Shaking Hands (Soldier's Joy)

I had originally thought this song to be about a soldier dealing with his side losing the civil war, but upon further reading it seems to be from the perspective of a confederate soldier who is struggling to cope with being wounded, but not too badly wounded, and having to go back out and fight again after seeing the carnage at both the field hospital and on the battlefield.

"Shaking hands and fingers that do tremble Soldier's Joy has been a bitter pill Though in battle, a brave man I resemble Alone I am a coward without will"

When he was with his fellow troops he was fighting for what he believed in on an adrenaline high he felt unstoppable. However, now that he has been hurt, and seen how the wounded are treated he knows that he is a man and can be maimed of killed.

"Pierce McGee from the great State of Missouri To the Show-Me-State militia I belong And to judge from the pride on the Confederate side I'd say five hundred thousand rebels can't be wrong"

The soldier introduces himself as being from the Missouri Militia and from a formidable force of some 500,000 men.

"A rebel stand is no place for a traitor A loveless Union cannot bend us to her will Cannot command the soldiers who now hate her Nor demand the fealty of her generals"

The rebels, confederates, view the Union as 'loveless'. They are fighting for what some president wants as opposed to fighting for their homeland and way of life.

"I took a rifle ball in my shoulder But my entire body filled with pain I pleaded with them all at the field hospital "Oh, God, another shot of morphine!" "

The narrator is wounded in the shoulder and is brought to a field hospital. He is not so badly wounded that immediate medical attention is needed and he is left to wait. Here he becomes addicted to morphine.

"Soldier's Joy, oh what's the point in pleasure When it's only meant to kill the pain Lay down my armsand take the coffin's measure Or take up arms and send me out to fight again Shaking hands ..was I a coward, was I brave? With shaking hands, I took the bitter pill Now tell the story on my grave, my soul they could not save What the bullet would not kill, the needle will "

The soldier has become addicted to morphine and while the high it gives him takes away his bodily pain, it won't erase the painful memories or events he has seen and experienced. He wants to know if he was a coward for being wounded when many of his companions died for their cause. Perhaps he has entered a state of depression. He 'took the bitter pill' ('drugs') with hands trembling from his painful wound and once again makes note that he is addicted to morphine to get him through the horrors of battle.

For me its about the futility of war

This is about morphine addiction. Shaking hands, because he is waiting for his next fix. "While in battle, a brave man I resemble Alone I am a coward without will" Alone, he can't stop himself from giving in to his addiction.

Dude, he's totally right, it's about solders in the civil war getting hooked on morphine. I guess morphine addiction and overdoses were a bit of a problem. Surprising when so many surgeries were performed with nothing but a few shots of liquor and a wood chip to bite on.