Status Quo’s “In the Army Now” Lyrics Meaning

The best way to describe Status Quo’s “In the Army Now” is as it taking a sarcastic approach to joining the American military. It was penned in 1981 when memories of the Vietnam War were a lot fresher than they are today. And pretty much from the onset, it presents the US Army as a deceitful organization who deceives potential applicants under the guise of their deployment being tantamount to going on “a vacation in a foreign land”. 

You can view the lyrics, alternate interprations and sheet music for Status Quo's In the Army Now at Lyrics.org.

They are assured that their service will consist of nothing more than ‘staying in bed all day’. And an added bonus is upon joining the military, they are considered “the hero of their neighborhood”, as in being an outstanding individual in their home communities. And even outside of that, there are a bunch of “smiling faces” which are waiting to greet them in the land of their deployment.

Sweet Promises are all lies!

In the latter half of the song especially, all of these promises are revealed to be lies. So for instance their vacation is actually more along the lines of being situated in a battlefield, where their lives are constantly in danger. And in fact under such circumstances, actually spending all day in bed is likely to get you killed. Moreover such individuals will be called upon to “stand up and fight” and indeed kill other human beings. And this is despite the whole situation ‘not seeming right’, as in the soldiers themselves not necessarily agreeing with the foundational premises behind the war. 

Moreover in terms of them being considered heroes at home, it’s only a fleeting pleasure considering that they’re unlikely to return. And the story of adoring foreigners waiting to greet them proves to be BS. So overall the reality of the situation is depicted as a nightmare, though it was originally introduced to its victims as a fairy tale rather.

Conclusion

So once again, “In the Army Now” is a song we think likely has its origin in incidences like the Vietnam War. That whole conflict left a sour taste in the mouths of many people in terms of the way they perceived the US military and its treatment of its own soldiers. And apparently there is some kind of timeless truth to the lyrics, which perhaps extends outside of the context of “Uncle Sam”. And this has apparently contributed to the song remaining popular throughout the years.

Lyrics of "In the Army Now"

Facts about “In the Army Now”  

Even though “In the Army Now” is the title track from Status Quo’s seventh album, the song itself is actually a cover. It is the cover of a tune that was originally released by its writers, brothers Rob and Ferdi Bolland (collectively known as Bolland & Bolland) in 1982.

Status Quo’s version came out on 29 August 1986 as part of their album which, once again, was itself entitled “In the Army Now”.

All things considered, their rendition proved more successful than the original. It topped the charts in the following countries:

  • Austria
  • Germany
  • Ireland
  • Switzerland

The song also peaked at number two on Status Quo’s native UK Singles Chart. Here, it received Gold certification as it has also done in France.

Moreover an updated rendition of the song was released in 2010 as a charity single. And as a result, “In the Army Now” once again made an appearance on the UK Singles Chart during that year.

“In the Army Now” by Status Quo featured their regular collaborator, Pip Williams, as its producer.

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