I don't think that bands that make it on their first album are as strong as bands that don't: there is nowhere to go but down.
I was separated from my wife at the time. A lot of people think I wrote it about prison.
The soldiers that didn't come back were the heroes. It's a roll of the dice. If a bullet has your name on it, you're a hero. If you hear a bullet go by, you're a survivor.