I don't think anyone can be ready for how hard this hits. Lemmy's words, Sabatons performance, and the cinematic video created a masterpiece. RIP to Lemmy and all those who served and died.
I'm here because my Great Grandfather survived, wounded, the battle of Mons. I proudly have his medals. In fact my Great great grandmother received a letter from the King congratulating the fact she sent 7 sons to that war and all 7 came home. 4 in the army 2 in the navy and 1 in this new branch called The Royal Flying corps. My Great uncle still has this letter
From Lemmy's autobiography: "I wrote the words [to '1916'] before I wrote the music. It's about the Battle of the Somme in World War I . . . it happened that I was in England, watching a programme about World War I and I had a brainstorm when they got to the Battle of the Somme. Nineteen thousand Englishmen were killed before noon, a whole generation destroyed, in *three hours* -- think about that! It was just terrible -- there were three or four towns in northern Lancashire and south Yorkshire where that whole generation of men were completely wiped out. And those towns are still suffering from it because they were never able to build their population up again. Places like Accrington, in Lancashire, were fucking destroyed. They brought five old guys back to the battlefield in this TV special. One guy, who was about ninety, said 'They told us to walk, not run, and we walked across and all the lads around me laid down. I thought there might have been an order from the rear that I hadn't heard. And then I realized they were all dead.' It's a case of the English killing more Englishmen than the Germans. Hindenberg, who later became president of Germany, said, 'They were lions lead by donkeys.' So I wrote a song about it. But I do have a lot of ambivalence about that tune. This kid wrote to me and said he played it for his grandfather, who was there, and the old man cried all the way through it. That's a very great compliment, but I'm not sure I like the guy feeling that bad for my gratification. It's an amazing thing to have happen, though, to reach back over all those years and touch somebody like that." -Lemmy Kilmister (with Janiss Garza) White Line Fever 2002
Lemmy Kilmister of Motor head wrote "1916" after watching a TV documentary on the 1916 Battle of the Somme. He was moved by the recollection of a veteran of the battle, who broke down talking about holding his best friend in his arms as he died, which is reflected in the lyrics. Props to Sabaton for including the surviving members of Motorhead in the video. An emotional and phenomenal tribute to Lemmy and all the soldiers throughout history who marched off to defend, and sometimes die, for their homelands. RIP, you are all remembered and appreciated. For those interested, Sabaton has a video that shows the making of "1916" that is very interesting.
As a Brit, I'm well aware of the story of the Somme offensive. My great great uncle fought and died in the battle of Passchendaele in 1917 (another costly battle for both sides). Battles like these are part of our national identity and are heavily memorialised in the UK. Lest we forget
One of the most moving experiences I ever had was visiting the Ossuary of Douaumont near Verdun. Thousands of bones and skulls without any possibility of identifying them. Impossible, even, to tell whether they were German or French - and yet that characteristic is what they were sent into the grinder for, but stripped of it in death as if to point out that in the end, we're all humans.
@@ohauss Yeah, at the end of the day we're all human. There's no such thing as good guys or bad guys in war. There's kill or be killed. We should remember the fallen on all sides
The original 1916 was a 10/10, Sabaton took it to an 11/10. Not because anything was wrong in the original, but because Sabaton took it above and beyond. In terms of the message and the impact, this is their best song for that. The entire 2-3 minute historical section at the end was not only perfection, but reinforced the entire song by giving the context. The inclusion of other soldiers from other army's and wars solidified the message as a universal theme not central to just WW1 and the Somme, but to any war and any soldier. Impeccable performance by Sabaton for this one.
This song was a beautiful cover of Motörhead's version. All these soldiers were lost only for a few useless miles of battlefield. R.I.P Lemmy and all the soldiers who were lost during war...
I served for 6 years and went to way too many funerals for boys who just turned 18 or 19. I cried when i watched this the first time. They say men shouldnt cry and thats true but when it comes to when boys who join up just go to die is heartbreaking.
Lemmy was a genius writing this piece. When you listen to the original, it sounds like a funeral march, like this battle was for all these young kids/men.
If ever there was a song for Memorial Day and Veterans Day, this is it . . . a tribute for those who are lost, or broken, during the worst events in human history. We may never know the names of the fallen, but we still feel their loss.
As a veteran and one who attended a senior military college, this hit hard. I have probably half of my “college” close friends who are no longer here being kia or losing the fight to ptsd.
Which senior military college? I went to VMI for a while (never graduated, became a 911 EMT instead) But a few of the people I knew and kept in touch with back then have also been KIA. It sucks but we have to live the way they would want us too
Props to Sabaton to giving credit to the people who made this emotionally moving tribute possible. I have been listening to their songs but some songs like this made me think and be thankful that I am living in an era of peace where all I did as a young adult is to enjoy life, thanks to the young men who will never grow old.
