Front Line
Stevie Wonder Lyrics


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I am a veteran of the war
I up and joined the army back in nineteen-sixty-four
At sixteen, I just had to be a man at any cost
I volunteered for Vietnam, where I got my leg shot off
I recall a quote form a movie that said "who's more a man
Than a man with a reason that's worth dyin' for?"

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

They gave me a uniform and a tiny salty pill
To stop the big urge I might have for the wrong kind of thrill
They put a gun in my hand and said "shoot until he's dead"
But it's hard to kill when "please, I'm your friend" echoes through your head
Brought up in church taught no man should take another's life
But then put in the jungle where life has no price, no

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Back in the world, the paper reads today
Another war is in the brewing
But what about the lives of yesterday?
And the many happy families that have been ruined?
My niece is a hooker and my nephew's a junkie, too
But they say I have no right to tell them how they should do
They laugh and say quit "braggin' 'bout the war you should have never been in"
But my mind is so brainwashed I'd probably go back and do it again
I walk the neighborhood, parading my purple heart
With a fear of agent orange that no one will stop, no

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Would you believe I do?
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line




They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Overall Meaning

Stevie Wonder's "Front Line" is a powerful song about the devastating effects of war and its impact on soldiers. In the first verse, the singer describes himself as a young man who joined the army in 1964 at the age of 16, hoping to prove his manhood. He volunteered for Vietnam and lost his leg in the conflict. The quote from the movie emphasizes the idea of standing up for one's beliefs and one's country, even in the face of danger and possible death.


The second verse reveals the brutality of war and the challenges faced by soldiers. The singer is forced to take a tiny pill to suppress his natural urges and is given a gun and ordered to kill. Though he was raised in a church where it was taught that no one should take another's life, he was sent to the jungles of Vietnam, where human life had no value. The repetition of the line "they had me standing on the front line" emphasizes the singer's feeling of being used as a tool of war.


In the final verse, the singer has returned home from the war to a world that no longer values or respects him. His family is broken, and he struggles to cope with the psychological damage of his experiences in Vietnam. Despite everything, he still feels a sense of loyalty to the military, parading his purple heart around the neighborhood. The lyrics suggest that war not only destroys lives overseas, but it also has long-lasting effects on the soldiers who fight them.


Line by Line Meaning

I am a veteran of the war
I served in the military during a war


I up and joined the army back in nineteen-sixty-four
I enlisted in the army in 1964 without hesitation


At sixteen, I just had to be a man at any cost
At 16, I felt the need to prove my manhood at any cost


I volunteered for Vietnam, where I got my leg shot off
I chose to go fight in Vietnam and ended up getting shot in the leg


I recall a quote form a movie that said "who's more a man Than a man with a reason that's worth dyin' for?"
I remember a movie quote that said a man is truly a man when he has a reason worth dying for.


They had me standing on the front line
I was placed in the most dangerous position during battle


But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead
In civilian life, I feel like I'm not progressing or achieving as much as I should be.


They gave me a uniform and a tiny salty pill To stop the big urge I might have for the wrong kind of thrill
They gave me medication to suppress my natural instincts to do things that could endanger myself or others.


They put a gun in my hand and said "shoot until he's dead" But it's hard to kill when "please, I'm your friend" echoes through your head
I was trained to kill, but it's difficult when I can hear the voice of my potential victim pleading for my mercy.


Brought up in church taught no man should take another's life But then put in the jungle where life has no price, no
I was brought up with the belief that taking someone's life is wrong, but in the jungle of war, life has no value.


Back in the world, the paper reads today Another war is in the brewing But what about the lives of yesterday? And the many happy families that have been ruined?
Now that I'm back home, I read about yet another war brewing, but what about the families affected by past wars?


My niece is a hooker and my nephew's a junkie, too But they say I have no right to tell them how they should do They laugh and say quit "braggin' 'bout the war you should have never been in"
My own family members have fallen into negative lifestyles, but they don't think I have the right to give them advice because of my experiences in the war.


