This Means War

Sounds very similar to "Sad but True" by Metallica. Close to plagiarism.

Personally, I think this song is using war as more spiritual warfare rather than actual war. M. Shadows is singing about how he buys into the lies of the enemy rather than follow a straightened path, and he recognizes this battle in his mind. He also uses a couple of biblical references to make this point. He is basically declaring war on his worst enemy, himself.

The first three stanzas talk about how he cowers from the things he is doing. He knows he is doing wrong but he does it anyway out of fear.

After the chorus, the next two stanzas are about him trying to justify what he is doing. He lies to himself and praises the "Regime." He talks about how he left himself. He became a figurative robot of the regime.

After the chorus, the last three stanzas are about how he is alone because he submitted to the regime. "No home to call my own, No finding someone new, No one to break the fall, No one to see me through, No name to carry on, No promise for today, No one to hear the call, No tattered flag to raise." This shows what happens when you submit to the regime. It make you, "Question all you trust, Buy into the fear." He ends with talking about how cold and ruthless he has become.

I believe this song is about the mental struggle of losing everything you once were. In the song, he lost almost all of his loved ones (to death or because of his own actions) and is lying to the ones who still linger with him, including himself. He is hiding how he truly feels. He feels as if he has lost his home and his heart is broken way past repair. He may meet someone new, someone that he could love, but he is too broken to love her/him or anyone else for that matter. One way or another, he has fought and fought and fought for a cause he does not believe in and saw himself tear apart at everyone around him because of it. There is a good chance that cause is society its self. He is trying to pick up the pieces of his old life, but they are too far gone. There is nothing to salvage; nothing to repair in his mind or his heart. This is his hell on Earth.

I agree with n3bulous, but still a good song.

In my opinion MillerTime88 and anon23 hit it spot on there. I can relate to this interpretation of the song completely and it is pretty much how I’ve seen it. This song could be about me and I’ve been listening to this song a lot lately. Sometimes feeling angry, sometimes crying my eyes out. I’ve taken this as a theme song in my battle out of this mess I’ve become. Being too good hearted, kind, forgiving and ever trusting I ended up being hurt so much in my life I lost myself in order to survive emotionally. I couldn’t take the emotional beating anymore, I had to get on top and found I didn’t like who I had become. There was the man ripping at my soul now – myself, acting like the ones I had disrespected the most in my life. A sucker playing with other people’s emotions and life. Not intentionally but for some reason I ended up doing so, I felt out of control. I was safe from others but I couldn’t escape the guilt I realized I need to change in order to respect myself. I tried to feel better but ended up feeling worse.

I hid my face so I wouldn’t hurt anyone, I hid my face to protect myself from attacks of envy, I hid my face because of shame and guilt. I’ve forgiven myself the wrongdoing but accept no more new, I’m so sorry for all the bad. I just hope I could feel love, find someone new and have her see through me as I truly am, a good person who just got lost along the way. First I need to prove me to myself, you can’t feel deserving of love unless you love yourself, you can’t love unless you can’t trust. To trust you must not fear.

I think he's figuring out that the temptations of the devil only lead to misery... so he declares war against the devil!! God starts ripping at his soul as he begins to recognize who "the man" is....

I'm not the only one who thinks this sounds like Sad But True by Metallica. thats a statement not a question.

It seems to me to be a story of a soldier in the army of a totalitarian Regime. He is forced to commit many atrocities for them and he has become numb to it. he tries to tell himself that it is justified "Lash your tongue of bane Carry me to nowhere Mental holocaust Battle never ends Lie! Mask the pain Of a child who's forsaken Lie! To myself Praise the new regime" It also points to a former Regime that May very well have been "Good guys" (I don't know how else to word this. Lol) He knows what he is doing is wrong but he complies out of fear."Question all you trust. Buy into the fear." "I left me long ago" seems to point that he has given up trying to fight it. Whether he likes it or not it has become a part of him. "There's nothing here for free Lost who I want to be My serpent blood can strike so cold On any given day I'll take it all away Another thought I can't control" Is him describing how he has become cold blooded and remorseless in the name of "The Regime"

"No home to call my own No finding someone new No one to break the fall No one to see me through No name to carry on No promise for today No one to hear the call No tattered flag to raise" Points to This Soldier acknowledging that He is lost. He has given up all that he cares for- out of fear of losing it to "The Regime"

Some of the posted lyrics are wrong, here are the correct lyrics...

Hide my face again, harbor in the shadows Feel this weight of sin hammering away Die - with the guilt of a thousand AWOL soldiers Die - watch the scythe usher me astray

I can't go on this way Not as I am today The ugly side of me is strong

Take aim, a loaded gun. Pull back on all who run. A coward's truth inside the wrong.

This means war This means war This means war

Lash your tongue of bane Carry me to nowhere Mental holocaust Battle never ends Lie! Mask the pain Of a child who's forsaken Lie! To myself Praise the new regime

I left me long ago Reasons you'll never know No one to miss me when I'm gone With no more words to say No argument to stay. Another post I don't belong

This means war This means war This means war This means war This means war

No home to call my own No finding someone new No one to break the fall No one to see me through No name to carry on No promise for today No one to hear the call No tattered flag to raise

Walk the razor's edge Cut into the madness Question all you trust Buy into the fear I see the man ripping at my soul now I, I know the man I know him all too well

There's nothing here for free Lost who I want to be My serpent blood can strike so cold On any given day I'll take it all away Another thought I can't control

This means war This means war This means war This means war This means war