A Lifetime of War (song)

A Lifetime of War
Artist	Sabaton
Album	Carolus Rex (2012)
Length	05:45
Music	Brodén
Lyrics	Brodén / Sundström

Tracklist
1. Dominium Maris Baltici
2. The Lion from the North
3. Gott Mit Uns
4. A Lifetime of War
5. 1 6 4 8
6. The Carolean's Prayer
7. Carolus Rex
8. Killing Ground
9. Poltava
10. Long Live the King
11. Ruina Imperii
12. Twilight of the Thunder God
13. In the Army Now
14. Feuer Frei!
15. Harley from Hell

A Lifetime of War is the fourth song on the Carolus Rex album by Sabaton.

Information

• The song was released as a promotional single (see A Lifetime of War (single).
• The English version of this song describes the causes and conduct of the Thirty Years' War.
• The Swedish version of this song tells the story of a common Swedish soldier fighting in the Thirty Years' War.
• It was one of the songs that took the longest to compose for the album.
• It was rewritten many times before Joakim was happy with it.
• The whole song was written using only a piano, and then it was "Sabatonized".
• The lyric video for the Swedish version of the song premiered on the 9th May 2012 on Sabaton's YouTube channel.
• The lyric video for the English version of the song premiered on the 10th May 2012 on Nuclear Blast's YouTube channel.

The Lost Video

• The video for the song was shot by Nicholas Dackard (who previously filmed Screaming Eagles in 2012 near Warsaw, Poland.
• The idea was to create a feeling that the band is playing on a battlefield during the Thirty Years War. (The idea of the band playing inn the middle of a battle was recycled for Fields of Verdun music video.)
• The band was under "dirt fire" from specially designed cannons that shooted dirt, to create the feeling that they were really playing on a battlefield during the fight.
• The video remains unreleased, because Sabaton didn't receive any footage from the director who stopped answering the band at some point.
• A short "behind the scenes" was released by the band on Sabaton History Channel, thanks to the members of Polish Panzer Battalion, the Polish fanclub who were present at the videoshooting and managed to record some material and sent it to the band.

Background

Joakim: "Musically this is one of the songs that took the longest to compose and it was rewritten many times before I was happy with it.

I probably played the chorus over and over again experimenting with harmonies over a thousand times.

In the end it turned out to be a very nice (but sad) dynamic song with quite a lot of orchestral arrangements."

Pär: "This specific song was more to write about how much the soldiers needed to sacrifice. During these times most of the people who left knew they would not return."

Joakim: "(...) with Carolus Rex especially, there came so many symphonic influences, especially on a song like “A Lifetime of War.”"

Historic fact

"For a long time, the Swedish army consisted of conscripted farmhands and smallholders, who were then given military training, unlike the recruited mercenaries used by other European countries. Men between the ages of 18 and 40, who were fit for military service, were conscripted from the entire population of Sweden and Finland.

But soon the country's resources are drained - mortality in the field is frighteningly high, not only due to the tough actions, but mainly owing to the epidemics that spread like wildfire in the stinking field camps. Disease, hunger and cold take four times as many lives as the battles.

The casualties force the Swedish army to begin recruiting. By 1632, the Swedish fighting forces have grown into a multinational army of 93,000 men, only 6,000 of whom were Swedes and Finns. The majority were German, English, Scottish & Irish mercenaries.

The Thirty Years' War does not reap its victims only among officers and soldiers. It also hits hard the civilian population of Germany. 30% of city dwellers and 40% of the rural population die as a result of epidemics, hunger and assault.

However, as war dragged on, resources were drained. The mortality rate was frighteningly high, not only from battle. Epidemics spread like wildfire in the unsanitary conditions of the field camps. Disease, hunger and cold took four times as many lives as the fighting. The high number of casualties forced the Swedish army to begin recruiting. By 1632 the Swedish fighting force had grown into a multinational Casualties of the Thirty Years War were not only limited to the army. The German civilian population was also hit extremely hard. Thirty percent of city dwellers and forty percent of the rural population also succumbed to disease, hunger and the violence of war."

Lyrics

A Lifetime of War

Two ways to view the world So similar at times Two ways to rule the world To justify their crimes By kings and queens Young men are sent To die in war Their propaganda speaks Those words been heard before Two ways to view the world Brought Europe down in flames Two ways to rule Has man gone insane? A few will remain Who'll find a way To live one more day Through decades of war It spreads like disease There's no sign of peace Religion and greed Cause millions to bleed Three decades of war From dawn to dawn They're fighting, Die where they stand The fog of war lies thick When armies scorch the land When all of Europe is burning, What can be done? They've been to war a decade, Two more to come Long way from home Dopas och do i strid Lifetime at war Has man gone insane? A few will remain Who'll find a way To live one more day Through decades of war It spreads like disease There's no sign of peace Religion and greed Cause millions to bleed Three decades of war When they face death They're all alike No right or wrong Rich or poor No matter who they served before Good or bad They're all the same Rest side by side now Has man gone insane? A few will remain Who'll find a way To live one more day Through decades of war It spreads like disease There's no sign of peace Religion and greed Cause millions to bleed Three decades of war Has man gone insane? A few will remain Who'll find a way To live one more day Through decades of war It spreads like disease There's no sign of peace Religion and greed Cause millions to bleed Three decades of war

En livstid i krig

Jag ser mig om och ser mitt hem försvinna bort Min tid där hemma känns nu alldeles för kort Blott ungdom Knappt en man Då plikten kallar mig Om jag får se mitt hem igen Det vet jag ej Bland fränder från min by så drog jag ut i strid Och världen brann För kriget det kan Förgöra en man Jag ger mitt liv för mitt fosterland Men vem saknar mig Så se mig som den En make en vän Fader och son som aldrig kommer hem igen Men vem sörjer mig Gick ut i strid för Sverige Blev döpt i blod Där ute väntar döden Inte hjältemod I fält där fränder faller Hörs ingen sång Utmanar våra öden Ännu en gång Långt hemifrån Döpas och dö i strid Och världen brann För kriget det kan Förgöra en man Jag ger mitt liv för mitt fosterland Men vem saknar mig Så se mig som den En make en vän Fader och son som aldrig kommer hem Men vem sörjer mig Och när min tid har runnit ut Vem bryr sig då De kämpar på Får en soldat ett värdig slut Få somna in Försvinna bort Och aldrig vakna För kriget det kan Förgöra en man Jag ger mitt liv för mitt fosterland Men vem saknar mig Så se mig som den En make en vän Fader och son som aldrig kommer hem Men vem sörjer mig För kriget det kan Förgöra en man Jag ger mitt liv för mitt fosterland Men vem saknar mig Så se mig som den En make en vän Fader och son som aldrig kommer hem Men vem sörjer mig

Video

SABATON - A Lifetime Of War (OFFICIAL LYRIC VIDEO)

SABATON - En Livstid I Krig (Official album track from Carolus Rex)

Sabaton History

A Lifetime of War – Thirty Years War – Sabaton History 031 Official