1
Do you know what's worth fightin' for
When it's not worth dyin' for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocatin'?
Does the pain weigh out the pride
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
You and I
When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
You and I
Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone?
When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
You and I
When it's not worth dyin' for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocatin'?
Does the pain weigh out the pride
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
You and I
When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
You and I
Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone?
When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
One, twenty-one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty-one guns
Throw up your arms
Into the sky
You and I
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the way I interpret this song is that war is so terrible, the people who fight in it and have the pride can be messed up for life for taking someones life. "And you look for a place to hide? Did someone break your heart inside?. You're in ruins"
Just have one 21 gun salute to honor those who have died. then lay down the guns and hope you never have to pick them up again. "One, 21 guns. Lay down your arms. Give up the fight"
People are constantly left in ruins from what they were forced to do in war. Just end the war and throw the guns in rejoice that it's all over. "Throw up your arms into the sky, You and I" <--- you and I meaning us and our enemy. Let's just give it all up. :)
I have to agree with nokejibijab regarding this post. As a 3X combat vet of Iraq I must admit this song touches me despite my political views. Theres a sense of realism with the lyrics, an underlying truth untold. The meaning of the song is exactly what this 5-20-09 post defines it as.
I think this song is about the alienation felt by those who try to liberate themselves from the system. George and Gloria have been fighting the system and preaching their message for most of the album. This song also reflects the effects that returning soldiers suffer from the horrors of war, perhaps after George went to war in "peacemaker"?
War is terrible. Killing is terrible. For killing and war split the soul against itself. Your soul begins to fight itself, for when you kill, your soul not only is split, but also is tainted by the killing of another sentient being. Eventally you will change into someone whom if you had not killed you would've never become.