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The Fortunes of War Lyrics

(Dedicated to the memory of Brian Deneke)

Each town has its cliques those who don't get along and then there's towns I know where certain kids just don't belong so know your rivals and watch your back 'cause no one's gonna be there when the enemy attacks

Chorus:
When the justice eludes you it's the fortunes of war wouldn't things be different had the tables been turned? If the people won't protect you you must fend for yourself when the justice eludes you it's the fortunes of war

You drove right over him and then you sped away how does it feel to kill and know you didn't pay? So walk away even though a life is gone someday, you'll know the price when god repays you for your wrongs.
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Cover art for The Fortunes of War lyrics by Dropkick Murphys

This song is probably one of my least favorites on Sing Loud, Sing Proud, but it isn't a bad song...I think it is fairly obvious what it is about...maybe the corruption and the apathy that is present in society...something like that.

Cover art for The Fortunes of War lyrics by Dropkick Murphys

Ok you definately got that wrong Madcappunk. This song (as it says under the title) is about a friend of the band who was killed. The first verse starts out saying how there are gangs all over the city and how they dont like each other and such but there is also the kids that dont want anything to do with the gangs and dont fit in with the rest of the "in" crowd. These are the people that everyone forgets about and they dont care if they hurt them. The last verse shows that this kid that never did anything to anyone was in the wrong place at the wrong time and was killed because of it, but the killers escaped prosecution. In the middle of the song there is a news report of a kid being killed by a gang. This is what the song is about, some kid getting killed because of gangs.

Cover art for The Fortunes of War lyrics by Dropkick Murphys

Brian Deneke was a punk kid from Texas who got in a fight with some jock football player that culminated in the jock running him over with his truck and killing him. The killer got no jailtime, just probation and a fine.

Cover art for The Fortunes of War lyrics by Dropkick Murphys

Dropkick Rover, you're wrong, though your main aspects are right. The song is dedicated to Brian Deneke, who never knew the band. The poor lad got jumped outside an IHOP with his friends. the town's entire Football team showed up and, as Punkpirate said, Brian got run down by Dustin Camp's cadillac, litterally crushing his skull open, then joking about it to Brian's girlfriend. The little bastard got no jail time, until he violated probation, and his fine was payed off by everyone else's charity, because he was an "All-American" kid from the football team. If I ever see something like that I would kill the guilty party, even if I knew I'd be condemned. I am a traditional Irishman, vengeance stands above all but three things, and jocks ain't one of 'em.