I interpret the song as a clear anti-war statement.
The reference to breaking the rules of the game and the “girl in the war” suggests a breaking of a “no women, no children” type of statute. In our current wars, we see our international rules of conduct being broken and civilian casualties often outnumber those of military forces.
A second reference to Laurel and Hardy (Thin Blue Line – “…even Laurel begs Hardy for vengeance”) links the two songs which support each other in their anti-war sentiment.
The need to “rock yourself a little harder” and the reference to a dove suggests to me the need to actively protest and not just believe blindly in peace (e.g. the [peace] dove). Paul suggests that you must do whatever you have to in order to get fired up and move (“pretend your feet are on fire”). Peter has not been able to find a way to do this, and has been effectively sticking his head in the sand as he turns up the music and hopes for the best (e.g. that the war will end, that she will be okay, that peace will come).
As a side-note, a confrontation between the apostles has ‘historic’ reference as Paul confronted Peter in Galatians 2:11-18 when Peter was accused of Judaizing due to his reluctance to share a meal with gentile Christians.
“I know that they can hear me yell” (i.e., I know that they can hear my protests) and if they [powers that be] can’t find a way to stop what we are opposed to then they can go to hell. To fail to do so will result in great loss.
I interpret the song as a clear anti-war statement.
The reference to breaking the rules of the game and the “girl in the war” suggests a breaking of a “no women, no children” type of statute. In our current wars, we see our international rules of conduct being broken and civilian casualties often outnumber those of military forces.
A second reference to Laurel and Hardy (Thin Blue Line – “…even Laurel begs Hardy for vengeance”) links the two songs which support each other in their anti-war sentiment.
The need to “rock yourself a little harder” and the reference to a dove suggests to me the need to actively protest and not just believe blindly in peace (e.g. the [peace] dove). Paul suggests that you must do whatever you have to in order to get fired up and move (“pretend your feet are on fire”). Peter has not been able to find a way to do this, and has been effectively sticking his head in the sand as he turns up the music and hopes for the best (e.g. that the war will end, that she will be okay, that peace will come).
As a side-note, a confrontation between the apostles has ‘historic’ reference as Paul confronted Peter in Galatians 2:11-18 when Peter was accused of Judaizing due to his reluctance to share a meal with gentile Christians.
“I know that they can hear me yell” (i.e., I know that they can hear my protests) and if they [powers that be] can’t find a way to stop what we are opposed to then they can go to hell. To fail to do so will result in great loss.