Lucinda Williams, Soldier’s Song

 

Lucinda Williams “Soldier’s Song” tells the story of a modern soldier at war, who questions what he’s fighting for. The lyrics are structured so that every other line refers to thinking about the life of the soldier’s lover and kid back home, in parallel to the heaviness of war that he’s immersed in. The solider is unsure of killing his enemy, and doesn’t know why he’s in a war zone. He thinks of his lover and child as he sees other kids dying around in him on foreign land. Williams vocals sound like they’re wailing here—desperate, cold, alone—the voice of the sensitive soldier who’s speaking: “Today I took a bullet through the heart…Baby’s gonna have to make a brand-new start;" the inner thoughts of a soldier killed in battle while thinking of his family drives home what a horrible waste war is. 

The song is from Lucinda William’s album, blessed, which is a living project – Williams interviewed people of diverse backgrounds for it and asked them how they’re blessed. It’s modern documentation of the beauty and perseverance of humanity.