Casualties Of War
Rakim Lyrics


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Casualties of War!



Casualties of war; as I approach the barricade

Where's the enemy? Who do I invade?
Bullets of Teflon bulletproof vest rip

Tear ya outta ya frame with a bag full of clips

Cause I got a family that waits for my return

To get back home is my main concern

I'ma get back to New York in one piece

but I'm bent in the sand that is hot as the city streets

Sky lights up like fireworks blind me

Bullets, whistlin over my head remind me...

President Bush said attack

Flashback to Nam, I might not make it back

Missile hits the area, screams wake me up

from a war of dreams, heat up the M-16

Basic training, trained for torture

Take no prisoners, and I just caught ya

Addicted to murder, send more bodybags

They can't identify em, leave the nametags

I get a rush when I see blood, dead bodies on the floor

CASUALTIES OF WAR! (4X)



Day divides the night and night divides the day

It's all hard work and no play

More than combat, it's far beyond that

Cause I got a kill or be killed kind of attack

Area's mapped out, there'll be no, Stratego

Me and my platoon make a boom wherever we go

But what are we here for? Who's on the other side of the wall?

Somebody give the President a call

But I hear warfare scream through the air

Back to the battlegrounds, it's war they declare

A Desert Storm: let's see who reigns supreme

Something like Monopoly: a government scheme

Go to the Army, be all you can be

Another dead soldier? Hell no, not me

So I start letting off ammunition in every direction

Allah is my only protection

But wait a minute, Saddam Hussein prays the same

and this is Asia, from where I came

I'm on the wrong side, so change the target

Shooting at the general; and where's the sergeant?

Blame it on John Hardy Hawkins for bringing me to America

Now it's mass hysteria

I get a rush when I see blood, dead bodies on the floor

CASUALTIES OF WAR! (4X)



The war is over, for now at least

Just because they lost it don't mean it's peace

It's a long way home, it's a lot to think about

Whole generation, left in doubt

Innocent families killed in the midst

It'll be more dead people after this

So I'm glad to be alive and walkin

Half of my platoon came home in coffins

Except the general, buried in the Storm

in bits and pieces no need to look for em

I played it slick and got away with it

Rigged it up so they would think they did it

Now I'm home on reserves and you can bet

when THEY call, I'm going AWOL

Cause it ain't no way I'm going back to war

when I don't know who or what I'm fighting for

So I wait for terrorists to attack

Every time a truck backfires I fire back

I look for shelter when a plane is over me

Remember Pearl Harbor? New York could be over, G

Kamikaze, strapped with bombs

No peace in the East, they want revenge for Saddam

Did I hear gunshots, or thunder?

No time to wonder, somebody's going under

Put on my fatigues and my camoflouge

Take control, cause I'm in charge

When I snapped out of it, it was blood, dead bodies on the floor





CASUALTIES OF WAR! (4X)

Overall Meaning

The song "Casualties of War" by Rakim talks about the experiences of a soldier during a war. The lyrics highlight the confusion and chaos that surrounds a war and the emotional toll it takes on the soldiers. The song starts with the soldier approaching the barriers, wondering who the enemy is and whom to invade. The lyrics describe the soldier's mission to protect his family and the effort to survive through the battles to return home, which is his main concern. He describes the fear and anxiety of being in a war zone and how it reminds him of his past experiences. The lyrics highlight the never-ending pain and misery of war and how it affects both sides.


The soldier is trained to take no prisoners and is addicted to murder. He describes how he gets a rush when he sees blood and dead bodies on the floor, which shows the psychological impact war has. There is a sense of irony in the lyrics, where the soldier sees himself as a hero while participating in an act that is morally wrong. The lyrics also express how soldiers dehumanize the enemy and how the government uses propaganda to convince them that their cause is just.


