I'd arrest you if I had handcuffs
I'd arrest you if I had the time
I'd throw you down in the back seat
As if you'd committed a terrible crime

I'd break in a town's worth of houses
And rob whole families blind
I'd do it to you like you do it to me
If you knew you would get away fine

I'd drown all these crying babies
If I knew that their mothers wouldn't cry
I'd hold them down and I'd squeeze real soft
To let a piece of myself die

It's hard to be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man

I'd arrest you if I had handcuffs
I'd arrest you if I had time
I'd wait for you outside the courtroom
Taunting when all your appeals were declined

I'd drive my car off of a bridge
If I knew that you weren't inside
With a pedal to the floor who could ask for more
A fantastic way to kill some time

And you could lay on your back and be beaten
You could put up your fists and fight
You could try and be way up
Way up, way up, way up
Way up, way up, way up

It's hard be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man
When you're still lying

It's hard to be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man
When you're still lying, you're still lying


Lyrics submitted by prayingmantis84, edited by toadling17, contraddiction

Handcuffs Lyrics as written by Vincent Accardi

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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Handcuffs song meanings
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    General Comment

    I think this song is about accusal, and accusing people of things before knowing the whole story. And the lines about "it's hard to be the better man" is like saying you have to keep your cool and prove your innocence, rather than lash out in a way that will only perpetuate people's judgments and assumptions that you are guilty of a crime. It's like the song is saying, "I know you committed this crime because I would commit this crime if I knew I wouldn't get caught, and you didn't think you'd get caught, which is why you did it." If this makes sense.

    suchaxsuckeron April 24, 2013   Link

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