Flobots: Handlebars Meaning
Handlebars Lyrics
No handlebars
No handlebars
I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars
Look at me, look at me
hands in the air like it's good to be
ALIVE
and I'm a famous rapper
even when...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:If you watch the music video for this song, you'll see that the lyrics go much deeper than just mocking the American ego. It's largely about the government, and how it believes that it can control everything.
In the beginning of the music video, there are two different people; each of them riding a bike without using the handlebars. They come to a fork in their path: One way has a sign with a "C" on it, representing what I believe to be the Corporate world. The other path is marked by a sign with a dove on it, which I believe represents a more innocent and free nature.
The first verse is the person who took the more free path talking to his friend on the corporate side. Past that, it's all the corporate person talking. At first, this person is uncorrupted. "Just called to say that it's great to be alive in such a small world. I'm all curled up with a book to read." However, as the song moves on, the corporate person becomes more corrupted by power.
The song escalates until the person that chose to stay true to himself leads a rebellion against the corporate friend, who now appears to be the president of the United States. What ensues is the death of the more free, yet more true person.
This can be taken at face value: Perhaps it really is about two friends who started out the same, and then took separate paths.
It could also represent just what a difference a small choice can make.
However, I hold favor in the direction of the third interpretation, which is that these two "friends" are really different sides of one person. One side is free and true to itself, while the other side is corrupted to the point that it kills the innocent side.
Any way you look at it, what it comes down to is this: The corporate world is corrupting what was once a more innocent and overall free world.
This is, of course, just my interpretation. -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:In the opening sequence to the video it shows two friends that start there lives the same "Riding their bikes with no handlebars."
As they eventually come to a fork in the road, the two friends split paths. One goes to the pure, more natural side (Represented by the dove on the street sign), the other, to corporate America.(Represented by the C on the street sign.)
The first verse is about the kid that chose the pure side.He seems to be more like an average person. He has accomplished few less noticeable, or big, if you will, accomplishments such as, "Tying knots in cherry stems, or scratching records."
At first, the corporate friend calls and says that his life has been good so far. But the big difference is how in Corporate America, He is exposed to the lifestyle that comes with making money. He then starts to work his way up the corporate ladder, starting as a businessman. His persuasiveness (Which plays a rather important role later on in the story). He, along with his friends also apparently "Know the future." This represents the ignorance that the government possesses. The government always "knows" what the future with holds, when in reality, they are making the average people, like his friend, lives worse every minute.
When he says, "I can lead a nation with a microphone" this is where his ignorance kicks in. This part reminds me of Adolph Hitler. He could have been one of the best leaders ever, just like our corporate friend, out of sheer persuasiveness, but unfortunately, they both abused their power.
When he says "It feels so good to be alive and on top." This is where his most major change occurs. This shows his arrogance. Many leaders abuse power because they think they have the right to make innocent peoples lives miserable. They start to do things because they can, basically. This moral is often repeated throughout the song.
In the scene after the sax solo, the pure friend helps up an old and helpless man. The corporate frined was preaching to him at the same time. This shows that Corporate America brings no happiness or hope to anyone. However, being true to yourself does.
Seconds later, a man spray paints over the corporate friends face. This shows that just because you are powerful, it does not mean you are good, or going to be loved.
"My reach is global... My power is pure" This shows the security that comes with having power, you are not going to be kicked out, and yet again, arrogance is present because he thinks what he is doing is right, when it really isn't.
The next few lines, "Hand out a million vaccinations" to, "I have it all under my command." This proves that the president, our corporate friend, has control over anything he pleases. You guessed it, arrogance is evident yet again.
The line, "I can fire a missile by satellite, I can hit a target through telescope." shows the power that corporate people have over the average, every-day people.
Our pure friend is then seen leading a rebellion against his old friend. Just about all of America behind him. This shows how much of an effect power has over even the closest of friends. It can even make them betray each other. At this point our corporate friend is now showing nervousness in his face, knowing he did the wrong thing(Choosing power over purity).
"I can lead a nation into a Holocaust". Here is another reference to Hitler. Power-stricken they both lead their nation into an eternal downfall.
His old friend then gets shot. He is now horrified and regrets everything he has done.
Whether the moral is stay true to yourself, choose purity over power, or if it I a story about Nazi Germany,this song is pretty deep and meaningful. You don't need to listen to what I said, I just wanted to help. -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:Hi. I'm the person that posted the last long one too. I just left out a few things. Sorry.
The symbol of the dove is significant throughout the video. It is on the sign; then it is in the sky, where it is killed and carried off by a black bird that is seen hovering over the corporate person's head in the beginning of his journey; finally, it is seen once more on a wall that is destroyed due to construction.
Another important thing to note is that at the very end, when the innocent man is killed, the corrupted man regains his senses and his horrified. This represents that the government does not have complete control over their armies.
I hope this helps someone. -
I think it's about how the world and economy can control everything. How they are advancing everything but yet they still can't ride a bike with no handle bars. This is showin that no matter how advanced everything is you go back down to basics.
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In an interview I did with Jonny 5 for my school's magazine, he told me this was written in response to the Bush Administration's lack of action to hurricane Katrina
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Hitler....
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My interpretation is that starting out, there are 2 friends. They both know how to ride a bike without using handlebars. When they grow up, the first one chooses peace, hence the dove. He talks about how he lives, as a free person who enjoys his life. The other friend chooses the more business way of life. He talks about all of the possibilities and eventually gets corrupted by power when he is the government. He talks about what he is doing is good, but he is too blind too see that his power may not be good. Eventually, the 1st person rebels against the government and starts a war. When the rebels fight, 1st gets killed. 2nd sees that and is horrified at his actions. At the end, he remembers the time when they were friends, and all they cared about was who could ride the bike better without handlebars.