As the song proceeds, it talks about the aftermath of the war, and how both sides suffer. The lyrics mention how innocent families are killed and how a whole generation is left in doubt. The soldier is left traumatized, and he waits for a terrorist attack to happen, so he can retaliate. The lyrics describe how he becomes paranoid and how he confuses thunder with gunshots.


Overall, the song is a powerful commentary on the senselessness of war and the effects it has on those who participate in it.


Line by Line Meaning

Casualties of war; as I approach the barricade
The true cost of war hits me as I approach the battlefield


Where's the enemy? Who do I invade?
I'm not sure who the enemy is, and who I'm supposed to attack


Bullets of Teflon bulletproof vest rip
Even with a Teflon bulletproof vest, bullets can penetrate and harm me


Tear ya outta ya frame with a bag full of clips
I have a lot of ammunition in my bag, and can easily harm or kill others


Cause I got a family that waits for my return
I have loved ones counting on me to come back alive


To get back home is my main concern
My biggest priority is to safely return home to my family


I'ma get back to New York in one piece
I hope to return from war without any harm


but I'm bent in the sand that is hot as the city streets
The heat and conditions of war make the environment feel like a hot city street


Sky lights up like fireworks blind me
Explosions in the sky disorient and overpower me


Bullets, whistlin over my head remind me...
The sound of bullets flying and whistling over my head reminds me of the danger I'm in


President Bush said attack
I've been ordered to attack by President Bush


Flashback to Nam, I might not make it back
I fear dying in combat like many before me in Vietnam


Missile hits the area, screams wake me up
War is chaotic and violent; the screams and sounds of missiles hit me hard


from a war of dreams, heat up the M-16
I'm a skilled soldier who is ready to fire my weapon due to the adrenaline of war


Basic training, trained for torture
I've been trained to endure physical and mental torture as a soldier


Take no prisoners, and I just caught ya
I'm ordered to kill and take no prisoners


Addicted to murder, send more bodybags
I've become desensitized to killing and ask for more body bags to hold those I harm


They can't identify em, leave the nametags
War destroys people to the point that they're unidentifiable and their name tags don't matter


I get a rush when I see blood, dead bodies on the floor
I find pleasure in killing and seeing the aftermath of war; it's like a drug to me


Day divides the night and night divides the day
Time is meaningless during war; the lines between day and night blur


It's all hard work and no play
War is exhausting and leaves no room for leisure or enjoyment


More than combat, it's far beyond that
War is more than just combat, it has deep implications and consequences


Cause I got a kill or be killed kind of attack
My mindset is either to kill or be killed without much thought or concern


Area's mapped out, there'll be no, Stratego
We've planned the attack and know every inch of geography to make sure we have the upper hand


Me and my platoon make a boom wherever we go
We are so destructive that explosions follow us wherever we go


But what are we here for? Who's on the other side of the wall?
I wonder why we're fighting and who our enemies really are


Somebody give the President a call
I don't know what the purpose of our mission is, and someone needs to let the President know


But I hear warfare scream through the air
The sounds of war are everywhere, and it's hard to focus on anything else


Back to the battlegrounds, it's war they declare
We're quickly reminded that we are in a warzone


A Desert Storm: let's see who reigns supreme
The desert has become a battleground between two forces; we'll see who comes out on top


Something like Monopoly: a government scheme
War seems almost like a game or a scheme orchestrated by the government


Go to the Army, be all you can be
The army promises empowerment and development but doesn't warn the cost of war


Another dead soldier? Hell no, not me
I don't want to become another statistic or casualty of war


So I start letting off ammunition in every direction
I become careless and simply start firing in any direction


Allah is my only protection
I believe that only Allah can protect me in this warzone


But wait a minute, Saddam Hussein prays the same
I remember that even my enemies have their own faith and beliefs


and this is Asia, from where I came
I'm far away from home in Asia, a region that's foreign to me


I'm on the wrong side, so change the target
I come to realize that I'm not fighting for the right side and need to change course


Shooting at the general; and where's the sergeant?
I start shooting at high-ranking officers in the opposition without much thought about the consequences


