--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: did anybody ever come back from the dead…" description: "\"“did anybody ever come back from the dead any single one of the millions who got killed did any one of them ever come back and say by god i'm glad i'm ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/dalton-trumbo-9732_death_did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead_2715340.jpg" --- # did anybody ever come back from the dead any single one of… ![“did anybody ever come back from the dead any single one of the millions who got killed did any one of them ever come back and say by god i'm glad i'm dead because death is always better than dishonor? did they say i'm glad i died to make the world safe for democracy? did they say i like death…” quote by Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/dalton-trumbo-9732_death_did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead_2715340.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/dalton-trumbo-9732_death_did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead_2715340.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/dalton-trumbo-9732_death_did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead_2715340.jpg) > ““did anybody ever come back from the dead any single one of the millions who got killed did any one of them ever come back and say by god i'm glad i'm dead because death is always better than dishonor? did they say i'm glad i died to make the world safe for democracy? did they say i like death better than losing liberty? did any of them ever say it's good to think i got my guts blown out for the honor of my country? did any of them ever say look at me i'm dead but i died for decency and that's better than being alive? did any of them ever say here i am i've been rotting for two years in a foreign grave but it's wonderful to die for your native land? did any of them say hurray i died for womanhood and i'm happy see how i sing even though my mouth is choked with worms?”” [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote questions the glorification of death for abstract causes, suggesting that dying for honor or ideology is not inherently noble. **In simple terms:** Questioning romanticized sacrifice. Key Takeaway Don’t accept martyrdom without scrutiny. Themes war honor sacrifice patriotism propaganda Mood skeptical critical somber Type philosophical political cautionary When to use this quote - military propaganda - political speeches - memorial ceremonies - nationalist rallies Key Concepts Existentialism political critique Questions to Reflect On - Is sacrifice always noble? - When does martyrdom become exploitation? A Different Perspective It ignores those who find meaning in sacrifice. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) [Native land](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/native-land/) ## Related quotes > [“The humans are dead (I'm glad they are dead) The humans are dead (I noticed, they're dead) We used poisonous gases (With traces of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/flight-of-the-conchords/the-humans-are-dead-i-m-glad-they-are-dead-the-humans-are-dead-i/) [Flight of the Conchords](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/flight-of-the-conchords/) > [“I am not glad she is dead, but I am not sorry she is gone.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christina-baker-kline/i-am-not-glad-she-is-dead-but-i-am-not-sorry-she-is-gone/) [Christina Baker Kline](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christina-baker-kline/) > [“I’m glad you’re not dead. Wasn’t sure for a bit.” Hal went out before he could reply. Tears welled in John’s eyes, and he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/diana-gabaldon/i-m-glad-you-re-not-dead-wasn-t-sure-for-a-bit-hal-went-out-before-he/) [Diana Gabaldon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/diana-gabaldon/) > [I have a strong feeling that I shall be glad when I am dead and done for - scrapped at last to make room…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-bernard-shaw/i-have-a-strong-feeling-that-i-shall-be-glad-when-i-am-dead-and-done/) [George Bernard Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-bernard-shaw/) > [That this city has second lines - it's something I'm proud of. When the bands come back from the cemetery, they'll play something up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dr-john/that-this-city-has-second-lines-it-s-something-i-m-proud-of-when-the/) [Dr. John](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dr-john/) > [I want to show the world that we have the best fighters. Our motto is, 'Death is better than second place.'](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramzan-kadyrov/i-want-to-show-the-world-that-we-have-the-best-fighters-our-motto-is/) [Ramzan Kadyrov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramzan-kadyrov/) > [This is how a man looks when he's deciding that the risk of death is better than the risk of change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-king/this-is-how-a-man-looks-when-he-s-deciding-that-the-risk-of-death-is/) [Stephen King](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-king/) > [After your death you were better have a bad epitaph than their ill report while you live.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/after-your-death-you-were-better-have-a-bad-epitaph-than-their-ill/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [To me death is better than the defensive.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alexander-suvorov/to-me-death-is-better-than-the-defensive/) [Alexander Suvorov](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alexander-suvorov/) > [“You think that is true, but I assure you it is not. 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You want me out of here so you can come back and take over where you left off.