This is about bronies. They communicate by stomping.
He said son, have you seen the world?
Well, what would you say if I said that you could
Just carry this gun, you'll even get paid
I said that sounds pretty good
Black leather boots
Spit-shined so bright
They cut off my hair but it looked alright
We marched and we sang
We all became friends
As we learned how to fight
A hero of war
Yeah that's what I'll be
And when I come home
They'll be damn proud of me
I'll carry this flag
To the grave if I must
Cause it's a flag that I love
And a flag that I trust
I kicked in the door
I yelled my commands
The children, they cried
But I got my man
We took him away
A bag over his face
From his family and his friends
They took off his clothes
They pissed in his hands
I told them to stop
But then I joined in
We beat him with guns
And batons not just once
But again and again
A hero of war
Yeah that's what I'll be
And when I come home
They'll be damn proud of me
I'll carry this flag
To the grave if I must
Cause it's a flag that I love
And a flag that I trust
She walked through bullets and haze
I asked her to stop
I begged her to stay
But she pressed on
So I lifted my gun
And I fired away
And the shells jumped through the smoke
And into the sand
That the blood now had soaked
She collapsed with a flag in her hand
A flag white as snow
A hero of war
Is that what they see?
Just medals and scars
So damn proud of me
And I brought home that flag
Now it gathers dust
But it's a flag that I love
The only flag that I trust
He said, son, have you seen the world?
Well what would you say, if I said that you could?
Well, what would you say if I said that you could
Just carry this gun, you'll even get paid
I said that sounds pretty good
Black leather boots
Spit-shined so bright
They cut off my hair but it looked alright
We marched and we sang
We all became friends
As we learned how to fight
A hero of war
Yeah that's what I'll be
And when I come home
They'll be damn proud of me
I'll carry this flag
To the grave if I must
Cause it's a flag that I love
And a flag that I trust
I kicked in the door
I yelled my commands
The children, they cried
But I got my man
We took him away
A bag over his face
From his family and his friends
They took off his clothes
They pissed in his hands
I told them to stop
But then I joined in
We beat him with guns
And batons not just once
But again and again
A hero of war
Yeah that's what I'll be
And when I come home
They'll be damn proud of me
I'll carry this flag
To the grave if I must
Cause it's a flag that I love
And a flag that I trust
She walked through bullets and haze
I asked her to stop
I begged her to stay
But she pressed on
So I lifted my gun
And I fired away
And the shells jumped through the smoke
And into the sand
That the blood now had soaked
She collapsed with a flag in her hand
A flag white as snow
A hero of war
Is that what they see?
Just medals and scars
So damn proud of me
And I brought home that flag
Now it gathers dust
But it's a flag that I love
The only flag that I trust
He said, son, have you seen the world?
Well what would you say, if I said that you could?
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Bron-Y-Aur Stomp
Led Zeppelin
Led Zeppelin
Dreamwalker
Silent Planet
Silent Planet
I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
Page
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it.
“I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.
I haven't made up my mind as to whether I love or hate this song. As a soldier in the United States Army, I have mixed feelings.
Members of the armed forces have joined on a volunteer basis. Obviously, they each have their own individual reasons, but I'm sure each and every one has a sense of pride for their country and the belief that they are doing something noble by enlisting.
However, I believe this song perfectly exemplifies how easy it is to change from a hero to a criminal. We are in the field, where absolutely nothing is certain. I believe being in the armed forced is quite possibly one of the most difficult jobs, because you never know what is coming the next second. Driving in a convoy, the car ahead with bystanders next to it could be people waving and thanking you, or waiting with a bomb in the trunk.
The first situation with the prisoner shows how a hero can become a criminal. There are rules of war, and when violated, you are most certainly in the wrong. This chorus angered me, because I know there are ignorant people in this country who will read it and immediately stereotype every soldier. Yes, this has happened, and it is an ugly scar the army must live with, but it does not mean the rest of the soldiers must sacrifice their innocence, heroism, and pride because of it.
