This song absolutely blew me away with the power of the lyrics especially with Eddie Vedder's voice when he performed it at Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary tribute concert. It could be used to analyse any war but I think it was mainly written as a protest to conscription. The lyrics remind me especially of World War 1 where the Generals (especially in the British Army) were miles behind the lines living in luxurious mansions in France and sending their conscripts to their death remorselessly. A generation of youth had no choice but to charge enemy lines in pursuit of heroism, honour, adventure and glory only to be gunned down and buried in the mud. What right did they have to oppose these suicide bayonet charge tactics...what would they know they were young and unlearned.
Or is this song written about Vietnam and the corruption of the US Generals and CIA in Indochina. Conscription was again brought in for this pointless war.
The lyrics are so good they have stood the test of time...they remind me of Iraq an invasion justified by George Bush by illusive "weapons of mass destruction" based on evidence from some CIA fabricated telephone conversations and a few Satellite photographs of trucks carrying barrels.
This song absolutely blew me away with the power of the lyrics especially with Eddie Vedder's voice when he performed it at Bob Dylan's 30th anniversary tribute concert. It could be used to analyse any war but I think it was mainly written as a protest to conscription. The lyrics remind me especially of World War 1 where the Generals (especially in the British Army) were miles behind the lines living in luxurious mansions in France and sending their conscripts to their death remorselessly. A generation of youth had no choice but to charge enemy lines in pursuit of heroism, honour, adventure and glory only to be gunned down and buried in the mud. What right did they have to oppose these suicide bayonet charge tactics...what would they know they were young and unlearned.
Or is this song written about Vietnam and the corruption of the US Generals and CIA in Indochina. Conscription was again brought in for this pointless war.
The lyrics are so good they have stood the test of time...they remind me of Iraq an invasion justified by George Bush by illusive "weapons of mass destruction" based on evidence from some CIA fabricated telephone conversations and a few Satellite photographs of trucks carrying barrels.