Lyrics of Into the Fire by Sabaton
Sent from home overseas
And into the unknown
Barely landed in the jungle
Sent on first patrol
Sundown darkness falls
Dig in for the night
Ambushed in the dawn they came
The jungle’s alive
I feel my fire starts to burn
The heat controlling my mind
Berserk a savage running wild
Within me the beast starts to roar
Now I’m ready to strike
A creature of the night
Into the fire
A flame of napalm strike
Sarge’s down I’m in charge
Vc’s everywhere
Overrun yet order airstrike
Condemned us all to burn
Napalm from above
Burning friend and foe
Chaos on the battlefield
The jungle’s on fire
This place it’s driving me insane
Napalm it’s burning us all
This fight no man will live to tell
Within me my blood starts to boil
Now I’m ready to strike
A creature of the night
Into the fire
A flame of napalm strike
From above the airstrike came
And it burned the world below
Napalm falling from the sky
And it leaves no man alive
I feel my fire starts to burn
The heat controlling my mind
Napalm it’s burning us alive
Within me the beasts final roar
Now I’m ready to strike
A creature of the night
Into the fire
A flame of napalm strike
Historical Background
In short: the song is about the Vietnam War and the use of napalm.
Into the Fire – The Hell of Jungle Warfare
Some battles are fought with strategy. Others are just about survival.
Sabaton’s Into the Fire isn’t just about war—it’s about the nightmare of Vietnam, where soldiers were thrown into the jungle, facing an invisible enemy, brutal combat, and the horrors of napalm. The Vietnam War (1955-1975) was a conflict unlike any other, fought in unforgiving terrain with no clear frontlines.
This is how men were sent into hell—and how some never came back.
Thrown into the Unknown
“Sent from home overseas, and into the unknown. Barely landed in the jungle, sent on first patrol.”
For many young American soldiers, Vietnam was a war they didn’t understand, in a place they’d never heard of.
- 18 and 19-year-olds drafted, barely out of high school.
- Dropped into the jungle, facing an enemy they couldn’t see.
- A war fought not in cities, but in dense forests, rivers, and swamps.
Within days, they realized—this wasn’t a conventional war.
The Jungle Fights Back
“Sundown darkness falls, dig in for the night. Ambushed in the dawn they came, the jungle’s alive.”
The Viet Cong (VC) and North Vietnamese Army (NVA) were masters of guerrilla warfare. They used:
- Tunnels and hidden supply routes to strike without warning.
- Booby traps that turned every step into a death trap.
- The jungle itself as a weapon—making every soldier feel hunted.
“I feel my fire starts to burn, the heat controlling my mind. Berserk, a savage running wild, within me the beast starts to roar.”
Fear, paranoia, and pure survival instinct took over. Many soldiers lost themselves in the chaos, turning into ruthless warriors just to make it out alive.
Napalm – Fire from the Sky
“Now I’m ready to strike, a creature of the night. Into the fire, a flame of napalm strike.”
Napalm was one of the most devastating weapons of the war.
- A jellied gasoline that stuck to everything—flesh, trees, buildings.
- Burned at over 1,000°C (1,800°F).
- Killed indiscriminately—enemy, civilians, and American soldiers caught in the blast.
“Sarge’s down, I’m in charge. VC’s everywhere. Overrun yet order airstrike, condemned us all to burn.”
Sometimes, in the heat of battle, soldiers had no choice. Calling in airstrikes meant survival, even if it meant burning everything—including their own men.
“Napalm from above, burning friend and foe. Chaos on the battlefield, the jungle’s on fire.”
The Madness of War
“This place, it’s driving me insane. Napalm, it’s burning us all. This fight, no man will live to tell. Within me, my blood starts to boil.”
Vietnam was a war where:
- Body counts replaced battle victories.
- The lines between enemy and civilian blurred.
- Survival often meant losing your sanity.
Many who made it out alive never truly left the jungle behind.
Why Into the Fire Still Matters
“From above, the airstrike came, and it burned the world below. Napalm falling from the sky, and it leaves no man alive.”
The Vietnam War wasn’t just a conflict—it was a turning point in history.
- 58,000 Americans killed.
- Over 2 million Vietnamese dead.
- A war that left deep scars on those who fought and the nations involved.
The war ended in 1975, but for many, the fire never stopped burning.
The Lesson?
Not every war is black and white.
Sometimes, there are no heroes—only survivors.