You Say That the Battle Is Over
John Denver Lyrics


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And you say that the battle is over
And you say that the war is all done
Go tell it to those
With the wind in their nose
Who run from the sound of the gun

And write it on the sides
Of the great whaling ships
Or on ice floes where conscience is tossed
With the wind in their eyes
It is they who must die
And it's we who must measure the loss

And you say that the battle is over
And finally the world is at peace
You mean no one is dying
And mothers don't weep
Or it's not in the papers at least

There are those who would deal
In the darkness of life
There are those who would tear down the sun
And most men are ruthless
But some will still weep
When the gifts we were given are gone

Now the blame cannot fall
On the heads of a few
It's become such a part of the race
It's eternally tragic
That that which is magic
Be killed at the end of the glorious chase

From young seals to great whales
From waters to wood
They will fall just like weeds in the wind
With fur coats and perfumes
And trophies on walls
What a hell of a race to call men

And you say that the battle is over
And you say that the war is all done
Go tell it to those
With the wind in their nose
Who run from the sound of the gun

And write it on the sides
Of the great whaling ships
Or on ice floes where conscience is tossed
With the wind in their eyes
It is they who must die
And it's we who must measure the loss
With the wind in their eyes




It is they who must die
And it's we who must measure the cost

Overall Meaning

John Denver's "You Say That the Battle is Over" is a powerful anti-war statement, speaking out against the killing of innocent creatures and the impact it has on our world. The song tells of those who claim that the war is over, and the implications of their statement. Denver sings to those who run from the sound of war, those who have been affected by the devastation wrought by conflict. He speaks of the battle being over, but the loss still being present as a result of the damage and destruction wrought by the human race.


Denver speaks of the great whaling ships, and the ice floes where conscience is tossed. He speaks of the pain and suffering that is wrought when we cease to care for the planet and the creatures that inhabit it. He talks about the darkness of life and the ruthlessness of some men. He emphasizes the importance of acknowledging our roles in the loss of life and the destruction of the environment.


Finally, Denver speaks of the loss of the gifts we were given by the earth, and the tragic end to what should be a glorious chase. He brings attention to the fact that these are not just animals, but living beings who deserve respect and care. The singer emphasizes that the impact of war and destruction touches all of us, and the consequences are long-lasting.


Line by Line Meaning

And you say that the battle is over
You claim that the conflict has been resolved


And you say that the war is all done
You assert that the fighting has ended completely


Go tell it to those
Inform the people who


With the wind in their nose
Are running towards danger


Who run from the sound of the gun
Who flee from the sound of gunfire


And write it on the sides
Inscribe it onto the surfaces


Of the great whaling ships
Of the enormous vessels used for hunting whales


Or on ice floes where conscience is tossed
Or on floating sheets of ice where moral principles are disregarded


With the wind in their eyes
While they face adversity


It is they who must die
They are the ones who will suffer fatal consequences


And it's we who must measure the loss
We are the ones who must determine the extent of the damage


And finally the world is at peace
That means the world is finally peaceful


You mean no one is dying
You imply that no lives are being lost


And mothers don't weep
And mothers aren't grieving


Or it's not in the papers at least
Or it's not being reported in the media


There are those who would deal
There are people who would engage in


In the darkness of life
In the difficult, unpleasant aspects of existence


There are those who would tear down the sun
There are people who would ruin the beauty in the world


And most men are ruthless
And the majority of men lack compassion


But some will still weep
But there will still be those who mourn


When the gifts we were given are gone
When the blessings we received are depleted


Now the blame cannot fall
Now the responsibility cannot be placed solely on


On the heads of a few
On the actions of a small group


It's become such a part of the race
It has become ingrained in the culture


It's eternally tragic
It is perpetually sorrowful


That that which is magic
That which is enchanting


Be killed at the end of the glorious chase
Is destroyed after being hunted down triumphantly


From young seals to great whales
From immature seals to massive whales


From waters to wood
From the ocean to the jungle


They will fall just like weeds in the wind
They will be destroyed like insignificant plants in the breeze


With fur coats and perfumes
With furs to wear and scents to use


And trophies on walls
And items to display as rewards for their destruction


What a hell of a race to call men
What a terrible thing to identify as human beings


And you say that the battle is over
You state that the conflict has ceased


And you say that the war is all done
And you pronounce that the strife is complete


Go tell it to those
Inform the people who


With the wind in their nose
Who are facing danger head-on


Who run from the sound of the gun
Who escape the deafening noise of firearms


And write it on the sides
Inscribe it onto the surfaces


Of the great whaling ships
Of the massive vessels employed in hunting whales


Or on ice floes where conscience is tossed
Or on floating sheets of ice where moral principles are disregarded


With the wind in their eyes
While they face adversity


It is they who must die
They are the ones who will suffer fatal consequences


And it's we who must measure the loss
We are the ones who must determine the extent of the damage


With the wind in their eyes
While they face adversity


It is they who must die
They are the ones who will suffer fatal consequences


And it's we who must measure the cost
We are the ones who must determine the price paid




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Comments from YouTube:

aplacetohideaway

This beautiful song was written by master songwriter David Mallett. Beautifully performed by John Denver.

That 70's Girl

John Denver may be gone, but not fogotten. His music will live on... Forever!!

Chloe54 Brown780

I love John Denver's words of hope, advice, and inspiration. He will be forever missed but never forgotten. We will always remember the singer, guitar player, husband, father, and pilot. May you Rest In Peace John Denver.

Pauline H

Nice words Chloe

Paul Connor Drums

The lyrics in this song are awesome, and John just brings out the passion and meaning like no one else could.

Qutaiba Al-Mahawili

We still measure the loss of losing you John. We miss you.

Ludji-Michael Riwu-Kaho

Amazing. Be at peace John Denver🎶🎙⚘🙏

Gloria Ertel

Soo lovely John Denver...……...You're more amazing every time I hear your sweet voice.....Missing more and more every day...….RIP...11/28/19

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