I Fought In A War
Ofln - Belle & Sebastian Lyrics
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To go looking for the enemy, and it wasn't very long
Before I would stand with another boy in front of me
And a corpse that just fell into me, with the bullets flying round
And I reminded myself of the words you said when we were getting on
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady boy to wear
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for
I fought in a war and I left my friends behind me
To go looking for the enemy, and it wasn't very long
Before I found out that the sickness there ahead of me
Went beyond the bedsit infamy of the decade gone before
And I reminded myself of the words you said when we were getting on
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady man to wear
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for
This letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while
I fought in a war, and I didn't know where it would end
It stretched before me infinitely, I couldn't really think
Of the day beyond now, keep your head down pal
There's trouble plenty in this hour, this day
I can see hope I can see light
And I reminded myself of the looks you gave when we were getting on
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady man to wear
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for
This letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while
In "I Fought in a War," Belle & Sebastian's Stuart Murdoch sings about the experience of a soldier leaving his comfortable life to go to war. He describes the pain of leaving friends behind and the fear and confusion in the midst of the conflict. Despite the gravity of the situation, the lyrics contain a note of optimism, with lines such as "I can see hope I can see light" and "well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for this letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while."
The song carries a sense of nostalgia and longing, as the soldier remembers the words of a loved one and imagines them making shells back home for a "steady man" to wear. The contrast between the violence of war and the tenderness of this imagined relationship underscores the emotional complexity of the song.
Overall, "I Fought in a War" presents a powerful reflection on the cost of war and the human experiences that get lost in the midst of violence and conflict.
Line by Line Meaning
I fought in a war and I left my friends behind me
I went to fight a war and had to leave my friends behind.
To go looking for the enemy, and it wasn't very long
My mission was to find and fight those on the other side and I found them quickly.
Before I would stand with another boy in front of me
In no time at all, I was facing an enemy soldier.
And a corpse that just fell into me, with the bullets flying round
Amid the chaos of war, someone nearby died and fell onto me while we were under heavy gunfire.
And I reminded myself of the words you said when we were getting on
I thought of the things you told me before I left for war.
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady boy to wear
I imagined that you were working hard back home, making ammunition for the soldiers who need it.
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for
It didn't hurt to think of you waiting for me back home.
This letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while
Even though I'll be occupied with fighting the war for a long time, I can still send letters to you.
Before I found out that the sickness there ahead of me
I later discovered that there were diseases and illnesses present in the area where we were fighting.
Went beyond the bedsit infamy of the decade gone before
The diseases present in this area were worse than anything seen in the past decade.
And I reminded myself of the words you said when we were getting on
Again, I thought of what you told me before I left for war.
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady man to wear
I still imagined you working hard to make ammunition for the soldiers.
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for
Thinking of you waiting for me back home didn't hurt.
This letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while
Even if I'm away fighting the war for a long time, I can still send you letters.
I fought in a war, and I didn't know where it would end
I had no idea when this war would end.
It stretched before me infinitely, I couldn't really think
The thought of this war going on and on was overwhelming and it was hard to think about it.
Of the day beyond now, keep your head down pal
I couldn't think about the future, all I could do is focus on staying alive and fighting for now.
There's trouble plenty in this hour, this day
Every moment of every day was filled with trouble and danger.
I can see hope I can see light
Despite the constant chaos, I could still see flickers of hope and light.
And I reminded myself of the looks you gave when we were getting on
Again, I thought about the way you looked at me before I left for war.
And I bet you're making shells back home for a steady man to wear
I still imagined you working hard to make ammunition for the soldiers.
Round his neck, well it won't hurt to think of you as if you're waiting for
It didn't hurt to think that you were waiting for me back home.
This letter to arrive because I'll be here quite a while
Even though I'll be gone fighting the war for a while, I can still send you letters.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CAMPBE, CHRISTOPHER GEDDES, ISOBEL CAMPBELL, MICHAEL COOKE, RICHARD COLBURN, SARAH MARTIN, STEPHEN JACKSON, STUART MURDOCH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind