Hands in the Sky (Big Shot)

Probably more than any other Straylight Run song people have asked me what this one is about. The uninteresting truth is that there’s no big story behind the words. They were meant to capture a feeling that I think was just in the air at that time. There was fear and suspicion everywhere. Terrorist threats, fear of our own government, our army, our media. The song wasn’t really meant to make a judgement on any of it, just to express the terror that I and a lot of other people were feeling at that time. I was also reading 1984 by George Orwell again around that time and it was really hitting home with me. I’m pretty sure I even took a line or two directly from the book. Making the video for this song was an insane experience. I remember we had gotten some interest from a few directors and Travis Kopach was one of them. We met with him at Friday’s (where any good business meeting should take place) and he pitched his concept for the video to us. We couldn’t believe the ideas he had. I mean, he basically described the video to us exactly as it would end up being, but imagine someone explaining all that to you if you’d never seen it before. It was crazy. We were just sitting there listening to him excitedly paint this whole picture of us in a giant tank of water with monsters and children and business men everywhere. He was so excited by his concept and so confident that he could make it all happen that we had to go for it with him. We all knew it was going to be amazing as long as he really knew how to do what he was talking about doing. The video shoot itself was so surreal. Everything that you see in the video was really happening. You walked into this giant warehouse and in the middle of it was a huge tank of water with an enormous screen behind it playing these insane clips. There were two sets around the tank that came on and off for the different scenes. One for the class room scenes and one for the office scenes. The water in the tank was probably room temperature but when you were immersed in it for ten minutes it started to feel really cold. We also had to take turns doing our scenes in the tank, so you’d get in with your full outfit on, get out and change in to dry clothes and warm up, then twenty minutes later put your soaking wet clothes on and get back in. The water also started to get very dirty because all of our outfits were from second hand stores and had little bits of fiber and lint that started coming off and floating around the tank. At one point Shaun decided it would be cool take an old suitcase, fill it with bricks, take it into the tank and walk around with it under water. The suitcase was really old though and made of leather. Pieces of old, musty leather started breaking off and floating around. Things got pretty disgusting towards the end of the shoot. We were all shivering, covered with some kind of slimy feeling film and our eyes were burning from having to open them in filthy water. It was an amazing video shoot though. We all knew that what we were doing was more than worth the discomfort we were experiencing. It was so exciting to watch Travis’ vision unfolding in front of us. We continued to work with him from that point on. He even shot the video for Wait And Watch for us for free. He’s one of those rare people you meet who’s a great person and also great at what they do.

taken from john nolan's blog.

wow...awesome start on the new song that'll be on their new EP this OCT. 4th, 2005 (side note to anyone who hasn't already heard...)

EDITS (after listening to the live version via headphones/playing with the equalizer/slowed it down):

"They'll tell us all lies just like old times" -- this is still quite inaudible word for word, however...

"LIVING our YEARS/LIVES like deer in headlights" -- same thing

"I wonder when they'll come get me"

"We want to, NEED to, HAVE to And we'll turn away, they're hungry again We'll TELL YOU WHEN, they're hungry again It never ends, never ends, never ends"

...then it switches...

"We want to, HAVE to, NEED to And we'll turn away, they're hungry again We'll TELL YOU WHEN, they're hungry again It never ends, never ends, never ends

...although for the 'want' & 'need' parts, it sounds like "YOU" instead of "to"...

"JUST give it up, boy, give it up, or/BOY you're gonna die"

& on SOME lines (maybe to change it up or somethin'...), it sounds like...

"HE'LL get a bullet in the back of HIS neck In the back of HIS neck, right between the eyes"

also, while john is singing the ending lyrics the last 2 times...

"Big shot screaming, put your hands in the sky Better give it up, boy, give it up or you're gonna die You'll get a bullet in the back of the neck In the back of the neck, right between the eyes"

...michelle sounds like she's mumbling one of the beginning lines, very slowly...

"They'll tell us all lies just like old times"

...then for the ending, after john stops singing, michelle sings...

"We'll tell you when they're hungry again...

We'll tell you when they're hungry again We'll tell you when..."

also, fix you're "ig shot" typos. lol ;) sorry, i know it's not totally official yet. i'm still just utterly amazed at how much of lyrics you were able to decipher!! again, fantastic job!!!!

-April- (from the SRMB)

p.s. anyone think this is another song about the media AND/or (ugh...this is gonna hurt me...) the dreaded t b s? : / millions of sorry's.

oops. damn.

i meant...

"We want to, NEED to, HAVE to And we'll TELL YOU WHEN they're hungry again We'll TELL YOU WHEN they're hungry again It never ends, never ends" -- another 'we'll tell you when added' & there are only 2 'never ends'

...then...

"We want to, HAVE to, NEED to And WE'LL TELL YOU WHEN they're hungry again We'll TELL YOU WHEN, they're hungry again It never ends, never ends, never ends..." -- another 'we'll tell you when' again & a 3rd 'never ends' extended with 3 periods representing they're extension of 'ends' lol

...or it's about the MUSIC INDUSTRY maybe??

i am listening to a live version of this song, it's amazing. I am sooo exicted for this EP. I love tihs band. I have no idea what it's about, maybe when we have the EP and all the right lyrics it'll be easier to tell...

I actually kinda get a big brother-ish/sort of terrorism theme on it, but yeah, could be about the music industry/creepy fans type thing as well

very good EP, the screaming def brings me back to old TBS days...

alright...

heard the leaked EP (i feel horrible for it too :( )

so these SHOULD be the correct lyrics! i'm starting to think the song's actually politically-related, too...

Tearing out of these open pages Women and kids of all ages Millions of men with blank faces Italicized lies, headlines bold type

Living lives just like deer in headlights Terrified, blind, and wait to die I wonder when they'll come get me I wonder when they'll come get me

We want you, have to, need you and We'll tell you when they're hungry again We'll tell you when they're hungry again It never ends, never ends

We want you, have to, need you and We'll tell you when they're hungry again We'll tell you when they're hungry again It never ends, never ends, never ends...

Big shot screaming put your hands in the sky He says "Give it up boy, give it up or you're gonna die You'll get a bullet in the back of the neck In the back of the neck Right between the eyes"

("Big shot..." Repeat 4x)

(Tearing out of these open pages Women and kids of all ages Millions of men with blank faces Italicized lies, headlines bold type)

("Tearing out..." Repeat 2x)

Very political. Great song though with an incredible and powerful ending.

I agree with building music...now that I hear the real version with correct lyrics I think it;s very political and possibly about the war...