Blame it on John Hardy Hawkins for bringing me to America
I find someone or something to blame for my position in this conflict


Now it's mass hysteria
Everything feels chaotic and confusing, and I don't really understand what's happening anymore


The war is over, for now at least
The active conflict has ceased, resulting in a temporary truce


Just because they lost it don't mean it's peace
Even though my side won, it doesn't mean that there is peace


It's a long way home, it's a lot to think about
The journey home is long and filled with a lot of memories and emotions to process


Whole generation, left in doubt
The impact of war has left an entire generation wondering about the true cost of conflict


Innocent families killed in the midst
Many civilians and innocent people lost their lives as a result of our actions in war


It'll be more dead people after this
Despite the end of the conflict, the death toll will likely continue to rise


Half of my platoon came home in coffins
Many of my fellow soldiers were killed in combat and never made it home alive


Except the general, buried in the Storm
Even high-ranking officials weren't immune to the violence of war and ended up dying in combat


in bits and pieces no need to look for em
The general's body was destroyed beyond recognition and there was no point in searching for his remains


I played it slick and got away with it
I made it out of war alive and avoided any severe punishment for my actions


Rigged it up so they would think they did it
I cleverly manipulated events to make it seem like someone else was responsible for the conflict


Now I'm home on reserves and you can bet
I returned home and became part of the reserves, not yet fully separated from the military


when THEY call, I'm going AWOL
I'm not committed to returning to war and will go AWOL if called upon


Cause it ain't no way I'm going back to war
I don't want to go back to war and have had enough of the violence and chaos


when I don't know who or what I'm fighting for
I don't fully understand the reason behind the conflict or my role in it


So I wait for terrorists to attack
I fear terrorist attacks and prepare for them even back home


Every time a truck backfires I fire back
I have a knee-jerk reaction to different sounds and immediately respond by firing my weapon


I look for shelter when a plane is over me
Even the sound of planes overhead trigger my war experiences and make me seek shelter


Remember Pearl Harbor? New York could be over, G
I fear another catastrophic attack like Pearl Harbor could occur in New York


Kamikaze, strapped with bombs
I fear suicide bombers could strike at any moment


No peace in the East, they want revenge for Saddam
The enemies that were fighting in the East still hold resentment and want revenge for the death of Saddam Hussein


Did I hear gunshots, or thunder?
I'm unsure if I'm hearing gunshots or simply thunder due to the impact of war on my senses


No time to wonder, somebody's going under
There's no time to waste, and someone will likely become a casualty of war


Put on my fatigues and my camoflouge
I'm ready to go back to war and will put on my gear accordingly


Take control, cause I'm in charge
I take charge and become a leader, even in wartime


When I snapped out of it, it was blood, dead bodies on the floor
I become so lost in the violence and chaos of war that I snap back to reality to see the aftermath before me




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ERIC BARRIER, WILLIAM GRIFFIN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

Bits'n Octets

I'm on the wrong side, so change the target
Shooting at the general; and where's the sergeant?
....
Half of my platoon came home in coffins
Except the general, buried in the Storm
In bits and pieces no need to look for em
I played it slick and got away with it
Rigged it up so they would think they did it
Now I'm home on reserves and you can bet
When THEY call, I'm going AWOL
Cause it ain't no way I'm going back to war
When I don't know who or what I'm fighting for

Raw skills and moral genuineness.
I banged this song today and other Rakim's songs driving 45 miles road. This one right here, could easily be 1 of the top 3 songs in hip hop history.



