Hero of War by Rise Against addresses a young soldiers experiences and reflections on warfare, emphasizing the moral dilemmas and devastating consequences of combat. It serves as a critique of warfare and the recruitment of young soldiers, suggesting a setting where idealism meets the brutal reality of the battlefield.
Key: E
E
G#m
..."Son, have you seen the world?
A
Well, what would you say
E
If I said that you could?
A
Just carry this gun,
E
You'll even get paid.".
B
I said "That sounds pretty good."
E
Black leather boots,
G#m
Spit-shined, so bright.
A
They cut off my hair,
E
But it looks alright.
A
We marched and we sang.
E
We all became friends,
B
As we learned how to fight.
C#m
A hero of war!
A
Yeah, that's what I'll be.
E
And when I come home,
B
They'll be damn proud of me.
C#m
I'll carry this flag;
A
To the grave, if I must.
E
'Cause it's a flag that I love
B
And it's flag that I trust.
E
I kicked in the door,
G#m
I yelled my commands.
A
The children, they cried,
E
But I got my man.
A
We took him away,
E
A bag over his face,
B
From his family and his friends.
E
They took off his clothes,
G#m
They pissed in his hands.
A
I told them to stop,
E
But then, I joined in.
A
We beat him with guns
E
And batons, not just once,
B
But again and again.
C#m
A hero of war!
A
Yeah, that's what I'll be.
E
And when I come home,
B
They'll be damn proud of me.
C#m
I'll carry this flag;
A
To the grave, if I must.
E
'Cause it's a flag that I love
B
And I flag that I trust.
E
G#m
...walked through bullets and haze.
A
I asked her to stop;
E
I begged her to stay.
A
But she pressed on,
E
So I lifted my gun
B
And I fired away...
E
And the shells
G#m
Jumped through the smoke.
A
And into the sand,
E
That the blood now had soaked,
A
She collapsed,
E
With a flag in her hand.
B
A flag white as snow.
C#m
A hero of war!
A
Is that what they see?
E
Just medals and scars?
B
So damn proud of me.
C#m
And I brought home that flag.
A
Now it gathers dust.
E
But it's a flag that I love.
B
It's the only flag I trust.
E
G#m
He said "Son, have you seen the world?
A
Well, what would you say
E
If I said that you could?" ************************