Army Dreamers by Kate Bush Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Heartrending Anti-War Ballad
Lyrics
Army dreamers
Mammy’s hero
B.F.P.O.
Mammy’s hero
Our little army boy
Is coming home from B.F.P.O.
I’ve a bunch of purple flowers
To decorate mammy’s hero
Mourning in the aerodrome
The weather warmer, he is colder
Four men in uniform
To carry home my little soldier
(What could he do?)
(Should have been a rock star)
But he didn’t have the money for a guitar
(What could he do?)
(Should have been a politician)
But he never had a proper education
(What could he do?)
(Should have been a father)
But he never even made it to his twenties
What a waste
Army dreamers
Oh, what a waste of
Army (army) dreamers (dreamers)
Tears o’er a tin box
Oh, Jesus Christ, he wasn’t to know
Like a chicken with a fox
He couldn’t win the war with ego
Give the kid the pick of pips
And give him all your stripes and ribbons
Now he’s sitting in his hole
He might as well have buttons and bows
(What could he do?)
(Should have been a rock star)
But he didn’t have the money for a guitar
(What could he do?)
(Should have been a politician)
But he never had a proper education
(What could he do?)
(Should have been a father)
But he never even made it to his twenties
What a waste
Army dreamers
Ooh, what a waste of
Army (army) dreamers (dreamers)
Ooh, what a waste of all them
Army (army) dreamers (dreamers)
Army (army) dreamers (dreamers)
Army (army) dreamers, oh
B.F.P.O.
Army dreamers
Mammy’s hero
B.F.P.O.
Army dreamers
Mammy’s hero
B.F.P.O.
No hard heroes
Mammy’s hero
B.F.P.O.
Army dreamers
Mammy’s hero
B.F.P.O.
Kate Bush’s ‘Army Dreamers’ resonates as a haunting elegy, a poignant anti-war ballad that has weathered the storm of time to remain achingly relevant. Beyond its ethereal melody lies the weight of war’s tragically human cost. Released in 1980 against the backdrop of global political tensions, Bush’s work is a stirring exploration of lost potential and the grief of those left to bear the aftermath.
Diving into the lyrics of ‘Army Dreamers’ is a journey through heartbreak and the stark reality of the consequences of combat. Far from glorifying the heroics of military conflict, Bush’s narrative hinges on a young life snuffed out too soon, offering a powerful introspective on the opportunity costs of warfare.
War’s Young Casualties: The True Victims of Conflict
Through the lens of a mother’s loss, ‘Army Dreamers’ plays out as a somber reflection on the youth fallen on the battlefield. The innocence encapsulated in the ‘little army boy’ contrasts with the irreversible verdict of war, indicating these soldiers are often just children trapped in a cycle much larger than themselves. It’s this stark juxtaposition of youth against the starkness of military life that Bush so profoundly captures.
The pain is tangible in each line, and Bush’s voice carries the burden of a generation stolen by war’s hungry grasp. She crafts a narrative that delves into the shared sorrow of countless families whose daily realities are ravaged by the loss of their ‘mammy’s hero.’
The Unfulfilled Futures: A Litany of ‘What Could Have Been’
Bush doesn’t shy away from uncovering the thwarted destinies of young soldiers. The repetitive questioning of ‘(What could he do?)’ highlights the restrictions and social determinants that lead many to the military as a last resort rather than a first choice. It underscores the deliberation of a life that could have pursued dreams of stardom, governance, or parenthood.
These lyrics expose the brutal reality: for many, the army is not a dream but an escape from socio-economic hardship, or a path chosen in the absence of better opportunities. ‘Army Dreamers’ mourns the dreams deferred and the thwarted potential that never saw the light beyond the barracks and battlefields.
The Cyclical Trap of Violence: A Reflection on Military Enlistment
Bush’s song can also be seen as reflecting on the societal structures that perpetuate military enlistment as a necessity. There is a tragedy in the involuntary nature of the ‘dream’ implied by the echoing lyric ‘Army dreamers.’ The notion of choice is scrutinized – do these young men and women truly dream of army life, or is it the narrative they’ve been penned into?
The song hints at a cyclical trap, where the unaffluent and the uneducated see the military as their most viable option. Bush’s subtle critique is woven throughout the song, peeling back layers to reveal the systemic issues at play.
Impossible Redemption: ‘Oh, What a Waste of Army Dreamers’
The resounding line, ‘Oh, what a waste of Army dreamers,’ captures the essence of Bush’s sentiment. This refrain becomes a bitter chorus mourning not just one soldier, but all soldiers caught in the web of militaristic ambition and the waste of human life it entails. The ‘waste’ here multiplies – a waste of life, of potential, of societal progress.
An anthemic lament, it underscores the reversal of fortune for the ‘mammy’s hero,’ now rendered the ultimate sacrifice. It is an audible outcry against the irreversible loss caused by the machinations of war, a cry echoed in households across nations.
The Symbolism Hidden within ‘Buttons and Bows’
One of the more evocative metaphors in ‘Army Dreamers’ is the comparison of military medals to ‘buttons and bows’ – symbolizing the trivialization of life lost in favor of paltry military decorations. This line invites listeners to contrast the pomp of military parade with the solitary horror of combat.
Bush uses these symbols to starkly illustrate the disparity between the glorified image of war and its grim reality. By exchanging decorations for life, ‘Army Dreamers’ condemns the façade that medals can compensate for a heartbeat stilled too early – an unforgettable commentary on the true cost of war.
