I'm gonna fight 'em off
A seven nation army couldn't hold me back
They're gonna rip it off
Takin' their time right behind my back
And I'm talkin' to myself at night
Because I can't forget
Back and forth through my mind
Behind a cigarette

And the message comin' from my eyes
Says, "Leave it alone"

Don't wanna hear about it
Every single one's got a story to tell
Everyone knows about it
From the Queen of England to the Hounds of Hell
And if I catch it comin' back my way
I'm gonna serve it to you
And that ain't what you want to hear
But that's what I'll do

And the feelin' comin' from my bones
Says, "Find a home"

I'm goin' to Wichita
Far from this opera forevermore
I'm gonna work the straw
Make the sweat drip out of every pore
And I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin', and I'm bleedin'
Right before the Lord
All the words are gonna bleed from me
And I will think no more

And the stains comin' from my blood
Tell me, "Go back home"


Lyrics submitted by ruben, edited by smallwonderrobot, goddamnboxes, Maxitos, LHGL, bbbert

Seven Nation Army Lyrics as written by John Anthony White

Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Seven Nation Army song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

209 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +13
    General Comment

    I think that this song is about something lingering in his mind, something that he did and regrets, something that people won't stop talking about, and he just wants to forget it, but people won't let him.

    "i'm gonna fight 'em off a seven nation army couldn't hold me back they're gonna rip it off taking their time right behind my back"

    This line refers to people who keep talking about "it", something that he did or something that happened. He wants to try and fight them off, he wants them to leave him alone, but they don't.

    "and i'm talking to myself at night because I can't forget back and forth through my mind behind a cigarette and the message coming from my eyes says leave it alone"

    He's trying to relax, and make himself forget about it. He keeps telling himself to leave it alone and forget about it, but he can't because it's just so vivid in his mind.

    "Don't want to hear about it every single one's got a story to tell everyone knows about it from the queen of england to the hounds of hell"

    This is basically talking about his frustration. Everyone knows about it and they keep reminding him, when all he wants to do is forget about it. It could be a rumor or some kind of gossip going around, that people have exaggerated and made into a big thing, when it shouldn't be.

    "and if i catch you comin' back my way i'm gonna sell it to you and that ain't what you want to hear but that's what i'll do "

    This line is pretty much talking about how he is angry and wants to take revenge on the person who is most to blame for this, whoever is trying to make his life hell.

    "and the feeling coming from my bones says mind your own "

    Mind your own? Hmm well I looked up the lyrics on a different sight and it said FIND A HOME not MIND YOUR OWN. Well...if it says "find a home", then I think that's referring to running away...running away from his problems, physically or mentally, just trying to get away from it all. If it says "mind your own", well I guess that could make sense too. It could just be again talking about trying to forget about it and not worry about it.

    "i'm going to wichita far from this opera forever more i'm gonna work the straw make the sweat drip out of every pore "

    This is again talking about trying to run away from the problem. "Opera" meaning the drama, the problem, the hell. He wants to get away from it. When it talks about "working the straw", it could mean that he wants to work and just keep working to try and help him forget about his past, just sort of start a new life.

    "and i'm bleedin' and i'm bleedin' and i'm bleedin' right before the lord all the words are gonna bleed from me and i will sing no more "

    Well I'm not EXACTLY sure what this means...I guess it just means that he is going to keep working until he rids himself of his past, and won't think anymore. (I thought it said THINK instead of SING...I still choose to believe that, because I like it better)

    "and the stains coming from my blood tell me go back home"

    No matter what he does...he can try to forget about his problems, he can run away from his problems...but eventually, he will always have to go back home, and go back and just deal with them.

    This is just how I choose to interpet the song. I actually read in an interview with The White Stripes, and they had an explanation similar to that. Mine might not make too much sense though, because sometimes I have trouble explaining myself. For some reason, it annoys me when people "love" the song, and have NO IDEA what it's about. They don't even TRY to decipher the lyrics, and make some sense of them. Come on people, show some effort.

    noon June 21, 2003   Link

Add your thoughts

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!

More Featured Meanings

Album art
Step
Ministry
Both as a standalone and as part of the DSOTS album, you can take this lyric as read. As a matter of public record, Jourgensen's drug intake was legendary even in the 1980s. By the late 90s, in his own words, he was grappling with massive addiction issues and had lost almost everything: friends, spouse, money and had nearly died more than once. "Dark Side of the Spoon" is a both funny & sad title for an album made by a musical genius who was losing the plot; and this song is a message to his fans & friends saying he knows it. It's painful to listen to so I'm glad the "Keith Richards of industrial metals" wised up and cleaned up. Well done sir.
Album art
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
Mental Istid
Ebba Grön
This is one of my favorite songs. https://fnfgo.io
Album art
Just A Little Lovin'
Dusty Springfield
I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example: "'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Album art
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.