Green Day: 21 Guns Meaning

Song Released: 2009

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...

1. CV

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 28th 2010 !⃝

   My opinion is a story about battle, wars and two people in love!

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
2. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 19th 2010 !⃝

   I think (and this is just a guess) that the answer lies in a WW2 book I read. In it, it talks very breifly about a forgotten regement that seeked to assassinate Hitler. They consisted of 121 specially trained soldiers to do the job. But appon arivval, they were ambushed by Germans and ordered to surrender, but wouldn't and the whole division got killed. Makes sense, don't it? And notice in the chorus he says 'One Twenty One Guns', not just twenty one if I hear it correctly.
3. enka

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 10th 2010 !⃝

   this song has nothing to do with war, not even guns at all ... if you watch the video you can see its about a girl and guy that fight alot and at the end they relize that its not worth it and they love each other

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
4. anonymous

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Jan 7th 2010 !⃝

   The first part
   Do you know what's worth fighting for?
   When it's not worth dying for?
   
   this is asking if war is worth dying for
   
   I think the song is about person fighting in the war who witnessed the funeral of the man he killed, and is starting to feel guilty and question war.
   
   Does it take your breath away
   And you feel yourself suffocating?
   this part is saying doesn't the killing startle you? Freak you out?
   
   Does the pain weigh out the pride?
   Does knowing you killed someone diminish the false glamor of war and the triumph of killing?
   
   And you look for a place to hide?
   now your running away from it all
   
   Did someone break your heart inside?
   You're in ruins
   youve killed someone and the knowledge is ruining 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
   I think this part is unrelated to the verses more like a shout out saying you see, war is bad, give it up, give it all up.
   
   When you're at the end of the road
   And you lost all sense of control
   And your thoughts have taken their toll
   Its breaking you all up
   When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
   
   Your faith walks on broken glass
   Could be your patriotism is disappearing because you can't believe in your country for starting a war
   
   And the hangover doesn't pass
   Your not just forgetting what happened
   
   Nothing's ever built to last
   You're in ruins
   
   Did you try to live on your own
   separating your self from the world because of your guilt
   
   When you burned down the house and home?
   house and home might be your belief that war was right, now that's gone
   
   Did you stand too close to the fire
   might mean attending the funeral
   Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone?
   thinking that you could redeem yourself that way
   
   When it's time to live and let die
   And you can't get another try
   you killed someone you can't press an undo button
   
   Something inside this heart has died
   You're in ruins
   
   One, 21 guns
   Lay down your arms, give up the fight
   One, 21 guns
   Throw up your arms into the sky
   Stop it, stop fighting. This is what war and killing does to you
5. nkyoshii

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Dec 14th 2009 !⃝

   To me, this song speaks directly to me in the sense that i can almost relate to each word. In my circumstance, and possibly the circumstance of the lyricist, i feel like it's a song to honor our loved ones that have journey'd on without us. Change is an inevitable thing. New people come, old people go and the cycle continues. But sometimes, it's not so easy to just let go. There will always be that heart ache deep inside that starts to murder. But mainly, i believe, this song talks about respecting and honoring the dead, just as the 21 gun salute does, so that we can move on and live through this. It's not just about letting it go nor is it about carrying the burden of those we've lost, it's about knowing that they lived a life worth honoring and giving our ownselves the right to live freely, without the burden of the heart ache within our hearts. To me, this song is a song telling us, the listeners to free our hearts and let our spirits rise. We deserve to be free. We deserve to live our lives.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
6. WAB

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 14th 2009 !⃝

   When a lover smothered his/her partner to the point of suffocating. This is about lovers when you starts doubting everything. When one of them asks for some space or a break and someone gets their heart broken. And when your mind is over analyzing everything and you let it cloud your soul. When negative thoughts are always present, when you try your best to bring them back but you are only pushing them away. Give up the fight and let things be the way they should, don’t force anything give them the space they need, let them find themselves. Maybe they'll return maybe they won’t, but respect and honour them either way.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
7. 123456

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 10th 2009 !⃝

   Any song will have as much Imagery as any movie. 21 guns is a story about life, growing up, how hard life is and even if times are bad, that with help you can get over it. This essay will discuss how green day use the techniques repetition, imagery, rhythm and similes to express the feelings of the song. The title comes from the 21 gun salute of the army at special ceremonies. Green day has used certain techniques to make the poem more interesting and lively and also to tell the story in a more understanding way.
   
   The title of any song is a main part to what the song is about. The title of the song comes from the traditional salute that the army uses. 21 shots are fired into the sky in groups of three. Seven gunmen shoot three shots into the air; the seven comes from biblical tradition just like 7 days in a week while the three is the amount of guns shot by one land battery hence 21 guns. The symbolism of guns in the title suggests that the story is about war or death. This is because gun symbolise war and death in most poems, songs or movies. The tile is important in what the meaning of the song is and what the song will be about. There is normally symbolism in the title like for example “21 guns” without a title it would make it harder for the reader to understand.
   
