It's just an anti-war song, not directed towards a particular conflict but to outbreaks of war generally.
I think it capture's anti-war sentiment beautifully and hauntingly - despite the inescapability of the conflict ('I can't pull out') the insistence that the singers will opt to 'sit down' (rather than take up arms) is touching.
I think it means it something that the characters in this song are only 'keep[ing] the defence'. They're not lobbing grenades or anything.
It's just an anti-war song, not directed towards a particular conflict but to outbreaks of war generally. I think it capture's anti-war sentiment beautifully and hauntingly - despite the inescapability of the conflict ('I can't pull out') the insistence that the singers will opt to 'sit down' (rather than take up arms) is touching. I think it means it something that the characters in this song are only 'keep[ing] the defence'. They're not lobbing grenades or anything.