This is one of my favorite songs of all time. As was mentioned before, a Sky Pilot is a chaplain. This is not only an anti-war song, but also sort of an anti-religion song. Or at least singing against the role of religion in wars. The sky pilot is evoking images of eternal reward and justice in the young soldier's minds so they will go out and kill. Then one of the soldiers sees the hypocrisy in this (remembers the words “thou shalt not kill”). Burdon is really taking a shot at either the chaplain or religion in general with the statement “you never reach the sky.” Basically saying your just a mortal person like the rest of us no matter holy/mighty you think you are.
This is one of my favorite songs of all time. As was mentioned before, a Sky Pilot is a chaplain. This is not only an anti-war song, but also sort of an anti-religion song. Or at least singing against the role of religion in wars. The sky pilot is evoking images of eternal reward and justice in the young soldier's minds so they will go out and kill. Then one of the soldiers sees the hypocrisy in this (remembers the words “thou shalt not kill”). Burdon is really taking a shot at either the chaplain or religion in general with the statement “you never reach the sky.” Basically saying your just a mortal person like the rest of us no matter holy/mighty you think you are.