This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
I know what you think in the morning
When the sun shines on the ground
And shows what you have done
It shows where your mind has gone
And you swear to your parents
That it will never happen again
I know, I know-ow-ow
What that means, I know-ow-ow-ow-ow
That you all have guns
And you never put the safety on
And you all have plans
To take it, to take it, don't take it, take it, take it
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
Let's take this a second at a time
Let's take this one song, this one rhyme
Together, let's breathe
Together, to the beat
But there's hope out the window
So that's where we'll go
Let's go outside and all join hands
But until then you'll never understand
That you all have guns
And you never put the safety on
And you all have plans
To take it, to take it, don't take it, take it, take it
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Whoo
(Da-da-da-da-da)
(Da-da-da-da-da)
(Da-da-da-da-da, ah, uh)
(Da-da-da-da-da)
We've turned our hands to guns
Traded our thumbs for ammunition
I must forewarn you of my disorder, or my condition
'Cause when the sun sets
It upsets what's left of my invested interest
Interested in putting my fingers to my head
The solution is, I see a whole room of these mutant kids
Fused at the wrist, I simply tell them they should shoot at this
Simply suggest my chest and this confused music
It's obviously best for them to turn their guns to a fist
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep (I'm trying to sleep)
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep (I'm trying to sleep)
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
When the sun shines on the ground
And shows what you have done
It shows where your mind has gone
And you swear to your parents
That it will never happen again
I know, I know-ow-ow
What that means, I know-ow-ow-ow-ow
That you all have guns
And you never put the safety on
And you all have plans
To take it, to take it, don't take it, take it, take it
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
Let's take this a second at a time
Let's take this one song, this one rhyme
Together, let's breathe
Together, to the beat
But there's hope out the window
So that's where we'll go
Let's go outside and all join hands
But until then you'll never understand
That you all have guns
And you never put the safety on
And you all have plans
To take it, to take it, don't take it, take it, take it
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
Whoo
(Da-da-da-da-da)
(Da-da-da-da-da)
(Da-da-da-da-da, ah, uh)
(Da-da-da-da-da)
We've turned our hands to guns
Traded our thumbs for ammunition
I must forewarn you of my disorder, or my condition
'Cause when the sun sets
It upsets what's left of my invested interest
Interested in putting my fingers to my head
The solution is, I see a whole room of these mutant kids
Fused at the wrist, I simply tell them they should shoot at this
Simply suggest my chest and this confused music
It's obviously best for them to turn their guns to a fist
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep (I'm trying to sleep)
I'm trying, I'm trying to sleep (I'm trying to sleep)
But I can't, but I can't when you all have
Guns for hands, yeah
Lyrics submitted by emilyheartsrock, edited by ryancarroll, nickvandervalk, frostfox11
Guns For Hands Lyrics as written by Tyler Joseph
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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i broke this song down verse by verse in a notebook of mine, and here's my interpretation:
i think the 1st verse is talking about the realization of who you have become and how you turned out (depressed/suicidal), and you're promising people you won't turn out like this again, even though you don't mean it. and the 2nd verse and chorus basically says that he (Tyler) knows that they're are depressed and suicidal people out there, and he's concerned and scared.
the 3rd verse, to me, is basically saying to take life slowly, take time to heal, and you don't have to do it on your own. and that we can escape from whatever is keeping us down ("out the window") and go where there is hope, but you won't get there unless you're willing to try.
i wasn't sure on the 4th verse, but what i got from it is that we grew up and traded our happiness for depression (turned our hands to guns, thumbs for ammunition) and when Tyler mentions the sun setting and putting his fingers to his head, i think he's explaining how he gets at night: suicidal (might not be true but that's what i got from it). and he's telling all the kids who self-harm to try to create music instead and fight. yeah, i'm not sure on the 4th one. overall, i'm sure it's an anti-suicide song.
also, i think it's titled "Guns For Hands" because we use our hands for everything, it's all we use. but there are people out that only use/want to use guns instead, and "put their fingers to their heads".
that is my opinion.