As for the second situation with the woman being shot, I feel this shows by so many soldiers return from tours of duty needing counseling. The woman was running towards him ignoring commands, what else is he to do? She could have had a bomb strapped to her chest. In war, it is split second decisions. Him or her. He has a job to do. She ignored his command. He immediately becomes worried and scared for his own life. Only after does he realize the error in that the woman was not an enemy, but someone wanting peace. Certainly a mistake...but a mistake MUCH harder to avoid than the first.
God Bless.
bradley906 i completly aggree with u. i love this song and its my favorite by Rise Against. Its a very powerful song. I'm just a teenager but what u said about "split second decisions" is very true and u r rite.
First thank you for joining the armed forces, I have a younger brother that is a marine and is getting ready to go to boot camp in the fall. I also have other family that have been in different branches of the military and good friends that are currently in the military. And i agree with everything you said, the song is about taking pride in your country and in times of war terrible things happen some are avoidable while others are things that no one can expect or see coming. This song is great cause it shows how a person can believe in being a soldier and fighting for their country, but still have problems with what they have to do while they are at war. Again thank you for protecting our country and everything that you do for us. The men and women in the armed forces are not recongnized enough for what they have to do every single day. May you come home safetly.
Like assassination44, I am also a teenager. I have mixed feelings about the current wars. However, I do respect the soldiers and all that they do. I just wanted to think you for helping me put into words what I was unable to. <br /> <br /> I think that this song is about taking pride in your country, but when everyone does so in war you lose sight of the goal of peace. Sometimes in war immoral acts are committed and then it can be hard to tell who is and isn't a "hero of war".<br /> <br /> I would just like to analyze one brilliant line at the end where it says "It's the only flag I trust". I think that what is trying to be said is that sometimes pride for your country becomes too great to trust other nations.
I agree, i am a young canadian, and i have a brother and two cousins who joined our reserves, so this song has alot of meaning to me. This amazing song, in my opinion, isn't just for one country or one soilder though, it's for the universal soilder, for every man or woman who has ever fought and or died for thier country,<br /> <br /> it's a very well writen haunting song.<br /> <br /> "And I brought home that flag<br /> Now it gathers dust<br /> But it�s a flag that I love<br /> It�s the only flag I trust"<br /> i think means that the flag (the one the woman had) represents a soilder's hope for peace after what they had to do and what they had seen, and the dust gathering is representing how no one is trying for peace. i have listened to this song over and over at least 15 times in a row and each time it's just as haunting as the first time i listened to it.<br /> <br /> there are no heroes in war, because what makes you a hero in one person's eyes, makes you a monster in another's.
Thank you for posting this. I, myself am a fourteen year old girl.<br /> When I first heard this song - I cried. I'll admit it. And hearing it come from a soldier their self, I thank you, because I had mixed feelings. I mean, I loved the song, but the meaning and how fast someone can change to hero to criminal.. that got me confused. I know that in the war, things change in a split second. My mother's ex husband is in the war, and I worry about him like crazy, still. <br /> But back to my point, I just want to thank you for posting this because you gave us a soldier's point of view on this amazing song, and I think a lot of us needed that.<br /> -BrookeNichole
I'm not in the military, but I agree with you.
I won`t quesion that its the hardest job in the world to be a soldier. But you guys didnt questioned what they are actually fighting for. I mean NATO is fighting Taliban and Al Quaida in Afgahnistan and in Mali but sends them wapons in Syria and also gave them weapons back in the 80s. You all say you fight for your country, but in fact you dont fight for the people, you fight for the interests of your Governement. The sad fact is they dont give a fuck if you die. If you die you were worth five barrels of oil. Gongratuliations.
I wouldn't believe it to criticize the troops, since my brother was one and he adored this song, but I think it shows the true nature of a soldier. Most people believe joining the ranks means killing the bad guys, from what my brother said, you do a lot darker.