I think if you don't get a t least a little misty eyed during either version of this song..there is something fundamentally wrong with you...this song has been a tear jerker for decades
Sabaton is one of the greatest band of our time, they sing of war, of its glory, its horror, of victories and defeats. They remind us that war can bring out the best in men but it also makes men into monsters, every side has heroes every army does unspeakable things. We have the privilege to live in a time where most cant even imagine the horrors of war and we should be thankful for this every single day.
"The first rule of war is that young men die. The second is that nobody can change the first rule..." --Lt. Colonel Henry Blake, 4077th MASH RIP to those who did not grow old...
This song hit me so hard because my great grandfather thought in ww1 he was one lucky ones that made back home after the war he was stationed in france at the time
When I think about JRR Tolkien in WW1, I think...what if he had died? How much we would have lost! Then I think...How much we DID loose that we'll never even know about because all of those unknowns that died never had the chance to contribute to the world their potential! So sobering...❤
If he had been one of the unlucky men and boys to have been killed then. We would’ve lost the grandfather of modern fantasy and one of, if not THE, most influential writers in history. His works took the rest of his life and he still didn’t cement it all as he would’ve wanted it. Then his son protected that legacy until his death. If there’s one place I want my afterlife to be; it is the Shire. Good tilled earth, good food, a warm home, and my friends and family to feast with every day and night. In peace and quiet.
My Great Grandfather was killed in action the year before on the 25th September 1915 at the battle of Loos. This Sabaton video really hit me along the same lines as 'Christmas Truce.' Tears streaming down my face.
Had two relatives fight together in sicily ( in our home country * fighting in the Canadian army* ) one brother was hit in the lungs by a sniper trying to push up a narrow street. That one brother died in others arms. It did inspire me to at the very least serve from Mar 2018- oct 2021 in the infantry to try to honour them in my own way.
I thought Christmas Truce by Sabaton was the biggest tear inducer. Then they made this. From Sabaton songs I strongly recommend "Hearts of Iron", "Final Solution" or - as a Polish person I have to :D - "40:1". All about WW2.
When you see the credits and read all of the actors, the people they portrayed are all true to life soldiers. An obvious one is Sgt. York. The baby-faced British soldier is actually a portrayal of Private Sydney Lewis who joined the British Army at age 12 and fought in the Battle of the Somme at age 13. Another one is Henry Johnson, Sgt William Henry Johnson, the black soldier in the French uniform. Sgt. Johnson won the Medal of Honor and also Frances highest award. Due to several issues, primarily surrounding race, Johnson and a majority of other Black U.S. soldiers were "brigaded" to the French Army (thus the French uniform).
I live in an area of Yorkshire that never truly recovered from the loss of life brought on by the 2 world wars, places like Doncaster, Leeds and Wakefield had so few male role models in my parents generation, and the effects of that are still felt today. The absolute waste of life between two sides that had no real enmity, who were made to fight for the whims of the nobility and the officers lost everything. Those Germans in the trenches were just kids too, our grandparents killed theirs for our officers just as theirs killed ours for their country. We know its wrong, that we are broken as people, but still we go and volunteer for service because we feel a sense of duty to our fellow men and our country. I'm glad you and yours came home Kit, what you have done since with the gift that life has granted sure is something, please keep it up for those who didn't make it back, and those who came back less than whole ❤
Ils ne passeront pas! They shall not pass! Was the French slogan to hold positions during one of THE most iconic and most brutal battles of WWI, the Battle of Verdun. JRR Tolkin was, as you mentioned, a Veteran, so he knew it, and used it for another iconic Moment (less French, more Gandalf ;))
The outro text references the "Pal's Battalions" for those who want more info on those groups of friends, coworkers, etc. who signed up to fight together.
I concur for “cliffs of Gallipoli” being it was ANZAC Day last Tuesday. Unless you know the history of the Gallipoli, watch the Sabaton history channel on the Gallipoli campaign.
