In a book called History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France by William Francis Patrick Napier, I read about an assault on a place simply called the White Church. I believe this song assessed this event, or a soldiers thoughts during his attack on the White Church.
“What’s to say for the days I cannot bare.”
I believe here he is preparing to introduce what in his head he imagines when he is having a hard time in the war.
“A Sunday smile, you wore it for a while. / A cemetery mile, we paused and sang.”
He thinks of her smile on a specific day, this day being spent in (or by) a cemetery. Even surrounded by death, the two of them were frightfully happy. I believe he thinks of this because now as he is surrounded by death, he is unhappy.
“We burnt to the ground, left for you to admire / with buildings inside church of white.”
I think here he is proclaiming that his acts in the war will be something they can look back on. From the aforementioned book: “Heated shot were however thrown at the White Church with a view to burn the magazines; …”
“We burnt to the ground, left a grave to admire. / And as we reach for the sky, reach the church of white.”
He is trying to find good in his acts, thinking that maybe lovers will somebody walk by the cemetery he created and be able to dance. Also, he describes reaching for the white church. They never actually succeeded in destroying it. I think this represents the hope. He reaches for the sky, the same way he fully believes in his relationship with his girl back home. It’s what keeps him going. And yet they didn’t burn the White Church down. So what does this say about everything?
In a book called History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France by William Francis Patrick Napier, I read about an assault on a place simply called the White Church. I believe this song assessed this event, or a soldiers thoughts during his attack on the White Church.
“What’s to say for the days I cannot bare.”
I believe here he is preparing to introduce what in his head he imagines when he is having a hard time in the war.
“A Sunday smile, you wore it for a while. / A cemetery mile, we paused and sang.”
He thinks of her smile on a specific day, this day being spent in (or by) a cemetery. Even surrounded by death, the two of them were frightfully happy. I believe he thinks of this because now as he is surrounded by death, he is unhappy.
“We burnt to the ground, left for you to admire / with buildings inside church of white.”
I think here he is proclaiming that his acts in the war will be something they can look back on. From the aforementioned book: “Heated shot were however thrown at the White Church with a view to burn the magazines; …”
“We burnt to the ground, left a grave to admire. / And as we reach for the sky, reach the church of white.”
He is trying to find good in his acts, thinking that maybe lovers will somebody walk by the cemetery he created and be able to dance. Also, he describes reaching for the white church. They never actually succeeded in destroying it. I think this represents the hope. He reaches for the sky, the same way he fully believes in his relationship with his girl back home. It’s what keeps him going. And yet they didn’t burn the White Church down. So what does this say about everything?