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From Yesterday Lyrics

He's a stranger to some
And a vision to none
He can never get enough
Get enough of the war

For a fortune he'd quit
But it's hard to admit
How it ends and agains
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)

From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message out

On a mountain he sits
Not of gold but of shit
Through the blood he can look
See the lives that he took
From a count to the one, he'll decide when he's done
With the innocent
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)
On his face is a map of the world
(A map of the world)

From yesterday, it's coming
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message
(But he doesn't want to read the message)
Doesn't want to read the message out!

On his face is a map of the world

From yesterday, it's coming!
From yesterday, the fear!
From yesterday, it calls him
But he doesn't want to read the message here
From yesterday
From yesterday
From yesterday, the fear
From yesterday
From yesterday
But he doesn't want to read the message
(But he doesn't want to read the message)
He doesn't want to read the message here!
Song Info
Submitted by
reexxx1 On Aug 31, 2005
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269 Meanings

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Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

Im pretty sure its shit, because how does gold relay to sin? I mean, in the sence that its being used. When someone is said to be sitting on a mountain of gold, they are saying they held high. And on a pile of shit they are said that they are kind of in ruins in a way, that they are not reguarded as high as they hold them selves. To me, sin makes no sence at all. I dont see how it would fit it.

I believe it's "not of gold, but of sin". The guy in the song is sitting on a mountain of sin because he's taken lives of innocent people.

That's how I understand it.

Not Valid

@AnnaBeann "Gold is the root of all evil"?

@AnnaBeann yeap its "Shit", Youtube's official video is censoring it when playing. I don't think you need censoring for the word "sin" :P

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

I just realized something...

After looking at all of these comments and suggestions on what this song could be about, I've come to this one conclusion.

They're all about people that have done something.

A load of people claim that the story is about a soldier. A soldier who has fought and fought and remembers all of the terrible things that have been done to him. He has killed and is now tortured by the very thought of it.

Another group of people say that it is about Ghengis Khan and/or reincarnation. That's also believable because they found the ability to recall memories that they don't want to remember. But it's there anyways, and there is nothing they can do about it.

More people are also saying that it's a song about God, and how he created the world. They claim that he doesn't want to see the brutal violence that goes on in the world and therefore he tries to eliminate it, but fails.

To some people, it also means about running away or escaping a conflict, like a criminal escaping from jail, or a boyfriend becoming tired of his girlfriend. Either way they are haunted by their pasts.

So I was thinking...

Maybe that is what this song is about. Actually being doomed by your past and wanting to turn away from it, but you can't. There's no way you can deny it. Because out of everything you've done there's no way to change it now, meaning that you're left to face your fears.

Maybe that's what it's about.

Rori the Rocker

ps-- and it is "shit" in the second verse, because it's been bleeped out. And I believe it is "read the message shown" for the end of the chorus, because it doesn't make sense if he says "write the message". Why would you write a message if you don't want to? You would rather not read it.

Rori, my take is that is if the protagonist is in a position of power, and has used his power to do things he considers wrong, maybe the message he doesn't want to write could doom someone (death sentence) or could be sending the family the notification of a loved-one's death. Just a thought. Of course, that is assuming it's "write" and not "read". :)

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

ok everybody im gonna tell u what the lyrics are in the 2nd verse cuz its annoying me that everyones getting it wrong haha

here it is...

On a mountain he sits, not a gold but of SIN through the blood he can learn, see the life that it turn From council of one He'll decide when he's done with the innocent

@bloodstrike Agreed. Listening attentively, one hears clearly "sins". To the respondent who misspells the word "sense", well... It makes sense if one has any sense.

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

I just heard this song for the first time ever, and I loved it pretty much instantaneously.

And I'm pretty sure the line is, "On a mountain he sits, not of gold, but of shit." Because there's a rhyme pattern there, you see it? Sin doesn't fit the rhyme pattern... sorry...

I just love the line, "On his face is a map of the world"... it's so lovely.

As for the meaning, people have been saying it's a soldier, and I guess that could be right...but maybe it could be just about anybody in general, maybe somebody who went through a tough life. It doesn't really specifically HAVE to be a soldier... maybe the killing is a metaphor, or something... I'm not really sure, I haven't listened to it enough to really get a good beat on it.

And by the way, just what exactly was the plot of the video? I found it quite confusing, and not only because I was ogling Jared Leto the whole time.... ^_~

@Desaparecida

Alliteration

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

Okay, wow, this is silly. First off, the song has nothing to do with Jesus, war, soldiers, or leaders. The song, for those who have any bit of clarity, is about REINCARNATION. If you look in the credits of the 30 seconds to mars album, you will notice that they thank Buddha, Jesus, and the pythagoras amongst other philosophical and religious teachers. The members of 30 seconds, at least some of them, suscribe to the ideology and doctrine of reincarnation; the believe in it and the song FROM YESTERDAY is clearly and obviously about reincarnation. From yesterday, they are talking about the affects and karma of past lives affecting this life now. The lyrics are rather cryptic but nonetheless the meaning is rather clear to anyone who has ever studied the doctrine of reincarnation. On his face is a map of the world, meaning that the individual has been through many incarnations in his time, perhaps all over the world living many lives, he has not learned his spiritual lessons and thus he is reincarnated again and again; obviously he cant "get enough of the world" a reference to the mans sins and earthly vices. Trust me, the song is about reincarnation; the band has some rather peculiar beliefs, it's all in the "thank you" section of the album booklet; many of their other songs are dedicated to similar "mystical" topics.

