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.
Is there anyone who ever remembers
Changing their mind from the paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls
Ever breaking record off
For something someone yelled real loud one time?
Oh, everyone believes
In how they think it ought to be
Oh, everyone believes
And they're not going easily
Belief is a beautiful armor
But makes for the heaviest sword
Like punching underwater
You never can hit who you're trying for
Some need the exhibition
And some have to know they tried
It's the chemical weapon
For the war that's raging on inside
Oh, everyone believes
From emptiness to everything
Oh, everyone believes
And no one's going quietly
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
Is there anyone you can remember
Ever surrender with their life on the line?
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand?
Belief can, belief can
What puts a folded flag inside his mother's hand?
Belief can, belief can.
Changing their mind from the paint on a sign?
Is there anyone who really recalls
Ever breaking record off
For something someone yelled real loud one time?
Oh, everyone believes
In how they think it ought to be
Oh, everyone believes
And they're not going easily
Belief is a beautiful armor
But makes for the heaviest sword
Like punching underwater
You never can hit who you're trying for
Some need the exhibition
And some have to know they tried
It's the chemical weapon
For the war that's raging on inside
Oh, everyone believes
From emptiness to everything
Oh, everyone believes
And no one's going quietly
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
Is there anyone you can remember
Ever surrender with their life on the line?
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
We're never gonna win the world
We're never gonna stop the war
We're never gonna beat this
If belief is what we're fighting for
What puts a hundred thousand children in the sand?
Belief can, belief can
What puts a folded flag inside his mother's hand?
Belief can, belief can.
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I think your first comment is closer to being accurate. The singer/song writers state "Millions of eyes can see, yet why am i so blind!? When the someone else is me, its unkind its unkind". I believe hes referring to the girl toying with him and using him. He wants something deeper with her, thats why he allows himself to be as a puppet (even though for her fun and games) as long as it makes her happy. But he knows deep down that she doesnt really want to be serious with him and thats what makes him.
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it's about how blind faith (religion) drives people to do terrible things which impact on the innocent, in the name of what is essentially perpetuated myth and nonsense - religion!
I think its less about how blind faith drives people to to terrible things and its more about the effect of a person or a group of people with any type of faith (blind or not) insists that another person or group of people should believe the same exact way. this also answers billthecat's question of what those lines could mean:<br /> believe is a beautiful armor and makes for the heaviest sword kinda implies that when you have a belief no one can rightfully tell you that you are wrong about it... or it makes it harder for people to tell you that youre wrong about it.. when you believe a certain way and get that security from it you at times may be proud of this armor that u see as so beautiful.<br /> like punching under water u never can hit who youre trying for kinda means when you go to try to tell someone theyre wrong about that they think you will in most cases disagree with another person's beliefs... the reason for the most part is that many different beliefs or ideas overlap with many others.<br /> this song implies that ones faith (blind or not blind) is not what is harmful; it is when the person tries to force someone else to believe the same thing. and how any argument rooting from this is pointless... explained in the line:<br /> were never gona beat this if belief is what were fighting for
@dpknowles So very true!
“Belief is a beautiful armor but makes for the heaviest sword. Like punching underwater, you never can hit who you're trying for. Some need the exhibition; some have to know they tried. It’s the chemical weapon for the war that’s raging on inside.”