Remarkable video indeed - I am still crying every time I watch it. I have not served myself, but my dad, uncles, and father-in-law were all in the British army, and they had very different experiences of WW2, ranging from plain sailing to extremely traumatic. [I hope you'll forgive a mostly pasted comment, it took me a while to write this next part.] I saw them perform this live in Leeds on the first night of the current tour, and it was so emotional. So let's raise a few glasses: to Birmingham, birthplace of metal; to Lemmy (RIP); to Sabaton; and to those who sacrificed so much. My wife's grandfather was one of those who lied about his age - he was only _14_ when he went to the Front! He got out alive, thanks to some amazing luck: he was wounded and taken to a field hospital, and his own father was there at the same time. He swore a lot when he saw his son, then wrote to his wife back home explaining the situation. She in turn sent evidence of their boy's age to the War Office and they pulled him out. After he came home he never spoke to anyone in the family about his experiences. Greetings from South Yorkshire - Lest We Forget.
standing in uniform for a friend was not a good experience, the sound of last post still makes me fight emotions decades later, be it a TV show, film... this is a tribute to all fallen, very heavy emotions.
Thanks for giving the video the respect it deserves. Your heartfelt comments and shown emotions 🥰 I have seen this video about 20 times already, and it still hits me like a ton of bricks. It's a beautiful tribute to those who have served and to Lemmy. Sabaton makes us fans proud, cause they always make sure to tell the actual story as historical correct as possible.
Tolkien saw the Somme as mordor in his books. Rudyard Kipling who wrote Jungle Book lost his son on first day of battle. Here in Scotland 🏴 all our wee villages and towns have memorial crosses. Stay safe from Scotland 🏴 x
Tolkien pointed out that war makes orcs out of men on both sides. He always denied direct allegory as in "This is a metaphor for that", but he certainly was influenced by his experiences. A lot of people saw parallels in his "dead faces" or "corpse candles" in the Dead Marshes, themselves sites of a massive battle in the past, and faces of the fallen staring out of puddles of artillery craters in WWI
@ohauss it makes the dehumanisation we are seeing on both sides of the conflict in Eastern Europe that much more tragic, we think we have moved past that, but it is still in us and it isn't leaving our nature any time soon
This is a cover of a Motörhead song. The two guys standing in the door opening at 5:53 are Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell, the drummer and the guitarist of Motörhead. The picture is of Lemmy Kilmister, the bassist and singer of Motörhead.
During the war a lot was of-corse over-looked when it came to enlisting men into the British army at the time. ''Pal'' Battalions was made out so you could fight with people you know. Under-age kids eager to adventure past there own town/community and saw it as a big adventure. 250.000 was the estimated total number of underage soldiers in the army. The youngest Soldier at the Somme was Sidney Lewis, Aged 12. But he wasn't the youngest to fight in the war.
Many people in my ancestory who were eligeble to serve during WWI were drafted and a good portion of them died. Then again during WWII half of my Grandmas cousins so 6 died in Greece alone. The father of my Grandpa was shot down over Poland when my Grandpa was 4 years old. And many more. So yes, I have many people in my ancestry who served. The one thing I know from that is how scared my Granparents are. Not only from the loss of loved ones but also from the war itself. My Grandma grew up in WW2 and post WW2 Hamburg and her entire street with the exception of three houses, hers included were completely destroyed by bomber runs. And before you ask, no I have no N4zis in my ancestry, they were all drafted into the Wehrmacht.
Like beinga Veteran of the British Army with over 20 years service to the crown. This song I play nightly, mostly to remember comrades that are no longer with us in body. But their memory will live on in my thoughts. After retiring from service became an Educational Officer at a local Military Museum. Were we have a Great War trench built and give tour both to tourist and school children, showing them the conditions that these young men went through.
I think Sabaton adds reach to the song because this song, this story can easily be place in any other timeperiod and that's why you can see different soldiers from different eras.
Also, the diff eras soldiers are all from Sabaton’s songs, as Bruce brothers from Blood of Bannockburn or Leonidas and his nephew Pausanias from Sparta or Audie Murphy from To hell and back.
I have a great-uncle who is buried in the Meuse-Argonne cemetery, killed October 16, 1918. All of the WWI stuff hits me harder than it might because I went to university overseas (Trinity College Dublin) which has a War Memorial Reading Room, whose entranceway was a small rembrance hall with the names of the college war dead inscribed in row upon row upon the walls. It's hard not to pass through that regularly without it leaving an imprint on you.
First of all, thank you for your service. My brother was a Marine in Vietnam and my nephew a Marine in the Middle East. Both Thank heavens came home in one piece.
WW1 was what happens when you combine modern weapons at least for that time and outdated battle tactics, the death of millions. The various characters you see in the video are references to the numerous Sabaton songs. The two older gentlemen you see holding a picture of Lemmy Kilmister were Mike Dee and Phil Campbell two of the members of Motorhead. The pausing helps let the moments and message sink in.
I did a bunch of research of the names. All of the first and second set of names were real people who fought in WWI/WWI with many being recipients of the Victoria Cross or Medal of Honor. Special mention to Sgt. Henry Johnson, WWI. Awarded the French Croix de Guerre, and posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor in 2015. Theodore Roosevelt Jr. said that he was one of the 5 bravest Americans in the War.