Zjensen09 War can be a very complicated thing it's true. But don't claim to know everything about it because you can't. There's times when the government makes the wrong decisions yes. But you're damned if you do and damned if you don't. We help and get criticized, or we sit back and watch it all we get criticized for not doing something. Can't please them all no matter how hard you try. Making those decisions is not something I would want to do everyday.
@bradley906 i completely agree with you. i am also a fourteen year old, but when you wrote the post, i was only 7 years old. The whole meaning behind Rise Against is all about how corrupt the American Government is, and how they don't care if you die or live. I am not trying to be offensive, but this is what i believe, and i have read many other comments that say the same thing as me. If you don't believe me, listen to, Survivor Guilt or Kotov Syndrome. Those two songs send an extremely strong message to me about how the American Government is stubborn, and selfish. People only get into Government, for money and fame.<br /> <br /> May God have mercy on you, Soldier, and may you come home safely and healthy...
I'll give you my take on the song, as a veteran of the U.S. Armed Forces. I served in Iraq and Afghanistan as a Pararescueman for the 320th STS.
Disclaimer: I don't speak for all service members, but for those of us who have come across these scenarios... I think this is as accurate as I can be.
He said "Son, have you seen the world? Well, what would you say if I said that you could? Just carry this gun and you'll even get paid." I said "That sounds pretty good."
Black leather boots Spit-shined so bright They cut off my hair but it looked alright We marched and we sang We all became friends As we learned how to fight
A hero of war Yeah that's what I'll be And when I come home They'll be damn proud of me I'll carry this flag To the grave if I must Because it's a flag that I love And a flag that I trust
I kicked in the door I yelled my commands The children, they cried But I got my man We took him away A bag over his face From his family and his friends
They took off his clothes They pissed in his hands I told them to stop But then I joined in We beat him with guns And batons not just once But again and again
This part is hard to explain to someone who's never been in this position. It's easy to criticize and monday-morning-quarterback what you hear about on T.V. with soldiers beating prisoners and such. You spend so much time being shot at, in constant fear of your life, and watching your friends get injured/killed that it all becomes VERY, VERY personal. You start believing every person you apprehend is part of some evil organization out to kill you, it's just a lot of mental strain... not sure how else to put it. NOT EVERYONE DOES THIS, but I know how angry I was and how rough I handled a few prisoners (more like rude behavior to someone in handcuffs -- pushing them when you guide their direction, grabbing their collar to stand them up, etc. not literal "drawing blood" violence).
The Chorus rolls through again, re-iterating the pride you feel at keeping your country safe.
She walked through bullets and haze I asked her to stop I begged her to stay But she pressed on So I lifted my gun And I fired away
The shells jumped through the smoke And into the sand That the blood now had soaked She collapsed with a flag in her hand A flag white as snow
A hero of war Is that what they see Just medals and scars So damn proud of me And I brought home that flag Now it gathers dust But it's a flag that I love It's the only flag I trust
He said, "Son, have you seen the world? Well what would you say, if I said that you could?"
TL:DR It's a song about a soldier's patriotic views eventually running into a brick wall of morals and ethics, where you do things for your country that sometimes you can't live with once you get home.
It's a beautiful, ACCURATE song... and as much as the song makes me swell up with pride an sadness everytime I hear it -- I appreciate Rise Against compiling such a song that really understands soldier's perspectives.
Thank you for reading guys, hope this helped. -Brent
Well said.
@locke107 Dude - you guys are all awesome. We owe you so much. Thank you.
@locke107 Your comment of this song is one of the most complete, personal and full of reasons to explain what does this song means for you from all over this page. I simply love your honesty in telling that not all you have done in war was right, but you have done because you musted, also if we can discuss if your live was whorts more than the life of a young girl riscking her live for living (selling fruit). <br /> Anyway thank you for the comment, even if it's just one piont of view.
