Lyrics
Slow the years go by
Expressing the slow passage of time
They stole your man off to war
Reference to a man being taken away for war
Will you see the child
Questioning if the child will see their parent again
As you sing battle songs?
Asking if singing battle songs is a way to cope
And it pains me
Expressing emotional pain
To think of the soldier's plight
Reflecting on the difficult situation of the soldier
I will pray
Expressing a willingness to pray
For your god to guide you home
Praying for guidance for the soldier to return home
And she cries for the soldier's return
Describing someone crying for the soldier's return
Despair at feeling alone for so long
Expressing despair and loneliness during the soldier's absence
By the light of the candle that burns
Referencing a candle burning symbolizing hope
For his life for the day of the soldier's return
Expressing the sacrifice for the day of the soldier's return
Hear the cannon fire
Hearing the cannon fire, a reminder of war
Lost voices echo in the night
Echoes of lost voices in the aftermath of battle
See the spoils of war
Noting the aftermath and consequences of war
Young men are falling, ooh
Expressing sorrow for the young men who have fallen
Hear the drummer
Listening to the drummer symbolizing the march to war
Marching over the hill
Marching over the hill, possibly a reference to the battlefield
Love returning
Love returning, a hopeful element in the midst of war
And the graves of the battle lie still
Graves of the battle lying still, a somber image
And she cries for the soldier's return
Reiteration of someone crying for the soldier's return
Despair at feeling alone for so long
Re-emphasizing despair and loneliness during the soldier's absence
By the light of the candle that burns
Referencing the light of a burning candle as a symbol of hope
For his life for the day of the soldier's return
Reaffirming the sacrifice for the day of the soldier's return
Hear the drummer
Repetition of the image of the drummer marching
Marching over the hill
Reiterating the march over the hill, a visual of war
Love returning
Love returning, a recurring theme of hope
And the graves of the battle lie still
Reiteration of the graves of the battle lying still
And she cries for the soldier's return
Repetition of someone crying for the soldier's return
Despair at feeling alone for so long
Re-emphasis on despair and loneliness during the soldier's absence
By the light of the candle that burns
Repetition of the light of a burning candle symbolizing hope
For his life for the day of the soldier's return
Reaffirmation of the sacrifice for the day of the soldier's return
Young men are falling
Noting the ongoing tragedy of young men falling in war
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