"The price of a mile". I know this particular song have already been done on your channel. But if you haven't heard it, even if you only do it by yourself on your own time, a song you need to hear after this one is "The price of a mile". When I read the historical facts at the end of this song for the first time, about how 300 000 men had died for 6 miles of ground, the first thing that popped into my head was the Sabaton song, "The price of a mile". It's been one of my favourite songs since it came out on the album "The art of war" in 2008. The song asks one of the hardest questions when it comes to war. What is a mile of ground worth if the price is paid by human life? It hit me hard back when I was just a teen, and it hits just as hard now that I'm in my late 30's. So if you haven't heard it before, there's no better song to listen to after this masterpiece to place a spotlight on that particular question in my oppinion.
I have the incredible luck of living in one othe few countries in the world without armies and I've lost no one to war in my family in 750 years (as far as I know) but this video impacted me greatly anyway because it speaks volumes about humanity. It's an important video that I've show to my teenage students and I can assure you that you've done it justice. Thank you for your service to your country and thank you for your heartfelt reaction.
And we can also add to the information that Tolkien was a good friend wit C.S Lewis who wrote the Narnia books. They would sit in the trenches togheter and give eachother ideas to their books.
I've never seen something that felt like a more fitting tribute to the fallen. I know this couldn't be easy for you to watch, but we appreciate that you did
I cry every time. I’m 65 and I’ve had researchable family fight, and die, in every American war since the Revolutionary War. I’ve had _close_ family, family I was told about by their siblings or that I grew up with, fight and die in every war since WWI. My grandfather never talked about WWI. My dad rarely spoke about WWII and I didn’t find out until after his death that he had been in Korea. My grandfather lost close family in WWI. I lost an uncle in WWII. I lost another uncle in Korea, and a lot of cousins and another uncle in Viet Nam. I had a cousin commit suicide after returning from Viet Nam and another who committed suicide after the Gulf War. They talked and their stories were waking nightmares. In 2020 another cousin returned from Afghanistan with severe PTSD. It was two years before he could leave his mother’s house and then only because he was given a service dog and intense therapy. There’s another song about WWI, a folk song, not metal, that makes me tear up, too. “The Green Fields of France.” There were some towns in England that had no men return from WWI. After this, the British military no longer let towns enlist and serve in the same regiments. The Lost Generation. And they thought this would be the war to end all wars.
“The Green Fields Of France” - by the Dropkick Murphys. I agree, that is another one, albeit little known, that hits *HARD*. All I need to hear are the first notes of either song, and I can’t see for the tears.
First time watching your channel I found your reaction more interesting and honest unlike a lot of reactions I’ve seen to this song sometimes having no words to describe or express is more powerful than anything as shows true understanding of the powerful lyrics from lemmy topped with sabaton bringing it back again. I always loved the Motörhead original now I can’t decide which is better
July 1st 1916 also saw the virtual obiteration of the Newfoundland Regiment (later to become the Royal NR) at Beaumon Hamel. Newfoundland wasn't a Canadian Province at that time - she was a Dominion of the British Empire. 780 young men, went over the top that day; only 68 answered roll call on July 2nd. They are remembered today by the Trail Of The Caribou, bronze statues of which are to be found in the six European battlefield parks where the RNR fought....they are the boys I see in this song.
Brother, I was in from 2002-2013 Army and never got the orders to go even tho I sought it out and for years I was bitter about it as I did loose friends and felt ashamed that I didnt go but years after I come to realize that God was looking out for me and for that I am thankful. This song and a few other Sabaton songs kill me every time I listen to them and I cry every time I listen to them. Much love and respect from NWI.
Both my grandfathers fought for the independence of our country.. One was injured, one had several very close calls. One told me war stories when I sat in his workshop as a little boy, another never said a word about the war but suffered from horrible nightmares until he died. I too have a military training. I will fight if need be but the horrors of war carry over generations and nobody should wish for a war or glorify it..
A few miles north of where I live is the town of Accrington. Its not a big town, but they raised a battalion of 700 men, a large percentage of the young male population. They first went into battle on 1st July at 07:00. By 08:00, they'd suffered 585 casualties.
I like how the video depicts war in general (historically), alongside what the song is actually about (WW1). Soldiers are always the same. My country, Sweden, did not participate in WW1, so I'm happy our old "Carolean"-soldiers from the 1700's are in the video and represented (you see one at the start, playing the drum).