@locke107 Wow, it's almost as if the song was recounting your personal experience. The last line actually seems to be referring to the white flag, so the soldier in the song seems to have dropped all love for the American flag. Maybe he became an advocate for peace instead, in hopes of ending the cycle of violence. Don't know how much that happens in reality though - as you say, it's more compelling for sanity to keep clinging to the old ideals.
@locke107 I've read no other replies but dude, fellow combat veteran here. You gave absolutely the most accurate description of my take of this song as well. I was a Flight Medic in the 82nd Med and experienced similar things, although still different. Your explanation brought tears to my eyes as I read it. In MY OPINION, as a combat veteran, you spoke the absolute truth. Thank you.
The song is amazing. It is also clearly not criticizing soldiers.
It is a display of human nature. The example of pissing in the prisoners hands is obviously referencing Abu Ghraib and it even notes that he first tried to tell them to stop before joining in. If anything its sympathizing with the people involved in that horrific incident, explaining that even if the soldier knew what he was doing was wrong, peer pressure pulled him in. The hate that is fed to them pulled them in. They're products of their environment.
The shooting of the female is the same way. I'd shoot her too, no one is about to wait to find out if she has a bomb strapped to her or not. Hindsight is 20/20, though, so when she falls and it becomes clear that she only wanted peace, that can do nothing but put a heavy strain on the feelings of the solider involved. It's hard to feel good about what you're doing when you're forced into these situations.
But it's not saying they're wrong - it's saying that war is ugly. The soldier, if anything, is being praised for having to go through with it to protect the rights of humans around the world.
I really didn't like this song at first but then I actually listened to the lyrics and now I love it. It's basically a big fuck you to war and how it's not nearly as glorified as people seem to think.
There are bad things that happen in war, but I also understand reality. We in America Have been blessed with greater freedom than any other contry in the history of the World, and Because of this, there are tons of people who will not stop until The United States of America no longer exists. Our Troops do what is necessary to defend our country and our freedom. War is an ugly thing but it is a necessary evil. If the USA did not go to war to defend itself i guarantee that People speaking out against the Government and against the war would not enjoy the same freedoms. The man that was captured in this song probably aided in the 9/11 attack that separated thousands from their families. I believe that it is our duty as Americans to stand behind our troops and support them no matter what, I for one am proud of each and every American Soldier who has ever fought For the United States of America.
This song is more supportive of our troops than a false flag, which is all the previous administration provided us with. That man captured in this song was probably an Iraqi civilian that had nothing to do with the insurgency against our "spreading democracy." I'm all for our troops, but do I agree with everything they're sent to do? Hell no I don't. You probably think that the Abu Ghraib prison scandal was a good thing, and it's not good that you think that. You probably think waterboarding isn't torture, but I bet you'd recant the stance if you were subjected to it. The war in Iraq wasn't one that needed to be fought at the time it was, plain and simple. The man who orchestrates the attacks on the US, such as 9/11, is Osama bin Laden, and he was in Afghanistan, where we should have stayed in the first place, we might have caught him. I'm proud of the men and women who serve our country, but I wish they hadn't been pressed into service where they were.
it's not a fuck you to anything you moron
This song is actually amazing if you listen to it a couple of times and really pay attention to the lyrics. Tim basically lets everyone know his, and most likely, the band's stance on the war. He's saying that soldiers aren't nearly as glorified as the media makes them up to be.
I believe he also mixes in that the people were fighting have as much, if not more, pride in their country and our willing to take their flag to their grave as well. Awesome song.
