“What could he do? Should’ve been a father But he never even made it to his twenties” Hits hard

Fact: the Civil War was also called the Boys War because almost all the recruits were boys under 18, the youngest being 9 and the range being 10 and up. And this song perfectly fits it.

For those curious, the song is about a mother grieving for her son, however a topic this song covers that people don't talk about is that if you ask a lot of soldiers, you'll usually find that a lot of them come from poor backgrounds, working in the military is a job that pays well (from my information i may be wrong) who want to feed their family back home, "but he never had a proper education" and "but he didn't have the money for a guitar" both prove my point, another thing, you might brush this off at first but the soldier is a child, the point of this i feel is to show that it won't just a soldier, it's another mothers lost son, when the child becomes a brown man, this can represent how war changes you. I might just be over analylising this though, anyways thanks for listening to my long rant

I didnt hear people talk about how beautiful her vocals are!!!!! This is such a pretty but eerie song

I love how she blinks with the shutter sound. So clever.

This song is so heartbreaking but so beautiful. It's almost like a lullaby in a way, like she's singing her little soldier to sleep.

The sergeant screaming in the back always gave me chills, gosh Kate bush’s music is timeless I could listen to this everyday every second and still not get bored.

My grandfather was 23 years old in 1949 during the Greek civil war when he was captured in Albania by the communists along with other Greek soldiers. For seven years he was tortured, tried to find a way to escape, experienced Enver Hoxha's dictatorship, almost got killed many times in battles or in some of his escaping tries, lost fellow soldiers with most of them being below 20 years old. His entire family and friends believed he has been dead since 1949 and even prepared him a funeral. In 1956 at 30 years old, after seven years of hell, my grandfather managed to escape and went back to his family and relatives, all being socked and in tears by his return. All his dark memories of war stayed on, but he find the courage to get over them and start a new life. He was a great human being, and became a great husband for his wife, my grandmother, a carrying and strong father for his only son, my father, later a great father-in-law for my mother whom treated like the daughter he always wanted but never had, and a carrying and loving grandfather for me and my brother, his only grandchildren. It was in January of 2022 where died at the tough age of 95 and had his actual funeral, having lived a rough youth and believed to be dead since he was 23 by many. I will never forget you, my beloved grandfather (1926-2022) ❤

My brother died in the air force a month ago. He was 29. He was gonna go to California. Once i asked him what he wanted to be, and he said he wanted to be a math professor. He loved math and chess and art and music. He was amazing at black jack. He once took me to a chess competition and i remember winning against an adult in the free play room, and i was so excited. This song reminded me of him.

the fact in the background it was whispering " Mommy's hero " 😢 another thing I noticed that at 2:07 her mumbling sounds like she's crying.. but I think people have pointed this out already

To everyone saying “This song is just now getting popular after 13 years” this song came out in 1980, it says so in the description.

This song just… brings out the feelings of sorrow, depression, and all negative emotions that come from losing someone to war. And I’ve never even experienced this but it makes me tear up.

The part around 2:07 where she drops the rifle and rushes to embrace her son, but he's not there is every parent's worst nightmare repeated over and over. Really upsets me .

As a soldier I listened, but didn't understand this song. Today as a parent I understand it, horrific and beautiful at the same time.

the way she sings "our little army boy" in the beginning it sounds like "our little lamby boy" which is DEVASTATING like she's his mother he'll always be a child to her, and it such a tender and loving endearment

Im so glad that this song aged well, but I'm so devastated that its message is still so relevant. What is it that humankind has against peace?

This song is trending again and I think Kate bush deserves it this song saved my life 😭

There is actually a really good representation of shell shock when the two soldiers pop up. One is constantly blinking, while the other one is barely blinking. The one barely blinking is presumably doing the thousand yard stare which many soldiers did after being shell shocked. For anyone unaware of the term shell shock; Shell shock is a term that originated during World War I to describe the type of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) that many soldiers experienced during the war, before PTSD was officially recognized. It is a reaction to the intensity of the bombardment and fighting that produced helplessness, which could manifest as panic, fear, flight, or an inability to reason, sleep, walk, or talk. (Definition from Google)

subtitles: [music] me: ah yes very helpful edit- AINOWAY YALL GOT ME TO 300+ LIKES IN 3 DAYS HELPPP🤑😭😭

My heart goes out to all the parents who lost their children who had to fight in the military . The world's governments treat people like pawns to use to further their goals, and its sad how so many people who had bright futures had their lives cut short .

B.F.P.O. in the lyrics stands for "British Forces Posted Overseas" in case anyone was wondering.