My father enlisted in late 1918 when he turned 18. He was a conscientious objector on religious grounds, and while he would not carry a weapon he also couldn't not serve his fellow countrymen. He was to be a corpsman in the Navy; if you know about the US military you know that the Marine Corps does not have its own medics, but uses Navy corpsmen, so he could have as easily ended up on the front with a Marine unit as on a ship somewhere. He was still in recruit training when the Armistice happened on 11 November. I sometimes wonder if I or my siblings and their descendants would even exist if the war had dragged on.
My grandfather served in ww2, royal artillery, his cannon was hit by enemy fire. My grandfather was the only survivor, one of the other crewmen, it was his 21st birthday
I don't know if you have seen them, but if not, I'm going to recommend Christmas Truce (the official music video) and En Livstid i Krig (live in Gothenburg) from Sabaton. And maybe No Bullets Fly which is the only feelgood story of these, but still a tear-jerker. En Livstid i Krig tells about the Thirty Years War that ravaged Europe for, well, three decades and Sweden was one of the main forces in it. Soldiers were conscripted and many women lost first their husbands and then their sons to the same war, never to be seen again. And you can tell the Swedish audience knows it could have been them, had they live in another time. It's a somber 10000 person choir lead by Sabaton.
Thx for your reaction. In fact my granduncle was fighting in the battle of the somme on the German side. In the beginning they were 5 brothers, but in the end 3 were dead, he was wounded and my grandfather survived. But he was never be able to talk about the things that happened there. Death knows no sides, no land and no religion. In the end it was a bad bad decision from the high ranked officers and it brought death and pain to a uncountable numbers of people and families.
they debut this live in Leeds as part of the tour to end all tours we where all quiet for the song as one it is just so moving and two they had just droped the song on RU-vid a few hours before the concert and they where so dame good
Such an amazing performance there too, heartbreaking. My other half got the t shirt and listens to the song all the time now, not bad for her first ever concert
@@elPominator first time i've got to see them live only known about them for about 3 years now and i must say the concert was well worth the wait wish i could of got a t-shirt but didn't get paid until the week after and i've got a work playlist just full of there songs just so i can jam out at work makes the night shift a lot less dull
Rock on Kit, sabaton is one of my #1 favorites. Also my grandfather was in airforce during the conflict in Korea. He was a great man who taught me a ton.
People who have seen some sh*t know the faces of others who have seen some sh*t. You've never had this much clarity in a reaction before. If you need to talk, you know we're here.
Fear is the mind killer. And hate is the war driver. But remember this, our leaders could send us to the battlefield without an ounce of hesitation. And look at us, when we are slaughtered like animals. And do so, without any form of liability or reprisal. Rip Lemmy, and to all who made the ultimate sacrifice on the battlefield, RESPECT!!!
I find it interesting. I believe why they had heroes form long before and after the battle of the Somme was because though it was about it, it represented the story of so many others before and after it happned
i was in the army 1976 to79 but my grandfarher was a boy soilder in the ww1 and was a rsm in ww2 my uncle was in merchant navy and then the tank corp in ww2 my father in korea and malayawith the sas my uncle in aden and a tear always a tear comes to my eyes when i listen to song rip to all fallen heros of all sides
My SO served in the Golf. I never meet such a kind and compassionat human being, but I also know, that he carries so much pain and guilt and terror in his heart.... for the things he saw, the things he experienced, the things he was forced to do. To survive. He rarely speaks about it, it is bottled away deep in his soul, and of course I do not probe or push. I just try to be there for him, cause I love him with all my heart. To think that over a 100 years have passed since WW1, and still there is war, every day, it makes me wanna give up hope for mankind. Someone said:"Only the dead have seen the end of war." Whoever it was, I fear they were right. Regards from Germany. Peace!
His brother in law, Sir Obediah Cobley flew a SPAD for the RAF and had a named seat at the coronation of Prince (now King) Charles’ coronation as prince of Wales
My great gandfather and my great uncle (father and son) served in one of the last cavalry regiments used by the US in WWII. Luckily they both came home. That wasn't the case for a lot of their friends
I was looking through your Sabaton vids and I was thinking you'd like the Poland - Unconquered which gives an abriged history from WW2 till 80s in Poland, plus it's narrated by Sean Bean!
my great grandad was on one of the destroyers that took part in the evacuation of dunkirk, his ship saving 3000~ service men. he never once spoke about his service and I only found out when mum and grandma did one of those family history things. war knows no nation, everyone who fights and everyone who dies, they all suffer but they are still alive in our hearts. a man isnt dead while his name is still spoken. Rip Great Grandpa Walton.
Being a historian and knowing families and people who lost sons at the Somme and during other Wars this song hits home hard. To all who have falleni You are Lost but never forgotten! o7
