|
2.2.1. The Song's Background / What is a Green Beret ?
Before taking a look at Barry Sadler´s lyrics it is necessary to explain what exactly is a Green Beret .They are a " breed apart , a cut above the rest , fighters of uncommon mental and physical caliber. Mature , highly skilled , and superbly trained , they are ready to serve anywhere at any time."
They are usually referred to as the absolute elite within the army . Deployed on every continent , operating in remote areas under Spartan conditions , they also often train their allies to defend themselves against tyranny and oppression .
A member of the U.S. special forces should always remain devoted to their Latin motto , "De Oppresso Liber "-To free the oppressed .
Because President Kennedy felt that since they had a special mission , Special Forces should have something to set them apart from the rest , he authorized the beret as a part of the Special Forces uniform in 1961.The Green Berets also took part in the Vietnam War .
Army Staff Sergeant Barry Saddler helped write " The Ballad of the Green Berets " while recuperating from a leg wound suffered during his service as a medic in the Vietnam War. He later sang the tune on a record that became the nation´s N° 1 hit for five weeks in 1966 and eventually sold 9 million singles and albums. It then became a popular anthem for the special forces. Ballad Of the Green Beret was a great inspiration and source of pride to many Americans serving in an unpopular war.
2.2.2. Analysis
Formally , this text is subdivided into 4 stanzas consisting of four lines and a chorus , which is sung after each paragraph exept for the fourth and fifth paragraph.
In the first stanza , the green berets are described as " fighting soldiers from the sky " (l.1) who do not fear anything , not even facing death , as they are men with a mission . Furthermore , Sadler puts emphasis on the special mental caliber of those men , and highlights their honesty and decisiveness .( "Men who mean just what they say" , " fearless men ")
The chorus is a very important part of this song as it is repeated twice . We learn about the Special Force's insignia , namely the silver wings upon the soldiers´ chests. Ssgt. Sadler -in the chorus as throughout the song - wants to encourage the members of the Special Forces to take pride in what they are doing . In his eyes these soldiers are worthy being called "America's best"
( l.6 ). Only those who prove to live up to the standards the Special Forces request can once wear a Green Beret . Sadler underlines the outstanding requirement standards they have to meet and the tough training the soldiers have to undergo in ll.7/8 : "one hundred men will test today , only three win the green beret".
The extraordinary training will lead them fighting for America , or from Ssgt Sadler's patriotic angle " for freedom's land ".This statement goes along with the motto of the Special Forces : to free the oppressed .
The third paragraph also mentions the camaraderie between the soldiers , they will fight " hand in hand ".So here another requirement is to be noticed: these soldiers need not only be at 100% physical fitness but also need to fit in neatly with the rest of the service members .
Men such as the Green Berets will not hesitate to sacrifice their own lives .They make it possible for others to enjoy their personal freedom due to their resentless efforts to fight for " a better day " ( l.11 ) .
Death is seen as the ultimate sacrifice for a man's country. Dying for ideals is described as very heroic. ( "Fearless men ,jump and die ")
Sadler uses many repetitions throughout his song. What struck me most was the repetition of the word " die " which describes Sadler's opinion on death in the battlefield. The martyr-motif is repeated again and again.
Sadler implies that the Green Berets are more than men. They could rather be described as ultimate war machines who have even overcome the human fear of dying.
The fifth and sixth stanza tell the story of a brave Green Beret who has " met his fate " , died in combat
. He died for his young wife who is waiting at home , so she will once see " a better day" . These lines are very interesting when seen in context with the Vietnam War . In the U.S.A. of the 1960s the so called " Domino Theory " was very popular. It stated that if one country would become communist-ruled the other neighboring countries would sooner or later become communist , too. From the American point of view , communism was regarded as evil and oppressing , so they did not want the rest of the world to be communist .For both their and America's sake , they intervened in Vietnam . With this background-information in mind , the significance of the sentence : " he has died so that she may live " becomes clear. In order to maintain the democratic order in the western world , men like the green berets have to die , so that our world would not fall into communist suppression.
This Beret of course stands exemplary for the rest of the corps .
The only request he left his wife was to make his son " one of America's best ". He is to be made a Green Beret as well . The dead soldier wanted his wife to give the little boy the right education in order to win the green beret some day . Here, a vicious cycle is no be noticed. Sadler's opinion towards dying is blurred : He thinks it is a great thing to die for his country. One day the young boy will probably meet his fate as well.
2.2.3 The Aim of the Song :Praise of the Perfect Soldier
Basically , this song portrays a perfect breed of soldier , of almost superhuman virtue , fearlessly fighting to free all the people suffering from the chains a dictator somewhere tied around their feet.
As this song was written during the Vietnam War it is obvious that this song is highly political and that the author approves of warfare ( " fighting soldiers " ) . The text wants the average American to take pride in his Special Forces , because they " will die so that they can live ". It is evident to the author that wars need to be fought for the sake of a democratic , free America and therefore a free Western world. He successfully addresses to people's feelings in the times of the Cold War , where everyone feared a Russian airstrike . He talks of young wives waiting at home who have to cope with the loss of their husbands because they lost their lives in combat for an American nation . I figure that many Americans were glad that such "fearless men " existed . The song is the n° 21 song of the 1960-1969 rock era and managed to stay n° 1 for five weeks in 1966 .
This song does not judge of wars in a critical way whatsoever . It is not very objective , either. It plainly praises the active members of the U.S.S.F.. The text states that the Green Berets are weapons against injustice . Therefore Sadler sees no point in condemning warfare , he goes even further and glorifies the inhuman death in the battlefield.
Sadler´s aim was to motivate the troops in Vietnam and to get some positive feedback for their mission . This song does not intend to be critical , on the contrary , its aim is to stir peoples' emotions.
|