Four years in the military have showed me that vast majority of my fellow comrades joined because they came from poor, broken families, could not afford higher education w/o military's help or just wanted to get out of their towns, villages were there was no future for them. Very few joined because they felt it was their patriotic duty to serve.

My grandpa got his foot blown off by a Artillery strike I believe on Omaha beach. He was a mortar man in the US Expeditionary Force. He didn’t live to see his 50th Birthday. He died from a heart attack in 1970. He also was a heavy drinker. R.I.P. You will never be forgotten, Pa.

I’ve known this song for YEARS and I’m so mad I actually looked at it now instead of then.

“A soldier will fight long and hard for a bit of colored ribbon.” -Napoleon Bonaparte

A story of a woman dealing with the loss of her son drafted into war. This song is probably one of the most beautiful songs i have ever heard, and i probably listen to it more than 3 times a day because of how amazing it is.

I FEEL SO SAD BUT SO HAPPY THAT I FIND SONGS FROM MOSTLY SHORTS OR TIKTOK

Knowing that my Grandma introduced me to Kate Bush back in 2019 when I was still in highschool..it makes me so happy that others are listening to her more. She will forever be my inspiration ❤️

This song does things to me. That "click click" sound you hear (2.06) and all the way through the track is an SLR chambering a round. Was in the army when this was released and that sound still sends shivers up my spine.

The softness of the music makes the action in the video so much louder

Came in this video thinking "meh it's just a music video", came out crying how emotional is it and how much of deep meanings it has..

0:42 This part is very sad, and (as I understood) it says that if it were not for the war, people could become someone, but because of the war all dreams are broken

Kate Bush was about *19 years old* when she wrote this! To be that pulled together and artistic so young is amazing!

I'm not ashamed that I discovered this absolute beauty of a song from tiktok, and I'm so happy I even got to listen to this beautiful song :))

I swear old songs are becoming famous again ✨✨✨

My uncle was in the army for years after coming back from Afghanistan he was never the same he became addicted to drugs and we needed up losing him July last year at 39, he was found dead in a park from an overdose in London. He was a father, his daughter is five she will grow up with no dad. War is fucked up. My other uncle who is still alive also served and watched four of his friends get blown up, right in front of him.

For every soldier, my great uncle died aged 19 in the first world war. Just a few weeks before it ended, his body was never found, he just has a headstone in a huge cemetery in France.

I have a 19 year old brother who plans on joining our countries army. When I first heard this song, my mind immidiately jumped to him, and the thought of him dying in a war. I really doubt this will ever happen, since I don't think Spain, out of all countries, will be in any war soon, but still, the single thought of him being gone made me start to tear up. It almost feels like this song would be what we felt if we learnt he has gone. I love you, bro.

The first time I heard this song I almost cried, it’s such a deep, heartfelt song with so much emotion, it’s beautiful though

My class and i used this song for our army play and i had to cru knowing that the play was inspired by a true story where soldiers couldn't return bsck to their families who needed them so much. I really loved the meaning of the song

she's a genius, i cry every time i hear this song . jack, age 79, 2024

My dad was sent to military week ago, he is 51, his life only started, this song makes me so sad, but I love it, hope war will end soon.

This song makes me so sad inside but her voice fits it so well.

Her vocals are absolutely unbelievable. What an eerily beautiful voice.

When I was training in the Infantry, I listened to this song repeatedly. I didn't think of it so much as anti-war, but a brilliant commentary on the tragedy of war, particularly WWI when that entire generation had no idea what they were getting into; and the sacrifices made for 'stripes and ribbons' War should be the very last option, and the "waste" is never seeing what the kids could have turned into had they been given the chance to live a peaceful life. I have never seen the video until now, and I now have an even greater appreciation for her artistry. Drill Sgt in the background with the sound of the rifle cocking in sync with her blinking... and having kids in camo running around with rifles. Does anyone write and perform with that sort of insight anymore? Compelling and moving.

everyone talks about the subject matter and lyrics, and while that is important, i think the composition and melody of this track is utterly beautiful and it's what drew me to this song

The attention to detail and symbolism in this video is so beautiful. The blinking at the shuttering noise, the soldier being a little boy to show how it's not just a soldier but someone's child, everything. This song is a masterpiece and I truly feel th emotion put into it as it makes me heart hurt but feel all fuzzy at the same time. Each lyric explained so much with so few words and it's so beautiful. I love you, Kate Bush :)

Whos is still listening to this masterpiece song in 2024?

