“Children of the War” by Foxy Leopard looks at the people who have to bear the aftermath of conflict long after the fighting has stopped. The song opens with an old man sleeping by the side of the road, unable to say why he is fighting, and questions if anyone can help him in his struggle. The nature of his struggle is not clearly stated, which means that the image can stand for a variety of difficulties such as poverty, trauma, memory or old age. The emphasis is always on those whose lives have been affected by circumstances beyond their control.
In the second verse the focus moves to a woman who is waiting for a man who will never come back and who has to bring up her children with “one less set of helpin’ hands”. The narrative relates to the broader notion of people being left to carry on families after experiencing violence. The song then deals with children, whose simple observations remove the complexity associated with conflict. Because of their presence the main point “We’re all the children of a war” is reached, thus extending the song beyond just one generation.
The recording enhances that feeling of human experience by using a deliberately simple musical arrangement, consisting of a rough, raspy male voice, some sparse single-note passages on a steel-body resonator guitar, limited percussion and harmonica touches. The children’s choir is left imperfect on purpose rather than being refined, with its timing being loose, breaths and string noises as well as the metallic resonance being kept in the performance. It is precisely because of these features that the recording has a direct effect and at the same time brings focus to the voices, the words and the people who are at the heart of the story.
“Children of the War” also does not end in the usual way by achieving a victory. In the last verse the same old man is once again portrayed, the question having now become that of the children: “Hope we will help him win his war”. There is no assurance that his struggle will end, there is only an acknowledgement that it is important to choose not to leave. The song reaches a clear message about how conflict can carry on through the lives of those who had never chosen to take part in it by shifting from a personal story to a broader reflection on the consequences that are passed on.