This song is a very poor representation of the wars, sadly, it makes soldiers sound like brutal, horrible people, when really its not all like that. So it may be his stance, but, he really needs to learn more about that war if he thinks that's all that is going on. <br /> Does it come down to kicking in doors and shooting people? Sadly, yes, I don't like to do that, I don't really LIKE to shoot anybody. <br /> There's no way to actually sugar coat this, and I'm not as horrible of a person as this makes me sound, but, war is war, it's sad that it comes to that, no one WANTS it to, sometimes, it just has to. One thing a lot of people (I'm not saying you as I don't know), seem to forget that this is a war like none other. We aren't fighting a uniformed Armed Forces, we are fighting a bunch of cowards who hide in with civilians. We of course have rules to try to help us tell the difference between innocent civilian and insurgent. <br /> I was hoping, you could point out where he is talking about the pride in their country? I'm not knocking you, or saying your wrong, but, if I am missing this, I'd like to know where it is. I'm trying to figure out what exactly he is saying.<br /> Thank you!<br />
I'm a soldier and war is like that. Its sad that war is like that but its like kurigerb said. Kurigerb sounds like a non-infantry leg fag because he says that people aren't brutal over here. I'm a paratrooper and soldiers are pretty vicious. We don't go around massacring people or killing anyone innocent but to say that someone innocent has never died in this war is outrageous. And to say the rules of armed conflict or our ROE is going to help us pick out who is good and bad is stupid.<br /> <br /> And I would like to comment on the taking my flag to the grave concept. I joined the army cause I used to be a patriot. I'm not really one any more. I love the country but I hate what the gov't does to it. So I would still take my flag to the grave but not for my gov't. If I die it'll be because of what the gov't tells me to do but I don't fight for them I fight for Americans who just want to live. I fight for the people, my family and friends.
I am a Soldier. I agree with most of the song but it also makes me angry. Yes there are are few of the "Good Soldiers" that he speaks of throughout the military, but I think that they are thugs with a weapon and have no conscious. 98% of the military is not like this no matter what the Liberals and extremist organizations want you to believe. I do not agree with the politics of this war but I do believe in my fellow Soldiers. As long as they are putting their lives on the line day in and day out please show them the respect they deserve. I never have and never will leave a fallen comrade. If you don't want to support this war, please support my Brothers and Sisters in Arms.
To the soldiers who commented on this, I respectively believe you're taking offense to something that you SHOULD find profoundly representative of a soldier's unpleasant duties and humanity.<br /> Stories like this, about soldier beating their enemies or shooting innocent people ARE real and ARE popular because of how incredibly sad they are. They aren't meant to degrade soldiers. I think it's quite the opposite. To me, the band is trying to show that even the best of soldiers sometimes kills innocent people out of fear (which is justifiable, but sad) and that some may beat their enemies out of pent-up anger and grief over the terrible things that have happened to them and that they have seen. This doesn't mean soldiers themselve are bad, simply that they are HUMAN, and that WAR makes people do horrible things. This isn't a song against soldiers, but rather war, and the way regular Americans glorify it and treat soldiers as though they're heroes when in reality, many soldiers don't FEEL like heroes after watching their friends die and doing dishonorable things or killing innocents to survive. War is not PRETTY or POETIC. War is tragic.<br /> The song intends to show regular people that being a soldier is not glorious or FUN but rather painful, terrifying, and difficult. That isn't to say soldiers are bad or weak, or anything. Only to caution people that war is never a good thing for anyone.
I love this song, but the lyrics make me very angry. I'm not a soldier, but I still have a strong opinion on this. This song doesn't represent the horrors that the soldiers go through. It doesn't explain that the man that they took from his family and friends was probably involved in the killing of US soldiers or innocent civilians. It's not like they just barge in and beat random innocent people. I'm not justifying the beatdown, but they want us to sympathize with the guy that gets abducted and not the soldiers who are pushed to that point. And the lady who is trying to surrender...they don't explain that there are plenty of times when that lady has a bomb strapped to her and if they don't shot her Soldiers lives are in danger. <br /> <br /> And we glorify soldiers because they are brave enough to be doing what they're doing over there. It takes a lot of courage. Without them fighting for us, we wouldn't be here and Rise Against would have never been able to make this song in the first place. I understand being anti-war, but do they really have to take shots at the soldiers. They're doing what they're commanded too.
