Soldier of 3 Armies

Soldier of 3 Armies
Artist	Sabaton
Album	Heroes (2014)
Length	03:38
Music	Brodén / Englund
Lyrics	Brodén / Sundström

Tracklist
1. Night Witches
2. No Bullets Fly
3. Smoking Snakes
4. Inmate 4859
5. To Hell and Back
6. The Ballad of Bull
7. Resist and Bite
8. Soldier of 3 Armies
9. Far from the Fame
10. Hearts of Iron
11. 7734
12. Man of War
13. For Whom the Bell Tolls
14. En hjältes väg
15. Out of Control

Soldier of 3 Armies is the eighth song on the Heroes album by Sabaton.

Information

• When Joakim was going to write music for Heroes and was coming home to Falun, people he wanted to write the song with cancelled the meetings with him. Joakim reached out to Thobbe and they decided that would try to write a song together.
• At first, Joakim and Thobbe didn't know where to start, so Thobbe started riffing and he played a riff very similar to the intro riff that they modified. After that, the songwriting was a quick process.
• The main riff for the song was an idea that Thobbe had for his video blog.
• The book Born a Soldier: The Times and Life of Larry A Thorne by J. Michael Cleverley inspired the song's lyrics.
• The book was given to Joakim by a guy called Petri around 2010 whom Joakim met in Finland while being in a sauna on a boat between Sweden and Finland.
• Petri kept nagging Joakim that he should made a song about Lauri Allan Törni.
• Joakim forgot about the story and after a few years he gave him the book.
• Joakim visited the grave of Lauri Allan Törni in Arlington, USA.
• Joakim said that it's a matter of respect to visit memorial sites and graves of the events and people they sing about.

Background

Joakim: "This time was the first time that I went to the band members. Soldier of 3 Armies I wrote with Thobbe. He had the main riff as an idea for his video blog and I thought it was cool. So we tried writing a song together and it became "Soldier of 3 Armies"."

Historic fact

The story of Lauri Törni is quite captivating. During his career as a soldier he served in 3 different armies, reached the rank of officer and was awarded with medals in all of them. Sometimes described as inhuman while superior in battle, this man started out in his homeland Finland, fought his way through WW2 on both the Finnish and German side, and then ended up dead in Vietnam, but then as a special operations soldier among the Green Berets bearing the name of Larry Thorne.

Live

• The song was played live frequently during Heroes on Tour from 2014 to 2016. It was played a few times in 2017, mostly in Finland.

Lyrics

Started out as a reserve, Soon promoted well deserved And the legend has begun With a bounty on his head, The Red Army wants him dead Soviet enemy number one Cross of Mannerheim! Addicted to the war game Never ending flame Victory reclaimed Oh, we remember, We remember, we remember! Shout! Lauri Törni’s name, A soldier of 3 armies knows the game Deeds that echo from the past Rise! from beyond your grave, Son of Finland and a green beret May you rest in peace at last Lauri Allan Törni Crossed the water a new start, War still beating in his heart A new legend has been born Started out as a reserve Soon promoted well deserved Changed his name to Larry Thorne From the Finnish lakes Into Germany and USA All the wars he came across Cross of Mannerheim, an Iron Cross, A Bronze Star, Purple Heart One Distinguished Flying Cross

Song

Soldier of 3 Armies

Sabaton History

Soldier of Three Armies Pt. 1 – Winter War – Sabaton History 064 -Official-

Soldier of Three Armies Pt. 2 – Continuation War - Sabaton History 065 -Official-

Soldier of Three Armies Pt. 3 – Vietnam War – Sabaton History 066 -Official-