I lost my brother in a war. He was a true patriot of Ukraine, he stood for our safety and independence. Hearing this song and watching the clip reminds me of his unachieved dreams of seeing the prosperity and freedom in our land. The war took his life, but never took his soul. I believe he is in a better place than this hellish world…

She’s a bloody genius. The perfection of the imagery + story + melodic emotion. It blows my mind. I can’t believe she was so young when she wrote this. 🙌

My God, this woman has BEAUTIFUL songs.

THE WAY IT SAYS “mommys hero” AT THE START WAAAAAAHH 😭😭

Best anti war song ever written and it's by Kate Bush

She has the detail DOWN. The shell shock look, the drill Sargent, an absolute masterpiece

I used to listen to this song when i was 5 with my mom, but i didn’t understood the lyrics. Now i’m 16, and i cry every time i listen to it

Capturing the hundred yard stare so well

I feel this more than ever. I have an 8 year old little brother, he is playful, dreamed of becoming a football player, just like Zinchenko, but then he saw some clips on TV and said he would like to become a soldier, he was fascinated by the Ukranian Army, he also loved eating sweets made from fruit, I lost him in a bombing carried out in my neighborhood in Kharkiv March 27th 🇺🇦. I couldn't save him. I'll never forget his little smile, I'm sorry, I'm really sorry, I wish I was there, I couldn't save him. I'll never forget his little smile, now I'm thinking what he could be, he was so smart and curious.

My father was in the army for 3 years, he made it out alive, this song really fits him. Whenhe was a kid, he wanted to be a rockstar, but he didnt have the money for a guitar, And then he wsnted to become something like a politician, or doctor, idk, and then in his 8th grade, war broke out, he didnt have a proper education, and when he wanted to mske a family, he did make it to hid 29's, im gratefull for him.

The people around you, saying "he should have been this" or "he should have been that" is so real. They always say that if only he had been something else.

I didn't come here from TikTok and an original fan of Kate Bush. Surprise this song suddenly got famous for something (let's hope it is a something good)

I use to play this song when I was 16 such a beautiful song, now i’m 28. I’m a black girl from London and I absolutely love this song. Kate Bush is a LEGEND.

It does indeed suck that we’re here from TikTok, but on the bright side guys, we found it! I’m happy that TikTok has allowed these beautiful things to get the attention they deserve

In the trenches, a ghost does dwell, Where the horrors of war, only time can tell. Whispers of loss, echoes of pain, A haunting reminder, amidst bloodstained rain. Soldiers once young, now weary and old, Their stories of bravery, forever untold. Screams in the night, the silence of dread, A ghost in the trenches, where hope has fled. Barbed wire and mud, a chilling sight, Men torn apart, in the darkness of night. Gone are the dreams, of a future so bright, Replaced by the ghost, in the cold, endless fight. So let us remember, the ghost in the trench, The sacrifice made, in a world so drenched. Lest we forget, the horrors of war, And strive for a future, worth fighting for. ( In memory of every soldier's life, who was pointlessly squandered in World War 1.)

Anyone listening to this masterpiece in 2024?

A woman's perspective of losing her son to war. It's as heartbreaking as it is brilliant. Kate had that magnificent feminine spirit in everything she did. She sang to a part of us no one else could. That's why we love her so.

My brother died serving before I was born. I didn’t even know him and it’s always been the expectation to not ask my father about him. But this song makes me feel like I can connect to him and I appreciate that.

It's give me chills listening tot his

My dad (her oldest son,) joined the navy when he was 18. My grandma (his mom) had just dropped him off at the base. She was crying, because she was sad and this was her first kid. She said she heard a song about a mom sending her son to the army, and he never came back. And she cried even more. She said she never heard that song again. Maybe this was that song. ( this was in the 80’s by the way, and my grandma was a country fan, still is)

Looking through these comments and seeing nothing but love for this song, Kate bush and this video. You people are my kind of people.

13 years and its now coming back...

I always hear this song from KZfaq short and thought it was release like this year because the song just sound so good never thought this song was made in 1980

To think that this video was made before MTV. When you think of the clips that were around at that time (1981), you realize how much ahead of her time she was.

Disappointed to say I’m from tiktok. 😔

I found Masterpiece how can i handle my hands to not watch it more and more 🍀🕊️

This song has been around for a long time But viral in 2024

The beautiful thing about Kate is that she can sing about any subject related to the human experience and make you believe she has really been there herself. That is the mark of a true artist.

That slow and stressed way of blinking that she does that keeps reoccurring at the sound-effect that kind of sounds like a rifle loading is such a stroke of pure genius! What a simple but effective and telling way to represent shellshock and PTSD symbolically in the smallest of gestures... Kate Bush always has the very best artistry in her videos!

