'die With Your Boots On'
Uh-oh....It's a LooseCannon post!
Today's flavour seems to be Die With Your Boots On. I have no idea what it's about at this point in time. So I'm going to analyze it line by line. Well, verse by verse. And then maybe draw a conclusion at the end.
[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]Another prophet of disaster who says the ship is lost
Another prophet of disaster leaving you to count the cost
Taunting us with visions, afflicting us with fear
Predicting war for millions in the hope that one appears [/quote]
A prophet of disaster? Well, I think we can take this slightly out of the literal term here. Let's look at what this prophet is saying. "Predicting war". Now, when this album came out in 1983, there was indeed a lot of predicting war going on. The Cold War, in fact, was happening! The suggestion that the war would be for millions makes me think that we're talking about a future war.
The idea of "taunting us with visions" suggests that there are people who get up there and deliver to us propaganda, or perhaps painting images of what someone could do, putting fear into people so they can be easily controlled. A prophet, could therefore be a politician, or perhaps general.
[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]No point asking when it is, no point asking who's to go
No point asking what's the game, no point asking who's to blame
'Cos if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die [/quote]
When it is: When the war actually breaks out. It doesn't matter, because any war would likely be fought with nuclear weapons.
Who's to go: Everyone. Modern war between two industrialized nations involve everyone.
What's the game, who's to blame: Pretty much no point in going out and fighting, or checking to see who's at fault. MAD ensured the annihalation of both sides.
[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]If you're gonna die, die with your boots on,
If you're gonna try, well stick around
Gonna cry, just move along
If you're gonna die, you're gonna die, gonna die
Die with your boots on, if you're gonna try,
well stick around, gonna cry, just move along
If you're gonna die, you're gonna die [/quote]
The chorus almost seems to be a rebuttal of the lyrics. Basically I see it as "if it happens, we still gotta do our best." It might be do our best to fight, or perhaps do our best to live.
[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]13 the beast is rising, the Frenchman did surmise
Through earthquakes and starvation, the warlord will arise
Terror death destruction pour from the eastern sands
But the truth of all predictions is always in your hands [/quote]
This is one of my favourite verses in all of Iron Maiden. The first line probably refers to Nostradamus, who likely predicted something insane like nuclear war. "Earthquakes and starvation". A nuclear bomb is quite capable of shaking the earth. Starvation would be widespread in a nuclear holocaust, as the food distribution systems on which our societies survive would be destroyed. "The Warlord" might refer to the leader of one of the nations involved. Thus, the next line could be him speaking. "Terror, death, destruction pour from the eastern sands" - the enemy. The Cold War was West vs. East, so this suggests the warlord is western. The second line seems to almost be motivational, perhaps from the Warlord again, or perhaps telling the people that you don't have to fight another man's war.
The use of "Die With Your Boots On" suggests that there's something to be fought for here. What that might be is kind of in the air. I think it's almost suggesting that people will need to fight for existence. Sounds almost like Stephen King's The Stand, but I haven't read that in many many years. Any ideas on that?