Woke before the morning sun
I found it tucked beneath the hills
I sat and watched it rise
It hit the sky and burst to flames
The lotus flower's
Got me thinking 'bout the way that we live
I got this feeling
It's gonna stop

Driven by religion
Running backwards down a one way road
A course collision, split decision
Tryin' to save your soul
Manifest Destiny
Is just a fancy word for murder
I got this feeling
It's gonna stop

A billion faces running 'round my head
All got opinions but they don't mean shit
Keep droppin' bombs until the whole world's dead
They said it's all been done and it's all been said
They'll turn this message into a pop movement
A fascist statement, call it politics
You can mark my words they'll put a spin on it
They'll say it's all been done

Look outside the box my friend
Your heart's been dead since who knows when
It seems we've missed the mark
Lost all hope and given in
Pack up the suitcase
Take that handkerchief then wipe off your chin
The fear that drives you
Needs to be stopped

A billion faces running 'round my head
All got opinions but they don't mean shit
Keep droppin' bombs until the whole world's dead
They said it's all been done and it's all been said
They'll turn our message into a pop movement
A fascist statement, call it politics
You can mark my words they'll put a spin on it
They'll say it's all been done

Fell into a daze
And found my mind was gone and laid to waste
A battleground indeed
Where holy wars have taken place
I saw the sun set, watched it travel down
And tear you through the ground
The hate the drives us
Needs to be stopped


Lyrics submitted by ThatHillKid

Lotus Lyrics as written by Daniel Tichenor Brad Shultz

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

Lotus song meanings
Add Your Thoughts

17 Comments

sort form View by:
  • +6
    General Comment

    "Driven by religion, running backwards down a one-way road I've caused collisions, big decisions trying to save your soul. Manifest destiny is just a fancy word for murder. I got this feeling, its gonna stop..."

    This is referring to the way religion has caused us only to regress further. "Running backwards down a one-way road" where progress is forward, and regressing would be backwards down said road.! Religion has caused collisions (War), big decisions (could be referring to politics, and the way religion snakes it's way into the lives of everyone, via laws on abortion, gay marriage, etc.) Manifest Destiny, if you don't know what that is, look it up.

    "Turn this message into a pop movement. A fashion statement, call it politics. " Here he's referring to how whenever someone brings up a valid point, it's shrugged off as some movement or statement, but it's never really considered. Call it politics (where nothing progressive ever gets done). "You can mark my words they'll put a spin on it because its all been done." Attempt to bring about some kind of progress and they'll put a spin on it.. even if you're a law-abiding citizen with something legitimate to say, those in charge don't want their perfect hierarchy to change for anybody. They'll make you look like a radical, change what you're saying and then nobody will support you. They'll spin what you said into something else. Look at Karl Marx.. he had legitimate ideas on how to better run a country, and when people started applying his ideas in real life there was unprecedented tension between countries, and wars resulting from an IDEA!

    How do I know this is true????? Cause it's allllll beeeeen doneeeeeeeee. :)

    RaShockon May 31, 2010   Link
  • +5
    Song Meaning

    "Manifest destiny is just a fancy word for murder." best line in the song. It summarizes the whole meaning of the song.

    for some of u that dont know what manifest destiny means, its the idea that was an imperialistic expansion is necessary or benevolent. Its a self righteous way of thinking. Its was the driving force behind the rapid expansion of America into the West from the East. causing our us to steal land from native americans and believeing it was the right thing to do. I believe cag are saying that the war in iraq is the same thing. "oh iraq is better with us being there."

    mofarooqi1on July 13, 2009   Link
  • +3
    General Comment

    pretty much speaks for itself; about the disillusionment and ignorance of america and such. agreed though, this is such a good song/band, really refreshing.

    nightmarryyouon June 07, 2009   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    As I see it, this song is referring to the way of our culture (yes at its core our now global civilization has one dominant root culture) as it has been since it began in the Middle East ten thousand years ago. It has grown to consume the world through its inherent views of manifest destiny. War exists because our culture says to us that we are always right, and that there is a right way for people to live, through religion historically, but through politics more recently. All of this thinking that we are right leads us to war, to destroying ourselves by all trying to live the same way.

