So the air's gettin' colder,
and the news keeps us scared,
I still wrestle this summer,
from the bones of our tired, blistered hands,
cause tonight we got drinks,
just a couple of friends,
and the girl that my brother likes is finally talkin' to him,
and his chest is all swelled like he's proud and happy,
like he's got a great idea,
like he's makin' a memory...

Wake up,
and come out to the car,
there's an east swell comin',
and it's howlin' offshore,
and we'll be,
lyin' like lions out in the sand,
but i'll be dead before you put a gun in my brother's hands.

So we make jokes back home,
and we lighten the mood,
but growing up my parents saw,
what sending a kid to fight can really do,
but now with the war I can tell they're a little shook up,
'cause just a few mothers sons will never really be enough,
not 'til half our names are etched out in the wall,
and the other half ruined from the things we saw...

Wake up,
and come out to the car,
there's an east swell comin',
and it's howlin' offshore,
and we'll be,
lyin' like lions out in the sand,
but i'll be dead before you put a gun in my brother's hands.

Wake up,
and come out to the car,
there's an east swell comin',
and it's howlin' offshore,
and we'll be,
lyin' like lions out in the sand,
but i'll be dead before you put a gun in my brother's hands.


Lyrics submitted by tjwells

Brother's Song song meanings
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  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is truly brilliant. It captures the loss of youth that war can sometimes characterize. The beginning of the song depicts a very youthful image, with mentions of silly parties and young love. This song is written in the perspective of a brother, presumably older, who may have already lost his vision of youth, and it was his younger brother who reminded him of the beauty of youth. However, he has to face the loss of youth, the loss of innocence, once again but this time it's vicariously. This song is a heart-wrenching tale of a brother who's willing to fight against all odd's to preserve his brother's innocence, his brother's youth.

    existingon August 10, 2016   Link

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