the string section in IT does feel a bit long and out of place for the flow of the song. Still, those ambient moments give the songs a chance to breathe, and I appreciate that.
For me, the middle section of IT is perfect given the narrative structure of the song. The first half of the song proper asks "What are you willing to live for? To die for? To kill for?" Then it goes ambient, sort of like mirroring the lack of answers. Then the first half of the string section which sounds like a journey. Then the second half of the string section (which reprises the melody of the song's intro) is like the moment of enlightenment. Then it goes back to the song proper with the answers to the earlier questions. "Mothers (willing to live, die, kill) for their children." "A soldier (willing to live, die, kill) for his country." "Rebels (willing to live, die, kill) for their freedom"
The structure of the song make perfect sense if you follow the narrative.