I Know
Sacrifice and Strife: A Song's Reflection on Duty and Fear
Lyrics
You'd lay your life down for this country
You would willingly sacrifice your life for the country.
Lay it down for fools like me
You would do so even for people who may be considered foolish, like the speaker.
I know, I know, I know you would
A confirmation of the speaker's belief in the willingness to sacrifice.
You'd make the ultimate sacrifice
Willingness to make the highest sacrifice, possibly in a risky situation.
Lose yourself on a throw of the dice
Being willing to risk everything on chance or luck.
I know, I know, I know you would
Reiteration of the acknowledgment of the readiness to sacrifice.
'Cause the line you come from stretches back
The speaker refers to a lineage with a rich history and unbroken commitment to the country.
In an unbroken chain other countries lack
Comparison with other countries that lack the same unbroken commitment.
Every single corner of the world
Highlighting the global presence of the country's influence and history.
Has seen our banners being unfurled
-You've won and lost and battled on
Recognition of the victories, losses, and battles fought, regardless of the right or wrong cause.
Whether the cause was right or wrong
-God knows what you do to the enemy
A reference to the mysterious and fearsome nature of actions against the enemy.
'Cause you scare the living hell out of me
The speaker expresses fear due to the intimidating actions of the addressed person.
He'd lay his life down for his country
Another person is introduced, expressing similar willingness to sacrifice for the country.
He'd like to kill fools like me
Expressing a desire to harm individuals like the speaker.
I know, I know, I know he would
Repeated pattern of acknowledging the readiness for the ultimate sacrifice.
He'd make the ultimate sacrifice
-Blow himself to paradise
-I know, I know, I know he would
-And the line he comes from stretches back
Similar themes of lineage, victories, losses, and battles for the new character.
In an unbroken chain other countries lack
-In the farthest corners of the world
-Where he's watched our banners being unfurled
-He's won and lost and battled on
-Whether his cause was right or wrong
-He's this generation's enemy
Labeling the new character as the enemy of the current generation.
And he scares the living hell out of me
Expressing fear due to the intimidating nature of the new character.
No more war, it's not gonna happen
A call for an end to war, emphasizing that it depends on the willingness of men to fight.
Not while there's men
-willing to fight in them
-No more war, it's not gonna happen
Continuation of the call against war, now emphasizing patriotism as a factor.
Not while there's patriotism,
-Not while there's patriotism,
-No more war, it's not gonna happen
Further emphasis on the unlikelihood of war, now addressing the idea that it might be the last one.
Not while there's some saying
-That this is the last one,
-No more war, it's not gonna happen
War is unlikely as long as there are people driven by religious beliefs to sacrifice.
Not while religious nuts
-Are willing to spill their guts
-And the line we come from stretches back
Continuation of the lineage theme, stating that the country has a continuous history of creating weapons and engaging in conflict.
In an unbroken chain no country lacks
-To the darkest corner of a cave
-Where there's a weapon made to stave
-Or gouge or choke or cut and kill
-In a hundred years we'll be fighting still
-I know, I know, I know,
The speaker expresses certainty that conflict will persist for a long time into the future.
I know we will.
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