☝️ Key Points
- The song is about a man who disappears as a pilot in Cambodia and his wife who waits for his return.
- Originally, they lived a simple and happy life, which drastically changes after his fateful call that sends him to Cambodia.
- The woman tries to reconstruct the past and understand what happened to her husband, showcasing the profound emotional impact of loss.
- The man is depicted disturbed in the song, which could indicate the horrors of war he has experienced.
- The song ends with the sad acceptance that the woman will never see her husband's face again, thus addressing the destructive effects of war on people's lives.
Interpretation
The song 'Cambodia' by
Kim Wilde tells a tragic story about a pilot who disappears in Cambodia and his waiting wife. It begins by portraying their simple and happy life before receiving the fateful call that sends him to Cambodia. 'He used to fly weekends, It was the easy life. But then it turned around and he began to change.' This implies that despite the dangerous nature of his work, it was once peaceful and predictable, but dramatically changed when he was given the assignment to fly to Cambodia. The fatefulness of this call and the events that follow have a profound impact on the protagonist's life, who tries to reconstruct the past and understand what happened to her husband. 'And as the nights passed by she tried to trace the past. The way he used to look, The way he used to laugh.' The song lyrics suggest the man's inner sadness and the dreams he lived, possibly alluding to the horrors of war he experienced. 'He had the saddest eyes the girl had ever seen. He used to cry some nights as though he lived a dream.' Eventually, she receives the news that he will be coming home soon, but a year goes by without a single word from him. 'But then a call came through, They said he'd soon be home.' The song ends with the sad certainty that she will never see his face again. 'And now the years have passed with not a single word. But there is only one thing left, I know for sure, She wouldn't see his face again.' Overall, the song describes the effects of war on people and the destruction it leaves in the lives of those involved.