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/you-want-these-back-don-t-you-you-want-me-out-of-here-so-you-can-come/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [Who's to say that my light is better than your darkness? Who's to say death is better than your darkness? Who am I to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/daniel-keyes/who-s-to-say-that-my-light-is-better-than-your-darkness-who-s-to-say/) [Daniel Keyes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/daniel-keyes/) > [I'm waiting for death for better hell than studying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amarjayan/i-m-waiting-for-death-for-better-hell-than-studying/) Amarjayan ## More by Dalton Trumbo > [Everybody now seems to be talking about democracy. I don't understand this. As I think of it, democracy isn't like a Sunday suit to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/everybody-now-seems-to-be-talking-about-democracy-i-don-t-understand/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [I never considered the working class anything other than something to get out of.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-never-considered-the-working-class-anything-other-than-something-to/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“They died crying in their minds like little babies. They forgot the thing they were fighting for the thing they were dying for. They…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/they-died-crying-in-their-minds-like-little-babies-they-forgot-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Now the truth of the matter is that there are a lot of things people don't understand. Take the Einstein theory. Take taxes. Take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/now-the-truth-of-the-matter-is-that-there-are-a-lot-of-things-people/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [An animal can learn to fight, but to sing beautiful things and make people believe them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/an-animal-can-learn-to-fight-but-to-sing-beautiful-things-and-make/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“There ought to be at least as much common sense about living and dying as there is about going to the grocery store and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/there-ought-to-be-at-least-as-much-common-sense-about-living-and/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Goodbye, my love, my life. Goodbye, goodbye.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/goodbye-my-love-my-life-goodbye-goodbye/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“Have you ever noticed how many fences there're getting to be? And the signs they got on them: no hunting, no hiking, no admission,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/have-you-ever-noticed-how-many-fences-there-re-getting-to-be-and-the/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [The only kind of love worth having is the kind that goes on living and laughing and fighting and loving.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-only-kind-of-love-worth-having-is-the-kind-that-goes-on-living/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“The worst criminals on earth are those who toy with love.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/the-worst-criminals-on-earth-are-those-who-toy-with-love/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“What the hell does liberty mean anyhow? It's just a word like house or table or any other word. Only it's a special kind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/what-the-hell-does-liberty-mean-anyhow-it-s-just-a-word-like-house-or/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Privately, I believe in none of them. Neither do you. Publicly, I believe in them all.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/privately-i-believe-in-none-of-them-neither-do-you-publicly-i-believe/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“It will be you—-you who urge us on to battle you who incite us against ourselves you who would have one cobbler kill another…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/it-will-be-you-you-who-urge-us-on-to-battle-you-who-incite-us-against/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [“I am trying to penetrate the mystery of why I am as I am- what I am- I have done everything well and right-…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/i-am-trying-to-penetrate-the-mystery-of-why-i-am-as-i-am-what-i-am-i/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) > [Dishonesty in government is the business of every citizen. It is not enough to do your own job. There's no particular virtue in that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/dishonesty-in-government-is-the-business-of-every-citizen-it-is-not/) [Dalton Trumbo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) [Explore all 69 Dalton Trumbo quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/) ## More Death quotes > [“He wondered how it was fair that your dying should depend so much on when you were born.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mitch-albom/he-wondered-how-it-was-fair-that-your-dying-should-depend-so-much-on/) [Mitch Albom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mitch-albom/) > [What sets worlds in motion is the interplay of differences, their attractions and repulsions. Life is plurality, death is uniformity. By suppressing differences and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/octavio-paz/what-sets-worlds-in-motion-is-the-interplay-of-differences-their/) [Octavio Paz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/octavio-paz/) > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [I do not want to live at the cost of the life even of a snake. I should let him bite me to death…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mahatma-gandhi/i-do-not-want-to-live-at-the-cost-of-the-life-even-of-a-snake-i/) [Mahatma Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mahatma-gandhi/) > [“It was beautiful. He thought he had never seen anything so beautiful in all his life; that, having seen it, he could die content,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mira-grant/it-was-beautiful-he-thought-he-had-never-seen-anything-so-beautiful/) [Mira Grant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mira-grant/) > [Retirement? You're talking about death, right?