The Battle
Blood Sweat & Tears Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And their daughters smile so nice
Brothers wait through windows
And the peasants die for rice
And here I'm standing naked
Laughing madly at the sun
Though I wanted to sleep late today
The Battle's just begun
Oh, the Devil in all his wisdom
The father in all his grace
The servant's sons are washed in blood
And the man has run his race
A moving target looms behind the street where soldiers stood
Siren screams out desperately
Like only humans could
And standing on my balcony
I watch the battle run
Yes the war is never over
But the day is never done
Oh, the Devil in all his wisdom
The father in all his grace
The servant's sons are washed in blood
And the man has run his race
Six-white horses like the wind are running
Five are far behind
The captain lost his daughter
The sergeant lost his mind
The soldiers they still scream for riches
Even though they swore
That sons and daughters wouldn't live
Unless we won the war
Oh, the Devil in all his wisdom
The father in all his grace
The servant's sons are washed in blood
And the man has run his race
The Battle by Blood Sweat & Tears is a song that reflects on the realities of war and the social inequalities and injustices that come with it. The first verse sets the scene of a sleeping monarchy and smiling princesses, while, in contrast, peasants are dying because of the lack of food. The persona stands naked and laughs madly at the sun, implying that they have nothing left and are on the brink of madness. Despite wanting to sleep late that day, the battle has already begun. This verse suggests a stark contrast between a world of privilege and one of poverty, where the elite are unaffected by the war while the poor are left to deal with the consequences.
The second verse highlights the price of war paid by all. The Devil and the Father are mentioned, presumably referring to God and the devil. The line 'The servant's sons are washed in blood' could mean that everyone pays the price regardless of status, wealth or power. The persona is on a balcony watching the battle run, acknowledging that the war never ends but the day does. The use of 'sergeant's lost his mind' and 'captain lost his daughter' refer to the tragic consequences of war that affect both high-ranking officials and soldiers alike.
The third verse talks about the cost of war in terms of life and its impact on the family unit. The captain lost his daughter, and the sergeant lost his mind, depicting the emotional and mental toll that war takes not just on those directly involved, but on those around them. The soldiers still scream for riches even though they swore that the war was for their sons and daughters. This contradiction could reflect the disillusionment that many soldiers feel towards their cause.
Line by Line Meaning
While the king and queen lie sleeping
While the people in charge are oblivious to the world's problems
And their daughters smile so nice
And those in power are content with their privileged lives
Brothers wait through windows
While others are forced to watch from the sidelines
And the peasants die for rice
And the poor suffer and die for basic necessities
And here I'm standing naked
And here I am exposed and vulnerable
Laughing madly at the sun
Finding humor in a world that is chaotic and uncertain
Though I wanted to sleep late today
Despite my personal wishes to avoid conflict
The Battle's just begun
The struggle continues regardless
Oh, the Devil in all his wisdom
Evil can appear to be intelligent or sensible
The father in all his grace
God can seem benevolent and merciful
The servant's sons are washed in blood
Those who are lowly and powerless suffer the most
And the man has run his race
And the individual has met their end
A moving target looms behind the street where soldiers stood
Violence and danger are constantly present behind the backdrop of war
Siren screams out desperately
The sounds of chaos and terror
Like only humans could
Reminding us that the horrors of war are man-made
And standing on my balcony
And here I am, a bystander at the mercy of the conflict
I watch the battle run
Watching as the struggle plays out with seemingly no end in sight
Yes the war is never over
The battle is perpetual and ongoing
But the day is never done
But each day brings new opportunities and challenges
Six-white horses like the wind are running
The unstoppable force of violence and destruction
Five are far behind
Even more chaos follows in the wake of destruction
The captain lost his daughter
The personal cost of the struggle
The sergeant lost his mind
The psychological toll on those who fight
The soldiers they still scream for riches
Even amid the carnage, greed and material desires persist
Even though they swore
Despite their promises to the contrary
That sons and daughters wouldn't live
That future generations would be sacrificed in order to win
Unless we won the war
Only victory can justify such horrific sacrifices
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: DICK HALLIGAN, STEVEN E KATZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@jkllfdsa
Steve Katz (the guy second from right on the album cover) wrote and sang this song about the Kent State University killings in 1970. Today is the 50th anniversary of those killings. Thanks, Steve. I still remember this song. I was about 13 when I first heard it. Still remember it to this day.
@lisabauer9123
I've loved this song for decades
@rjciccone
RIP Dick Halligan. “The Battle” was one of the few BS&T songs he got writing credit for - this one with Steve Katz
@chrisshill1252
I haven't heard the battle for years favorite best song
@1qaz2wsx3edc5753
This is a thinking man's tune. I love it!
@POPTUBE57
Preciosa y olvidada cancion de este grupo.
@KillaxG123
Pokin around in my grandma's basement and stumbled upon this record,put it on the record player and loved it. epic song
@chrisshill1252
bst song favorite one
@vividwatch47
This was the "B" side to "Hi De Ho (That Old Sweet Roll)".
@lisabauer9123
B side was better in this case