As a combat veteran, I have a little different take on this song. He is a "kid" just like the many 18-yr olds who join the military, but this fellow is quite successful in the military (awards, kudos, ect...). Anyway, he eventually does things during war (e.g. Vietnam) which he is trained to do but overwhelmed with guilt of his actions. Now, as a returning veteran, he has PTSD, which manifest with symptoms of overwhelming fear just like that experienced in battle (e.g. flash backs). This leads to an ever-expanding cycle of personal fear. He drinks alcohol (fire water) to deal with his emotional instability, but knows he can never share his real feelings. His freind who is telling the story knows him quite well and even warns about the importance of believeing him when he says he is afraid, as he has faced death and survived...he knows genuine fear. I believe the end of the song is about simply giving up..."just one more nightmare"...which is also a symptom of PTSD.
As a combat veteran, I have a little different take on this song. He is a "kid" just like the many 18-yr olds who join the military, but this fellow is quite successful in the military (awards, kudos, ect...). Anyway, he eventually does things during war (e.g. Vietnam) which he is trained to do but overwhelmed with guilt of his actions. Now, as a returning veteran, he has PTSD, which manifest with symptoms of overwhelming fear just like that experienced in battle (e.g. flash backs). This leads to an ever-expanding cycle of personal fear. He drinks alcohol (fire water) to deal with his emotional instability, but knows he can never share his real feelings. His freind who is telling the story knows him quite well and even warns about the importance of believeing him when he says he is afraid, as he has faced death and survived...he knows genuine fear. I believe the end of the song is about simply giving up..."just one more nightmare"...which is also a symptom of PTSD.