Lyrics
Young men, soldiers, nineteen fourteen
Refers to young men, soldiers in the year 1914.
Marching through countries they'd never seen
Describes the soldiers marching through unfamiliar countries.
Virgins with rifles, a game of charades
Depicts young, inexperienced soldiers armed with rifles, playing a charade-like game.
All for a children's crusade
Highlights the tragedy of a crusade involving children.
Pawns in the game are not victims of chance
States that those involved are not mere victims of chance but pawns in a larger game.
Strewn on the fields of Belgium and France
References the casualties in Belgium and France during World War I.
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
Symbolizes poppies as a poignant reminder of young men's deaths in war.
All of those young lives betrayed
Expresses betrayal of young lives sacrificed in war.
The children of England would never be slaves
Asserts that the children of England were not meant to be enslaved.
They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
Describes the grim reality of young lives caught in the wire traps and dying in waves.
The flower of England face down in the mud
Depicts the symbolic image of England's youth lying face down in the mud.
And stained in the blood of a whole generation
Underlines the deep impact and staining of a whole generation with the blood of war.
Corpulent generals safe behind lines
Criticizes the safety of high-ranking officers while soldiers face danger.
History's lessons drowned in red wine
Conveys how the lessons of history are ignored or obscured, drowned in red wine.
Poppies for young men, death's bitter trade
Reiterates the symbolism of poppies as a reminder of death in war.
All of those young lives betrayed
Reemphasizes the betrayal of young lives sacrificed for a cause.
All for a children's crusade
Repeats the notion of the tragic crusade for children.
The children of England would never be slaves
Restates the idea that the children of England were not meant to be enslaved.
They're trapped on the wire and dying in waves
Reiterates the grim reality of young lives caught in wire traps and dying in waves.
The flower of England face down in the mud
Repeats the symbolic image of England's youth lying face down in the mud.
And stained in the blood of a whole generation
Reiterates the deep impact and staining of a whole generation with the blood of war.
Midnight in Soho nineteen eighty four
Shifts to a different time, mentioning midnight in Soho in 1984.
Fixing in doorways, opium slaves
Describes individuals in doorways, enslaved by opium, possibly reflecting societal issues.
Poppies for young men, such bitter trade
Recalls poppies as a symbol, indicating a bitter trade involving young men.
All of those young lives betrayed
Reiterates the betrayal of young lives, possibly in a different context.
All for a children's crusade
Repeats the notion of a children's crusade, suggesting a recurring tragedy.
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