Bro this song making a comeback in 2024 is crazy

Bro this song makes me so sad, thinking about how soldiers in war were just humans who had dreams, families, lovers, talents, likes and dislikes. They couldn’t have other option than to die with honor. People who romanticize war are insane.

She just took the concept of the three minute throwaway pop song, ripped the lid off it, turned it inside out, slapped some real meaning into it and threw it back at us. Do you appreciate how amazing this is, from all aspects? I didn't, at the time. More fool me. Now, I think she is one of the greatest talents of the last fifty years. One more album, Kate, please, just one more album.

I love this song. My teacher showed this to us in class, but everybody started laughing... It honestly disgusted me. It was as if they didn't get the meaning behind this song. I tried to hold back tears! I think her voice suits this song amazingly well. I love it because of the meaning behind it, the voice, music and just the song as a whole.

im 1 year old when this release, im cryin.

This is so sad but a popular song

This song is the type of song to make you just sit in silence after you listen to it. Beautiful and tragic.

My great grandpa died in WWII when he was 19 from saving his best friend from getting killed. My great grandma told me that he wanted to move somewhere away and become a father. But he never got to see his son grow up, but his memory still lives on.

After 13 years this song finally blows up

Theres only a few songs that have managed to make me cry, this is one of em

0:36 THIS PART...

I adore Kate Bush on many many levels, but each time I watch this video I can't help but think: - "is this the most beautiful woman ever??"

13 years ago and it's still a good song

I was watching animations to this song which didn’t match the lyrics at all. Came to this video and cried. What a meaningful song.

I was in the forces when this was released and had left my Kate Bush poster on my wall at home. Really loved this song straight away and was conflicted at the sentiment - Costello's Oliver's Army affected me the same way but I was young and determined to try the military life. Most guys in barracks liked the song because they could hear the "square bashing" sergeant shouting drill in the background and the sound of a rifle being cocked as a percussive element. Few connected the song as anti war. I love how Kate uses a character in song to describe the waste of young life in conflict. More effective than angry young men style of anti-war songs (though I confess I like them too). She rarely sings about herself directly and I love her work for that. I'm a big Joni Mitchell fan and love Janis Ian too but there's only so much confessional one can take, Kate is a wonderful contrast to the singer - songwriter style.

I’m going into the Army July 8th hearing this song makes me think of my mom my girlfriend and those closest to me. I pray I don’t end up like those who have fallen I will hope I will not fall but rise, only god knows what will happen I have faith I’ll come back them, to her

This song is amazing

This song hits hard no wonder it made a come back after 13 years

People may call her weird...but boy could she write a song! Her voice has great feeling to it when she sings and she is so beautiful...

Hello, sorry if I write with mistakes, I’m from Ukraine, from the Dnipro, listening to your song and my heart bleeds... I’m only 12, the war is terrible, I felt it completely myself.. Good luck to you! And to everyone who reads this.

To know that this story is related to many moms and dads around the world hurts

Beautiful songs

As a mother with 2 sons in the Army and a husband retired from the Air Force. This song gives me chills. Not just about possible losing a son. But the reasons she gives for joining the army. B.F.P.O. Army dreamers Mammy's hero B.F.P.O. Mammy's hero Our little army boy Is coming home from B.F.P.O. I've a bunch of purple flowers To decorate mammy's hero Mourning in the aerodrome The weather warmer, he is colder Four men in uniform To carry home my little soldier But he didn't have the money for a guitar (What could he do?) (Should have been a politician) But he never had a proper education (What could he do?) (Should have been a father) But he never even made it to his twenties What a waste Army dreamers Oh, what a waste of Army (army) dreamers (dreamers) Tears o'er a tin box Oh, Jesus Christ, he wasn't to know Like a chicken with a fox He couldn't win the war with ego Give the kid the pick of pips And give him all your stripes and ribbons Now he's sitting in his hole He might as well have buttons and bows But he didn't have the money for a guitar (What could he do?) (Should have been a politician) But he never had a proper education (What could he do?) (Should have been a father) But he never even made it to his twenties What a waste Army dreamers Ooh, what a waste of Army (army) dreamers (dreamers) Ooh, what a waste of all them Army (army) dreamers (dreamers) Army (army) dreamers (dreamers) Army (army) dreamers (dreamers), oh B.F.P.O. Army dreamers Mammy's hero B.F.P.O. Army dreamers Mammy's hero B.F.P.O. No hard heroes Mammy's hero B.F.P.O. Army dreamers Mammy's hero B.F.P.O. Source: LyricFind Songwriters: Kate Bush Army Dreamers lyrics