See,you guys in a way got it all wrong. If you've followed Rise Against at all you'd know that they are fighting for the way our troops get treated- they're against war and all that goes along with it. What this song is depicting is not exactly the war itself but the fact that when our soldiers come home, we treat them as if they are heros and that they're amazing and have done so much for our country- of which they have- but what our country neglects is all the things the soldier has to deal with- all the horror that he/she has seen- all the "bad" that he/she was forced to do. Regardless if you're killing a "bad" person or innocent person- still not human nature to kill and can't be something that easy to deal with- what Rise Against is saying in this song is that we neglect our "Heros". These men and women fall by the way side with us treating them as Heros, and not the damaged person they may be. Not that it happens to every soldier, not that it happens in every war- this song is just a snap shot in time. Anyone that pays mind the the world around us will see that the men and womem come home and have almost as much trauma to deal with as they did while fighting. I was able to find a brief summary that Rise Against posted in response to the video release of this song. I hope some of you find it helpful in understanding this song. <br /> <br /> From RA:<br /> "Hero Of War" is the story of one soldier, not all soldiers, as he battles not just the war around him, but the war that rages within. Inspired by true events, we were given the choice to either document the tribulations of these times as they unfold around us, or ignore them. To ignore these problems, in our opinion, is letting down the brave men and women who risk everything. <br /> <br /> "Hero Of War" is our attempt to lift the stigma that surrounds everything from the skyrocketing suicide rate of troops, torture, internal sexual abuse, an under-funded VA, and the growing number of military personnel fighting Post Traumatic Stress Disorder as they return home. We hope this song and this video help the simmering dialogue about these problems evolve into a rolling boil. <br /> <br /> <br />
This song is not about how soldiers arn't as glorified as they seem, Far from it. It is About how the United States makes the Military out to look like you go to war, kill people, win the war and come home to a bunch people that are "damn Proud" of you. But what is never reviled to soldiers or the civilians is that war is not a pretty thing. Here in the U.S. we make it sound like fighting for your country is the most glorious way one can represent the U.S. and i have the upmost respect for those who have given their lives for this country but what this song is saying is that once the man or women becomes the soldier and see and realizes what war is really about they no longer have interest in being seen as a hero but just as a normal human being again. "Just Medals and Scars, is that all they see" is a line relaying that message. After someone comes home from war and has seen and participated in horrible things that many people will never be apart of they want nothing more but to forget those things. Thats why when soldiers come home they dont want to talk about if they killed anyone else in combat because it is a horrible thing. This song is not degrading to soldiers but opens up the minds of people and makes then realize that maybe "Hero's of War" dont want to be "Hero's of war" anymore, they just want to be "normal" again, if there is such a thing in todays world.
No, its saying that soldiers who are coming home are being praised for something they aren't to proud of.
I am a soldier, currently on my second deployment in Afghanistan, and I love this song, but I think that many people are missing part of, or the whole point of this song. Many of us joined because we are or were patriots, and wanted to be heroes, only after joining we find out that a hero is nothing more than the rhetoric our leaders throw at use to gain support for their wars. That’s not to say that there are no acts of heroism over hear, but not everyone is a hero. Many of us will go home feeling the opposite of a hero and will carry the scars of the horrible things required of war. For anyone who has taken a life, justified or not, it leaves its mark, and it is easy to bury part of ones humanity to cope with war.<br /> <br /> That being said, I would never beat or torture a prisoner, but I can certainly understand how a soldier can get carried away and do horrible things, especially those who have lost friends. I have heard from many, “just kill them all and let God sort them out,” and in my younger years I have even shared the sentiment, but most of the people over hear are really great people and I can call a few friends. The problem is; you never know if your friend will walk in the next day with a bomb on his chest. Your guard can never be lowered, and that takes a toll on a person. The vehicle next to your convoy could blow up; the kid you buy dvd’s from could have a grenade, ect. Even the constant lack of sleep from rocket/mortar attacks or small arms fire are as the saying goes, is enough to make you “want to kill someone.” The soldier in this song made the right call to shoot the girl ignoring his commands. I would have done the same thing, and felt equally bad afterward, but he couldn’t have known what she was carrying.<br /> <br /> The flag she was carrying “white as snow,” I take for the white flag of Peace or Surrender, in this case a flag representing peace is the only flag that he trusts.<br /> <br /> I can understand how he could lose faith in the red/white/blue, but it is our leaders I am disillusioned with, not our country. We are still among the greatest countries on earth, and I take my oath seriously to defend against all enemies foreign and domestic. Right now we have too many self-serving politicians (enemies) in our political system subverting domestic interests, and more than ever we need patriots to stand up for what is right and use all legal avenues to change the system.<br />
Personally, I think this song is NOT criticizing soldiers. Yes bad things happen in war, and people do the wrong thing sometimes, but I think that is exactly Rise Against's point. War is a cruel and horrible thing that makes people do things that they would never even think of doing. The prisoner, the woman being shot, they are both things that a VERY LARGE majority of soldiers would never do. Yet in times of war, they do it. Rise Against wants people to see that, they want everyone to know what war can do to a person.
