War Ensemble
As I Lay Dying Lyrics


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Propaganda death ensemble
Burial to be
Corpses rotting through the night
In blood laced misery
Scorched earth the policy
The reason for the siege
The pendulum it shaves the blade
The strafing air blood raid

Infiltration push reserves
Encircle the front lines
Supreme art of strategy
Playing on the minds
Bombard till submission
Take all to their graves
Indication of triumph
The number that are dead

Sport the war, war support
The sport is war, total war
When victory's really massacre
The final swing is not a drill
It's how many people I can kill

Sport the war, war support
The sport is war, total war
When victory's really survival
The final swing is not a drill
It's how many people I can kill

Be dead friend from above
When darkness falls
Descend into my sights
Your fallen walls
Spearhead break through the lines
Flanked all around
Soldiers of attraction
Forward their ground

Regime prophetic age
Old in its time
Flowing veins run on through
Deep in the Rhine
Center of the web
All battles scored
What is our war crimes
(Era forever more, war)

Propaganda war ensemble
Burial to be
Bones shining in the night
In blood laced misery
Campaign of elimination
Twisted psychology
When victory is to survive
And death is defeat

Sport the war, war support
The sport is war, total war
When the end is a slaughter




The final swing is not a drill
It's how many people I can kill

Overall Meaning

As I Lay Dying's song War Ensemble is a commentary on the inhumanity and senselessness of war. The lyrics describe the horrors of war, with images of propaganda, death, bloodshed and corpses rotting through the night in misery. The chorus of "Sport the war, war support, the sport is war, total war" reveals the twisted logic of those who support war, equating it to a game, when the reality is that it results in massacre, slaughter, and death. The lyrics describe the strategy of war as an art that plays on the minds, with the goal of bombarding till submission and taking everyone to their graves.


The song reflects on the psychological and emotional toll of war, with lines such as "When victory’s really survival, and death is defeat". The final swing being not a drill but a measure of how many people one can kill, shows how war dehumanizes and reduces people to mere numbers and statistics. The lyrics of War Ensemble are a call to reflect on the futility of war and the damage it causes, not only to those who lose their lives but also to those who survive and live with the trauma.


Line by Line Meaning

Propaganda death ensemble
A group of messages designed to influence opinions about death and killing.


Burial to be
People are going to die and need to be buried in due course.


Corpses rotting through the night
Dead bodies decaying in the darkness.


In blood laced misery
The pain and suffering of people dying in large numbers, often involving bloodshed.


Scorched earth the policy
The idea of destroying everything in the area of conflict, leaving nothing for the enemy to use.


The reason for the siege
The purpose of laying siege to a place or people.


The pendulum it shaves the blade
The war machine is constantly moving forward, slicing through the enemy with ease.


The strafing air blood raid
A violent attack from the air, raining down bullets and bombs.


Infiltration push reserves
Moving troops into enemy positions under the cover of darkness.


Encircle the front lines
Surrounding the enemy on all sides to cut off their escape and force them to surrender.


Supreme art of strategy
The highest form of warfare is using tactics and plans to win without having to fight a battle.


Playing on the minds
Using psychological techniques to weaken the enemy's resolve and break their spirit.


Bombard till submission
Continuously attacking the enemy with bombs and missiles until they surrender.


Take all to their graves
Killing everyone, except perhaps a few survivors, or taking them all down with you.


Indication of triumph
A sign of victory or success against the enemy.


The number that are dead
Counting the bodies of the fallen as a symbol of victory or as a reminder of the cost of war.


Sport the war, war support
War is like a sport that people cheer on and support, even though it involves death and destruction.


The sport is war, total war
It's not just a game, but a total war involving all aspects of society and life.


When victory's really massacre
When claiming victory means committing an act of mass killing.


The final swing is not a drill
The final assault is not a rehearsal, but a deadly serious attack.


It's how many people I can kill
The focus is on the body count rather than any military objective.


Be dead friend from above
Becoming a target from above while being helpless below.


When darkness falls
When night comes and visibility is reduced.


Descend into my sights
Coming into the crosshairs of a weapon's scope and being targeted for death.


Your fallen walls
The defenses that you thought were solid have been breached and you are vulnerable.


Spearhead break through the lines
The front line troops moving forward with a sharp point to break through the enemy's defense lines.


Flanked all around
Being surrounded on all sides by the enemy and having no escape or retreat options.


Soldiers of attraction
People being drawn to fight in the war despite the suffering and horror.


Forward their ground
The troops moving forward, gaining territory and claiming ground from the enemy.


Regime prophetic age
A time where a particular political system rules with a divine or prophetic message.


Old in its time
The political system has been around a long time, but is still effective and oppressive.


Flowing veins run on through
Blood flows through the veins of the people who are fighting and dying.


Deep in the Rhine
The location of a specific battlefield or place where people are fighting and dying.


Center of the web
The place where everything is coordinated and controlled in the war is like the center of a spider's web.


All battles scored
All the victories and losses recorded and accounted for in the war's history.


What is our war crimes
Questioning the morality and justice of the actions taken during the war.


(Era forever more, war)
The era of war and conflict continuing indefinitely, never ending.


Campaign of elimination
A plan to completely get rid of the enemy, leaving no survivors or remnant of their existence.


Twisted psychology
Using psychological tactics to manipulate the enemy and get them to surrender or comply.


When victory is to survive
When the only way to achieve a victory is to simply stay alive and not die.


And death is defeat
Dying means losing, and living is the only way to 'win'.


When the end is a slaughter
When the final outcome of the war is the mass killing of everyone involved, including both sides.


It's how many people I can kill
The focus on body count is still the most important measure of success or failure in war.




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: JEFFERY JOHN HANNEMAN, TOMAS ENRIQUE ARAYA

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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