A Hero Of War....Is That What You'll Be?

Rise Against is no doubt one of the most rebellious rock bands in America. Their single, "Hero Of War" is a song that is highly misinterpreted. Tim Mcilrath has stated that this is the first song written with a goal. That goal was to send a message, a wake up call.


The song begins with a father-son conversation where the father introduces the idea of joining the army to his son who willingly agrees. The song begins with a cheery mood after that, where the son becomes a soldier and learns how to fight, additionally he makes friends with all those who have joined the army as well, "we marched and we sang/ we all became friends/ as we learned how to fight".

The chorus of the song reflects pride in being part of the country, and pride towards the flag of the country, "I'll carry this flag/ to the grave if I must/ cuz it's a flag that I love/ and a flag that I trust".

The song then turns around the corner and describes some of the events that take place in a battle field, "I yelled my commands/ the children they cried but I've got my man", "they took off his clothes/ they pissed in his hands". It also shows the ambiguity that a soldier faces and the contradictions within himself, "I told him to stop, but then I joined in".

The song's bridge is the breaking point of the soldier, where he can't decide what's right from what's wrong anymore. He is reluctant and desperate, "I told her to stop/ I begged her to stay/ but she pressed on/ so I lifted my gun and fired away" and the chorus also takes a dramatic turn, "A hero of war/ is that what they seem?/ just metals and scars/ so damn proud of me" it also reflects uncertainty and instability towards the flag of his country, "I brought home that flag/ now it gathers dust/ but it's a flag that I love/ it's the only thing I had trust".

The final verse of the song is the repetition of the introduction; the father-son conversation. "he said, son, have you seen the world?/ well what would you say, if I said that you could?" It is repeated here to indicate that if history could repeat itself, and if the boy knew what he would be signing up for, would he have made the same choice as he did the first time? (in other words, would he agree to fight in war?)

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