For My Sunday Song #402, Harrison’s next pick is from the power metal band Sabaton. The song is “To Hell And Back” off their 2014 album ‘Heroes’. The song was the first single off the album and has become one of the band’s most popular songs. It was written by lead singer Joakim Broden and bassist Par Sundstrom. The band thought he was nuts to do this song, so Joakim took and used it as inspiration to make this song great. Joakim has stated he is most proud of this song.

“To Hell and Back is about Audie Murphy who was the most decorated soldier in the U.S. from World War II. The song is about his battle with PTSD after the war and inspired by his own poem called “The Crosses Grow on Anzio” from Audie’s book ‘To Hell And Back’. Some of the lyrics even quote the poem. It is a great story about his struggles after witnessing all his friends and fellow soldiers that were killed during battle.

The song is done as a cross between heavy metal meets spaghetti western a la Ennio Morricone style per Joakim. The song has a folksy feel to it and has a lot of keyboards that sort of sound like flutes. It breathes a fresh life in to the song. Joakim’s vocals are great, no screaming, but at times very chant like. There is a great guitar solo included albeit a little too short. The song is catchy and there is a familiarity to it that will get you singing along after just one listen. I have never listened to Sabaton and was surprised by how much I enjoyed this song.

Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. It is nice to hear a song and a whole album about war heroes and getting the respect they deserve. Thanks to Harrison Kopp for all the choices for this 10 song set. Go check him out on Grab a Stack of Rock as co-host and on his Instagram page where he has a ton of Lego artwork.

“TO HELL AND BACK”

A short man from Texas
A man of the wild
Thrown into combat
Where bodies lie piled

Hides his emotions
His blood’s running cold
Just like his victories,
His story unfolds

Bright
A white light
If there’d be
Any glory in war

Let it rest
On men like him

Dead men will never come back

Crosses grow on Anzio
Where no soldiers sleep
And where hell’s six feet deep
That death does wait
There’s no debate
So charge and attack
Going to Hell and Back

A man of the 15th
A man of Can Do
Friends fall around him
And yet he came through

Let them fall face down
If they must die
Making it easier
To say goodbye

Bright
A white light
If there’d be,
Any glory in war

Let it rest
On men like him

Who went to Hell and came back

Crosses grow on Anzio
Where no soldiers sleep
And where hell’s six feet deep
That death does wait
There’s no debate
So charge and attack
Going to Hell and Back

Oh gather round me
And listen while I speak
Of a war
Where Hell is six feet deep

And all along the shore
Where cannons still roar
They’re haunting my dreams
They’re still there when I sleep

He saw crosses grow on Anzio
Where no soldiers sleep
and where hell’s six feet deep
That death does wait
There’s no debate
He charged and attacked
He went to Hell and Back

Written by Joakim Broden and Par Sundstrom