The meaning of the lyrics of the song "Till Kriget" by the artist "Ultima Thule"

This text is the lyrics to the song "Till Kriget" ("To War") by the Swedish band Ultima Thule. The song tells the story of a young man, a peasant by birth, who is drafted into military service.

From the very first lines ("So, at dawn I am awakened, / From dreams my thoughts flee, / There is no peaceful sleep, / But only battle and fight now await"), we are presented with the image of a guy devoid of illusions and understanding what awaits him in war. He is the "son of a crofter and a farmhand / Without land or his own bed," and military service for him is a forced necessity, not a manifestation of patriotism.

The song repeatedly emphasizes the gravity and inevitability of the military lot: "I walk along the roadless path, / I received a fourteen-day ration." The image of a "yellow-blue cloak" (the colors of the Swedish flag) points to the era of Charles XII and his numerous wars.

The call "Left, right! Left, right! / Under the blue skies" sounds mechanical and bleak, highlighting the inhumanity of war, which turns people into a faceless mass.

Despite this, the text also contains the theme of defending the Motherland ("This is the defense and weapon of Svea, / To defend home and household!"), but it sounds more like a tribute to necessity than a sincere impulse.

The repeating refrain "So, farewell croft and forest! / Say 'goodbye' to friend and land / At dawn in spring, / When a foot soldier goes to war!" is filled with bitterness and a premonition of inevitable losses.

The song does not glorify war or patriotic slogans. It shows war through the eyes of a simple soldier for whom it is a heavy duty, not a romantic adventure.