The final line including “... I just want to go.” is very telling. It’s not the inevitability of death alone, but the willingness to go. The act of being a soldier involves a willingness to die, indeed the whole point of a soldier (as Gwynne Dyer points out) is to die. The military undertone of the writing in this beautiful song must be put into the context The Viet Nam War, surely.
I know nothing of the Baha’i faith but suspect the sentiment is wrapped up in a form of accepted fatalism and wanting to go down the path revealed by this relatively new faith.
It would be interesting to hear what Seals and Crofts have to say – what was behind their lyrics at the time of composition. The sentiments probably hold true today or has there been change?
The final line including “... I just want to go.” is very telling. It’s not the inevitability of death alone, but the willingness to go. The act of being a soldier involves a willingness to die, indeed the whole point of a soldier (as Gwynne Dyer points out) is to die. The military undertone of the writing in this beautiful song must be put into the context The Viet Nam War, surely. I know nothing of the Baha’i faith but suspect the sentiment is wrapped up in a form of accepted fatalism and wanting to go down the path revealed by this relatively new faith. It would be interesting to hear what Seals and Crofts have to say – what was behind their lyrics at the time of composition. The sentiments probably hold true today or has there been change?