Quote:
Originally Posted by stoneje
I'm really curious about the song title - it's the only one I can't make sense of.
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I'll take a stab at this:
Drunken Soldier = Wasting time trying to be something you're not.
Nobody wants to be a soldier (interesting tie in to LITHOG), whether it's in a literal sense or otherwise, but it's pretty easy to be brainwashed by an imaginary obligation - such as going to war - which I believe Dave asserts is tantamount to being drunk on whatever BS is being fed to you; I think this is a similar notion to what John Butler means in "Used to Get High". Based on what we know about Dave and his lyrical stylings, I think that he has crafted the title to be almost redundant in that a soldier is already drunk by definition.
You can't ignore the overt reference to war, as Dave has not made it a mystery that he is emphatically against it (also referenced in the album opener), but just like Gaucho, he is making a broader statement on humanity and believing in one's self - a message that is surely meant for his children and generations to come. Whether you agree with him or not, at least this theme is consistent.
Just my 2 dollar bill