Private Jones [Dennis DeYoung]

Private Jones
Written by Dennis DeYoung
Lead Vocals by Dennis DeYoung

Private Jones fought for democracy

Lookin' high and low for W.M.D
He wanted to be brave for his dad and mom
He never saw the flash from the roadside bomb

And on the day he enlisted
And he got his gun
He'd been itchin' for action
Since the towers fell on 9-1-1

Private Jones knew that he had the nerve
A true patriot who was proud to serve
He never had a doubt that he'd do his best
But when the bullets fly it's a hell of a test

And on the day he departed
And he held his wife
Private Jones had told her
No way I'm gonna lose my life

All honor all glory
To those who made the sacrifice
Hey
Remember their stories
Tell everyone they paid the price

Alleluia
I say Alleluia
Alleluia
I say Alleluia
Ah

Alleluia

Private Jones knew there was hell to pay
He knew that truth from the very first day
He came to liberate and he aimed to please
But he couldn't tell his friends from his enemies

But in the heat of battle
He saw freedom's light
And it was somethin' to die for
So Private Jones did stand and fight

All honor all glory
To those who made the sacrifice
Hey
Remember the heroes
Tell everyone they paid the price

Alleluia
I say Alleluia
Alleluia
I say Alleluia
Ah

All honor all glory
To those who made the sacrifice
Hey
Remember to pray for
All those who chose to pay the price
Tell everyone they paid the price

Alleluia
I say Alleluia
Alleluia
I say Alleluia
Ah

Interpretation

After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, many young men signed up to go overseas and fight a  war in Afghanistan to defeat the heart of the terrorist network and search for Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden. Only two years later, as the "war on terror" expanded, the U.S. invaded Iraq based on intelligence claiming that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and was likely to use them, as Iraq had used WMDs in the Iran-Iraq War. During the war, improvised explosive devices (IEDs) took the lives of many soldiers as they traveled the country in search of WMDs and attempting to keep the peace while the nation rebuilt after the people of Iraq were liberated from the oppressive rule of Saddam Hussein. Many young men and women from the U.S. and her allies made the ultimate sacrifice, paying with the lives in the hope of bringing freedom to people in foreign lands while protecting freedoms at home.