Soldiers of Misfortune

Single infobox
Name = Soldiers of Misfortune


Artist = Filter
from Album = Anthems for the Damned
Released = March 18, 2008
Format = CD5"
Genre = Rock
Length = 4:27
Label = Pulse/Fontana
Writer =
Last single = "American Cliché" (2002)
This single = "Soldiers of Misfortune" (2008)
Next single = "What's Next" (2008)

"Soldiers of Misfortune" is the lead single off Filter's fourth studio album, "Anthems for the Damned". It premiered on MySpace on February 25, 2008 and was released to radio stations on March 18, 2008. "Soldiers of Misfortune" was added to Amazon.com's MP3 download section and the iTunes Store on April 29, 2008.

The song is described by singer Richard Patrick as a "sardonic anti-war/pro-troops song." Its first-person narrative was inspired by a letter from a Filter fan who had enlisted in the Army Reserves to get his college tuition paid; in his final year of college, he was shipped off to Iraq where he died from a rocket attack and small arms fire after just a few days of duty.

Music video

The video for the song features the band performing while shots of soldiers and war are shown, as well as plastic soldiers shooting each other.

Lyrical content

The last group of lyrics in the song seems to be a direct reference to a song called "Over There" by George M. Cohan. Whereas the song by Cohan was designed to be an uplifting song targeted to boost troop morale, Filter appears to be much more subdued and less enthusiastic, reflecting a more serious approach to the current situation that US troops may be facing during the conflict in Iraq.

Chart positions

References