In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Well, I've never seen us act like this
Our only hope is the minds of kids
And they'll show us a thing or two
Our only weapons are the guns of youth
It's only time before they tighten the noose
And then the hunt will be on for you
The red flag waving never meant the same, no
The red flag waving never meant the same
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Like the smallest bee packs a sting
Like a pawn checkmates a king
We'll attack at the crack of dawn
Build a ladder if there's a wall
Don't be afraid to slip and fall
Speak for yourself or they'll speak for you
The red flag waving never meant the same, no!
The red flag waving never meant the same, no!
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Like a fire
Don't need water
Like a jury
Needs a liar
Like a riot
Don't need order
Like a madman
Needs a martyr
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday (we don't need them, we don't need them)
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain (we don't need them, we don't need them)
The red flag waving never meant the same (we don't need them, we don't need them)
The kids of tomorrow don't need today (we don't need them, we don't need them)
When they live in the sins of yesterday
We don't need them!
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Well, I've never seen us act like this
Our only hope is the minds of kids
And they'll show us a thing or two
Our only weapons are the guns of youth
It's only time before they tighten the noose
And then the hunt will be on for you
The red flag waving never meant the same, no
The red flag waving never meant the same
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Like the smallest bee packs a sting
Like a pawn checkmates a king
We'll attack at the crack of dawn
Build a ladder if there's a wall
Don't be afraid to slip and fall
Speak for yourself or they'll speak for you
The red flag waving never meant the same, no!
The red flag waving never meant the same, no!
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Like a fire
Don't need water
Like a jury
Needs a liar
Like a riot
Don't need order
Like a madman
Needs a martyr
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
We don't need them
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain
The red flag waving never meant the same
The kids of tomorrow don't need today
When they live in the sins of yesterday (we don't need them, we don't need them)
Cast off the crutch that kills the pain (we don't need them, we don't need them)
The red flag waving never meant the same (we don't need them, we don't need them)
The kids of tomorrow don't need today (we don't need them, we don't need them)
When they live in the sins of yesterday
We don't need them!
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i was just reading the lyrics while listening to the song an i had a sudden realization. i thought i would share it so i could hear other opinions.
i think the song is abouth how the youth always is the first to be sendt into war. The red flag makes me think about how the youth rallies around symbols (patriotism, ideologies, religion etc...) "Our only weapons are the guns of youth It's only time before they tighten the noose And then the hunt will be on for you" The youth is our best weapon and you will be next when they get killed off. Im thinking WW2 and how the armys standards were lowered as the young soldiers got killed in the thousands.
"Cast off the crutch that kills the pain The red flag waving never meant the same The kids of tomorrow don't need today When they live in the sins of yesterday" Even though you have been wounded you have to swallow the pain and return to the front. The flag you waved so proudly will never mean the same after you have seen the horrors of war. And the kids will have trouble living today because of the sins they committed/vitnessed in the war.
"Speak for yourself or they'll speak for you" You have to speak for yourself or risk being dragged into the fanaticism of others.
"Like a fire Don't need water Like a jury Needs a liar Like a riot Don't need order Like a madman Needs a martyr
We don't need them" We often forgett how important our youth is and what they are saying here is that we dont need our youth in the same way we dont need water for our fires, the same way that we need liars in our jury, the same way we dont need order in a riot and the same way a madman needs a martyr.
This all makes a lot of sense to me but id love to hear a second opinion. PS. sorry for any bad writing, english is my second language