I haven't heard this song, but after reading the lyrics, I have to say that I enjoyed how they bring up shooting at the lady who's carrying a flag herself. Although the flag was white... which means surrender, I still think it's interesting how he praises his flag so much, just as much as the people he's shooting at praise their flag. The main difference here is that he has a rifle. The main comparison here is that they both share a loyalty to their flag that they trust so much... even though she winds up dead.
Are you stupid? She wasn't really carrying a flag in her hand dummy. It's just a way to say that once he shot her (beacause he couldn't tell if she had a bomb or not) He realyze that she was afraid and was running for help, not for bombing em.
Karrmer is right on. He isnt hating on soldiers, but more on war itself.
I dont believe that they are trying to generalize soldiers but just war itself and what it does to people. My question is at the end of the song, he talks about the flag that he brought home gathering dust, which flag is he talking about. At first I thought it was just the American flag but the more I listen to it the more I think it could be the white flag that the woman was carrying. I was just wondering what other people thought of that.
i agree with you. i thought the same thing, after listening to the song about 3-4 times. At the end, he takes the white flag home, and it's the "only one he can trust."
@lanks That makes the most sense, to refer to the flag that was just mentioned in the previous verse. And this twist makes the ending chorus so incredibly powerful, how the flag allegiance has changed from a nation flag to a flag of peace. ;_;
Throsby, please don't just assume that the song only refers to the views of "American citizens".
There are many, many, many nations that have previously or currently taking their part in conflict, and many of these have the same ironic "heroic" views on war and those actions taken during war.
Rise Against may be an American band, but do not assume their words are to be taken only in reference to American views. The lyrics do not at all finger a particular nation, but instead can be interpreted to undertake ALL those nations that have been involved in war. I'm sure RA are interpreting the entire world's views, not just one nation. This is why this song is so accessible. An Anglo-American may listen to these lyrics and take heart, just as much as a Muslim in Iraq may do.
To only assume "American" is quite naive.
Thanks for your analysis. As a patriotic American I was sort of offended at how it seemed to degrade soldiers, who I do think are deserving of our praise and gratitude, in general. But, if I think of this song in the context of the greater world conflict, I can realize its relevance and try to learn something from int instead of just being offended.
This song is meant to be pointed towards the american troops you do know... watch the video to it, it has many refferences to america and at one point an upside down american flag sure the views can be used to any nation but this particular song was written about america
I agree with "the realliam". Yes the music video does show the song viewed from more of an american perspective and has two scenes of American flags, but maybe it's only enforcing the idea of the flag in general. The lyrics mention nothing about America specifically.
Well It doesnt have to say American in the song to make it mean that if everything needs to be in plain black ink Rise Against is not the band for your
Well I think what is fun about lyrics and poetry, is that everyone can understand them as they like, and there isn't necessarily only one "right" meaning.