anonymous April 17th, 2006 02:12PM  

What? That sucked! So what if that's included in the song? That doesn't mean that's all that its about!!! I think it's about how the government always talks about how much they appreciate the soldiers ("but he served us well") but in reality the government doesn't give a crap about whether the soldiers die or not.

anonymous August 1st, 2006 11:33PM  

Like the last person said, it's how there is little regard in war for human life, so long as the objectives are met.

Commanders may play strategy games, but this song points out that they're playing with human lives, treating them as expendable, in order to try and reach a goal- like a game of risk or battleship, but real people are being killed.

CavGuy August 4th, 2006 08:20AM  

This song and war pigs by black sabbath are very similar. Soldiers are simply pawns to be used as a means to an end.

anonymous January 24th, 2007 12:35AM  

I believe that a good amount of this song has to do with the dehumanizing process of war, how it turns soldiers into killing machines who are just following orders, subsequently becoming expendable. Also the name of the song is pretty self-explanatory.

Emperorlawson June 4th, 2007 12:23AM  

Based on my listening of the song, I'd simply say it's about the horrific realities of war. I don't believe that Metallica is attempting to make any sort of political statement in this song, but are just simply trying to state the simple fact that war is Hell, not something that should be glorified or encouraged. It does so simply by telling the listener what a soldier goes through on the battlefield, physically and mentally.

anonymous May 4th, 2008 04:30PM  

This song is very clearly a anti-war song. Especially written for the boys who were sent to war in Vietnam. The lost war!! No one understood why these kids were sent to Vietnam for all these years. It's also a complaint against the leaders who send people into wars without any sense. As a soldier you are just a worthless piece of meat(a disposable person whisch you can throw away)

If you ever are a soldier or were a soldier you must be an incredible moroun to listen to Metallica. If you ever have had any military fantasies you are a big zero 0 null nothing if you listen to these music. War does not make any sense.

-----------------------------------------------------

And I want to say something extra to Dutch former national socialism supporters (I know you will all read this about his song especially), ALL anti-war metalsongs are not written to help or bring advantages for German National Socialists. It is the most stupid idea you can ever have. You won't believe your ears that these rednecks ever had the guts to say it, if you repeat the above sentence. ANTI WAR SONGS ARE NOT WRITTEN TO HELP OR BRING ADVANTAGES FOR GERMANS.

A group of Dutch metal fans believe this. It are former extreme right, the Fritzls. Go fuck your sister you hog-brain.

Danny Hardeman (of course)

anonymous May 9th, 2008 11:44AM  

""This song and war pigs by black sabbath are very similar. Soldiers are simply pawns to be used as a means to an end"

No it's not. War is never fought for selfishness, unless you're talking about the fact that the jews never fight their own wars.War is usually fought through altruism. People give their lives to fight for a higher cause. This could be their families, or it could be "spartanic", like the time when 300 Spartans held off an army of 1 million Persians until the Athenians were able to assemble their troops. All 300 men knew they were going to die, but they stood their ground until they all did. So war isn't stupid, especially when you:

"never begin it".

The song is about israel and their plan to draft europeans into the war to fight for their selfish cause of eradicating the arab nations to take control of palestine."

You sir, are an idiot of epic proportions.

When a government goes to war before exhausting all other options, then you dishonor the soldiers who have entrusted their government with a commitment that subjects them to death and much worse scenarios by denying them a truly purposeful death and instead creating a Disposable Hero.

fadetometallica October 11th, 2008 07:33AM  

This song and war pigs by black sabbath are very similar. Soldiers are simply pawns to be used as a means to an end"

No it's not. War is never fought for selfishness, unless you're talking about the fact that the jews never fight their own wars.War is usually fought through altruism. People give their lives to fight for a higher cause. This could be their families, or it could be "spartanic", like the time when 300 spartans held off an army of 1 million persians until the athenians were able to assemble their troops. All 300 men knew they were going to die, but they stood their ground until they all did. So war isn't stupid, especially when you :


i beleive you are right about the meaning of war but I don't agree with your interpitation of the song. btw if your gonna watch a movie and then quote it as fact make sure you get all the facts right. don't get me wrong 300 is a bad ass movie and it is based on a true story but it is not entirly correct

anonymous October 11th, 2008 05:53PM  

Forget all of you! This song is the truth absolute truth! When my father came home from Vietnam he was changed, changed from a quiet young man into a loud aggressive brute, that cared little for us. HE thought that the government had in fact used him to fight someone else's war, maybe I should have listened. Because I when I went to the Gulf in 1991, I know I changed I see it EVERY DAY when I look in the mirror..

the_angry_sgt December 2nd, 2008 01:14PM  

Obviously this is an anti-war song... are you nuts? Why is this even being discussed? Doy. I don't like it one damn bit. War should not be glorified but sometimes war IS necessary. We go in knowing the risks. It's an all volunteer army now, not like back in Nam. No one has the right to complain anymore about how they got forced into going to war and came back a mess or not at all for that matter. We all sign on the black line and take the same fucking oath so quit bitching and grow a pair!

AFIfanNo1 July 8th, 2009 11:47PM  

Its clear in the title, it's about the nature of joining the service, you're nothing but a disposable hero. Sure people will respect you, think of you as a hero, but you're about as irreplaceable as a tin can.

"21, only son, but he served us well"- a lot of young men and women die in war, and yet the government doesn't realize the impact it has on families, so what? she just lost her only son, but he served us well! He died an honorable death, but at 21, no one should die any kind of death.

"Soldier boy, Made of Clay, Now an empty Shell" - if going to war doesn't kill you, it will kill something inside of you, once you kill, you can't apologize, you can't gain forgiveness from the one you killed, you took their life, and they're dead, and that leaves you empty inside, it kills you slowly, "bred to kill, not to care..." you are forced to reassess your morals, killing is now ok, and therefore there is no morality...

"back at thr front, you will do what I say, when I say...you will die, when I say you must die" - when you're a soldier you're a fucking drone, you do as you're told, die when you're told, run into fucking gunfire, you do as you're told...

"Life planned out before my birth, nothing could I say Had no chance to see myself, molded day by day
Looking back I realize, nothing have I done Left to die with only friend Alone I clench my gun" - this line is one of the most poignant, some parents bring their child up as a patriot, love america, serve america, give your freewill to america, that's not freedom people, ITS FUCKING COMMUNISM! They then believe that they HAVE TO give their life to serve america, but in the end they realize their death did nothing, they did nothing, and war solves nothing, just overpopulation... And the draft was the worst, it forced even those who didn't want to go out onto the field, people die even when they know their death solves nothing.

Its sad, but true...