Soldier Of Fortune

The lyrics describe a soldier returning from war but finding no peace. He questions what the fighting was for and breaks down, suggesting deep emotional pain. Although the battle ends and victory is declared, he continues marching. The mood shifts from grief and confusion to a grim sense that war’s effects will go on.

“Bells toll” suggests death or mourning, while “trained to kill” points to how military life has shaped the soldier’s actions. “Keep on marching” can mean literal duty, but it also suggests being trapped in a pattern he cannot stop. The “pipers calling” may represent a force drawing him onward—perhaps military discipline, fate, or the pull of further conflict.

The repeated line about carrying on sounds determined, yet it does not necessarily express hope. The soldier may keep going because he has no other path, even when “all hope is gone.” The lyrics leave unclear whether he is marching into another war or simply unable to escape the habits and pain left by this one.