   Imagery is a key factor in allowing the reader to understand and imagine what is going on in the song. In this song there are different phrases that allow you to imagine something. An example of this may be “Does the pain way down your pride, and you look for a place to hide” this phrase lets you imagine that this person is suffering and needs help. This phrase also tells you that life is pointless and you just don’t know what to do with your life. By this phrase you can imagine different things like what is the point of life and why do you hide from things. Some of the imagery in the song is portrayed by repetition this is because the artist wants you to remember this part and to make it stand out so you pay more attention to it.
   
   Repetition is used mainly in poems or songs to point a certain part of that song or poem because the artist is trying to tell you something that has more importance than other parts. The phrase “one 21 guns, lay down your arms give up the fight, one 21 guns, throw up your arms into the sky” is repeated 4 times in the song. The reason that the artist has done this is because it is an important part in the song. The phrase is saying that why are we fighting! There is no need to fight lets all just be friends. The line “ lay down your arms, give up the fight” says put your arms down and stop punching and the line saying “ throw up your arms, you and I” is saying put your arms up and surrender. Without repetition in certain poems and songs it would not get the moral or message across to the reader.
   
   Similes in poems are useful for describing a certain part of a poem or song. In 21 guns the simile is used for exactly that, and it helps you to understand more of the meaning. The simile that is portrayed in this song s “like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone”, this simile has allot of meaning in what the artist has put into the simile. The meaning of this simile is that a stone is hard and does not give forgiveness. The person portrayed in this song is sad about life and feels that he needs to forgive someone. The problem is that he is stuck and does not know who to forgive. This person is trying to look for forgiveness from the smallest of thing which also symbolises his struggle by him looking for forgiveness. The person portrayed is so depress that he does not notice that he is looking for forgiveness from a stone. The line that is in front of this line says “do you stand too close to the fire” is a very different phrase from the simile on the next line. The reason that the artist has done this is because it is trying to give you a better meaning of what is said. This simile has allowed there to be more sense in the song and has allowed it to give for meaning to the lyrics.
   
   Without rhythm any song would not be right and would make it harder for the main message to get across. The rhythm in 21 guns is mainly slow rock and is played on the drums and acoustic. The song starts with a soft and strong electric piano and then goes in to an acoustic guitar at the same time the song starts the singing starts slow and when the drum starts the speed picks up. This has been done because the beginning is important and tells allot of meaning into the song. At the end of the word “guns” the artist does a high note, this is because guns is an important word in the song and means death and sadness. Between the 8th and 9th paragraph there is a long break, the reason for this is so you can think about this certain part which means that the artist wants you to look at this part in more detail. Without rhythm in songs it would not be a great song and it is the beat of the song and is the most important element in the song.
   
   21 guns is a very meaningful song that has been written by Green Day, it expresses the feelings of the tough and hard times of life and what you can get out of life. It talks about what is the point of fighting and why do we need to fight. The title “21 guns” suggests that the song is about war and death. The essay has discussed how the artist used the techniques repetition, imagery, simile, rhythm to express the feelings of the song. Without these techniques used the song would not have the same effect as it has given and that is why the song has really worked because of the felling involved in the songs.
8. ApachePrince

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 9th 2009 !⃝

   I see many linking this song to the war in Iraq but it may not necessarily be the case. Poems, songs and art can be expressed through many different contexts in many societies that exists today.
   
   When I heard this song and paid attention to its lyrics, one thing came to my mind - Relationships.
   
   This song did make many references to how one should just give up, either about a fight in the relationship or to end the relationship.
   
   The 21 gun salute, traditionally was used to signify the end of any hostilities between two enemies. Ships and other maritime vessels would fire their main cannons till all ammunition was used up till the next reload. This was also practiced by the side that was about to surrender. In today's context however, the 21 gun salute can be used in celebrations and events.
   
   Furthermore, with the context of the video we see a couple in the same room who were very much unhappy with each other initially. As the song progressed, especially after the first chorus and the bullets flew everywhere, we see a total change in expression. Therefore supporting even more that this is in the context of relationships.
   
   The above interpretation is not elaborated. However, I feel that looking at it from the point of relationships is a reasonable interpretation. It is not wrong for you to link it to the war and alcohol, I am just offering another point of view.

