I'm gonna go cliche and take the "war"-meaning approach. I think the song can be used to describe how people other countries react to the us in the States asking them to join in the war. The 1st part mentions "indifference," which I think is how many Americans view the war...a lot of people don't like the idea of war but are out of touch and have absolutely no plans to do anything about it. So there's the initial to support us on the grounds that if they're going to die for U.S.'s cause they at least want some compensation--recognition ("tomb with trinkets") or at least for the U.S. to pay that country back later on down the road ("guarantees") and not just get forgotten like we've done historically with other countries ("hunger pains").
The "awkward dialogue" between the "ghost and those denied" I think would be that foreign countryman dying in the War and having to face those who have already died whose family members have opposed the war.
The chorus would refer to the Americans who just going along with whatever is happening with the war and not taking any kind of position on it. Meaning those people who are stuck between feeling guilty ("penance") about it and just waiting to see what happens ("patience"), when in the end just being led by those in power to do whatever they want ("lost our way"). "You told me what you stand for/The sleepless crusade/The bitter campaign" is kind of a back-handed way of recognizing those people who only act patriotic by talking people's heads off about what "America stands for" but doing little more.
The part that says "You'd be unwise the sate the urge/but go ahead you wouldn't be the first" to me is the response of Americans who defend their cause and warn other countries not to back out of supporting the U.S. no matter how tempting. And if they do, then hey they're not the first ones...sort of a challenge to keep in it.
I'm gonna go cliche and take the "war"-meaning approach. I think the song can be used to describe how people other countries react to the us in the States asking them to join in the war. The 1st part mentions "indifference," which I think is how many Americans view the war...a lot of people don't like the idea of war but are out of touch and have absolutely no plans to do anything about it. So there's the initial to support us on the grounds that if they're going to die for U.S.'s cause they at least want some compensation--recognition ("tomb with trinkets") or at least for the U.S. to pay that country back later on down the road ("guarantees") and not just get forgotten like we've done historically with other countries ("hunger pains").
The "awkward dialogue" between the "ghost and those denied" I think would be that foreign countryman dying in the War and having to face those who have already died whose family members have opposed the war.
The chorus would refer to the Americans who just going along with whatever is happening with the war and not taking any kind of position on it. Meaning those people who are stuck between feeling guilty ("penance") about it and just waiting to see what happens ("patience"), when in the end just being led by those in power to do whatever they want ("lost our way"). "You told me what you stand for/The sleepless crusade/The bitter campaign" is kind of a back-handed way of recognizing those people who only act patriotic by talking people's heads off about what "America stands for" but doing little more.
The part that says "You'd be unwise the sate the urge/but go ahead you wouldn't be the first" to me is the response of Americans who defend their cause and warn other countries not to back out of supporting the U.S. no matter how tempting. And if they do, then hey they're not the first ones...sort of a challenge to keep in it.
Nope. They're Australian.
Nope. They're Australian.