On Track No. 07, “The War is Over,” off The Sweetest Condition’s debut album, “Edge of the World,” you find yourself in the aftermath of a major struggle. You’re living in your own post-Apocalyptic isolation, nearly crippled by a devastating loss. Meanwhile, everyone around you seems perfectly happy, but you have not yet healed. You’re in agony, and the only thing that can save you from the pain is unleashing it into the world. But in your grief, you also find the strength to admit your faults and embrace your humanity.
PRESS REVIEW:
“Lest you think ‘Edge of the World’ is filled with Leslie’s eardrum-melting ballads, this down-tempo number showcases a deliciously different side of her voice. On this track, she laments the emotional damage she’s suffered from a relationship that ended badly.” —Chuck Frey, Modern Synthpop, Wisconsin, Jan. 12, 2016
LYRICS:
The War is Over
© The Sweetest Condition 2015
(Music: Jason Reed Milner/Lyrics: Leslie Irene Benson)
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
I took a stance.
You held your ground,
but what is lost
can never be found.
Never be found.
It’s so easy for you
to forget,
but I feel regret.
I feel regret.
When you wake beside me,
you feel peace. …
But I need release.
I need release!
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
I took a stance.
You held your ground,
but what is lost
can never be found.
Never be found.
I can’t forget the past—
the shrapnel from the blast.
Some things can’t be undone.
F*** me for being human!
The sun is shining
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
F*** me for being human.
This song is available on Bandcamp, iTunes, Apple Music, Amazon MP3 and Google Play Music as a digital download, and on CD Baby as part of a physical CD.
The War Is Over
The Sweetest Condition Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Music: Jason Reed Milner/Lyrics: Leslie Irene Benson)
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
You held your ground,
but what is lost
can never be found.
Never be found.
It’s so easy for you
to forget,
but I feel regret.
I feel regret.
When you wake beside me,
you feel peace. …
But I need release.
I need release!
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
I took a stance.
You held your ground,
but what is lost
can never be found.
Never be found.
I can’t forget the past—
the shrapnel from the blast.
Some things can’t be undone.
F*** me for being human!
The sun is shining
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
F*** me for being human.
The Sweetest Condition's song The War is Over speaks of the aftermath of a relationship that has ended on a less than peaceful note. The opening lines "The sun is rising, The war is over, but your love left me a wounded soldier" paint a picture of the end of the conflict, but the emotional damage done to one of the parties involved. The singer acknowledges that while the battle may be over, they have been left with emotional scars that are not easily healed. The lines "I took a stance. You held your ground, but what is lost can never be found" highlight that despite their efforts to make things right, it's too late to go back to how things were before, and the relationship is beyond repair. They are also deeply hurt by their former partner's seeming ease at moving on from the relationship, as highlighted in the lines "It's so easy for you to forget, but I feel regret." The singer, however, is struggling to do the same and seeks release from the pain they carry.
The chorus repeats the lines "The sun is rising, The war is over, but your love left me a wounded soldier" as an echo of the opening lines, emphasizing the emotional scars left behind. The singer expresses their inability to forget the past and the pain that comes with it, and acknowledges that some things cannot be undone, expressed in the lines: "I can’t forget the past—, the shrapnel from the blast. Some things can’t be undone. F*** me for being human!" Despite the passage of time, the emotional wounds of the relationship continue to linger, despite the outward appearance that the war has ended.
Line by Line Meaning
The sun is rising
A new day is dawning
The war is over,
The conflict between two people is resolved
but your love left me
The end of the relationship has left me feeling incomplete
a wounded soldier.
I am deeply hurt and scarred
I took a stance.
I stood up for myself and my beliefs
You held your ground,
You did not back down from your position
but what is lost
I have lost something important
can never be found.
It is impossible to retrieve what was lost
It’s so easy for you
Moving on seems effortless for you
to forget,
You are able to put things behind you easily
but I feel regret.
I am haunted by my mistakes and choices
When you wake beside me,
Being close to me makes you feel secure
you feel peace. …
You are able to rest and relax with me
But I need release.
I need to liberate myself from the pain and turmoil
I can’t forget the past—
The memories of what happened still linger inside of me
the shrapnel from the blast.
The painful aftermath of the relationship still affects me
Some things can’t be undone.
Certain things cannot be corrected or fixed
F*** me for being human!
I curse myself for making mistakes and being vulnerable
The sun is shining
The future holds some hope and optimism for me
The war is over,
The emotional turmoil is subsiding
but your love left me
Your absence has left a void in my life
a wounded soldier.
I am still picking up the pieces of a broken heart
The sun is rising
A new day is dawning
The war is over,
The tumultuous phase is coming to an end
but your love left me
The end of the relationship has left a lasting impact on me
a wounded soldier.
I am still healing and trying to move forward
F*** me for being human.
I blame myself for the outcome of the relationship
Leslie Irene Benson
See comments for lyrics & meaning.
Leslie Irene Benson
About “The War is Over” by The Sweetest Condition (Edge of the World 2015)
There will come a time in your life when you’ve just been through Hell and somehow survived. On Track No. 07, “The War is Over,” off The Sweetest Condition’s debut album, “Edge of the World,” you find yourself in the aftermath. You’re living in your own post-Apocalyptic isolation, nearly crippled by a devastating loss. Meanwhile, everyone around you seems perfectly happy, but you have not yet healed. You’re in agony, and the only thing that can save you from the pain is unleashing it into the world. But in your grief, you also find the strength to admit your faults and embrace your humanity.
“Lest you think ‘Edge of the World’ is filled with Leslie’s eardrum-melting ballads, this down-tempo number showcases a deliciously different side of her voice. On this track, she laments the emotional damage she’s suffered from a relationship that ended badly.” —Chuck Frey, Modern Synthpop, Wisconsin, Jan. 12, 2016, http://modernsynthpop.com/the-sweetest-condition-end-of.../
LYRICS:
The War is Over
© The Sweetest Condition 2015
(Music: Jason Reed Milner/Lyrics: Leslie Irene Benson)
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
I took a stance.
You held your ground,
but what is lost
can never be found.
Never be found.
It’s so easy for you
to forget,
but I feel regret.
I feel regret.
When you wake beside me,
you feel peace. …
But I need release.
I need release!
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
I took a stance.
You held your ground,
but what is lost
can never be found.
Never be found.
I can’t forget the past—
the shrapnel from the blast.
Some things can’t be undone.
F*** me for being human!
The sun is shining
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
The sun is rising
The war is over,
but your love left me
a wounded soldier.
F*** me for being human.
Leslie Irene Benson
Buy “Edge of the World” – Debut Album by The Sweetest Condition:
▶ Bandcamp: http://thesweetestcondition.bandcamp.com/.../edge-of-the...
▶ iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/.../edge-of-the-world/id1022680715
▶ Amazon: http://www.amazon.com/Edge-World-Explicit.../dp/B012JA48OC
▶ Physical CD: http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/thesweetestcondition1
International fans can get the digital downloads on Bandcamp, iTunes, Apple Music or Amazon MP3 by searching the websites in your local region.