I believe this verse is the most difficult to understand and the most important one in the song, so I will try to explain it. JM is suggesting that beliefs, especially deeply held beliefs are “beautiful armor”—they protect those who hold them from being penetrated by others. Beliefs give us an inside, an identity. They allow us to be somebody, enclosed and protected in ourselves, this is their power and this is why “everyone believes”. They also give us a place from which we can resolutely defend ourselves when we are attacked. Nonetheless, like armor they can prevent us from really engaging with the beliefs of others, from being wounded by what is legitimate about what others believe. The real problem with beliefs however is when they are used as a sword, a weapon to attack others. The problem is that beliefs are “the heaviest sword” they are unwieldy, inaccurate, and dangerous when you try to use them to violently change others. Beliefs used as a sword are destructive—one can easily be led to kill innocent people, engage in unjust wars, oppress minorities, and torture unbelievers. Beliefs used as a weapon can be self-destructive as well— they "never can hit who you're trying for". When one wages war with one's beliefs, one often undermines everything that one holds dear. One weakens their country financially, morally, and politically. One destroys oneself and everything that one stands for. Why do people use beliefs in this aggressive, reckless way? Why do they believe that it is legitimate to violently force others to accept their beliefs? Why do people wage wars of aggression to try to force others to change their beliefs? Some have a deep need to exhibit what they believe to others; some have to feel like they are improving the world. But the road to hell on earth is paved with these good intentions. Trying to violently force one’s beliefs on others is really a symptom of a deep dissatisfaction and dividedness in oneself, a sign of the “war that’s raging on inside”. Those who at bottom are not really satisfied with who they are and not entirely confident in what they believe actually tend towards fanaticism and irrationalism which blinds them to the dangers of trying to impose their beliefs on others by means of violent force, jihad (in the bad sense of the term), preemptive war, etc. These people externalize their own internal battles in ways that lead to horrific consequences for themselves and innocent bystanders. Beliefs then, according to JM, are both good and bad things and very, very dangerous. They are the fire with which we must play to have an identity and, yet, they can easily destroy our identity and lead to horrific moral and political disasters, such as the war in Iraq, which JM mentions and alludes to several times in the song.
Nailed it.
It's "We're never going to win the world."
Are you the grammar police Parachutes? Anyways, here's how I hear it...
Is there anyone who Ever remembers Changing their mind from the paint on a sign? Is there anyone who Really recalls Ever breaking record off, for something someone yelled real loud one time?
Oh everyone believes In how they think it oughta be Oh everyone believes And they’re not going easy...
Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword Like punching underwater You never can hit who you're trying for Some need the exhibition Some have to know they're trying It’s the chemical weapon for the war that’s raging on inside
Oh everyone believes From emptiness to everything Oh everyone believes And no one’s going quietly...
We’re never gonna win the war, We’re never gonna stop the war We’re never gonna beat this, if belief is what we’re fighting for We’re never gonna win the war We’re never gonna stop the war We’re never gonna beat this, if belief is what we’re fighting for
Is there anyone Who can remember, Ever surrendered With their life on the line?
We’re never gonna win the war, We’re never gonna stop the war We’re never gonna beat this, if belief is what we’re fighting for We’re never gonna win the war We’re never gonna stop the war We’re never gonna beat this, if belief is what we’re fighting for
What dumps one-hundred thousand children in the sand? Belief can...Belief can What puts a folded flag inside his mother’s hand? Belief can...Belief can
this is controversial. controversial but true.
i think its no doubt about the war going on right now, it's about bush and co. changing the minds of americans to support going into iraq. Which more than anything was a money-driven region. It's called hegemony, why make someone do something by forcing them to do it. It is much more nuanced, much more effective to subconsciously change their morals in a way that benefits you. The idea is "the best way to police people, is to make them police themselves." Such as exploiting the event of 9/11.
hence - "What puts a folded flag inside his mother’s hand? - BELIEF CAN"
I definetly think it has undertones of the "war on terror/iraqi freedom campaign/global struggle against oppressors" or whatever they're calling it these days, but I think the main center point of the song is religion and how blind faith in something only leads to persecution and religious war etc..
I don't really get the "Belief is a beautiful armor But makes for the heaviest sword Like punching underwater" lyric and the one about changing your mind from the paint on a sign... so if anyone has any ideas that'd be nice...
The punching underwater part;<br /> He's saying that religion seems to be aiming to make people behave themselves and act morally by having the bible to tell them what to do. But in reality, since the bible is open to interpretation, they do whatever is in their nature anyway. Violent ppl will pretend that religion is saying that its ok to do the things they wanna do. So "you never can hit what your trying for" because in the end ppl are just following their nature still. I've even known a mentally ill girl who thought she had seen demons leave her and what not when she was at church. She was that religious and yet still did not follow the religion when it was hard too. ie. when sex money or drugs were involved.
