One Dead Three Wounded was formed in 1998 by founding members Sam Tropio, M… Read Full Bio ↴One Dead Three Wounded was formed in 1998 by founding members Sam Tropio, Matt McSorley, Mike and Tim Zahodski. While in highschool, the band developed their sound, sorting through influences until they recorded their first demo in 2000. Although it was quite rough around the edges, ODTW sold quite a few copies in the Philadelphia and surrounding area. Soon after the demo released, ODTW recruited Jay Wilmot on guitar. In 2002, One Dead Three Wounded ventured into the studio once again to record The Heroin Demo. It consisted of 3 songs that began to show signs of the sound that ODTW exhibits today. Following this release, the band underwent countless lineup changes, most notably founding member Matt McSorley left the band. At the end of 2002, ODTW hit the road in support of Kansas City's Saved by Grace and Philly's Dark Day Dawning. Unfortunately, following the tour, founding member Sam Tropio left the band. Easily one of the most trying times in the bands existence, the remaining members Jay, Mike, and Tim decided to keep the band going and recruited friends Jim Fox and Bob Katzianer. By March of 2003, One Dead Three Wounded began playing countless shows throughout the east coast and soon signed with LoveLost Records. In October of 2003 ODTW returned to the Skylight (A life once lost, this day forward, bury your dead) and recorded the critically acclaimed Paint the Town (LoveLost). Following the release of the album in January 2004, the band played a plethora of shows including a two month United States tour.

Soldiers
One Dead Three Wounded Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I haven't had the time to write in such desperate times
So I'll begin.
I wore out my lungs today. Been screaming for this to change.
Nothing but hot air ever reached your brain.
I calmed myself to disprove the glory of your American Dream.
Tonight we try to win the crowd for gasoline.

I broke my first on walls. She said it proved nothing at all.

I hope these battered halls prevent the costs of war. Yet the prices soar.
I bit my lip, waved goodbye, wrote off your debts in a single line.
Choked on the words I couldn't tell. Broke the vows we used to sell.

I've been wondering.
Why do the heartbeats of this city sound like noise to you?

I've been fighting my eyelids to stay inside my head
I've been battling the blitstering cold with caffine and chapped lips.
I've been chasing lover's dreams up the wrong stairs in a house made of stone and glass
In a town where no one cares.

I broke my first on walls. She said it proved nothing at all.
I hope these battered halls prevent the costs of war. Yet the prices soar.
I bit my lip, waved goodbye, wrote off your debts in a single line.
Choked on the words I couldn't tell. Broke the vows we used to sell.

I will scream these words like a loaded gun
I've been holding it in. It's got to come out.
It won't encroach on your speech.
It won't impose any harm
And if I die tonight as least I left you a song

Why do the heartbeats of this city sound like music to you?
Please don't fight this war for me or your delusions of domestic security

Overall Meaning

The song "Soldiers" by One Dead Three Wounded is a powerful commentary on the state of America during wartime. The lyrics, laden with pain and urgency, give us a glimpse into the mind of someone who is fighting against the status quo. The opening line, "I haven't had the time to write in such desperate times, so I'll begin," indicates a sense of urgency – the artist is driven to speak out against social issues, but time is running out. The song then goes on to detail the struggles of someone fighting for change, from screaming out for people to wake up to the realities of the world ("Been screaming for this to change") to trying to understand why people are so complacent with the situation around them ("Why do the heartbeats of this city sound like noise to you?").

Throughout the song, the artist explores themes of loss, disillusionment, and betrayal. The lines "She said it proved nothing at all" and "Broke the vows we used to sell" suggest a loss of faith in the idea of the American Dream, while "It won't encroach on your speech, it won't impose any harm" highlights the feeling of being silenced and ignored by those in power. The refrain "I bit my lip, waved goodbye, wrote off your debts in a single line" is particularly poignant, as it captures the feeling of hopelessness that comes with feeling powerless to make positive change.

Overall, "Soldiers" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that asks difficult questions about the role of individuals in society, especially in times of war. It's a call to action, an appeal to not let our lives be defined by the violence and fear that surrounds us.

Line by Line Meaning

I haven't had the time to write in such desperate times
I've been too busy struggling in these difficult times to focus on writing music

So I'll begin.
But I need to start expressing myself somehow

I wore out my lungs today. Been screaming for this to change.
I've been shouting and yelling until my voice is hoarse, demanding that things get better

Nothing but hot air ever reached your brain.
But you never listened or took my concerns seriously

I calmed myself to disprove the glory of your American Dream.
I tried to soothe myself by questioning the idea of the ideal 'American Dream'

Tonight we try to win the crowd for gasoline.
But tonight, we'll try to rally people behind a new cause

I broke my first on walls. She said it proved nothing at all.
I once punched a wall in frustration, but it didn't accomplish anything, according to a former lover

I hope these battered halls prevent the costs of war. Yet the prices soar.
I hope that these conflicts that are borne by places like this will deter us from engaging in war, but the military's budget keeps growing

I bit my lip, waved goodbye, wrote off your debts in a single line.
I held in my emotions, said goodbye to a past relationship, and moved on by erasing that person from my life

Choked on the words I couldn't tell. Broke the vows we used to sell.
But I struggled to fully express myself, and our promises eventually fell apart

I've been wondering.
I've been questioning something on my mind

Why do the heartbeats of this city sound like noise to you?
Why don't you appreciate the life and vibrancy of this place?

I've been fighting my eyelids to stay inside my head
I've been trying to prevent myself from falling asleep, so I can keep thinking

I've been battling the blitstering cold with caffine and chapped lips.
I'm fighting the harsh conditions with caffeine and dry lips

I've been chasing lover's dreams up the wrong stairs in a house made of stone and glass
I've been pursuing romantic ideals in the wrong places, in a metaphorical mansion that's just superficially beautiful

In a town where no one cares.
In a place where people seem indifferent to what I care about

I will scream these words like a loaded gun
But I'll keep shouting until my message hits like a bullet

I've been holding it in. It's got to come out.
I've been bottling up my emotions, but they need to be released

It won't encroach on your speech.
I won't stop you from speaking your mind

It won't impose any harm
I won't hurt anyone with my words

And if I die tonight as least I left you a song
And if I die tonight, at least I will have left this song behind

Why do the heartbeats of this city sound like music to you?
Why don't you appreciate the life and vibrancy of this place?

Please don't fight this war for me or your delusions of domestic security
But please don't engage in a war for me or any misguided sense of national protection

Contributed by Kennedy L. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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