This song is obviosuly very enigmatic and steeped in possible interpretations but the middle stanza I definatley think is remenicent of Vietnam.
The first lines reminds me of a soldier, crouched down in an old foundation which was recently ravaged by fighting and bombing, looking out onto the battlefield nervously and awaiting action. This would not be uncommon in Vietnam as most battles took place either in dense jungle or dense, civil war ravaged, cities where soldiers hid in ruined, "burned out basenments"
"I was hoping for replacement" also fit my theory seeing as how many of the soldiers would be hoping for the next soldier to take their place on duty.
The next line, "When the sun burst through the sky" is difficult to anaylize but in keeping with my war theme it does seems to make sense. As it is impossible to be watching the full moon and have the sun suddenly burst into the sky the sun must be a symbol of something else. I think that the sun is a bomb (possibly of the atomic nature) going off nearby which would light its surroundings suddenly. Thsi goes witht the rest of teh song which seems to allude to humans ravaging the earth and killing Mother Nature by unatural, violent means.
"There was a band playing in my head
And I felt like getting high." only further backs up my Vietnam theory because it was at this time that young soldiers were notorious for tuning up the hendrix and breaking out the hash when serving. it was a release for them. An escape from the grim reality they were facing. And appropriatly the next lines deal with just that; denial.
The lines "I was thinking about what a
Friend had said // I was hoping it was a lie", I think, is the soldier thinkning to himself that he hopes that what his friend had told him of the pollution, and destroying of nature through war isnt a reality. If the later part of my interpretation was correct and the sun bursting through the sky really was a bomb then this thought might be provoked in the soldier's mind.
This line is obviously important as its repeated and also holds ironic significance. The thought of a person wanting his friend to have lied to him is ironic. Honesty is usually a trait we, as humans, value in a friend.
This song is obviosuly very enigmatic and steeped in possible interpretations but the middle stanza I definatley think is remenicent of Vietnam.
The first lines reminds me of a soldier, crouched down in an old foundation which was recently ravaged by fighting and bombing, looking out onto the battlefield nervously and awaiting action. This would not be uncommon in Vietnam as most battles took place either in dense jungle or dense, civil war ravaged, cities where soldiers hid in ruined, "burned out basenments"
"I was hoping for replacement" also fit my theory seeing as how many of the soldiers would be hoping for the next soldier to take their place on duty.
The next line, "When the sun burst through the sky" is difficult to anaylize but in keeping with my war theme it does seems to make sense. As it is impossible to be watching the full moon and have the sun suddenly burst into the sky the sun must be a symbol of something else. I think that the sun is a bomb (possibly of the atomic nature) going off nearby which would light its surroundings suddenly. Thsi goes witht the rest of teh song which seems to allude to humans ravaging the earth and killing Mother Nature by unatural, violent means.
"There was a band playing in my head And I felt like getting high." only further backs up my Vietnam theory because it was at this time that young soldiers were notorious for tuning up the hendrix and breaking out the hash when serving. it was a release for them. An escape from the grim reality they were facing. And appropriatly the next lines deal with just that; denial.
The lines "I was thinking about what a Friend had said // I was hoping it was a lie", I think, is the soldier thinkning to himself that he hopes that what his friend had told him of the pollution, and destroying of nature through war isnt a reality. If the later part of my interpretation was correct and the sun bursting through the sky really was a bomb then this thought might be provoked in the soldier's mind. This line is obviously important as its repeated and also holds ironic significance. The thought of a person wanting his friend to have lied to him is ironic. Honesty is usually a trait we, as humans, value in a friend.