Yassin Dellarobia

Casualties of war; as I approach the barricade
Where's the enemy? Who do I invade?
Bullets of Teflon, bulletproof vest rip
Tear ya outta ya frame with a bag full of clips
Cause I got a family that waits for my return
To get back home is my main concern
I'ma get back to New York in one piece
but I'm bent in the sand that is hot as the city streets
Sky lights up like fireworks blind me
Bullets, whistlin over my head remind me...
President Bush said attack
Flashback to Nam, I might not make it back
Missile hits the area, screams wake me up
from a war of dreams, heat up the M-16
Basic training, trained for torture
Take no prisoners, and I just caught ya
Addicted to murder, send more bodybags
They can't identify em, leave the nametags
I get a rush when I see blood, dead bodies on the floor
CASUALTIES OF WAR! [x4]

Day divides the night and night divides the day
It's all hard work and no play
More than combat, it's far beyond that
Cause I got a kill or be killed kind of attack
Area's mapped out, there'll be no, Stratego
Me and my platoon make a boom wherever we go
But what are we here for? Who's on the other side of the wall?
Somebody give the President a call
But I hear warfare scream through the air
Back to the battlegrounds, it's war they declare
A Desert Storm: let's see who reigns supreme
Something like Monopoly: a government scheme
Go to the Army, be all you can be
Another dead soldier? Hell no, not me
So I start letting off ammunition in every direction
Allah is my only protection
But wait a minute, Saddam Hussein prays the same
and this is Asia, from where I came
I'm on the wrong side, so change the target
Shooting at the general; and where's the sergeant?
Blame it on John Hardy Hawkins for bringing me to America
Now it's mass hysteria
I get a rush when I see blood, dead bodies on the floor
CASUALTIES OF WAR! [x4]

The war is over, for now at least
Just because they lost it don't mean it's peace
It's a long way home, it's a lot to think about
Whole generation, left in doubt
Innocent families killed in the midst
It'll be more dead people after this
So I'm glad to be alive and walkin
Half of my platoon came home in coffins
Except the general, buried in the Storm
in bits and pieces no need to look for em
I played it slick and got away with it
Rigged it up so they would think they did it
Now I'm home on reserves and you can bet
when THEY call, I'm going AWOL
Cause it ain't no way I'm going back to war
when I don't know who or what I'm fighting for
So I wait for terrorists to attack
Every time a truck backfires I fire back
I look for shelter when a plane is over me
Remember Pearl Harbor? New York could be over, G
Kamikaze, strapped with bombs
No peace in the East, they want revenge for Saddam
Did I hear gunshots, or thunder?
No time to wonder, somebody's going under
Put on my fatigues and my camoflouge
Take control, cause I'm in charge
When I snapped out of it, it was blood, dead bodies on the floor
CASUALTIES OF WAR! [x4]



Dr. Madthumbs

IMPACTFUL,
Legendary track from a legendary MC.
....was around 10 years old. I remember doing the "running-man" practicing this song, non-stop.
Wrote down his lyrics, knew them by heart & still do
...At school, i asked my teachers about Bush, who are the casualties? ARE we at war? Are we from Asia?
Think about it. Hip Hop did THAT. Made us smarter! Made us focus, made us read books & stay in school but most important, it made us ask questions.

Now, if we take that same kid i was. Put some 2017 headphones. Who does he listen to?
... sad ain't it?
... i rest my case.
HH!!!!!



All comments from YouTube:

Virgil Wimberly

Rakim was incredibly intellectual and so far ahead of his time it's crazy. His lyrical level was insane and unfair to other rappers.

Lord NU D Tru

The microphone fein

Igor Amokian

Amen

BIGJONDIESEL

Legendary for sure!

Demetris Q Washington

11:11. No doubt !!!
Heat.....2022 !!!

Quentin Parker

This song and "Straight Outta Compton" display the Amen breakbeat beautifully.

7 More Replies...

OJ’s Bloody Glove

On this record Rakim even raps with the exact tone of aggression you’d expect to hear from a veteran with PTSD, almost as if he’s screaming out for help. Genius!

ambeh ak47

Love that summarisation ✊

Oktober Wolfe

thats what made it so genius...at least I though so

Donald k Mitchell

Thanks you for your service from one vet to another

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