   This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
9. PALENTIR

   • 1
   • 2
   • 3
   • 4
   • 5

   click a star to vote

   Nov 7th 2009 !⃝

   How old are you guys? Very few of you really know what this song is about.
   No - it's not about Bush and war.
   Yes - in the context of the album it is about Christian and Gloria.
   In general, relating the rest of us, it is about the end of a long term relationship - most likely divorce.
   
   "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?"
   
   Your relationship is worth fighting for, but when it fails it is not the end - you feel crushed, but suicide is not the answer. When you realize it's over it hurts so bad that you can barely breath.
   
   "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"
   
   It hurts so much that you will break down in front of people - that's how diminished you're sense of pride has become, but you're still in enough control that you will seek some privacy. You are emotionally and sometimes physically destroyed (not abused - stress can make you sick) - you're in ruins.
   
   "One, 21 guns
   Lay down your arms
   Give up the fight
   One, 21 guns
   Throw up your arms into the sky,
   You and I"
   
   The "one" can have several interpretations:
   * square one - starting over
   * refering to the saying "a brave man faces one death, a coward faces many" and a call to face what is in front of you
   * one united 21 gun salute - you both agree it's over
   21 guns - the only thing everyone gets right: It's the 21 gun salute of respect to the memory of something that was truely exceptional but is now gone.
   Lay down your guns, give up the fight - it's over, it's time to stop fighting and move on.
   Throw up your arms into the sky - surrender to the fact that it's over otherwise you will never heal.
   You and I - if you don't both give up the fight and surrender then the nightmare will continue.
   
   "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"
   
   When you realize it is all over and beyond your control, you think about all of the time and energy that went into the relationship that now seems wasted. You consciously make the decision that the relationship must end and it tears your soul apart.
   
   "Your faith walks on broken glass
   And the hangover doesn't pass
   Nothing's ever built to last
   You're in ruins"
   
   Your faith in love and the human spirit has been shredded - it leaves a fog in your brain like a hangover. Even something with the strong foundation of your relationship couldn't last - you're in ruins.
   
   "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"
   
   Did you drift apart and start finding your identity again and leave your partner behind? Did it tear apart your relationship and make your home an unwelcome place? Did you stand there in the heat of things trying to fix it when your partner said they didn't know you anymore - and what's more - they didn't want to. Did you make promises you couldn't keep (liar) to someone who was no longer listening to you (stone) in an attempt to save it?
   
   "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"
   
   It's time to let the relationship go and move on, but you can't because your heart doesn't want to be vulnerable again - you're still broken - you're in ruins.
   
   "One, 21 guns
   Lay down your arms
   Give up the fight
   One, 21 guns
   Throw up your arms into the sky
   
   One, 21 guns
   Lay down your arms
   Give up the fight
   One, 21 guns
   Throw up your arms into the sky,
   You and I"
   
   This song has very good lyrics with very strong imagery, but it takes life experience to really see and feel it.
   
   The lyrics and the music match so well that it's no wonder the song is so popular.
10. iheartfrankie

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 23rd 2009 !⃝

    This song is about accepting the situation you're in and facing the consequences.
    
    "One, 21 guns lay down your arms give up the fight. One, 21 guns throw up your arms into the sky, you and I."
    
    What they're trying to say is that giving up doesn't always mean you're weak. Sometimes you're just strong enough to let go.
11. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 21st 2009 !⃝

    21 guns is about a 21 gun solute that they do in the military when someone important dies. They do it with 7 guns and they fire them each 3 times. And if it is someone really important they will take 21 guns and fire them once. I tis about people dying to in the military.
12. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 16th 2009 !⃝

    I think that the "one 21 guns" is that green day wants peace, so without war, there is no reason to do any more 21 guns, so they only want one 21 guns, for whomever the song is about.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
13. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 13th 2009 !⃝

    The song is about a soldier who has died in the war and is coming home to be buried by his family. One is the person who has died and 21 guns is the salute they give all soldiers who have died in the war. The song is telling us to end the war and live in peace. When a person loses a loved one in a war it is like something has died inside of you. Your heart is broken and in seams like you can't go on living without this person. The song is telling us to end the madness that is war. When a person loses a loved one in a war it feels as if their life is in ruins and they can't live alone.
14. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 13th 2009 !⃝

    It's about two people finding themselves. basically it's telling you to embrace the chaos around you.
15. anonymous

    • 1
    • 2
    • 3
    • 4
    • 5

    click a star to vote

    Oct 12th 2009 !⃝

    I think that it means that they want unity and "one" 21 guns. In example, throughout trouble, come together instead of living on your own, and if you "die" or give in, only have one "funeral" or 21 guns. Only one set of 21 gunshots will be fired for two people because they were unified

Latest Articles

• 
  A new era for Millennial favorite, Linkin Park
• 
  Anime to watch for the soundtracks… and other reasons you’re undateable
• 
  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)