Green Day: 21 Guns Meaning
Song Released: 2009
21 Guns Lyrics
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart...
-
21 Guns is about a war. And that surendering a war is better than dying and having to suffer and feel the anguish of the war.
-
Green Day has been - as stated by most dedicated fans as well as critics - plummeting in terms of quality ever since they gave up drugs, and as is obvious to those in the know, that's what this song is about:
"Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?"
The first of these two lines is a very clear reference to rehab and poses the question of whether or not the pride you take in overcoming an addiction is ultimately worth it as your addiction is - for any addict - the final refuge, when you feel deserted by the people who claimed to love you (see the lyrical universe of the album, Dookie for an example of this situation when ongoing). -
Having watched the music video to this song and thought about the lyrics Ive come to the conclusion its about the breakdown of a relationship:
"DO YOU KNOW WHATS WORTH FIGHTING FOR
WHEN ITS NOT WORTH DYING FOR
DOES IT TAKE YOUR BREATH AWAY
AND YOU FEEL YOURSELF SUFFOCATING"
Saying is this relationship worth all the pain, frustration, necessary compromises, etc.
"YR IN RUINS"
Basically saying how painful this whole situation is
"DOES THE PAIN WEIGH OUT THE PRIDE?"
Saying does the pain of staying in this relationship, - all the fights/etc weight out the pride of knowing him and his partner is hanging in there persevering rather than accepting defeat.
"AND YOU LOOK FOR A PLACE TO HIDE"
Here hes talkin about desprately trying to avoid the truth that the relationship is over.
"DID SOMEONE BREAK YOUR HEART IN SIDE?"
Perhaps this is talkin about him and his partner not living up to each others expectations, and feeling disapointed in each other. Or, it could be talking about all the hurt theyve caused each other in their arguments.
"ONE, 21 GUNS
LAYDOWN YOUR ARMS
GIVE UP THE FIGHT
ONE, 21 GUN
THROW UP YOUR ARMS INTO THE SKY
YOU AND I"
Basically saying the odds are against us, so its time to0 stop flogging a dead horse, and admit the relationship is over and move on.
"WHEN YOUR AT THE END OF THE ROAD
AND YOUVE LOST ALL SENSE OF CONTROL
AND YOUR THOUGHTS HAVE TAKEN THEIR TOLL
HEN YOUR MIND BREAKS THE SPIRIT OF YOUR SOUL
YOUR FAITH WALKS ON BROKEN GLASS
AND THE HANG OVER DOESNT PASS
NOTHINGS EVER BUILT TO LAST"
Saying that its got to the point where he realises the whole thing is over and theres nothing that he can do about it. Hes no longer got any faith in the relationship. Nothing ever lasts, its over.
"When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins"
Talking about the move on. There is no chance of another shot at the relationship. He no longer has the strength to keep fighting for the relationship. -
The song is about war, yes. However, sometimes in life there are conflicts. Conflicts so painfull that there is no resolution but to give up and accept. Give it to God, Buda, whatever. Make peace and move on.
-
The song is about a soldier at war or possibly a soldier's funeral by the name of the song 21 Guns because the 21 guns means a salute.
-
an article dated jan 13 2008
121 american war veteren(iraq n afghanistan)linked to killing maybe due to stress or trauma.hence
"one, 21 guns"=refer to those 121 soldier,also means the war already ended so stop killing.(21 guns salute also to mean peaceful intention)
"When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul" the state of mind of those war veteren, living in agony,stess n trauma coz of the war.
leading them to despair "hangover doesn't pass" n "you're in ruins".
i believe u guys can figure out the rest of the lyrics meaning related to this.
p\s: this is also just a theory from my personal perspective,hope it doesn't offend anybody..and yeah,my english sucks. -
I see this as a call for an end to the war in Iraq, and a critique of Bush's decision to put us there. I think the line "Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone" makes this clear because George W. Bush obviously lied about the weapons of mass destruction in Iraq to the country which in response took up arms and many died. And the stone he's asking for forgiveness from would be a headstone.
