Day After Tomorrow

taal 19 is correct. When you're overseas - especially in a place like, say, Iraq, where the landscape and culture is so different - you tend to miss the little things. Remember, when you're at war, you can't just do what want, when you want. You can't leave and you can't go about you're life as if you were a civilian at home. At times like those, you tend appreciate the little things that seem trivial. That's what Tom was talking about in the verse about Rockford.

As for the song, to me it sounds anti-war in a sense. All this talk about them (the military) filling soldiers with lies, not knowing how to feel about the blood shed, not fighting for freedom or justice, how the other side doesn't want to die anymore then anyone else and how their essential the same when you get down to it. The twist in this song being that it's supposed to be from the perspective of solider, instead of a civilian. What many people seem to forget is that more often than not, soldiers are anti-war. You think they really want to kill and be put in the position to be killed? It's not easy, not fun, and not something most soldiers want to experience. People join the military usually for many different reasons and most of the time it's not because they love war and want to kill people, or everyones favorites, to defend and serve their country/freedom/justice. It's a paycheck, a chance at college, an opportunity to fly planes you normally wouldn't be able to fly, and so on. Above all it's a job and soldiers, whether their enlisted or officers, are just following orders.

To the guy who said the Paul Appleby version is "better," I don't understand how you can say that when he leaves out the entire section about God, refused prayers and the desire to not die in war. It's the whole crux of the song and removing it completely changes the meaning. In other words, it ruins the song.

He isn't making Rockford sound glamourous. He says he misses it, and you won't believe that what he is missing is so mundane - shovelling snow and raking leaves. It may seem like chores to most, but I suppose if you're a soldier in a war overseas, you realise that you never really miss or appreciate such things til they're gone.

Such a sad, sad, pretty song. I especially like the fourth stanza, rather thought-provoking.

I'd say this song is pretty much out in the open and isn't really hiding any hidden meaning behind it.

Nobody is commenting on the greatest antiwar song EVER written?

a soldier's letter?

these lyrics are so moving.

i saw this guy on the daily show a week or two ago. i love the old blues style every once in a while.

I love this song. My only complaint is "I miss ol' Rockford town"...cause there's nothing to miss about Rockford.

/wisconsinite

I gotta say I'm from Rockford and Mr. Waits makes it sound way more glamourous than it is.

Such a beautiful sad rainy day song. I wish more music was made this good.

This is beautiful really. I think it's even more tragic when you think about that song from Annie "Tomorrow's always a day away." Maybe the soldier's never coming home?