Staring at the carnage, praying that the sun will never rise
Living another day in disguise
These feelings can't be right
Lend me your courage to stand up and fight, on tonight
Stand up and fight

Now fighting rages on and on
To challenge me you must be strong
I'll walk your land but don't be long
Two million soldiers can't be wrong

Its no fun but I've been here before
I'm far from home and I'm fighting your war
(Not the way I pictured this, I wanted better things)
Some are scared others killing for fun, I shot a mother in front of her son
(Change this from my consciousness and please erase my dreams)

Fight for honor, fight for your life
Pray to god that our side is right
Though we won, I still may lose, until I make it home to you
I see our mothers filled with tears, we grew up so fast where did those years go
Memories won't let you cry unless I don't return tonight

So many soldiers on the other side, I take their live so they don't take mine
(Scared to make it out alive now murders all I know)
Nobody tells me all the reasons were here, I am a weapon so there's nothing to fear
(Another day another life but nothing real to show for)

Fight for honor, fight for your life
Pray to god that our side is right
Though we won, I still may lose, until I make it home to you
I see our mothers filled with tears, we grew up so fast where did those years go
Memories won't let you cry unless I don't return tonight

Staring at the carnage, praying that the sun will never rise
Living another day in disguise
These feelings can't be right, lend me your courage to stand up and fight

Watching the death toll rise wondering how I'm alive
Strangers blood on my hands, shot all I can
There were no silent nights watching your brothers all die
To destroy all their plans with no thought of me (no thought of me)
No thought of me

I walk the city lonely
Memories that haunt are passing by
A murderer walks your street tonight
Forgive me for my crimes, don't forget that I was so young
Fought so scared in the name of God and country


Lyrics submitted by afirewithin, edited by a7xfoREVer2009, RIPJimmyRev

M.I.A. Lyrics as written by Matthew Sanders Zachary Baker

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

M.I.A. song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

163 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +1
    General Comment

    I believe that the title of the song has more meaning than its standard use. After experiencing war for real this soldier's mind is kind of shattered and even though he's made it back to the states in a way he is still Missing in Action living with the trauma and his conscience.

    remarkzeroon February 03, 2013   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
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Album art
Cajun Girl
Little Feat
Overall about difficult moments of disappointment and vulnerability. Having hope and longing, while remaining optimistic for the future. Encourages the belief that with each new morning there is a chance for things to improve. The chorus offers a glimmer of optimism and a chance at a resolution and redemption in the future. Captures the rollercoaster of emotions of feeling lost while loving someone who is not there for you, feeling let down and abandoned while waiting for a lover. Lost with no direction, "Now I'm up in the air with the rain in my hair, Nowhere to go, I can go anywhere" The bridge shows signs of longing and a plea for companionship. The Lyrics express a desire for authentic connection and the importance of Loving someone just as they are. "Just in passing, I'm not asking. That you be anyone but you”
Album art
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version. Great version of a great song,
Album art
No Surprises
Radiohead
Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
Album art
Page
Ed Sheeran
There aren’t many things that’ll hurt more than giving love a chance against your better judgement only to have your heart crushed yet again. Ed Sheeran tells such a story on “Page.” On this track, he is devastated to have lost his lover and even more saddened by the feeling that he may never move on from this.