Final Transmission
Street Dogs Lyrics


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He had just turned nineteen yesterday
Wanted to be a school teacher someday
Came from a small and modest town
Had never before traveled abroad

He signed on the promise of a college fund
Pop and Mom begged him to stay at home
The last time they saw him was at an airport
He hugged his distraught mother a final time

He went abroad to serve when he was only nineteen
Reality caught up with him, stole a heart full of dreams

He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst this war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken
Mother, Mother
My final transmission

Paris Island was plain hell on earth
Got gunny yelling at him, "better prove your worth"
Moved on to Baghdad about six months on
Caught an IED today, now he is gone

He went abroad to serve when he was only nineteen
Reality caught up with him, stole a heart full of dreams

He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst this war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken
Mother, Mother
My final transmission

Dad and Mom I am your only loving sing
Hid a written final transmission under my helmet
Love you both in heart and mind
A better set of parents no boy could ever find
Weep for me and say thy prayers
Remember me through all your years
Only got to serve for six months on and
If you're reading this I have passed and gone

So I harbor my final request
A letter in my memory please send
Off to the President and all his men
Begging him with others to bring the troops back home
He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst the war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken

He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst this war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken




Mother, Mother
My final transmission

Overall Meaning

The song "Final Transmission" by Street Dogs tells the story of a young man who joins the military to fund his education, but is tragically killed before he can achieve his dreams. The lyrics paint a picture of a hopeful and ambitious young man who is forced to leave his home and loved ones behind, only to be cut down in the prime of his life. The chorus of the song emphasizes the senselessness of war, as the singer's hopes and aspirations are lost amidst the chaos and destruction of battle.


The first few lines of the song introduce us to the singer, a 19-year-old who has just celebrated his birthday and dreams of becoming a school teacher. Despite coming from a small town and never having traveled abroad, he signs up for the military in order to receive a college fund. His parents beg him to stay home, but he leaves for his mission anyway. The song is told from the perspective of the young man, who is aware that he is likely to be killed in the line of duty.


The second verse describes the singer's time in the military, from the harsh training at Paris Island to his deployment in Baghdad. He is killed by an IED after only six months of service, leaving behind a written final transmission to his parents. The final verse is addressed directly to his parents, with the young man expressing his love for them and making a final request that a letter be sent to the President to bring the troops back home.


Overall, "Final Transmission" is a poignant and moving tribute to the thousands of young men and women who have lost their lives in the service of their country. The song reminds us of the human cost of war, and the heartbreaking stories of the many young people who sacrificed everything for their beliefs.


Line by Line Meaning

He had just turned nineteen yesterday
He was very young and had just celebrated his nineteenth birthday.


Wanted to be a school teacher someday
He had aspirations to become a teacher in the future.


Came from a small and modest town
He grew up in a humble town that was not known for much.


Had never before traveled abroad
He had never left his home country to travel outside the country.


He signed on the promise of a college fund
He joined the military with the promise of receiving money for college in the future.


Pop and Mom begged him to stay at home
His parents did not want him to leave and join the military, and tried to convince him to stay at home.


The last time they saw him was at an airport
The last time his parents saw him was when he was leaving for his flight to go abroad and serve in the military.


He hugged his distraught mother a final time
He gave his mother a final hug before leaving to serve in the military, knowing it might be the last time he saw her.


Paris Island was plain hell on earth
His training on Paris Island was very difficult and unpleasant.


Got gunny yelling at him, "better prove your worth"
His superior officer was yelling at him to show that he was capable and up to the standards of the military.


Moved on to Baghdad about six months on
After six months of training, he was deployed to Baghdad to serve in the military.


Caught an IED today, now he is gone
He was killed by an improvised explosive device (IED) while serving in the military.


Dad and Mom I am your only loving sing
He wanted his parents to know how much he loved them.


Hid a written final transmission under my helmet
He left a letter for his family hidden under his helmet, to be found in case he did not make it home.


Love you both in heart and mind
He loved his parents very much, and wanted them to know this even after he was gone.


A better set of parents no boy could ever find
He truly believed that his parents were the best parents anyone could have.


Weep for me and say thy prayers
He wanted his parents to be sad but also pray for him.


