M.I.A by Avenged Sevenfold Lyrics Meaning – Decoding the Tribute to Soldier’s Struggles and War’s Aftermath
Lyrics
Living another day in disguise
These feelings can’t be right
Lend me your courage to stand up and fight, on tonight
Stand up and fight
Now fighting rages on and on
To challenge me you must be strong
I’ll walk your land but don’t be long
Two million soldiers can’t be wrong
Its no fun but I’ve been here before
I’m far from home and I’m fighting your war
(Not the way I pictured this, I wanted better things)
Some are scared others killing for fun, I shot a mother in front of her son
(Change this from my consciousness and please erase my dreams)
Fight for honor, fight for your life
Pray to god that our side is right
You know we won but still we lose, until I make it home to you
I see your mother filled with tears we grew up so fast where did those years go
Memories won’t let you cry unless I don’t return tonight
So many soldiers on the other side, I take their live so they don’t take mine
(Scared to make it out alive now murders all I know)
Nobody tells me all the reasons were here, I am a weapon so there’s nothing to fear
(Another day another life but nothing real to show for)
Fight for honor, fight for your life
Pray to god that our side is right
You know we won but still we lose, until I make it home to you
I see your mother filled with tears we grew up so fast where did those years go
Memories won’t let you cry unless I don’t return tonight
Staring at the carnage, praying that the sun will never rise
Living another day in disguise
These feelings can’t be right, lend me your courage to stand up and fight
Watching the death toll rise wondering how I’m alive
Strangers blood on my hands, shot all I can
There were no silent nights watching your brothers all die
To destroy all their plans with no thought of me (no thought of me)
No thought of me
Walk the city lonely
Memories that haunt are passing by
A murderer walks your street tonight
Forgive me for my crimes, don’t forget that I was so young
Fought so scared in the name of God and country
In the pantheon of Avenged Sevenfold’s discography, ‘M.I.A.’ stands as a towering monument to the harrowing reality of warfare and the inner battles soldiers face. The song, a deep and brooding odyssey into the psyche of a service-person, wrestles with the morality of violent acts carried out in the name of honor, country, and survival.
But ‘M.I.A.’ is no mere tribute to the valiant or an anthology of war stories; it dives into the often overlooked aftermath of the battlefield—the heart-wrenching toll it takes on the human spirit. In a soulful blend of thunderous instrumentation and poignant lyrics, listeners find themselves in a conversation that pushes beyond the glorification often associated with military anthems, instead offering a meditation on loss, regret, and the search for purpose.
An Epic Ballad of the Soldier’s Soul
As the chords crescendo into the first verse of ‘M.I.A.’, one is immediately transported to the front lines, where the sun’s rise is feared as a harbinger of persistent conflict. The song opens with an existential plea — a soldier’s confrontation with their reality and the stark contrast between their actions and feelings. Avenged Sevenfold captures this duality with a precision that resonates authentically with anyone who’s ever faced profound moral quandaries.
The guise the soldier lives in, which the song references, speaks volumes to the theme of identity. Stripped of their peacetime self by the necessities of war, soldiers are compelled to adopt a persona that can survive the horrors of conflict. And, in ‘M.I.A.’, this inner struggle is given a voice that echoes across guitar riffs and drumbeats.
Through the Eyes of Those Who’ve Killed
‘I shot a mother in front of her son’ — not just a line from ‘M.I.A.’, but a raw, gut-wrenching confession that holds the listener in a vice grip. The gritty and uncomfortable truths often absent in the romanticism of war songs are thrust to the forefront. It’s a visceral representation of the emotional baggage that soldiers must carry long after the guns have fallen silent.
This confession underscores the haunting nature of combat, serving as a reminder that soldiers are often compelled to participate in acts that sit uneasily within them. With this approach, Avenged Sevenfold turns a mirror on the listener, coaxing us to consider the implications of taking a life in combat and the weight of the actions that soldiers are ordered to carry out.
The Victorious Yet Hollow Echo of Battle
One of the most striking paradoxes presented in ‘M.I.A.’ is the notion of victory juxtaposed with loss, explored in the line ‘You know we won but still we lose, until I make it home to you’. It’s a poignant reminder that even when the battle is over, the war within continues. The cost of this victory is tallied not just in casualties or conquests, but in the emotional and psychological toll it takes on those who must live on with what they’ve experienced.
Avenged Sevenfold encapsulates the sentiment many service members feel upon returning home—that the fight for survival and honor does not neatly end with a truce or treaty; it lingers, pervasive and often unacknowledged, in the minds of those who fought it.
A Soldier’s Plea for Forgiveness and Understanding
Towards the close of the song, the true weight of the soldier’s journey is felt. ‘A murderer walks your streets tonight / Forgive me for my crimes, don’t forget that I was so young.’ It’s a cry for absolution from the inevitable actions of war, and a reminder that many who fight are merely youths thrust into the maelstrom of geopolitical strife. These lines showcase the depth of the song’s empathy, acknowledging that those who serve are often forced to age beyond their years, their innocence a casualty of conflict.
‘M.I.A.’ does not simply ask for forgiveness from the listener. It asks for understanding—the kind that can only come from realizing that behind the uniform is a person who has had to make decisions and carry out actions that are unfathomable to those who have not shared the same battlefield.
Unraveling the Hidden Meaning: A Call to Reflect on the Cost of War
Beyond the narrative of an individual soldier’s viewpoint, ‘M.I.A.’ serves as a metaphorical commentary on the nature of war itself. The words of the song lay bare before us the dichotomy of humanity and inhumanity that is packaged within the construct of a soldier’s duty. The song never glorifies combat; instead, it compels listeners to reckon with its reality, nudging them towards a deeper understanding of the burdens carried by those who serve.
By interweaving personal anguish with broader socio-political commentary, Avenged Sevenfold achieves a song that operates on multiple levels. ‘M.I.A.’ is not simply a well-crafted rock ballad, but a conversation starter on the hidden costs of war, the value of human life, and the profound impact of military service on the individual psyche.