Love this song. :) -
After having just watched the music video for "21 Guns", I don't think the song references Gloria's death anymore. The video shows Christian and Gloria in a room being peppered with bullets from the outside, ruining the room and putting a hole in a fish tank, which slowly empties out... but at the end of the video, we get a look inside the empty fish tank, and see the one fish inside a mason jar, still full of water, as Christian and Gloria embrace.
It seems to me that this song can be seen in the context of the one line from "Song of the Century" - "of winning the war and losing the fight". Christian and Gloria have fought, each in their own way, and they lost... but life carries on. In most tragedies, we know that the protagonists have lost when they die, but in the real world it doesn't always work like that. You fight, you lose everything you stood for, and from that point, you have to carry on with what you do have.
Christian and Gloria have lost their cause, and lost their desire to fight for it, but in the end, they still have each other. It's not much, given what's happened between them, but it's something.
Of course, given the next track "American Eulogy", it's still not a happy ending. -
21 Guns Lyrics
Do you know what's worth fighting for,
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins
If you have ever dealt with any kind of loss this is self explanatory. When something or someone is so important you would die for it nothing can stop you from fighting for it. But sometimes pain is too much and you must give up. You have to say enough is enough I can't take it anymore. Doing that ruins you because you have given up. You are in ruins.
So....
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
Like the 21 gun salute where a warship would fire its cannons harmlessly out to sea, until all ammunition was spent, to show that it was disarmed, signifying the lack of hostile intent, you must give up the fight. Throwing your arms in the air in defeat.
When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins.
So now you are no longer fighting so you are living in the pain, making it so much more damning. It becomes deafening. You can no longer deal with it till you are literally at war with yourself. The Chaos breaking you apart, leaving you in ruins.
So again......
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone
So now you face the consequences. You have destroyed everything. You pushed away family and friends, till it is just you, and you can not ask for forgiveness when there is no one to ask forgiveness from.
When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins.
So you try to start again. but life is not perfect and there isn't always a second chance. Sometimes stuff is just so bad it ends you.
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I -
All it means is let go and let God.
-
YOu love a persOn but Your Relationship haS no moRe chaNce thOugh YOu trY to Bring baCk the Past again...coz something died inside you...You suffer to much pain...and its EnOuGh, juSt give UP...be cOntented that YOu did YOur best to love hiM eVen thOugh at the End - all your Striving Were futiLe, You became a best person You can be...be proud of it., though your Heart Broke it's the reaLity...Life must Go on, MOVE ON!!
You are worthy to die coz you did everything just for hiM|her. -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
I think it might have something to do with the 21 gun salute possibly.
-
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
1, 21 guns is grouping those two number together. You pick up one, you end up with 21. That's true for the military interpretations of the song, and also for the personal relationship interpretations. The point is, don't pick it up.
More Green Day songs »
Latest Articles
-
A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park -
Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable -
.jpg)
Dolly, we need you -
The Stranger Things Effect: How new media is drawing Gen Z and Alpha's attention to aging media -
The most underrated soundtrack of the early 2000s -
Buy the Soundtrack, Skip the Movie: Brainscan (1994)
Trending:
Songs of Peace 
In This Week's Music News 
The Top Five Music Video Location Cliches 
If You Love It So Much, Why Don't You Marry It? 
All You Need Is Four Chords Just Posted
| Amnesia | anonymous |
| Your Smiling Face | anonymous |
| You Should Be Dancing | anonymous |
| Washing Machine Heart | anonymous |
| Souvenirs | anonymous |
| Art Deco | anonymous |
| Let It Go | anonymous |
| The Greatest Show | anonymous |
| Vampire | anonymous |
| Vampire | anonymous |
| Sippy Cup | anonymous |
| A Place For My Head | anonymous |
| I Hope You Dance | anonymous |
| Metaphor | anonymous |
| Against All Odds (Take a Look at Me Now) | anonymous |