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I thought this song was simply talking about the human race. The amount of achievements humanity has accomplished is astounding and I thought this song was simply saying you can do anything.
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the first day i heard it i was sad and brokenhearted i had gotten reject i played the song because it was the only song i knew that wasn't just plain-out nasty i played it over and over then it hit me where it hurts best friends splited up all because of the other friend's corruption it reminded that that corrupted guy was kind of like me i was shy and was with my best friend then he went home i had decided to go back and stay back for an after school program there i saw 1 of my friends and we both liked this girl but i was in love with her he just liked her he kept on touching her so i had be told by him to join in and i did then he asked her out she said no i asked her out she said no when that happened i was devastated i had thought was it because of wat i did by the time i realized it was too late
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I see it as, the same as most of the others. Just in a simpler form, Two friends, one chooses power other chooses peace. One becomes corrupt and the other...
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maybe...it's about a persons EGO?
At first, you are proud and surprised that you have accomplished riding your bike with no handlebars. It's innocent and exciting! You tell and show everyone your new accomplishment. Then it all goes bad real fast from there. The seed that will grow into a giant Megalomaniac has now been planted.
Know yourself and seek self improvement. -
I think there could be a significance with riding a bike with no handlebars because that is what you use to steer yourself. The end of the video reminds me on the book "1984" regarding to the cctv cameras and the presidents face posted everywhere.
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I think this song (based on video mainly) is about enjoying the 'simplicities' in life, and how the decisions you end up making and paths you take effect the way your mind works, and how what you regard as a 'simplicity' changes with the power your given, but you'll always have your background, so like where you’re from
I also think it gives a good incite to two very different social status but is put in a mocking way
And 13 year old before me, you spelt grammar wrong you div -_____- -
My intepretaion (going by the video) that there are two best friends but split and go theri seperate ways. One goes into buissness and becomes extremly sucsessful. while the other is a people person and has lots of friends and stands up for what he believes in. Eventually the sucsessful buissness friend becomes presadent but the other friend doesnt agree with his ideas and polocies so leads a rebelion against the goverment. So two people who were best friends are now fighting against eachother just because they went their differnt ways. In the end the friend who is leading the rebion is killed.
Im only 13 so please excuse the spelling and grama mistakes -
I think the end is about the end of the world.
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I think this song is about two friends, the blonde one starts out pure but later in the song he gets head strong and power-hungry. The guy with brown hair is pure and free natured through out the whole song.
In the begining the two friends are riding their bikes with no hadlebars and are just having fun, soon they hit a fork in the road and the blonde guy goes down the path with the C (goverment, buisness, stuff like that) and the other guy goes down a path with a dove (peace,free, charity).
During the first verse the brown haired guy is "talking". He's saying how he can do anything if he sets his mind to it (it even says it later in the verse) but he uses this power for good.
During the second verse the blonde guy is "talking". In the begining of the verse he looks lost in the world of goverment/buisness. At the end off this verse he gets more head strong. And when you see the chart behind him and the lines are blood it means they will do anything for power and money.
During the trumpet solo a crow/raven thing kills a dove this represents how power and money are taking over our nation of peace and librity.
During the third verse the bolnde guy become president or something and the peace guy gathers peoplem to rebell against some of his changes. Even though the buisness people are out numbered, lots of rebellions die because off this. During this verse the blonde buy gets so power hungry he doesn't care what happens as long as he is in charge, because the song says smething about saving everyone or killing them by assasination. In the end of this verse the blonde guy's friend is killed and he is striken with greif, and is terrified.
I think the end is a flash back the blonde guy is having.
So basically I think this song is about not letting power getting to your head, and if you do you'll pay the highest possible price, even though you won't relize you've gone to far untill something terrible happens. Also that is this continues it could be like the third verse everyday if we don't do somehting about it.
If you don't agree with me just leave me alone, I honestly love this song and wanted to share my feelings about this! -
i think that song song is about how we can do anything we set out mind to, but as we progress, and keep gaining power, it is easy to become corrupt. it isn't untill we see the destoyed life of thoes who we hurt that we realize that the power controlls us, and that we should not lose site of the little things that make us who we are.
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I wrote the last comment. If you look you can see the capitol building twice. Once when the guy first goes there and later when the mob protests there. Enough about that though. Throughout the second half of the song you can see the corporation taking over everything: security, factories, demolishing buildings for highways. And it shows the guy taking to other corporate people and a poster is in the backround that shows growth rates writen in blood. This shows that the company will do anything for money even slaughtering protesters (mind you the constitution gives us the right to free protest). Then the corporate guy becomes president of America and maybe the corporation too. So this means that if we keep giving the corporations more power they'll evantually control everything. But at the end the corporate guy that becomes president has a horrified look on his face which means that the corporation must have told their troops to do whatever necessary but didn't tell the president. So maybe all that happens but it wouldn't be too late to return power to the people. I'm American and I'm not afraid to say that our country is screwed up. I'm patriotic and all but there's a limit. I mean have you really looked at our goverment? Politicians are always being caught in scandals and doing illegal things. People running for spots promise change and stuff but they never fulfill their promises. There isn't a single politician in our goverment that I trust including Obama. Thats a problem no one has faith in the goverment. Before when politics was viewed as a public service it was good but now that they have pay they do whatever it takes because its a job and no one wants to lose their job right? Nothing is being done for the good of the people or country. Its either about serving parties (right now anythong democrats support the republicans automatically don't like and call it "socialist" or "death panel") or doing what the companies want (companies help with campaign ads couple years later they say 'We helped you now you help us vote yes for legalizing marijuana or something). Frankly I can't stand America. It used to be such a strong country but now its completely corrupted. If a 14 year old knows things are wrong and need to be changed shouldnt our leaders?
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