A Dead Man's Words by Queensrÿche

Album: American Soldier (2009)

License This Song

lyrics

artistfacts

Songfacts®:

Vocalist Geoff Tate discussed this song on Anybody Listening: "This was inspired by a situation that is very prevalent in the military. They have a policy that no soldier is left behind: If somebody is shot down behind enemy lines or in a man-down situation, the military mobilizes to get them to safety. This is a story about a soldier that was shot down behind enemy lines and how a group of volunteers went in to rescue him. It's told from the perspective of the soldier who was shot down and injured and the soldier who volunteered to go in and get him. Last year on our American tour we had a contest to win a chance to sing on our record and a gentleman named Vince Solano won and sings the part of the rescuer. The story is set in the Middle East, so we gave the music that feel with Middle Eastern modes and Arabian scales."
This song is an examination of the consequences of war through a specific soldier's experience, which is characteristic of Geoff Tate's songwriting. The singer prefers to draw inspiration from life and true experiences while probing at the deeper truths and ideas suggested by them.

Comments

Be the first to comment...

More Songfacts:

Uncle John's BandGrateful Dead

There's a lot of Americana in "Uncle John's Band" by the Grateful Dead, including references to "Buckdancer's Choice" (an Appalachian folk song) and "Fire And Ice," a Robert Frost poem.

Yellow LedbetterPearl Jam

Eddie Vedder often changes the words when he sings "Yellow Ledbetter." The basic story is about a guy whose brother dies in the first Gulf War. Apparently, bad news in the army is delivered in yellow envelopes.

WomanKesha

Kesha's 2017 track "Woman" was the first song titled "Woman" sung by a woman to reach the Hot 100. The prior "Woman" singles to reach the chart were all recorded by male acts.

Detroit Rock CityKiss

Kiss sing about "movin' fast on 95" in "Detroit Rock City," but I-95 doesn't go through Detroit (I-75 does) so they published the lyric as "Movin' fast, doin' 95."

Rock of AgesDef Leppard

The "Gunter Glieben Glauten Globen" intro in Def Leppard's "Rock Of Ages" is something their producer Mutt Lange came up with when he got tired of counting them "1, 2, 3, 4..."

CruiseFlorida Georgia Line

Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" spent 24 weeks on top of the Country chart - the most ever until Sam Hunt's "Body Like a Back Road" was #1 for 34 weeks. The record was previously held by Eddy Arnold's "I'll Hold You in My Heart (1947-48), Hank Snow's "I'm Moving On" (1950-51) and Webb Pierce's "In the Jailhouse Now" (1955), which each led for 21 weeks.

Editor's Picks

Susanna Hoffs - "Eternal Flame"They're Playing My Song

The Prince-penned "Manic Monday" was the first song The Bangles heard coming from a car radio, but "Eternal Flame" is closest to Susanna's heart, perhaps because she sang it in "various states of undress."

Dean PitchfordSongwriter Interviews

Dean wrote the screenplay and lyrics to all the songs in Footloose. His other hits include "Fame" and "All The Man That I Need."

Philip CodySongwriter Interviews

A talented lyricist, Philip helped revive Neil Sedaka's career with the words to "Laughter In The Rain" and "Bad Blood."

Steven Tyler of AerosmithSongwriter Interviews

Tyler talks about his true love: songwriting. How he identifies the beauty in a melody and turns sorrow into art.

Michael W. SmithSongwriter Interviews

Smith breaks down some of his worship tracks as well as his mainstream hits, including "I Will Be Here For You" and "A Place In This World."

Millie JacksonSongwriter Interviews

Outrageously gifted and just plain outrageous, Millie is an R&B and Rap innovator.