But my mind is so brainwashed I'd probably go back and do it again
Despite the negative experiences, I've been conditioned to think that going back to war is the right thing to do.


I walk the neighborhood, parading my purple heart With a fear of agent orange that no one will stop, no
I show off my military honors in my neighborhood, but I'm also scared of the effects of the toxic herbicide Agent Orange, which nobody seems to be addressing.


Would you believe I do?
Do you believe my story and understand the struggles that war veterans face?




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: STEVIE WONDER

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

Joao Arminio

I am a veteran of the war
I up and joined the army back in nineteen-sixty-four
At sixteen, I just had to be a man at any cost
I volunteered for Vietnam, where I got my leg shot off
I recall a quote form a movie that said "who's more a man
Than a man with a reason that's worth dyin' for?"

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

They gave me a uniform and a tiny salty pill
To stop the big urge I might have for the wrong kind of thrill
They put a gun in my hand and said "shoot until he's dead"
But it's hard to kill when "please, I'm your friend" echoes through your head
Brought up in church taught no man should take another's life
But then put in the jungle where life has no price, no

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Back in the world, the paper reads today
Another war is in the brewing
But what about the lives of yesterday?
And the many happy families that have been ruined?
My niece is a hooker and my nephew's a junkie, too
But they say I have no right to tell them how they should do
They laugh and say quit "braggin' 'bout the war you should have never been in"
But my mind is so brainwashed I'd probably go back and do it again
I walk the neighborhood, parading my purple heart
With a fear of agent orange that no one will stop, no

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Would you believe I do?
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead



All comments from YouTube:

BigBlueBeast

This is one of Stevie's good songs that does not get a lot of attention.

Daniel trujillo

Just another masterpiece by a true American music legend

Cessaly D Hutchinson

Yep! Now my war cry to SHUT DOWN THE CIA WAR MACHINE!

Carson CA Summer 1982.

Paul Manweller1

“Brought up in church not to take a life. Got put in a jungle we’re life as no price”. Pure genius

Joao Arminio

I am a veteran of the war
I up and joined the army back in nineteen-sixty-four
At sixteen, I just had to be a man at any cost
I volunteered for Vietnam, where I got my leg shot off
I recall a quote form a movie that said "who's more a man
Than a man with a reason that's worth dyin' for?"

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

They gave me a uniform and a tiny salty pill
To stop the big urge I might have for the wrong kind of thrill
They put a gun in my hand and said "shoot until he's dead"
But it's hard to kill when "please, I'm your friend" echoes through your head
Brought up in church taught no man should take another's life
But then put in the jungle where life has no price, no

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Back in the world, the paper reads today
Another war is in the brewing
But what about the lives of yesterday?
And the many happy families that have been ruined?
My niece is a hooker and my nephew's a junkie, too
But they say I have no right to tell them how they should do
They laugh and say quit "braggin' 'bout the war you should have never been in"
But my mind is so brainwashed I'd probably go back and do it again
I walk the neighborhood, parading my purple heart
With a fear of agent orange that no one will stop, no

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Would you believe I do?
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
They had me standing on the front line
But now I stand at the back of the line when it comes to gettin' ahead

Jeff Bunn

<3

Sandra Carter

Thank you for talking the time to write down the lyrics to thís Awesome Powerful Song of the Genius Mr. Stevie Wonder ❤️💛💚🖤🇨🇬🇦🇪🇧🇯🇨🇴🇩🇪🇦🇴🇧🇴🇨🇬🎶💦🎶❤️💛💚🖤🙏🏿🙏🏿

Dwight Baker

That's good as it gets

Emily M

Love the riff ....wanna get lost in the rocknroll and drift away ! Thank God for Stevie Wonder ♡

Trent Davis

A seriously underrated cut from 1982....lyrically strong and funky!!

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