its amazing how far music can come.. 24 years after it released and its one of the most heartfelt songs ive heard
There was a decorated General with a heart of gold
That likened him to all the stories he told
Of past battles won and lost and legends of old
A seasoned veteran in his own time
On the battlefield he gained respect for fame
With many metals of bravery and stripes to his name
He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face
And always urged his men on
But on the eve of great battle with the infantry and dream
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning
He awoke from that night to tell what he had seen
And walked slowly out of his tent
All the men held tall with their chests in the air
With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
And it was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fair
Till the old general told them to go home
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now, you are forgiven
But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders
Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders
The general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further
The men could go as they pleased
But not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said
And the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head
He then prepared to fight
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting, no
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living, yeah
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, hey (go now you are forgiven)
That likened him to all the stories he told
Of past battles won and lost and legends of old
A seasoned veteran in his own time
On the battlefield he gained respect for fame
With many metals of bravery and stripes to his name
He grew a beard as soon as he could to cover the scars on his face
And always urged his men on
But on the eve of great battle with the infantry and dream
The old general tossed in his sleep and wrestled with its meaning
He awoke from that night to tell what he had seen
And walked slowly out of his tent
All the men held tall with their chests in the air
With the courage in their blood and a fire in their stare
And it was a gray morning and they all wondered how they would fair
Till the old general told them to go home
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now, you are forgiven
But the men stood fast with their guns on their shoulders
Not knowing what to do with the contradicting orders
The general said he would do his own duty but he would extend it no further
The men could go as they pleased
But not a man moved, their eyes gazed straight ahead
Till one by one they stepped back and not a word was said
And the old general was left with his own words echoing in his head
He then prepared to fight
He said
I have seen the others
And I have discovered
That this fight is not worth fighting, no
And I've have seen their mothers
And I will no other
To follow me where I'm going
So, take your shower, shine your shoes
You got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living, yeah
Take your shower, shine your shoes
Well, you got no time to lose
You are young men, you must be living
Go now you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, you are forgiven
Go now, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, got to be, hey (go now you are forgiven)
Lyrics submitted by dragonflower44, edited by taramae88
The General Lyrics as written by Peter Heimbold Bradley Joseph Corrigan
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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the jesus allusion is an interesting thought but I have some problems with it such as:
"take a shower, shine your shoes" .. that definitely sounds post-jesus era to me. "guns on their shoulders" is also post jesus-time (unless you ask the director of "Jesus Christ Superstar")
the medals of bravery and stripes to his name also sticks out as being distinctly unjesus (Did I just say unjesus?)
As to what I know of Jesus (I'm not religious so my knowledge is limited), didn't he stand up for believe in but not "fight". I wouldn't completely discount a religious air about the song, but a direct allusion I definitely see as a stretch.
I'm not for or against what you're saying however I would personally like to point out a few things... <br /> <br /> Consider Jereusalem as the battlefield, (Chorus)Go now you are forgiven, Jesus said "Go now you are forgiven" to the one who betrayed him, Judas!<br /> <br /> Jesus had a heart of gold, Jesus wasn't a veteran per-say but the war over Jewish belief to christianity was a never ending battle. Christianity was a battle won over Jesus's death-rebirth...<br /> <br /> During his trials as the messiah, people threw stones at him, spit at him if not on him, they tried and did just about everything to get him to stop, back in that era, beards were considered elderly and to command respect, the longer the more respect you received as it would say how old you were... Jesus had scars on his face from being a carpenter, from stones being thrown, so the beard to cover the scars on his face, is a way to show others, do what you must, do what you will, these scars to shall fade!<br /> <br /> "Take a shower, shine your shoes" From Matthew 26:45 of King James Version "Then he (Jesus) cometh to his disciples, and saith to them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners."<br /> <br /> "Guns on their shoulders" From Matthew 26:45 "50 And Jesus said to him, Friend, Why art thou come? Then they came, and laid hands on Jesus, and took him. 51 And behold, one of them, who were with Jesus, stretched out his hand, and drew his sword, and struck a servant of the high priest's, and smote off his ear. 52 Then said Jesus to him, Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword, shall perish by the sword." - followers of Jesus Christ attacked (for a lack of a better term) the minds and beliefs of the Jewish ways when Jesus walked the earth, the followers were test the Jewish faith through Christ, so in a way look at the guns as idea's thoughts, ammo for the war on god! Guns metaphorically don't need steel, gun powder, just thoughts and thoughts are in your head, your head rests where?<br /> <br /> "The medals of bravery and stripes to his name" The medals of bravery - Jesus's miracles, when he was called a heretic by the jewish faith, it is bravery to do it in public! Stripes to his name - he was given lashes for his herecy in Jereusaleum before they crucified him.<br /> <br /> Jesus did believe in fighting, but his fighting was non-harmful on the body but more on the soul! The war for your soul is constantly waged in an endless battle between good/evil<br /> <br /> "It was a gray morning wondering how they would fare" - The 12 desciples minus Judas so 11 desciples were all wondering who was going to betray Jesus, From Matthew 26:20 KJV "21 And as they were eating, he said, Verily I say to you, that one of you shall betray me. 22 And they were exceeding sorrowful, and began every one of them to say to him, Lord, is it I? 23 And he answered and said, He that dippeth his hand with me in the dish, the same will betray me. 24 The Son of man goeth, as it is written concerning him: but woe to that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man, if he had not been born. 25 Then Judas, who betrayed him, answered and said, Master, is it I? He said to him, Thou hast said"<br /> Think of everything else that doesn't fit as a way for the story teller to communicate to you with something that you do know!