Born of the 2010's folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock an… Read Full Bio ↴Born of the 2010's folk boom and now comfortably stationed in their rock and roll era, The Crane Wives epitomize the evolving sound of the indie genre. Having performed hundreds of shows on stages across the country, they gravitate toward high-energy melodies, featuring the kinetic percussion of Dan Rickabus, the silky, driving bass lines of Ben Zito and playful guitar leads from front women Emilee Petersmark and Kate Pillsbury. Counterbalancing their lively stage presence, their lyrics extol the shadow side of the human condition, delving into mythology and themes of darkness and inner conflict. The band softens the blows of their emotional candor with soulful three-part vocal harmonies, like a 21st century Cerberus, the hound of Hades reimagined as an emotional support animal. To date, they have released five full length albums, including their 2020 live album, "Here I Am".

Little soldiers
The Crane Wives Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

On the broken backs of all the words we spared
Like little soldiers in the trenches
It was a march we made towards ruin and despair
But we held hands all the while

I swear that I loved you
I swear that I loved you
I swear that I loved you

I swear, I swear

Beneath the table you would offer up my bones
And all the dogs would lick your fingers
And I dragged you through every room inside our home
But you still held me at night

I swear that you loved me
I swear that you loved me
I swear that you loved me
I swear, I swear

We didn't give up, we wouldn't dare surrender
It was an honest loss

Now the aftermath will ring with songs you've sung
All of our words sent home in boxes
I fought with tooth and nail before the flag had flown
But you were already gone

I'll swear that I loved you
I'll swear that I loved you
I'll swear that I loved you
I swear, I swear

I'll swear that I loved you
I'll swear that I loved you

I'll swear that I loved you
I swear, I swear

Overall Meaning

The Crane Wives' song "Little Soldiers" is a powerful journey of a love that was fought for and lost in the aftermath. The opening lines, "On the broken backs of all the words we spared, like little soldiers in the trenches," set the tone for the rest of the song. The lyrics suggest that the relationship was always difficult, that they had to fight for it, and that they were willing to lay down their words like soldiers in the trenches to keep it alive. The next line, "It was a march we made towards ruin and despair," implies that even though they fought for love, it ultimately led them down a path of destruction.

The chorus repeats "I swear that I loved you" and "I swear that you loved me" in an attempt to reinforce the love that was present between the two even though they couldn't make it work. The second verse, "Beneath the table you would offer up my bones, and all the dogs would lick your fingers, and I dragged you through every room inside our home, but you still held me at night," suggests that the relationship was one of sacrifice and that they were willing to do anything for the other, even at their own expense.

The song concludes with the lines, "I fought with tooth and nail before the flag had flown, but you were already gone," signifying that despite their fight and loyalty, they were unable to prevent the end of the relationship. Overall, "Little Soldiers" is a poignant and powerful exploration of a relationship that was built on love but ultimately fell apart.

Line by Line Meaning

On the broken backs of all the words we spared
Despite sparing some of our words, we carried the weight of our communication breakdown.

Like little soldiers in the trenches
We resiliently fought for our relationship like soldiers in the trenches.

It was a march we made towards ruin and despair
Our efforts to save our love only led us towards a path of doom and hopelessness.

But we held hands all the while
Despite everything we went through, we were still there for each other every step of the way.

I swear that I loved you
I am earnestly telling you that I loved you.

Beneath the table you would offer up my bones
You would betray me and give away my secrets without a thought.

And all the dogs would lick your fingers
You received praise from others for the wrongs you did to me.

And I dragged you through every room inside our home
I held on to our relationship and tried everything to make it work.

But you still held me at night
Despite everything, you still showed me love and affection when the day was done.

I swear that you loved me
I solemnly believe that you loved me.

We didn't give up, we wouldn't dare surrender
We were strongly determined to fight for our love and didn't let go easily.

It was an honest loss
We truly tried, but sometimes things don't work out despite our efforts.

Now the aftermath will ring with songs you've sung
The consequences of our relationship will be marked by the memories we created together, especially those you cherish.

All of our words sent home in boxes
Our communication is over, and whatever we have to say to each other will be exchanged through written messages.

I fought with tooth and nail before the flag had flown
I put up a fierce fight to save our relationship at all costs, even before signals that it was already over started to show.

But you were already gone
Despite my best efforts, you were already done with our relationship.

I'll swear that I loved you
I will forever insist that I loved you with every part of me.

Writer(s): Emilee Jade Petersmark

Contributed by James T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.

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