Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: ska
Song Meaning of “Behind Barbed Wire” by The Casualties
“Behind Barbed Wire” by The Casualties is a song that speaks to the struggles of day to day life and its impact on our souls. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a person caught in a ceaseless cycle of struggle and confinement, feeling like they are trapped within their own life. The lyrics speak to the sense of despair that can often arise due to feeling like the walls of one’s own life are impenetrable.
The first verse speaks to this pain and confusion, with the narrator saying, “Trapped in a world of pain, desperate to break free / Out of my control, of my life, set me free”. The imagery created here speaks to the person’s need to free themselves from what is holding them back in life, but also to the feeling that they are stuck in a never-ending cycle of impossible circumstance and despair.
The second verse speaks to a need to break away from this feeling of being held back, with the narrator saying, “I’m looking for a way left to cross the line / But all I find / Is another wall of barbed wire”. Here, the narrator speaks of their need to find a way free, but all they seem to encounter is another wall that blocks their path. This paints a picture of a person trapped in a hopeless situation, feeling like no matter how hard they try, they will never get free from the barbed wire that has ensnared them.