Garands

It's about a young boy being drafted and fighting in WW2. All the lyrics are pretty obvious, becoming a monster, drafted by the ones you trust, feeling wrong about killing, even though it's for the greater good. Great song. I think the last line is about seeing the person you're killing as a person and realizing what you've done.

Great song I <3 YTG.

This song is soooooo gooooood! I cannot wait for the album!

I agree with Tacocatt. The song is wonderful <3

I disagree. I feel that in the times we live and reading quotations from the band, this song is about the coming revolution the world is facing. He is part of the enlightened rebellious force fighting the corruption that holds us all as slaves. Fighting for the greater good, the person he used to be still exists. Fear and strife... struggles of the future lead to being a part of the favored few. Key word FEW. Love is the enlightenment which creates them (the FEW).

A cleaner summery:

Bright light = essence of life/hope Fear and knowledge drives him(life/hope) Join the fight. Understand the opposition took your rights before you could even have the chance to respond. Lead to the beginning.

Great song. Tacocatt I can tell you're going off your instinct. Well done. Do more research next time.

I think Tacocatt is correct in saying this song is about World War II for a couple of reasons. First, when YTG were still The Jakes, they had a earlier version of this song called 'Garands at Normandie', which has to be a reference to the invasion of Normandy during WWII. Also, the M1 Garand is a type of rifle that was standard issue in the US armed forces during WWII.

I'd like to add that in the first chorus, they sing "what have I become" like he isn't sure whether his transformation was righteous or not. But in the second verse, it's almost scorning the military leaders with a confident "now LOOK what I've become"

Character changes. He discovered inner nastiness during the second verse.

First off, this song is amazing when coupled with the classic All Quiet On the Western Front. It literally parallels the themes to alot of the chapters in the book and that is why this has grown to be my favorite song out of their whole album, because it got me through freshmen English and it speaks the truth.

Join the ranks of the favored few - this part is also highlighted throughout AQWT how everyone around them praises them for doing their duty to their country yet no one wants to do the same.

What have I become? - this is my favorite part of this song because these soldiers have been so dehumanized to the extent that they question the instincts that the army has hardwired into them. There is a scene where the main character gets trapped in a dirt crater from a mortar. When a French soldier comes near he pretends to be dead and then stabs the Frenchman when he does not expect it. Immediately after he feels regret, and remorse and questions himself and his humanity to the extent that he writes a note to the Frenchman's family to reconcile.

Lost my rights when I was young, taken by the ones I trust - His whole family pushes him into the army without even consulting him. Even his teachers, the people who teach them about individual thinking almost force even single student to join the army.

Long Before I knew of love - One of the chapters his shift ends and he gets a break in town and sees a poster of an amazing woman. At this point his life is so depressing that he tells himself that he will never know love.

Tell me why this feels so wrong to hold this gun - This is going back to how dehumanized they are and once they grip the reality of their situation how they question their own actions and whether or not they fight for "the greater good"

I really think this song describes AQWT spot on so if you want to enjoy this song more like I do, read that book and YOU WILL KNOW.

YTG is amazing, this band is the most authentic, and talented band I know of and that's why their songs never get old.