The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Lonely soldier go home
Lonely, but never alone
Good eyes, see nothing to shoot
Good feet, feel good giving up good boots
So ask your father how'd you fall
And ask your father how'd you fall
Like a leaf sitting on the ground
Good for nothing 'cept kicking around
She died with her hands stretched out
She died with a hungry mouth
She died with her mind full of doubt
And thoughts of weakening
So may your river never dry
And may your mouth never lie
And may you be satisfied to never know why
Sometimes someone just wants to die
So where'd you get those cuts in your hand?
Thought I told you about playing in the sand
There's always someone careless with glass
There's always questions you don't want to ask
She died with her hands stretched out
She died with a hungry mouth
She died with her mind full of doubt
And thoughts of weakening
And so may your river never dry
And may your mouth never lie
And may you be satisfied to never know why
Sometimes someone just wants to die
So lonely soldier go home
Lonely, but never alone
Good eyes, see nothing to shoot
Good feet, feel good giving up good boots
Lonely, but never alone
Good eyes, see nothing to shoot
Good feet, feel good giving up good boots
So ask your father how'd you fall
And ask your father how'd you fall
Like a leaf sitting on the ground
Good for nothing 'cept kicking around
She died with her hands stretched out
She died with a hungry mouth
She died with her mind full of doubt
And thoughts of weakening
So may your river never dry
And may your mouth never lie
And may you be satisfied to never know why
Sometimes someone just wants to die
So where'd you get those cuts in your hand?
Thought I told you about playing in the sand
There's always someone careless with glass
There's always questions you don't want to ask
She died with her hands stretched out
She died with a hungry mouth
She died with her mind full of doubt
And thoughts of weakening
And so may your river never dry
And may your mouth never lie
And may you be satisfied to never know why
Sometimes someone just wants to die
So lonely soldier go home
Lonely, but never alone
Good eyes, see nothing to shoot
Good feet, feel good giving up good boots
Lyrics submitted by spastic_kitty
Lonely Soldier [Live] Lyrics as written by Damien George Rice
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I cant believe no-ones commented on this yet. This song is so obviosly about someone trying to kill herself and then suceeding:
'So where'd you get those cuts in your hand I thought I told you about playing in the sand There's always someone careless with glass There's always questions you don't want to ask.'
and then she dies:
'She died with her hands stretched out She died with a hungry mouth She died with her mind full of doubt'
and he doesnt know why she wanted to die:
'And may you be satisfied to never know why Sometimes someone just wants to die'
Its a really powerfull song - i love it!
I agree with it... actually I think that the song talks about a good guy who go to a military service and when he finish his service (good feet feel good giving up good boots) he found her atempting to kill herself... he doesn't understand why she lied and why she die, becouse after all he didn't anything wrong... but just like the song, "sometimes someone just wants to die"
A very good duet with Christy Moore ;o)
In his own words, from The LA Times Mag:
“Lonely Soldier” came about in 2004, around the time of an anti—Iraq War campaign in Ireland. The U.S. was using Shannon Airport there for military planes, and a lot of Irish people were not very happy about that. So I did my best to imagine being a soldier and what it would be like to shoot someone I don’t know–in particular, to kill an innocent woman who had startled me while in action. This is how I was able to connect, because it’s mostly men and testosterone and ego that go off to war and fight and kill, and it’s mostly women and children who die. I would love for women to rise up and balance the energy on the planet some more. It’s all a bit cock driven right now–bring on the era of the bosom.
I LOVE @nothin_unusual_22's interpretation though. 'Tis the beauty of art; interpretation is part of the appreciation.
I think the song is about War the part about dieing with a hungry mouth and all that is war torn people suffering and the part about the lonely soldier is about a man who sees war for what it is ,as a horrible thing his eyes are now pure and loving so he sees nothing to shoot , not his enemies not anything and his feet still good and able to fight feel like giving up as a personal choice not as an injury and the part about being lonely is I think about how he is either stressed about what he has donein the war and he's locked himsel away in his mind but hes not alone because his comrads are with him or he is done fighting and he is never alone because he cannot forget what has happened and is accompanied by his memories
he sang this tonight in Houston. it was brilliant.
when i first heard this song, the message just jumped out at me because i find myself right now in a very similar situation. unfortunately i feel like i am a lonely soldier killing the girl im with. To me, the song is about a man and a woman who have been together for a while, but the man now just doesnt get the same feelings from the relationship that he once did and that she still does. (his river is dry). and even though he still loves her, and he hates that he would kill her if he leaves, he does anyway. i dont know if the song means that she literally kills herself or just dies emotionally but she dies not ready for it to end yet because she still feels that spark they had and she wanted him forever so she dies with her hands stretched out and her mouth hungry, wanting more. the man goes on to find that what they had was special and he knows he wont find that again so he always feels lonely even though he isnt alone. he just isnt with the right person and he knows it and he knows it's his fault for just giving up good boots. now he gets cuts in his hands from playing in the sand from careless people with glass meaning that the women he finds now arent right and they hurt him by acting like he did before. and he knows that none of this would have had to happen if he could have just been satisfied with the woman he had first and not found out how to make her want to die. thats how i interpret it anyway because im in that exact position. i know i love my girlfriend, but im dissatisfied because i wonder what else might be out there for me. im afraid of losing her, but im also afraid of being with the wrong person for my whole life. but i think this song has inspired me, like so many of damien rice's songs, and i think it may make my decision a little easier. thank you damien.
Lovely!
Lonely Soldier was a charity single released in Ireland on 24 Jun 2004 in aid of peace. It's about the troubles and mothers and sons
Such a powerful song.
One of his best!!!
i think its about a woman at war that died sudden and unfinished.. dying without completing your purpose. Like a leaf sitting on the ground Good for nothing 'cept kicking around
oh and i pretty much agree with nothin unusual 22.. kinda hard to read tho =/
I feel that its all about how people are uncaring and I imagine a young girl who needed help and no one saw fit to help her out until she died. I think we should all consider helping people more if we really knew what they were going through. "Good feet feel good giving up good boots"