"War Buddies" by Harvey Danger is a satirical song that critiques the glorification and romanticization of war. The lyrics portray a sarcastic camaraderie between soldiers on the battlefield, using dark humor to reveal the absurdity and horror of war. The chorus "Let's be war buddies, waist deep in big muddies, side by side" is a commentary on the idea of brotherhood and comradeship among soldiers, who are often forced to fight and die for political and economic reasons beyond their control. The lines "I'd be the atheist in your foxhole any time" and "Let's be friendly fire, body counts mounting on a bed of barbed wire, coldly stacked" highlight the irony of soldiers relying on faith and hoping for divine intervention in the midst of a violent and chaotic conflict. The verses describe a hypothetical battle scenario, with lines like "As soon as the morning light has broken, then we attack" and "If nobody tries too hard to kill you, I got your back." However, the song quickly subverts these cliches by adding a dark twist: "If you've got guns, well now's the time for sticking, Resistance is already forming: The second shot won't be a warning." This ironic detachment reveals the futility and danger of war, and the senseless loss of life that occurs when people blindly follow orders and ideologies. The second half of the song focuses more on the political and societal implications of war, with lines like "Let's be collateral damage, looking down your nose like it's the best you can manage" and "The threat of a hostile occupation, the better to form a sovereign nation." These lyrics critique the way that wars are often conducted in the name of freedom and democracy, while actually creating chaos and oppression. The final lines "When the tanks roll into Warsaw, will I find you at the front, singing into a tape recorder, shouldering the brunt of the attack? Has it come to that?" are a blunt questioning of what war really accomplishes and whether it's worth the cost. Overall, "War Buddies" is a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of war, and should make us all question our own assumptions and values.
