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.
We request to negotiate
We come to you unarmed
We desire to communicate
You cannot do us harm
They want sacrifice
They hatch schemes and ask me to follow their path to the afterlife
I've got an appetite
For nice things and pipe dreams that my enemies could be blasted by
New metaphors
View that are better for you can't survive if I'm your competitor
Rise together or fight separate wars
I pray I'm never forced to be a predator
Spectres spectate
We wont last
They glad to hate
When gladiators
Breathe their last
Scream en masse
When the dreams do clash
Like the swords in the wars
Let me bleed on that
But they feed on that
Say we need strong backs
Call us weak
If we don't redeem contracts
But the feast wont last
When this beast attacks
The sons and the fathers
Will be free at last
This is love this is not treason
They see sharks in the estuary
They claim the arc's Bartholomew's
They say war is necessary
But we say war is child abuse
We'd rather make our children martyrs than murderers
We'd rather make our children White Flag Warriors
Core-to-core
Were the ones
We've been waiting for
We hold steady
Steadier than stevedores
Not tevias or matadors
On matters of what came before
Forgive the debts
To settle scores
Test the mettle
Either ore
Whats your plan got to do with me
If the bell tolls let freedom ring
And find new ways if we must be King
Instead of leading the young to our suffering
We pass testaments down scream back at heaven
For testing us like Wednesdays at eleven
Wanna recruit and train us to act evilly?
Save it for the shooting range and smack DVDs
Won't study war no more this millennium
It's never again to me or anyone
So think harder when you refer to us
Rather make our children martyrs than murderers
They shell dwellings to quell the shelling
They lift taboos to seduce the cowards
They say we're too yellow-bellied
But we say we're the new superpower
We seek waivers to not be liable
We claim to speak for a higher truth
We stand opposed to the homicidal
We tell you you're fireproof
We come to you unarmed
We desire to communicate
You cannot do us harm
They want sacrifice
They hatch schemes and ask me to follow their path to the afterlife
I've got an appetite
For nice things and pipe dreams that my enemies could be blasted by
New metaphors
View that are better for you can't survive if I'm your competitor
Rise together or fight separate wars
I pray I'm never forced to be a predator
Spectres spectate
We wont last
They glad to hate
When gladiators
Breathe their last
Scream en masse
When the dreams do clash
Like the swords in the wars
Let me bleed on that
But they feed on that
Say we need strong backs
Call us weak
If we don't redeem contracts
But the feast wont last
When this beast attacks
The sons and the fathers
Will be free at last
This is love this is not treason
They see sharks in the estuary
They claim the arc's Bartholomew's
They say war is necessary
But we say war is child abuse
We'd rather make our children martyrs than murderers
We'd rather make our children White Flag Warriors
Core-to-core
Were the ones
We've been waiting for
We hold steady
Steadier than stevedores
Not tevias or matadors
On matters of what came before
Forgive the debts
To settle scores
Test the mettle
Either ore
Whats your plan got to do with me
If the bell tolls let freedom ring
And find new ways if we must be King
Instead of leading the young to our suffering
We pass testaments down scream back at heaven
For testing us like Wednesdays at eleven
Wanna recruit and train us to act evilly?
Save it for the shooting range and smack DVDs
Won't study war no more this millennium
It's never again to me or anyone
So think harder when you refer to us
Rather make our children martyrs than murderers
They shell dwellings to quell the shelling
They lift taboos to seduce the cowards
They say we're too yellow-bellied
But we say we're the new superpower
We seek waivers to not be liable
We claim to speak for a higher truth
We stand opposed to the homicidal
We tell you you're fireproof
Lyrics submitted by PossumCuber, edited by Doube
White Flag Warrior Lyrics as written by Jamie Laurie Andrew Guerrero
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Bluewater Music Corp.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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Here's the actual lyrics to "White Flag Warrior" (straight from the Flobots website):
We request to negotiate We come to you unarmed We desire to communicate You cannot do us harm
They want sacrifice They hatch schemes and ask me to follow their path to the afterlife
I’ve got an appetite For nice things and pipe dreams that my enemies could be blasted by
New metaphors Views that are better for you can’t survive if I’m your competitor
Rise together or fight separate wars I pray I’m never forced to be a predator
Spectres spectate We wont last They glad to hate When gladiators Breathe their last Scream en masse When the dreams do clash Like the swords in the wars Let me bleed on that But they feed on that Say we need strong backs Call us weak If we don’t redeem contracts But this feast wont last When the beast attacks The sons and the fathers Will be free at last
This is love, it's not treason This is love, it's not treason This is love, it's not treason This is love, it's not treason
They see sharks in the estuary They claim the arc’s Bartholomew’s They say war is necessary But we say war is child abuse
We’d rather make our children (We request to negotiate) Martyrs than murderers (We come to you unarmed) We’d rather make our children (We desire to communicate) White Flag Warriors
Core-to-core Were the ones We’ve been waiting for We hold steady Steadier than stevedores Not tevias or matadors On matters of what came before Forgive the debts To settle scores Test the mettle Either ore Whats your plan got to do with me If the bell tolls let freedom ring And find the new ways if we must be King Instead of leading the young to our suffering
We pass testaments down scream back at heaven For testing us like Wednesdays at eleven Wanna recruit and train us to act evilly? Save it for the shooting range and smack DVDs Won’t study war no more this millennium It’s never again for me or anyone So think harder when you refer to us Rather make our children martyrs than murderers
This is love, this is not treason This is love, this is not treason This is love, this is not treason This is love, this is not treason
They shell dwellings to quell the shellings They lift taboos to seduce the cowards They say we’re too yellow-bellied But we say we’re the new superpower
We’d rather make our children (We request to negotiate) Martyrs than murderers (We come to you unarmed) We’d rather make our children (We desire to communicate) White Flag Warriors (You cannot do us harm)
We seek waivers to not be liable We claim to speak for a higher truth We stand opposed to the homicidal We tell you you’re fireproof
We’d rather make our children (We request to negotiate) Martyrs than murderers (We come to you unarmed) We’d rather make our children (We desire to communicate) White Flag... Warriors
We'd rather make our children... We'd rather make our children... (Warriors)
Do what you want to our courage (?) Ask of us what you will Demand from us a sacrfice But do not make us kill