Oh, I've just come from the land of the sun
From a war that must be won in the name of truth
With our soldiers so brave your freedom we will save
With our rifles and grenades and some help from God

I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see

You just can't believe the joy I did receive
When I finally got my leave and I was going home
Oh, I flew through the sky, my convictions could not lie
For my country I would die, and I will see it soon

And I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see

When I walked through the door my wife she lay upon the floor
And with tears her eyes did soar, I did not know why
Then I looked into her hand and I saw the telegram
Said that I was a brave, brave man, but that I was dead

I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see

I want to see my family
My wife and child are waiting for me
I've got to go home
I've been so alone, you see


Lyrics submitted by Mellow_Harsher

Love Vigilantes Lyrics as written by Peter Hook Stephen Paul David Morris

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Love Vigilantes (New Order cover) song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +2
    My Interpretation

    It makes most sense to me if the song is telling of a dream he had.

    He is away fighting, is so tired and homesick, and has this dream where he is getting his wish to return home but then it turns into a nightmare which materializes his fear of dying before he gets to go back. The song ends the same way it started like maybe this is a recurring dream and/or fear.

    AlbrtClvrton October 17, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    he just came from the "Land of the Sun" - that's Argentina, this song is about a soldier who died fighting in the Malvina's (Falkland Islands) war between Argentina and Britain in 1982. the song was my favorite song back then, being the child of a warrior myself, and now that i travel to Argentina regularly it really has meaning.

    zenvengeanceon May 21, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    I find it interesting that this cover seems to change the words a little, and the meaning changes, too. In the original, the wife's eyes were sore. In this, he sings that the wife's eyes "did soar." (The song clearly sounds like 'did soar' as well.) In the original, the soldier had died, and his wife had cried her eyes out. This seems to imply that he physically walked into the house and her eyes soared when she saw him because the telegram had been a mistake. Anyone have thoughts about it? I think Iron & Wine's cover leaves it more open-ended than the original. I'm not convinced, but it's a theory about the shift in lyrics.

    gwlisaon March 04, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    outside of this being an awesome song...I think it almost has a sarcastic take on soldiers at war. Their only ticket home is to die? idk..just a thought

    also, if her eyes were to "soar" they'd be looking to the heavens, right? and if they were sore she'd obviously be crying. So, they could basically be the same thing. That's the beauty of music I guess, it can be interpreted however the listener hears it.

    sra58on June 21, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    When I first heard this song, I just thought it was the sweetest little story. I thought he came home and his wife had received the letter in error. Then I listened to it again and the realization that he could just as well be dead began creeping up on me, and that was depressing. It's a beautiful song, though, and I like to think that it's open-ended on that.

    Targetpractice.v01on July 17, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    I love this song. I think the meaning is pretty obvious. at the end he realizes that he is dead, kind of like the sixth sense. this song is so sad.

    breezybay11on March 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    i agree with you. this is a most beautiful song

    jdeppsfavfan1on September 29, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    yeah I thpught it could have been that he died and didn't knnow it......but now that I notice it could be said that the letter was mistaken.... the meaning can be arued both ways....the song poses no contradictions....make up your own mind

    manuelturcioson March 06, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This song is amazingly sweet, somehow, even though speaking of death and war. I just heard this song on the new album and it is another song with amazing poetic meaning. I'm not so sure that the soldier is dead however. I'm sure many disagree, as I can see with the comments above, but that is the beauty of Iron and Wine songs, there are hidden meanings and everyone can derive their own meanings. Another beautiful song from Sam.

    acwrk2007on May 22, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    when i first heard the song, i didn't think too much of it. but after listening to it a few times i thought it almost sounded like an anti-war song. the way the narrator talks about the war almost sounds like sarcasm or as if he doesn't really believe what he is saying. the only part that sounds sincere is that he wants to get the hell out of there. and in the end, it appears that the narrator is dead which only makes one feel even less supportive of the war.

    just my thoughts.

    ThatGouletKidon September 04, 2009   Link

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