Too Young To Die
Too Young to Die is the second single off of the album Emergency on Planet Earth, released on March 1st, 1993. Written by Jay Kay and Toby Smith, the track runs at 10:18 with modern releases cutting it down to 6:05 and 3:22 respectively. Critics praised the song for it's writing and message, even comparing Kay to Stevie Wonder. In 2013, the song's stems were released to the public[1] for a remix competition, leading to many bootleg remixes popping up. The winner ended up being Australian DJ and music producer Late Nite Tuff Guy.
Background
Serving as an anti-war track, the song's lyrics revolve around the horrors of war and how it strips people away of their relatives and families. Involving young teenagers to enlist and fight, Kay argues that they're too young to die. Kay also brings up bystanders being dragged into the mix of war, with kids having no say in conflict yet still being ruthlessly killed. The single cover contains much of the similar message being said in the song, with multiple Buffalo Men slowly transforming into crosses which symbolizes the many killed in war. A banner at the bottom is present with a tag reading "Too Young To Die", a baby crying, an image of a mushroom cloud, and a Nazi swastika X'ed out.