The song is about a disabled, dying veteran of "that old crazy Asian war" (the Korean War), who begs his lover not to cheat on him. Tillis based the song on a couple who lived near his family in Florida. In real life, the man was wounded in Germany in World War II and sent to recuperate in England. There he married a nurse who took care of him at the hospital. The two of them moved to Florida shortly afterward, but he had periodic return trips to the hospital as problems with his wounds kept flaring up. His wife saw another man as the veteran lay in the hospital. Tillis changed the war to the more recent Korean War in the song, and departed from the ending that happened in real life: the man killed his wife in a murder-suicide. This is however alluded to in the song, with the singer avowing, "If I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground.this info was provided by wiki
It's a peculiar song; I have so much sympathy with the dying man, until the lyrics:
"And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground"
Then I lose all sympathy with him, because that shows me that he doesn't love he - he is just obsessed with possesing her. And that is also what the real story behind the song shows. That's just not love. If you love someone you wish them happiness, with or without you.
It's a peculiar song; I have so much sympathy with the dying man, until the lyrics:
"And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground"
Then I lose all sympathy with him, because that shows me that he doesn't love he - he is just obsessed with possesing her. And that is also what the real story behind the song shows. That's just not love. If you love someone you wish them happiness, with or without you.
The song is about a disabled, dying veteran of "that old crazy Asian war" (the Korean War), who begs his lover not to cheat on him. Tillis based the song on a couple who lived near his family in Florida. In real life, the man was wounded in Germany in World War II and sent to recuperate in England. There he married a nurse who took care of him at the hospital. The two of them moved to Florida shortly afterward, but he had periodic return trips to the hospital as problems with his wounds kept flaring up. His wife saw another man as the veteran lay in the hospital. Tillis changed the war to the more recent Korean War in the song, and departed from the ending that happened in real life: the man killed his wife in a murder-suicide. This is however alluded to in the song, with the singer avowing, "If I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground.this info was provided by wiki
Interesting.
Interesting.
It's a peculiar song; I have so much sympathy with the dying man, until the lyrics: "And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground" Then I lose all sympathy with him, because that shows me that he doesn't love he - he is just obsessed with possesing her. And that is also what the real story behind the song shows. That's just not love. If you love someone you wish them happiness, with or without you.
It's a peculiar song; I have so much sympathy with the dying man, until the lyrics: "And if I could move I'd get my gun and put her in the ground" Then I lose all sympathy with him, because that shows me that he doesn't love he - he is just obsessed with possesing her. And that is also what the real story behind the song shows. That's just not love. If you love someone you wish them happiness, with or without you.
It's a great song, though!
It's a great song, though!