    Its gonna stop refers to the new revolution going on, people rejecting the root views of our culture, its gotta stop explains itself at this point.

    Join the revolution. And remember, Its gonna stop, either in catastrophe, or with a revolution in the thousands of different ways we can live successfully if we stopped trying to make everyone live successfully, and give up our claims of global ownership.

    manhunter098on May 13, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Opinion

    I'm just throwing it out there, but does anyone think that Lotus Flower may be referring to the Lotus-Eaters in Greek mythology, where the Lotus flowers were narcotic and addictive, causing the people to sleep in peaceful apathy (possibly referencing to pot) that made him think about the way we live? (and explains the trippy description of the sun coming up) I know it's kind of demeaning in a way, but I'm just throwing it out there...

    ApathyVsFlowon July 30, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Can't believe there aren't any comments. This song is amazing.

    aeharton May 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    wowowow. Good music of today with good lyrics of substance. That's uncommon.

    BashTheFashon June 02, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    For those who don't know, and I may be reading into this too much, the Lotus is the flower associated with the symbol of Pisces, the era of which we are currently in which is "ruled" by the teacher or "God" known as Jesus Christ. The "Lotus" could be a metaphor for Jesus which would explain the religious theme of this song.

    "The lotus flowers got me thinkin 'bout the way that we live. I got this feeling, it's gonna stop."

    --Christianity (religion) within America and the way that it affects most of its population as well as its direct influence in how we run politics, our country and/or what is deemed morally "right" or "wrong".

    Could be a coincidence, though.

    Nodon October 10, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    Sighs

    It's sad, really. I love the song, the way it sounds, but I hate the purpose of the lyrics. It's like a few Flobots songs that I like. They sound nice, but political view of the band is preventing me from fully appreciating the song.

    GreedyTrooperon January 14, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    'Cage the Elephant' and 'Flobots' are very similar bands, in my opinion.

    They both portray political thoughts and views in their songs, but they hide them behind cleverly placed words and beats, making it fun to listen to, partially informative, and they really make you think when you get into the lyrics.

    If you don't listen to Flobots, you should really check them out, they're amazing.

    Epsonalityon February 04, 2010   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
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines: "Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet" So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other: "I had all and then most of you" Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart "Some and now none of you" Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship. This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Album art
I Can't Go To Sleep
Wu-Tang Clan
This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
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
Blue
Ed Sheeran
“Blue” is a song about a love that is persisting in the discomfort of the person experiencing the emotion. Ed Sheeran reflects on love lost, and although he wishes his former partner find happiness, he cannot but admit his feelings are still very much there. He expresses the realization that he might never find another on this stringed instrumental by Aaron Dessner.
Album art
Plastic Bag
Ed Sheeran
“Plastic Bag” is a song about searching for an escape from personal problems and hoping to find it in the lively atmosphere of a Saturday night party. Ed Sheeran tells the story of his friend and the myriad of troubles he is going through. Unable to find any solutions, this friend seeks a last resort in a party and the vanity that comes with it. “I overthink and have trouble sleepin’ / All purpose gone and don’t have a reason / And there’s no doctor to stop this bleedin’ / So I left home and jumped in the deep end,” Ed Sheeran sings in verse one. He continues by adding that this person is feeling the weight of having disappointed his father and doesn’t have any friends to rely on in this difficult moment. In the second verse, Ed sings about the role of grief in his friend’s plight and his dwindling faith in prayer. “Saturday night is givin’ me a reason to rely on the strobe lights / The lifeline of a promise in a shot glass, and I’ll take that / If you’re givin’ out love from a plastic bag,” Ed sings on the chorus, as his friend turns to new vices in hopes of feeling better.