Lyrics Hero Of War

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.

..."Son, have you seen the world?
Well, what would you say
If I said that you could?
Just carry this gun,
You'll even get paid.".
I said "That sounds pretty good."

Black leather boots,
Spit-shined, so bright.
They cut off my hair,
But it looks alright.
We marched and we sang.
We all became friends,
As we learned how to fight.

A hero of war!
Yeah, that's what I'll be.
And when I come home,
They'll be damn proud of me.
I'll carry this flag;
To the grave, if I must.
'Cause it's a flag that I love
And it's flag that I trust.

I kicked in the door,
I yelled my commands.
The children, they cried,
But I got my man.
We took him away,
A bag over his face,
From his family and his friends.

They took off his clothes,
They pissed in his hands.
I told them to stop,
But then, I joined in.
We beat him with guns
And batons, not just once,
But again and again.

A hero of war!
Yeah, that's what I'll be.
And when I come home,
They'll be damn proud of me.
I'll carry this flag;
To the grave, if I must.
'Cause it's a flag that I love
And I flag that I trust.

...walked through bullets and haze.
I asked her to stop;
I begged her to stay.
But she pressed on,
So I lifted my gun
And I fired away...

And the shells
Jumped through the smoke.
And into the sand,
That the blood now had soaked,
She collapsed,
With a flag in her hand.
A flag white as snow.

A hero of war!
Is that what they see?
Just medals and scars?
So damn proud of me.
And I brought home that flag.
Now it gathers dust.
But it's a flag that I love.
It's the only flag I trust.

He said "Son, have you seen the world?
Well, what would you say
If I said that you could?"
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