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-altman/retirement-you-re-talking-about-death-right/) [Robert Altman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-altman/) > [With multiplayer, permanent death, and an ever-changing world to explore and conquer, 'A Valley Without Wind' might be the place you're looking for if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rob-manuel/with-multiplayer-permanent-death-and-an-ever-changing-world-to/) [Rob Manuel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rob-manuel/) > [“What did you see?” she asked gently. His brow furrowed, as if he could not understand the question. Then his eyes turned to the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-anthony-torino/what-did-you-see-she-asked-gently-his-brow-furrowed-as-if-he-could/) J. Anthony Torino > [Those whose life is long still strive for gain, and for all mortals all things take second place to money.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sophocles/those-whose-life-is-long-still-strive-for-gain-and-for-all-mortals/) [Sophocles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sophocles/) > [“I practice Dying--every night-- But have not learned to, still-- Though Talented--by Mortal bones-- For such a common Skill.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-w-powers/i-practice-dying-every-night-but-have-not-learned-to-still-though/) Alan W. Powers > [“You must understand the pain and grief of losing someone is nothing more than a function of survival.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-cooper/you-must-understand-the-pain-and-grief-of-losing-someone-is-nothing/) [Steven Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-cooper/) > [I am not a depressive person at all, but I reflect a lot on my life, and life in general, from the perspective of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/i-am-not-a-depressive-person-at-all-but-i-reflect-a-lot-on-my-life/) [Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alejandro-gonzalez-inarritu/) > [“Death is a reality that calls the rest of life and all of our assorted strivings into sharp relief.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-d-lounsbrough/death-is-a-reality-that-calls-the-rest-of-life-and-all-of-our/) [Craig D. Lounsbrough](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-d-lounsbrough/) > [I love life. I love life to death.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmanuelle-riva/i-love-life-i-love-life-to-death/) [Emmanuelle Riva](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmanuelle-riva/) > [I think when you’re dying you start looking for important things in the corners. You can’t let anything that seems even semi-important pass, because…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-crutcher/i-think-when-you-re-dying-you-start-looking-for-important-things-in/) [Chris Crutcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-crutcher/) [Browse all 39,127 Death quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/death/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“did anybody ever come back from the dead any single one of the millions who got killed did any one of them ever come back and say by god i'm glad i'm dead because death is always better than dishonor? did they say i'm glad i died to make the world safe for democracy? did they say i like death better than losing liberty? did any of them ever say it's good to think i got my guts blown out for the honor of my country? did any of them ever say look at me i'm dead but i died for decency and that's better than being alive? did any of them ever say here i am i've been rotting for two years in a foreign grave but it's wonderful to die for your native land? did any of them say hurray i died for womanhood and i'm happy see how i sing even though my mouth is choked with worms?”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Dalton Trumbo" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead-any-single-one-of-the/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Death" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead-any-single-one-of-the/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/dalton-trumbo-9732_death_did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead_2715340.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/dalton-trumbo-9732_death_did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead_2715340.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/cf3/dalton-trumbo-9732_death_did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead_2715340.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“did anybody ever come back from the dead any single one of the millions who got killed did any one of them…” — Dalton Trumbo", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Dalton Trumbo", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dalton-trumbo/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“did anybody ever come back from...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead-any-single-one-of-the/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dalton-trumbo/did-anybody-ever-come-back-from-the-dead-any-single-one-of-the/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```