difficult for me. But the first time I heard this song I knew it was just amazing and had such a deeper meaning than the rest of the mess out there.
Anyways, my favorite books to read are war-based fiction. Examples include All Quiet on the Western Front and A Farewell to Arms. So when I heard this song it imediately made me think of all of the war books I have read over the years.
War is a horrible experience, especially if you are a soldier out there on the front doing all of the dangerous work. The soldier can't run away from the war, although he really wants to(when there's no where else to run). He desperately desires to go home to his family, since all of the boys on the front are sons of their parents sitting at home waiting their arrival(is there room for one more son). He is trying to hold on to his sanity and be able to cope with the troubles of war. He wants to get up and leave(I want to stand up, I want to let go), and everyone on the home front doesn't know the troubles he is experiencing and can't fully interpret his hardships(you know no you don't)The soldier wants to do something honorable(I want to shine on in the hearts of men), and all of his pains and ailments aren't going to stop him(back of my broken hand)
the head aches and heart breaks are associated with pains from injuries due to war and the death of fellow soldiers. he feels that he has been forced to grow up fast because of being thrown into the war(i'm so much older than I can take) . Also it is hard for the soldier to love anymore, because on the front all you know is to destroy(and my affection, well it comes and goes) the soldier calls to God for help through this period(i need direction to perfection)
the help me out chorus is a plea to God to see the soldier through this painful period in his life. He doesn't want God to forget about his life and how important it is to the soldier(don't you put me on the back burner)
the soldier is now being defiant, say that "these changes ain't changing me, the gold-hearted boy I used to be" say that something so destructive and filled with hate like war isn't going to take the love and passion out of his heart.
the "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" means the soldier isn't a boy filled with love and desires the secular aspects of life that normal people have, not plauged by the destruction of war. He feels that he is unfit to be a soldier fighting for a cause he doesn't believe in.
the soldier knows his life is on the line, and he could die any moment and won't be able to kill more people in the war which he feels is for the wrong reasons (over and in, last call for sin) the soldier realizes that all war is is hate and destruction(when everybody's lost, the battle is won) and he realizes that he has participated in this horrific act (with all these things that I've done) "if you can hold on" is a plea for the soldier to try and grasp on to life, not to give up and die. maybe if the soldier can remain sane and persevere through such a hard period in his life, he can make it through the war and back home wear he wants to be
By the way this has nothing to do with the war in Iraq, just any war period. Like I said this is just my interpretation, and I absolutely love how this song can morph into so many meanings to so many different people.
Well，I definitely agree with your interpretion！ I think that a soldier's role is so ambivalent. He need to engage in the war to hurt the enemies, but he can not hide his love for all human beings. Especially this lyric shows this:'I wanna show on .... broken hand'. He can kill many people in a war inoder to be honored a medal or something, but what is the true meaning behind his behaviour when he hurt other people and hurt himself (a broken hand) at the same time?
Well，I definitely agree with your interpretion！ I think that a soldier's role is so ambivalent. He need to engage in the war to hurt the enemies, but he can not hide his love for all human beings. Especially this lyric shows this:'I wanna show on .... broken hand'. He can kill many people in a war inoder to be honored a medal or something, but what is the true meaning behind his behaviour when he hurt other people and hurt himself (a broken hand) at the same time?
the soldier can't run away even though he really wants to? Australian soldiers were always volunteers and since the boer war we haven't even had a death penalty. If a soldier in the AIF wanted to leave the front in ww1 the worse he'd get was a bit of time in prison. Some did "run" like this. Most fucking fought on even tho they didn't have to. Btw this is the army that had the highest casualties/men deployed and deaths/men deployed of any army in the Great War. In 1918 they played the key role in winning it too....
the soldier can't run away even though he really wants to? Australian soldiers were always volunteers and since the boer war we haven't even had a death penalty. If a soldier in the AIF wanted to leave the front in ww1 the worse he'd get was a bit of time in prison. Some did "run" like this. Most fucking fought on even tho they didn't have to. Btw this is the army that had the highest casualties/men deployed and deaths/men deployed of any army in the Great War. In 1918 they played the key role in winning it too.
So in summary you're wrong and likely a dumb yank.
