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Universal Soldier Lyrics
He's five feet two and he's six feet four
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years
He's a Catholic, a Hindu, an athiest, a Jain,
a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
and he knows he shouldn't kill
and he knows he always will
kill you for me my friend and me for you
And he's fighting for Canada,
he's fighting for France,
he's fighting for the USA,
and he's fighting for the Russians
and he's fighting for Japan,
and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way
And he's fighting for Democracy
and fighting for the Reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide
who's to live and who's to die
and he never sees the writing on the walls
But without him how would Hitler have
condemned him at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
as a weapon to a war
and without him all this killing can't go on
He's the universal soldier and he
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can't you see
this is not the way we put an end to war.
He fights with missiles and with spears
He's all of 31 and he's only 17
He's been a soldier for a thousand years
a Buddhist and a Baptist and a Jew
and he knows he shouldn't kill
and he knows he always will
kill you for me my friend and me for you
he's fighting for France,
he's fighting for the USA,
and he's fighting for the Russians
and he's fighting for Japan,
and he thinks we'll put an end to war this way
and fighting for the Reds
He says it's for the peace of all
He's the one who must decide
who's to live and who's to die
and he never sees the writing on the walls
condemned him at Dachau
Without him Caesar would have stood alone
He's the one who gives his body
as a weapon to a war
and without him all this killing can't go on
really is to blame
His orders come from far away no more
They come from him, and you, and me
and brothers can't you see
this is not the way we put an end to war.
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A terrific anti-war song and a reminder that we are the ones with the power to end war.
One of the best anti-war songs
I’d heard the title of the song (I probably heard of the Van Damme film first, which probably got its title from this song) but had never listened or read the lyrics until very recently. This cuts through all the “confusion” about War, and who’s to blame for whichever war. If there’s nobody to actually FIGHT, war could not continue. The problem, IMO, is that “the people” like to ascribe a certain importance to “fighting for your country”, as opposed to just random everyday violence. The former is OK, the latter is anathema. Why? Because skilled leaders brainwash them into thinking the great “other” will be coming for their lands, their wives, their daughters and sons... but the tiniest venture into critical thinking should tell you there’s no difference between killing a man in war, and killing a man for his wallet.
Of course some peoples are attacked by other peoples, and maybe they’re not left with a choice but to defend themselves. WW2 was unavoidable. But the sentiment of the song puts in stark black and white: You are responsible for your own actions. Hitler’s henchmen weren’t allowed to use the scoundrel’s defense of “I was just following orders”. Nope.