Sorry... I inadvertently Posted instead of Previewing, which may lead to some confusion. These bits:

That song fuelled many's a squaddie before he went out on foot patrol in the North of Ireland in the early '80's (which, as I say, was the first time I came across the song).

There are many inaccuracies in the song, which (whether you like it or not) causes a certain slant to the message that he obviously is trying to make.

This being so, it really behooves "...the songwriter to be sure of what he's saying and how he says it."

should all (not just the first bit) have been in italics; otherwise it looks (as it does in the post above this one) like I'm the one saying "There are many inaccuracies..." and "This being so..."