I am quite the science and math nerd, and interpreting art has always been difficult for me. But the first time I heard this song I knew it was just amazing and had such a deeper meaning than the rest of the mess out there.
Anyways, my favorite books to read are war-based fiction. Examples include All Quiet on the Western Front and A Farewell to Arms. So when I heard this song it imediately made me think of all of the war books I have read over the years.
War is a horrible experience, especially if you are a soldier out there on the front doing all of the dangerous work. The soldier can't run away from the war, although he really wants to(when there's no where else to run). He desperately desires to go home to his family, since all of the boys on the front are sons of their parents sitting at home waiting their arrival(is there room for one more son). He is trying to hold on to his sanity and be able to cope with the troubles of war. He wants to get up and leave(I want to stand up, I want to let go), and everyone on the home front doesn't know the troubles he is experiencing and can't fully interpret his hardships(you know no you don't)The soldier wants to do something honorable(I want to shine on in the hearts of men), and all of his pains and ailments aren't going to stop him(back of my broken hand)
the head aches and heart breaks are associated with pains from injuries due to war and the death of fellow soldiers. he feels that he has been forced to grow up fast because of being thrown into the war(i'm so much older than I can take) . Also it is hard for the soldier to love anymore, because on the front all you know is to destroy(and my affection, well it comes and goes) the soldier calls to God for help through this period(i need direction to perfection)
the help me out chorus is a plea to God to see the soldier through this painful period in his life. He doesn't want God to forget about his life and how important it is to the soldier(don't you put me on the back burner)
the soldier is now being defiant, say that "these changes ain't changing me, the gold-hearted boy I used to be" say that something so destructive and filled with hate like war isn't going to take the love and passion out of his heart.
the "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier" means the soldier isn't a boy filled with love and desires the secular aspects of life that normal people have, not plauged by the destruction of war. He feels that he is unfit to be a soldier fighting for a cause he doesn't believe in.
the soldier knows his life is on the line, and he could die any moment and won't be able to kill more people in the war which he feels is for the wrong reasons (over and in, last call for sin) the soldier realizes that all war is is hate and destruction(when everybody's lost, the battle is won) and he realizes that he has participated in this horrific act (with all these things that I've done) "if you can hold on" is a plea for the soldier to try and grasp on to life, not to give up and die. maybe if the soldier can remain sane and persevere through such a hard period in his life, he can make it through the war and back home wear he wants to be
By the way this has nothing to do with the war in Iraq, just any war period. Like I said this is just my interpretation, and I absolutely love how this song can morph into so many meanings to so many different people.
Well，I definitely agree with your interpretion！ I think that a soldier's role is so ambivalent. He need to engage in the war to hurt the enemies, but he can not hide his love for all human beings. Especially this lyric shows this:'I wanna show on .... broken hand'. He can kill many people in a war inoder to be honored a medal or something, but what is the true meaning behind his behaviour when he hurt other people and hurt himself (a broken hand) at the same time?
Well，I definitely agree with your interpretion！ I think that a soldier's role is so ambivalent. He need to engage in the war to hurt the enemies, but he can not hide his love for all human beings. Especially this lyric shows this:'I wanna show on .... broken hand'. He can kill many people in a war inoder to be honored a medal or something, but what is the true meaning behind his behaviour when he hurt other people and hurt himself (a broken hand) at the same time?
the soldier can't run away even though he really wants to? Australian soldiers were always volunteers and since the boer war we haven't even had a death penalty. If a soldier in the AIF wanted to leave the front in ww1 the worse he'd get was a bit of time in prison. Some did "run" like this. Most fucking fought on even tho they didn't have to. Btw this is the army that had the highest casualties/men deployed and deaths/men deployed of any army in the Great War. In 1918 they played the key role in winning it too....
the soldier can't run away even though he really wants to? Australian soldiers were always volunteers and since the boer war we haven't even had a death penalty. If a soldier in the AIF wanted to leave the front in ww1 the worse he'd get was a bit of time in prison. Some did "run" like this. Most fucking fought on even tho they didn't have to. Btw this is the army that had the highest casualties/men deployed and deaths/men deployed of any army in the Great War. In 1918 they played the key role in winning it too.
So in summary you're wrong and likely a dumb yank.