Hüsker Dü broke with the anti-traditionalist ethos of most early hardcore bands. Their early songwriting shows the influence of folk, 1960s pop music, blues, and other forms (although often buried under a thick layer of angst and aggression), and has a strong melodic sense. The lyrics made astute, sharp, personal and social commentary, showing a great deal of vulnerability and sympathy for their subjects. Hüsker Dü's songwriting was widely admired, and their live shows were often a venue for brilliant improvisational playing. (A feedback-laden solo guitar performance from an early-'80s soundcheck tape merited release via the avant-garde Telus Magazine.) Hüsker Dü were also, however, widely regarded as somewhat unusual-sounding in their early prime, due to the instruments' non-standard tones: Mould's guitar is described below, while Hart's drums were considered 'thumpy' (and he consistently played slightly behind the beat); Norton played bass fairly laconically even at fast tempos, using his fingers rather than a pick. The band's sound can be considered an organic synthesis of these elements -- a unit that was quite powerful in combination, yet perhaps difficult to parse singly.
A particular strength of the group was the two powerhouse singer/songwriters, Mould and Hart. The tension between their musical styles (Mould was generally the angrier songwriter, Hart the more melodic one), and their willingness to collaborate, made the sum of their contributions greater than their parts. Another strength was Mould's unique, resonant guitar sound, described by a critic at the time as "molten metal pouring from the speakers." Mid-period Hüsker Dü songs are immediately recognizable via Mould's incandescent guitar tone, achieved by splitting the signal in the studio between amplified and direct tones and adding a light stereo chorus effect. Mould's technique involved playing resonant drone notes on the high strings. Although a trio, Hüsker Dü generally sounded extremely large on record and live.
The group is also notable as one of the first 1980s American underground rock bands to contract with a major record label, a move that blazed the trail for the rise of alternative rock a few years later. Another key Minneapolis band who served as an alternative rock icebreaker was The Replacements, who had a friendly rivalry with Hüsker Dü.
Mould has gone on to release other albums, including a recent solo double album release called Body of Song. Prior to that he took a stint as a writer for World Championship Wrestling (WCW) scripting scenarios and fights.
Grant Hart died from cancer on September 14, 2017.
You're A Soldier
Hüsker Dü Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Anywhere that you please
Taking advantage of anyone handy
To satisfy your disease
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
You never want it to end
Saving up a million stories
To tell to all your friends
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
Knocking over everything that's standing in your way
Can you tell me just how many did you kill today?
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
Patrolling the world with your little boy face
And a grown-up gun that shoots
You got a fresh-scrubbed teenage outlook on terror
And a khaki attitude
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
Knocking over everything that's standing in your way
Can you tell me just how many did you kill today?
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
You're a soldier
The lyrics to Hüsker Dü's song "You're a Soldier" describe a young soldier who is cavalierly rushing through life and taking advantage of anyone around him to satisfy his desires. The song harshly critiques the glorification of war and the military culture that dehumanizes individuals and turns them into killing machines. The soldier the song describes is portrayed as reckless and indifferent, eager to collect stories of his exploits to share with his friends. The use of the phrase "little boy face" and "fresh-scrubbed teenage outlook" emphasize the youthfulness of the soldier and his lack of experience in the real world. The song suggests that war is not a glorious adventure, but rather a destructive force that turns young men into killers.
The repetition of the phrase "You're a soldier" throughout the song serves as a reminder that this young man is part of a larger system that values violence and aggression. The line "Knocking over everything that's standing in your way" is a metaphor for the destruction that soldiers bring to the places they are sent to fight in. The question "Can you tell me just how many did you kill today?" is a direct challenge to the soldier's conscience and a reminder that the cost of war is measured in human lives.
In summary, "You're a Soldier" is a scathing critique of the military-industrial complex and the glorification of war in popular culture. The song condemns the way that young people are sent to fight in wars that they have little understanding of, and the way that the military culture turns them into dehumanized killing machines.
Line by Line Meaning
Running around like an insane maniac
Acting in a frenzied and irrational manner
Anywhere that you please
Going wherever you want without consideration for others
Taking advantage of anyone handy
Exploiting those around you for your own gain
To satisfy your disease
To appease your destructive tendencies
Going off on a big adventure
Embarking on a reckless and dangerous journey
You never want it to end
Refusing to acknowledge the potential consequences of your actions
Saving up a million stories
Bringing back exciting tales to tell others, regardless of the true impact of your actions
To tell to all your friends
To boast about your exploits and gain approval from others
Knocking over everything that's standing in your way
Destroying any obstacles to achieve your goals
Can you tell me just how many did you kill today?
Questioning the morality of causing harm to others
Patrolling the world with your little boy face
Trying to act tough and grown up despite your youth and inexperience
And a grown-up gun that shoots
Using weapons designed for adults as a tool to assert authority
You got a fresh-scrubbed teenage outlook on terror
Having a naive and youthful perspective on violence and fear
And a khaki attitude
Displaying an unyielding stubbornness and disregard for others
You're a soldier
Acknowledging the focus on violence and domination in the individual's behavior
You're a soldier
Reiterating the theme of a military mindset in the individual's actions
You're a soldier
Suggesting a lack of empathy and individualism in favor of strict adherence to a system or group mentality
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: GRANT HART
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
dj
One of the best bands ever!!!
The slider gunn
God. I love that bass line.
dj
Same
Carbunkle56
Their best album. For more from this band try the album "Zen Arcade" Spoiler alert-It's a little different.
Ultratyp3 Mania
Beautiful
mark scott
good post sir!we're in a time right now,where critisism of the u.s or u.k military is almost non existent.as bill hicks used to say.."aint u just hired killers...."
Tomi Kazi
warfare...grant victor
Jan Janz Janzzen
So what, i was a soldier, a punker, a skinhead, i never killed anyone, i did it for THE money and an éducation.
Jan Janz Janzzen
I was à punker, à skinhead, à sl