Christmas In Fallujah (Music and Lyrics By Billy Joel)

Publish date: 2024-05-06

Christmas In Fallujah
Cass Dillon Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴It's evening in the desert
I'm tired and I'm cold
But I am just a soldier
I do what I am told

We came with the crusaders
To save the holy land
It's Christmas in Fallujah

And no one gives a damn

And I just got your letter
And this is what I read you said
I'm fading from your memory
So I'm just as good as dead

We are the armies of the empire
We are ethe legionnaires of Rome

It's Christmas in Fallujah
And we ain't never coming home
We came to bring these people freedom
We came to fight the infidel
There is no justice in the desert
Because there is no God in hell

They say Osama's in the mountains

Deep in a cave near Pakistan
But there's a sea of blood in Baghdad
A sea of oil in the sand
Between the Tigris and Euphrates
Another day comes to an end
It's Christmas in Fallujah
Piece on Earth goodwill to men

It's Christmas in Fallujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
It's Christmas in Fallujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
It's Christmas in Fallujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
It's Christmas in Fallujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah

Marry Christmas from Fallujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah
Marry Christmas from Fallujah
Hallelujah, hallelujah [5x]

Oo-ra!


Overall Meaning

The song "Christmas in Fallujah" by Cass Dillon is a powerful commentary on the futility and tragedy of war. The opening lines set the scene in the desert, where the singer is a soldier following orders without question, even though he is tired and cold. The reference to the crusaders and the holy land suggests a historical context, but the song is actually set in Iraq during the US-led invasion of 2003.


The contrast between the soldier's bleak reality and the traditional Christmas greetings he receives from home is emphasized when he reads that he is "fading from your memory" and "just as good as dead" to his loved ones. The reference to the armies of the empire and the legionnaires of Rome underscores the idea that history repeats itself, and that the idealistic justifications for war are often the same even as the technology and geopolitics change.


The lyrics also highlight the cynical reality of the war in Iraq, where the search for weapons of mass destruction was used to justify the invasion even though the real motive was reportedly to secure oil resources and demonstrate US military power in the region. The references to Osama bin Laden and the mountains of Pakistan, as well as the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, situate the song in the broader context of the so-called War on Terror and the long history of Western interference in the Middle East.


Overall, "Christmas in Fallujah" is a haunting reminder that war dehumanizes both the aggressors and the victims, and that the human cost of conflict is always enormous.


Line by Line Meaning

It's evening in the desert
The singer is currently in the desert at night


I'm tired and I'm cold
The singer is physically exhausted and cold


But I am just a soldier
The singer is a soldier and follows orders


I do what I am told
The artist follows commands from higher-ups


We came with the crusaders
The artist and their group arrived with crusaders


To save the holy land
The group's objective is to save a holy place


It's Christmas in Fallujah
Despite being in a conflict zone, it is currently the Christmas season


And no one gives a damn
No one seems to care that it is Christmas in a war zone


And I just got your letter
The artist received a letter


And this is what I read you said
The letter contained specific content


I'm fading from your memory
The singer is being forgotten by the recipient of the letter


So I'm just as good as dead
The artist feels that being forgotten is equivalent to being dead


We are the armies of the empire
The group is part of an empire's military


We are the legionnaires of Rome
The group identifies with ancient Rome's powerful military force


And we ain't never coming home
The group has no plans to return home


We came to bring these people freedom
The group's stated purpose is to liberate people


We came to fight the infidel
The group's enemy is people who don't share their religious beliefs


There is no justice in the desert
The singer believes that the desert environment is inhospitable to justice


Because there is no God in hell
The singer believes that there is no divinity in the place they are fighting


They say Osama's in the mountains
People talk about Osama bin Laden being in the mountains


Deep in a cave near Pakistan
The artist gives a specific location for bin Laden's potential hideout


But there's a sea of blood in Baghdad
Theviolence in Baghdadis due to the large amounts of bloodshed


A sea of oil in the sand
There is a lot of oil in the desert


Between the Tigris and Euphrates
The location being described is between two rivers


Another day comes to an end
The day has ended in the area the singer is in


Peace on Earth goodwill to men
A common Christmas message that contrasts with the war happening in the area


Hallelujah, hallelujah
An expression of praise or worship


Marry Christmas from Fallujah
A Christmas greeting from the conflict zone


Oo-ra!
A military-themed expression of approval


Contributed by Colin N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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