I think Jbox's answer is barely skimming the surface.<br /> <br /> Belief is a beautiful armor, but makes for the heaviest sword.<br /> Here John is talking about how beautiful belief truly is when you wear it. Belief can make you into a better person, if you let it. But when used incorrectly, belief can be weilded as a weapon, used to hurt others. Obviously there is a big anti-war message in this song, and I believe John is speaking out against our nation's policy makers deciding that it's okay to force our way of life, our beliefs, on other people - and not only force it on them, but kill innocent people in the name of it.<br /> <br /> Like punching underwater, you never can hit who you're trying for.<br /> In general, when there is violence in the name of belief (and God is not always involved in these beliefs) many innocents are lost. Take current affairs right now. We have invaded Iraq and Afghanistan, we are bombing Libya, Pakistan, and Yemen, and we are meddling in Syria. We attempted to assassinate Gaddafi, but instead killed part of his family. We have drones bombing in Pakistan that kills innocent people every day. If not for all this buzz about Bin Laden (which really just depends on if you trust the government/media anymore) people who be questioning whether or not our military can hit ANYONE they're aiming for. John sums up this doubt in only a few elegant words.<br /> <br /> When it comes to Mayer's songs, there's a lot under the surface. I don't really listen to any of "today's hit music" because in my opinion, it's all crap. Singing about days of the week or doing blow or having sex with all sorts of people. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll take John's common sense/political views with a nice helping of sweet, sweet crooning over Britney Spears any day.
the paint on a sign lyrics: Is there anyone who Ever remembers Changing their mind from The paint on a sign Is there anyone who Really recalls Ever breaking rank at all For something someone yelled real loud one time
and he's just saying "does going out to rallies and protests yelling and screaming and waving signs with slogans or whatever actually change people's minds about things?"
the "belief is a beautiful armor but makes for the heaviest sword" is john mayer saying that it's good to defend your beliefs (armor is for defense) but you can't attack others with your beliefs (swords for attacks) i.e. saying all muslims or christians or jews or gays or blacks or whites or whatever other group out there should die because your belief or holy book or diety says you should
the cool thing about these lyrics are that they can mean different things to different people. obviously if you have faith in something, be it God or communism or both, you will take the words to mean that belief is good but that we shouldn't use it as a reason to attack others.<br /> <br /> if you claim not to believe in anything, you will most likely share the view of those who consider belief systems to be at the root of all the problems in the world, including terrorism, poverty and genocide.<br /> <br /> i would just like to highlight a few things that I've noticed by looking at the actual words and language.<br /> <br /> <br /> first of all, did you notice all the question marks (lines starting with "is there anyone who...")? this indicates his own uncertainty about the power of beliefs and the effect they have on people. he is questioning, not suggesting. <br /> <br /> secondly, the metaphors he uses, like "the paint on a sign" and "belief is a beautiful armor" makes the concept of beliefs universal, i.e. he's not referring to any one group of believers, either political activists or muslims.<br /> <br /> there are two aspects of the meaning that i think people here have got wrong. when he says "(belief) makes for the heaviest sword" he cleverly refers to Paul's description of the christian weaponry in Ephesians. according to Paul however, belief (or faith) serves as a shield to protect us, not a sword to defend ourselves with.<br /> <br /> he goes on to liken it to "punching under water" which does not imply that belief is a dangerous weapon but rather that it is completely ineffective as a weapon when used to, eg. justify wars. <br /> <br /> lastly, when he says "is there anyone who really recalls ever breaking rank at all..." i think this could also mean: when was the last time we believed so strongly in something that we were willing to take risks to effect change? for example struggle heroes during apartheid who risked their lives because they believed in democracy.
At first I thought this was about how so many people don't really know where there views and opinions come from on topics like politics and the war- if it was just "the paint on a sign". But, now I think it may be more about what thatguy5 said...what difference does it make to rally and scream your beliefs, who really changes their mind from seeing or hearing something like that? And if people do change their minds from that, blind faith is what can cause such pointless messes without real foundation for them. I'm just not sure which point of view works better with this song
I think this song transcends being a "liberal-minded" song. It's a song both sides need to hear. John is saying to everyone--left, right, and in between--that that their side's beliefs aren't going to change a thing. Protesting against or for the "war" (which I think goes beyond the current hostilities) will do nothing. It will just show that you "need the exhibition" or that you have to know you are doing something...yet "It’s the chemical weapon for the war that’s raging on inside."
John is saying that beliefs cannot be what a political group, a nation, or even you or me takes to the plate with us. If we do that, then the consequences are bloody and tragic. What happens if we believe that no one will attack us on our own soil, and are indifferent? Children will turn into sand. What happens if we continue to take our beliefs to other nations? Thousands of sodiers die. There is no good way to make peace with beliefs. John is trying to communicate that beliefs have not worked for us...we need something else...
A great song by a thoughtful, masterful lyricist.