Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: psych-rock
Song Meaning of “The Unknown Soldier” by The Doors
The Unknown Soldier by The Doors paints a picture of a soldier struggling with and attempting to cope with the horrors of war. The verse reflects the soldier’s state of mind, withJim Morrison singing “A soldier dreams of churches and of wives and of friends he left behind/He wonders will they miss him when his time comes round again/And will his name be remembered or will it pass away?” These lyrics highlight the soldier’s uncertainty about the future and sense of loneliness and longing for family and those he has left behind.
The chorus reinforces this sense of loneliness and helplessness, with Morrison singing, “Oh, the unknown soldier/He’s far, far away/Where the bullets and the dust never settle/He will never be found, in some distant town…” This conveys the idea that the soldier’s fate is unknown, that he could be fighting and dying in a place so far away that he will never be found or remembered.
The song ends with a plea for peace, with Morrison singing, “So don’t tell me no stories, and don’t tell me no lies/For the unknown soldier/Is our brother, he won’t ever die.” The idea being that even if the soldier is forgotten or lost in battle, that he will always live on in memory of those who loved and understood him.