THANK YOU. my thoughts too.

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

To be honest, I think it's about Mao Zedong, especially seeing as how the video is set in China. Here's my interpretation of the lyrics, looking at the Mao theory:

"He’s a stranger to some And a vision to none He can never get enough, Get enough of the one"

Mao was widely adored by people in his country, as in a "stranger" to them - he was a complete celebrity so his adorees never knew him. And "a vision to none" could be that now people don't see him in that way, so he is no longer a vision to them; or, in China he has left his mark, so even though he's dead he still leaves an impression. "He can never get enough of the one" is quite difficult...could "the one" be himself?

"For a fortune he'd quit"

Mao was always after riches and glory.

"But it’s hard to admit How it ends and begins"

Mao could never admit he was wrong, and a bad leader.

"On his face is a map of the world (A map of the world) On his face is a map of the world (A map of the world)"

Mao's actions were seen all over the world, by people everywhere; everyone sees the same thing on his face no matter where they look in their part of the world.

"From yesterday, it’s coming! From yesterday, the fear!"

Once again, the repeated mistakes Mao made came back to haunt him. Perhaps the fear of the Tibetan people coming back to bite him, to be crass, in the arse? His "empire" crumbling due to people world-wide seeing the way Tibetans are treated?

From yesterday, it calls him But he doesn't want to read the message here"

Mao repeatedly made the same mistakes - the sparrow campaign, increasing China's iron industry, all went down the pan due to his being completely ignorant. "He doesn't wanna read the message here" is that he refused to see that any of his country's problems were his fault.

"On a mountain he sits, its not of gold but of shit Through the blood he can look, see the lives that he took"

Mao had people murdered, his army of young people killed others who didn't follow Mao, even members of their own family - so "See the lives that he took" means how he indirectly murdered hundreds of thousands of people. "On a mountain..." is quite possibly how now he is not seen as a great leader, he is seen for how he truly was, and his mountain of gold has turned to nothing. Or maybe how he turned his golden country into quite literally, shit, during his reign. Also, the brutal treatment of Tibet could be incorporated here.

"From a count to the one He'll decide when he's done with the innocent"

The one-child policy, killing babies, brainwashing children etc. Kinda obvious.

That's just my interpretation though ^_^ After all, the time this song was released was kinda when all the Tibet stuff was coming further out into the open, so it makes sense.

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

People have been writing their comments on the verses but overall what does the song exactly mean?

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

I think the song might be about Jared.. the fact that in the song, he says "I don't want to read the message here"

And it's not a poiltical song, not against bush.. keep that shit out of the conversation because it has nothing to do with it.. post your opinions about bush elsewhere..

... but the lyrics here are still wrong... it's on their site...

He’s a stranger to some And a vision to none He can never get enough, Get enough of the one

For a fortune he'd quit But it’s hard to admit How it ends and begins On his face is a map of the world A map of the world On his face is a map of the world A map of the world

From yesterday, it’s coming From yesterday, the fear From yesterday, it calls him But he doesn't want to read the message here

On a mountain he sits, not of gold but of shit through the blood he can look see the lives that he took From a count to the one He'll decide when he’s done with the innocent On his face is a map of the world A map of the world On his face is a map of the world A map of the world

From yesterday, it’s coming From yesterday, the fear From yesterday, it calls him

But he doesn't want to read the message

But he doesn't want to read the message

I don't want want to read the message here

On his face is a map of the world From yesterday, it’s coming From yesterday, the fear From yesterday, it calls him But he doesn't want to read the message here From yesterday, From yesterday, From yesterday, the fear From yesterday, From yesterday But he doesn't want to read the message He doesn't want to read the message He doesn't want to read the message here

those are the CORRECT lyrics..

actually, the correct lyric is: "From a council of one He'll decide when he's done with the innocent On his face is a map of the world" but other than that, u've got the correct lyrics

Not Valid
Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

oh btw, the whole asia thing in the music video... alexander the great set off to conquer asia. lol, i don't think he ever made it THAT far. But, he did conquer most of the world known to the greeks. He wanted to conquer the entire world, making it the perfect song for Alexander the great.
I think its a great song, even though i am curious as to why he wrote the song. Especially because he played the part of this man: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexander_the_Great#Hephaestion

Cover art for From Yesterday lyrics by 30 Seconds to Mars

the correct lyrics.... "on a mountain he sits, but not of gold, but sin" i promise these are correct!

the song is about drugs, and how hes tied to them. the wipping in the video is himself punishimg hiself for something he cant chnge. the mountain of sin, is his punishment for what hes doing to his family. his face is a map of the world, how he cant hide. from yesterday.. how he wants togo back to how it was before the drugs. he dosent want to read this message here... the message of his family leaving him. the first corus says it al..He’s a stranger to some And a vision to none He can never get enough, Get enough of the one

For a fortune he'd quit But it’s hard to admit How it ends and begins On his face is a map of the world A map of the world On his face is a map of the world A map of the world

nevr get enuf! how it ends and begins.

he wishes he could change it all now he sees what it does!