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By Your Side Lyrics
Born in the plains
A farmer’s sons and brothers the same
Raised on promises we’d stay that way
As boys we believed summers at the sea
We were free to become men of good will
Side by side
And we were children then
Footprints in the sand
And where the ocean bends
We made our promises
Duty soon calls
1943 we enrolled
Together we would be our family’s pride
And we were soldiers then
Our bodies in the sand
And like that sand through our hands
Go our grandest plans
And just to see your face for one moment
I’d cross the ocean again
The end is not the end
And I’ll be by your side
On the other side
I’ll be by your side
On the other side
And through the cloud of death
We find our way back home
And though I hold your hand
All must go alone
And when you see the face of our Maker
You don’t have to be ashamed
He knows the promises we made
And I’ll be by your side
On the other side
I’ll be by your side
On the other side
A farmer’s sons and brothers the same
Raised on promises we’d stay that way
As boys we believed summers at the sea
We were free to become men of good will
Side by side
And we were children then
Footprints in the sand
And where the ocean bends
We made our promises
1943 we enrolled
Together we would be our family’s pride
And we were soldiers then
Our bodies in the sand
And like that sand through our hands
Go our grandest plans
And just to see your face for one moment
I’d cross the ocean again
The end is not the end
On the other side
I’ll be by your side
On the other side
We find our way back home
And though I hold your hand
All must go alone
And when you see the face of our Maker
You don’t have to be ashamed
He knows the promises we made
On the other side
I’ll be by your side
On the other side
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I believe it is about brotherhood. But not necessarily confined to family. It could be about friends, spiritual brothers. And the war may be the actual war, or it could allude to the spiritual war.
Brothers in Christ fight a war against the forces of evil everyday, and must die to themselves for the greater good of holiness. And community is essential, so it could be a metaphor for that.
The war is actual war set around WWII. "Duty soon calls 1943 we enrolled" or "And we were soldiers then Our bodies in the sand." You know the story is being told from the main character's perspective because earlier he was talking about growing up with his brother. When he says "we" he is talking about him and his brother.
The war is actual war set around WWII. "Duty soon calls 1943 we enrolled" or "And we were soldiers then Our bodies in the sand." You know the story is being told from the main character's perspective because earlier he was talking about growing up with his brother. When he says "we" he is talking about him and his brother.
They are later shipped off to war and his brother dies in battle. The song is summarized as him and his family dealing with the pain and mystery of death. It also describes...
They are later shipped off to war and his brother dies in battle. The song is summarized as him and his family dealing with the pain and mystery of death. It also describes the characters faith in the fact that death is not the end. That there is more to it than just life on earth.
I see your view as wanting this to be a more general sense of a fight against evil. But I'm 100% sure this song is a little more literal than that.
I think that this song is about two friends, they grew up together and ended up going into WW2 together. Growing up they must have made a pact or something with each other, maybe involving always being there for each other. Well, one of them dies, overcoming the promises they made to each other, and the one who lived is the one singing the song, talking about how, one day, he will be there with his friend, by his side.
im pretty sure its about two brothers. your pretty much right about everything else I think.
And through the cloud of death We find our way back home And though I hold your hand All must go alone And when you see the face of our Maker You don’t have to be ashamed He knows the promises we made
Absolutely beautiful....House of Heroes is amazing at getting you to understand the emotion of their songs!
I agree with the idea about brothers going off to war. Not only about that though, i feel thats the prologue to the whole song. Then i think it tells about how terrible war really is and their visions of greatness and being the pride of their families was met with their "bodies in the sand" and reality set in ("sand through our hands/go our grandest plans") and the rest is kinda self-explanitory
"Our bodies in the sand And like that sand through our hands Go our grandest plans And just to see your face for one moment I’d cross the ocean again The end is not the end"
awesome song!
you can check out what the writer of this song said about it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJT_3xm2MNM
I think this is a song about two brother who went off to fight in WWII and never came back. Pretty literal, though it also strongly implied death is not The End, when they meet God they'll be right at each other's side.