Nightwish - 10th Man Down Meaning

10th Man Down Lyrics

Today I killed, he was just a boy
Eight before him, I knew them all
In the fields a dying oath:
Id kill them all to save my own

Cut me free, Bleed with me, Oh no
One by one, We will fall, down down
Pull the plug, End the pain, Run'n...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   Amone

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   Apr 17th 2006 !⃝

   The title is a reference to the whole song's 'story' told in the opening verse, and Wilska's verses. This is told by the idea that the Wilska verses tell the story leading up to the 'tenth man down,' killed by Tarja's 'character.'
   
   The noises in the background in the early intro tells of war, which makes sense in the context of the title and basic story. Now, we get into bits of pure conjecture.
   
   My guess is that this song is both a war-protest and a soldier-support. The war-protest is voiced in the line 'this aint my fight,' and the third verse: "Deliver me from this war/ Its not for me its because of you/ Devils instant my eternity/ Obey to kill to save yourself" The soldier support is in the ostensive meaning of the first verse, at it's clearest.
2. anonymous

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   Aug 1st 2020 !⃝

   I think it's about a soldier executed for desertion. Nine deaths are referenced at the start "today I killed... Eight before him". The tenth death isn't mentioned until later "I'll march until the dawn brings me rest; tenth patriot at the gallows pole." The song is from the perspective of the tenth man to die.
   
   My guess that he was a conscript that deserted, given the lines "on or die, this ain't my fight", and "call me a coward, but I can't take this anymore."
   
   The song is also something of a rebuke to the people who will judge the deserter "They wait for me, far back home. They wait with eyes still open. They were the first ones to see; they were the last ones to bleed."
3. anonymous

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   May 4th 2020 !⃝

   This song was written for the men who died in the trenches during WWI. It's written from their point of view.