The War Drags Ever On
Tank Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

A war is raging that we don't understand
And I doubt that we can
There's no mistaking the mad sons of Islam
As they spill blood on the sand
A strange religion, that destroys through the Koran
Freedom's lost in this land
Hades or heaven. they're under it's command
Whatever rights had a man

[Pre-chorus]:
We'll hear the bomb blasts round' the world
With two world wars passed they want to start the third
As they aruge 'bout the planes they shot down
And count the dead they have found
An unholy war that's raising hell to the ground

[Chorus]:
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
Ever on

An arm is severed with a gun still in it's hand
And it's just left to be damned
Their main endeavour has not gone as it was planned
Shoot the boys where they stand
War is forever but as if we had the time
To change their thoughts in their minds
This war will never reflect on all their kind
They should be glad just to die

[Pre-chorus]:
We'll hear the bomb blasts round' the world
With two world wars passed they want to start the third
As they aruge 'bout the planes they shot down
And count the dead they have found
An unholy war that's raising hell to the ground

[Chorus]:
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
Ever on

[Solo]

A war is raging that we don't understand
And I doubt that we can
There's no mistaking the mad sons of Islam
As they spill blood on the sand
A strange religion, that destroys through the Koran
Freedom's lost in this land
Hades or heaven. they're under it's command
Whatever rights had a man

[Pre-chorus]:
We'll hear the bomb blasts round' the world
With two world wars passed they want to start the third
As they aruge 'bout the planes they shot down
And count the dead they have found
An unholy war that's raising hell to the ground

The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on

[Solo]

The war drags ever on




The war drags ever on
The war drags ever on

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Tank's song The War Drags Ever On vividly describe the horrors of war and the impact it has on civilians. The first verse highlights the complexity of the conflict and how it is difficult to comprehend. The angry and violent actions of the members of the Islamic faith leave little room for misunderstanding. The second verse laments the fact that many innocent lives are lost in war, taking away their freedom and ability to live. The war is unholy, and it's continually damaging the earth. The pre-chorus stresses the gravity of the situation, reflecting on how the world has already gone through two world wars, and it seems like this conflict could provoke a third world war. The chorus is a haunting repetition of the title, emphasizing how the war never ends and continues to drag on, leaving destruction in its wake.


The lyrics of the song can be seen as an anti-war ballad. It's a critique of the military-industrial complex, the politicians who authorize and fund wars, and the general population that supports these wars. The song speaks to the futility of war and the loss of life and freedom that it causes. As always, Tank delivers a powerful message through his music, confronting uncomfortable truths and challenging the status quo.


Line by Line Meaning

A war is raging that we don't understand
There is a war going on that we simply do not comprehend


And I doubt that we can
The singer is skeptical that we will ever fully grasp the war's complexities


There's no mistaking the mad sons of Islam
The singer believes it is clear that the extremist groups behind the war are fueled by Islamic beliefs


As they spill blood on the sand
The violent actions of the warring factions are leading to death and destruction


A strange religion, that destroys through the Koran
The artist believes that the Islamic religion is being manipulated to justify violent acts


Freedom's lost in this land
The war has resulted in the loss of liberty and autonomy for many people living in the affected area


Hades or heaven. they're under it's command
The warring factions are essentially pawns in a larger struggle between good and evil


Whatever rights had a man
Individual rights and freedoms are being disregarded amidst the chaos of war


We'll hear the bomb blasts round' the world
The impact of the war is widespread, reaching far beyond the conflict zone


With two world wars passed they want to start the third
The artist is drawing a comparison to past global conflicts and suggesting that this current war could escalate and become just as catastrophic


As they argue 'bout the planes they shot down
Even the most minor details surrounding the war are causing debate and discord among the warring parties


And count the dead they have found
The death toll of the war continues to rise, and those involved on each side keep a tally of their enemies' losses


An unholy war that's raising hell to the ground
The singer is characterizing the conflict as a destructive and evil endeavor that is tearing apart communities and societies


The war drags ever on
The war seems to be never-ending, with no foreseeable resolution in sight


An arm is severed with a gun still in it's hand
The violence of the war has led to gruesome injuries and disfigurement


And it's just left to be damned
The horrors of war seem to have resulted in a sort of nihilistic attitude where there is no hope for redemption or salvation


Their main endeavor has not gone as it was planned
The warring factions have not been able to achieve their goals despite their violent actions


Shoot the boys where they stand
The violence of the war is affecting even the youngest and most innocent people


War is forever but as if we had the time
The war seems like it could go on indefinitely, despite the fact that time is always moving forward


To change their thoughts in their minds
The artist believes that there is no hope for changing the ideology or mentality of the warring factions


This war will never reflect on all their kind
The artist acknowledges that the actions of one group do not necessarily reflect the values or beliefs of an entire religion or ethnicity


They should be glad just to die
The artist seems to suggest that perhaps it would be better for those caught up in the war to simply accept their fate and embrace death


The war drags ever on
Once again, the singer emphasizes that the war shows no signs of stopping or coming to an end




Contributed by Thomas E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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Comments from YouTube:

ARTalive01

Damn, this song always kicks ass. Drive down a empty highway while this blares out your speakers and let it just burst through your speakers like a madman! This song deserves that!

Rathwulven Bushcraft

Honour & Blood is probably their best album.
That track in particular has a, well, let's call it "certain significance" in my life. Seen some action years ago, listening to that track on my bike helps to cope with that shit.
If anyone of you fellas went through the same shit: You are not alone. Stay strong.

Bang Ding Ow

Yes...had this on cassette back in the day. Peace brother

KARMACHOSIS

This entire Album, Record, CD is a masterpiece.

Daniel Madeira

I think it so. It blown my minds up since the very first time that i hear it!!!

StainedClass

Agreed. This should be in every NWOBHM fan's playlist.

Braulius Castillo

Even the cover art is a masterpiece

Błażej Siwa

The last solo is unique. Simply you can feel bullets and bombs blasting above your head. 10/10.

Paultiito

Himno, que maravilla tener el privilegio de aún poder escuchar esta obra maestra en el 2021, Tank es un Himno ....

Metal Mayhem

Tank is the real core of Metal. They blew me away '81//'82. And they do it still. Every fucking day.

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