Like Soldiers Do

by Billy Bragg

From the album: Back to Basics

Track 15 of 21 on Back to Basics (1987).

Duration: 2:39

Back to Basics cover art

Lyrics for Like Soldiers Do

Blues eyes fighting the grey eyes fighting the tears Armed to the teeth for a war of words Reaching all the years I advanced across a poppy field I saw the gleam as you raised your shield And love screamed down With the sun behind its back Our Fathers were all soldiers, Shall we be soldiers too Fighting and falling like soldiers do Nothing is clear in this tactical unclear war I can't be bothered to find out What we are fighting for No one can win this war of the senses I see no reason to drop my defences So stand fast my emotions, Rally round my shaking heart Our Fathers were all soldiers, Shall we be soldiers too Fighting and falling like soldiers do Blue eyes fighting the grey eyes fighting the tears Armed to the teeth for a war of words Reaching all the years I advanced across a poppy field I saw the gleam as you raised your shield And love screamed down With the sun behind its back I knew once again I was under attack So stand fast my emotions, Rally round my shaking heart Our Fathers were all soldiers, Shall we be soldiers too Fighting and falling like soldiers Fighting and falling like soldiers Fighting and falling like soldiers do

Listen On

More from Back to Basics

  1. The Milkman of Human Kindness
  2. To Have and to Have Not
  3. Richard
  4. Lovers Town Revisited
  5. A New England
  6. The Man in the Iron Mask
  7. The Busy Girl Buys Beauty
  8. It Says Here
  9. Love Gets Dangerous
  10. From a Vauxhall Velox
  11. The Myth of Trust
  12. The Saturday Boy
  13. Island of No Return
  14. This Guitar Says Sorry
  15. Like Soldiers Do
  16. St. Swithin's Day
  17. Strange Things Happen
  18. A Lover Sings
  19. Between the Wars
  20. The World Turned Upside Down
  21. Which Side Are You On