The Wars, Part One

A final, lengthy ELA 30-1 IB assignment: and auditory journal comprised of a collection of twelve songs, all relating to the topic of "wars," whether these be literal or figurative ones. ~ To break up the monotony, I shall post one song a day, along with my analysis. ~ Included here, as further introduction, is my original plan:

I am responding to the topic “What do these texts suggest to you about the effect of war on the human psyche?” Using a progression of songs that I have specifically chosen, I will relate the story of a man, henceforth referred to as “the individual,” who is drafted to fight in a nameless war. His story is told in a before, during and after approach to illustrate the change in the individual’s perception and personality throughout and after the war.

My interpretation of the topic follows below. I have broken it up into sections and assigned a song to each segment; this will appear [in a box] at the [beginning of each post], followed by the song lyrics and then, the analysis.

Individuals are often distanced from the reality of war prior to having come into direct contact with it; as a result, their perception of war is often limited to an abstract understanding of it. On the other hand, individuals who are more clairvoyant will realize the darker nature of war; this difference in opinion divides members of society.

Everybody’s Gone to War, by Nerina Pallot:

[Verse 1]
I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
He said he's waited his whole d*** life for this,
I knew him well when he was seventeen,
Now he's a man who'll be dead by Christmas.

[Bridge]
And so...
Everybody's going to war,
But we don't know what we're fighting for,
Don't tell me it's a worthy cause,
No cause could be so worthy.

[Chorus]
If love is a drug, I guess we're all sober,
If hope is a song I guess it's all over,
How to have faith, when faith is a crime?
I don't want to die...
If God's on our side, then God is a joker,
Asleep on the job, his children fall over,
Running out through the door and straight to the sky,
I don't want to die...

[Verse 2]
For every man who wants to rule the world,
There'll be a man who just wants to be free,
What do we learn but what should not be learnt?
Too late to find a cure for this disease.

[Bridge and Chorus]

I-I-I-I,
I-I-I-I,
don't want to die,
I-I don't want to die...

[Bridge and Chorus]

I-I-I-I,
I-I-I-I,
don't want to die,
I-I don't want to die...

I've got a friend, he's a pure-bred killing machine,
I think he might be dead by Christmas...

Lyrical Content

In “Everybody’s Gone to War,” the individual’s best friend, who has also been drafted to fight in the war, is expressing her fears about both of them dying “by Christmas.” This is reflected by her repetition of “I don’t want to die…,” which underscores her very human fear of death. She believes that there is “no cause” worth dying for; nor does she “know what [they’re] fighting for.” Comparatively, the individual has a lust for war, believing his purpose in life is to be a “killing machine.” The singer’s use of the word “pure-bred” also characterizes the individual as animalistic, like a dog that’s been prepared genetically for war and conditioned for this sole purpose. Hence, she suggests that the individual’s desire for war is nearly instinctual and therefore abstract and not based on reason. She describes this lust for violence as a “disease” that has permeated society, dividing it between men who “[want] to rule the world” and men “who just [want] to be free.” This juxtaposition reflects the difference between her opinion and the individual’s opinion and underscores the dividing effect of war, even on individuals not directly involved.

Auditory Elements

The cheery tune belies the serious lyrical content of this song. It is upbeat and mostly in a major key, thus giving it a false sense of joy and a pop-like sound. Yet in both verses, the chord progression for each line is A, D, G, Em.* As well, in the bridge and in the chorus, the words “worthy” and “die” are in Em. Thus, the tune keeps transitioning from the brighter, happier major sound to a more moody, minor sound, which hints at the darker nature of the song. Furthermore, whenever the word “die” is sung, it is stretched out longer than other words. The uneuphemised word, repeated many times, serves to further relate the meaning of the lyrical content. This is also reflected in the last line, when the accompanying music fades away at the word “dead” and leaves the singer’s voice naked, creating a more melancholy tone as the song ends.

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*Em stands for the E minor key. A capital letter on its own, such as “A,” stands for the corresponding major key – in this case, A major.