Classic love story true to his western tx roots. One of my favorites as a story, but I think there are alot of songs that are amazing not even listed on this site. I guess I should figure out how to add them, because I have about 8 REK cd's.
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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Like a lot of the other comments are saying, I think this mainly about voyeurism. If the song was about his girlfriend, then why would he use the word spy. If you are a spy it means you shouldn't be caught, that is kind of the whole point, and if you are a voyeur, the whole point of the pleasure you get from it, is the fact that the other people don't know you are watching them. See a bit of a connection there?
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Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
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This song seemingly tackles the methods of deception those who manipulate others use to get victims to follow their demands, as well as diverting attention away from important issues. They'll also use it as a means to convince people to hate or kill others by pretending acts of terrorism were committed by the enemy when the acts themselves were done by the masters of control to promote discrimination and hate. It also reinforces the idea that these manipulative forces operate in various locations, infiltrating everyday life without detection, and propagate any and everywhere.
In general, it highlights the danger of hidden agendas, manipulation, and distraction, serving as a critique of those who exploit chaos and confusion to control and gain power, depicting a cautionary tale against falling into their traps. It encourages us to question the narratives presented to us and remain vigilant against manipulation in various parts of society.
I think what people who are so anti-war sometimes fail to realize is there is such a thing as a just war, an injust war, a war worth fighting, and a war not worth fighting (as in the song). I think most people can agree that the US' involvement in Vietnam was... not so great, and that was a war that did not need to be fought, and it would have been nice to have the General over there during the massacres. However look at World War II and you'll get a wholly different impression. Over in Europe people were being killed by the millions, and we in America did not want to get involved because it didn't "directly affect us," that sort of makes me sick. I'm sorry that we didn't get involved earlier. As it happened, our not wanting to get involved likely brought much more bloodshed than had we involved ourselves at the start of the war. Though it would be nice if there were no such thing as war in this world, that's simply not the case, and as it is said, "All that is required for evil to flourish is for good people to do nothing," Sometimes, we must fight to protect our way of life (but not to impose it on others, right?).
Now that my little diatribe is over, can I just say, Kicking song!