Remember me through all your years
He hoped that his parents would remember him and keep his memory alive.


Only got to serve for six months on and
He only served in the military for six months before he was killed.


If you're reading this I have passed and gone
He wrote this letter assuming he would not make it home, and wanted his family to find it and know what he was feeling.


So I harbor my final request
His final request was very important to him and he had been thinking about it for some time.


A letter in my memory please send
He wanted his family to write a letter in his memory and send it to someone important.


Off to the President and all his men
He wanted the letter to be sent to the President of the United States and all of his advisors and officials.


Begging him with others to bring the troops back home
The letter was a plea to the President to end the war and bring the troops back home so that no more young soldiers would have to die.


He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
He will never have the opportunity to fulfill all of his hopes and dreams.


Lost them all amidst this war and smoke
The war took away all of his hopes and dreams, leaving him with nothing but death and destruction.


Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
The death of young soldiers is the sound of youth being destroyed and negated.


Watch on TV names are taken
On TV, names of young soldiers who have died are announced, as if they are nothing more than a statistic.


Mother, Mother
He is speaking to his mother, who he loves and will miss.


My final transmission
This letter is his final message to his family before he died serving in the military.




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

MyMojo

He had just turned nineteen yesterday
Wanted to be a school teacher someday
Came from a small and modest town
Had never before traveled abroad

He signed on the promise of a college fund
Pop and Mom begged him to stay at home
The last time they saw him was at an airport
He hugged his distraught mother a final time

He went abroad to serve when he was only nineteen
Reality caught up with him, stole a heart full of dreams

He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst this war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken
Mother, Mother
My final transmission

Paris Island was plain hell on earth
Got gunny yelling at him, "better prove your worth"
Moved on to Baghdad about six months on
Caught an IED today, now he is gone

He went abroad to serve when he was only nineteen
Reality caught up with him, stole a heart full of dreams

He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst this war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken
Mother, Mother
My final transmission

Dad and Mom I am your only loving sing
Hid a written final transmission under my helmet
Love you both in heart and mind
A better set of parents no boy could ever find
Weep for me and say thy prayers
Remember me through all your years
Only got to serve for six months on and
If you're reading this I have passed and gone

So I harbor my final request
A letter in my memory please send
Off to the President and all his men
Begging him with others to bring the troops back home
He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst the war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken

He's never gonna get a chance to chase all those hopes
Lost them all amidst this war and smoke
Can you hear the sound of youth negated?
Watch on TV names are taken
Mother, Mother
My final transmission



All comments from YouTube:

duh vid

This band was my cousins favorite band. He was a recon marine that was killed in action. These guys not only came to his funeral, they dedicated this song to him at the house of blues with his little brother on stage. I will always have love for these guys and what they do for our fallen and their family's.

The Schmoe

RIP Jordan 🇺🇸

Charlie Masterson

Never Below, Never Above Always Beside
Fair Winds and Following Seas Semper Fidelis

Cru Jones

duh vid- RIP

Rob Smith

"The bravest kids I know, are the ones that gotta go fighting over there." --- Rancid, The Bravest Kids I was always a punk rock kid, but sometimes you don't have any other options than the military. I loved/hated it, I made so many close friends, and i did my time. Coming back home to see even the punk bands I grew up to giving me a nod like this....brings tears to my eyes. Thank you to all my brothers and sisters still serving, and to those that served.

M LJ

Thank you for your service soldier. My family is safer because of men like you.

Kristin Currier Ludlow

5 years ago you left this comment. Hope you see this now, thank you for your service. Wishing you a meaningful Memorial Day.

Brendan Gavaghan

Mike McColgan = True working class hero. Great video, Great song, Great band. Can't wait for the new album. See yea back in boston

Greg LaBerge

its a testament to how well this song was written that when my little cousin sung it at a talent show (not that well either) most everyone was still getting emotional

Austin Slater

This song really gets to me lyrically. It takes a lot for a song to give me the chills, this one does man. Right up their with Joe Strummer and Mick Jones or John Lennon and Paul McCartney and George Harrison. The Street Dogs are one of those bands. Keep speaking out guys. Wake up the world, open their eyes. Lives are worth to much to be thrown away like this.

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