Songfacts®:

• American Soldier is a concept album examining the life of a soldier and the consequences of war. Vocalist Geoff Tate, who had interviewed veterans from the conflicts America has been involved since the Second World War for the album, explained on Anybody Listening, that this song is "the introduction of the soldier into the military environment." He added: "It is 'bootcamp.' Time to grow up and let go of your childhood and become an adult and move into the world arena. Military drill sergeants use the phrase 'welcome to the show' when referring to warfare and I used this as one of the main lines for the song. I had interviewed A.J. Fratto, a Navy rescue swimmer and crew chief for the Blue Angels, and later had him down to the studio to sing the lines for the song. All the lines of the songs were taken from the interviews I had conducted. These are the soldiers words: 'This s--t's for real; there's no where to hide.'"
• The song is an overt examination of the personal consequences of war. It ponders how war changes you, and how difficult it is to hold on to who you once were. "A sliver is all there is, a sliver of the old you," state the lyrics. "Underneath the skin, buried deep, there's a man."