White Flag Warrior (feat. Tim McIlrath)

I personally believe that the meaning of this song is an opinion. Not just an insurgent message, but an opinion or view.

They themselves would fight for peace, and how would they do that? By doing nothing at all, other than speaking within rights and getting a message across. They'd see their own descendants do the same, and die for their own purposes and causes, as opposed to waging war to try and be the one who is 'correct'.

In truth, what they are trying to say is really just that 'War will not get you anywhere, because in the end, you've lost more than you can account for, and by doing so, you've nulled the whole purpose. You went to eradicate, but you were near the exterminate. You lost, and so did they, and this is how it will always be." And so instead, they prefer to use passive aggressive actions, such as protests and songs about their opinions and views, to try and push hard enough to collapse the Government and make it listen to their pleas and ideas.

In the end, peace was definitely the way to go, and without it, we're losing a war that we waged against ourselves.

In hindsight, they are not cowards, but rather, the strongest force in the world. When you don't have to kill to make a point, you're stronger and more fierce than any man ever will be... a man who kills for the sake of killing is more a coward than a man who dies for the sake of ending the mindless slaughter.

I think that...that this song isn't about being a coward. It's about believing that war just isn't the answer. It just isn't. You say you'd allow your child to go to war and fight off a horrible evil, but in all honesty, your little warrior is just as evil in the eyes of their opponents. There is no good side/bad side in war--only misguided people looking to make a name for themselves, 'defend their country' or simply looking to kill legally. There's always two options when trying to settle a debate--peacefully and not so peacefully. We can always sit and discuss worldly issues, that option's always there. But, sadly, because we're human, our instincts are set for the survival of 'our own'. We teach our children to protect 'our own', no matter the costs. Bigotry can be compared to war. No--bigotry /is/ war; it's what starts wars, it's why we're such a disgusting species. If we could just be man (and woman) enough to accept differences, we'd end rasicm, enslavement, communism, hatred...the list goes on. But we're cowards. So, as an alternative, we fight. We could have peace, but I guess we just aren't ready yet. We like fighting too much.

Peace isn't a childish, immature notion. It's the greater decision that humans are too cowardly to embrace.

this is such a good song. It's exactly how I feel. I'm not a hundred percent sure, but I think it has to do with how peace is an idea that can never be forgotten and it is achievable. We would rather die for peace than murder to spread our ideals. Also, it is love for our people that is resisting war, it isn't treason.

This song is about opposition to war. Speaking out against war and violence shouldn't be considered treason against your country, but love for the value of life. The opening verse that is repeated throughout is someone trying to talk to the government to stop the war. The "rather make our children martyrs than murderers" is trying to say that dying for a purpose is always better than killing innocent people. And the "white flag warrior" lyric promotes the thought that people should always turn to peaceful resolution to a problem rather than killing each other.

Here's the actual lyrics to "White Flag Warrior" (straight from the Flobots website):

We request to negotiate We come to you unarmed We desire to communicate You cannot do us harm

They want sacrifice They hatch schemes and ask me to follow their path to the afterlife

I’ve got an appetite For nice things and pipe dreams that my enemies could be blasted by

New metaphors Views that are better for you can’t survive if I’m your competitor

Rise together or fight separate wars I pray I’m never forced to be a predator

Spectres spectate We wont last They glad to hate When gladiators Breathe their last Scream en masse When the dreams do clash Like the swords in the wars Let me bleed on that But they feed on that Say we need strong backs Call us weak If we don’t redeem contracts But this feast wont last When the beast attacks The sons and the fathers Will be free at last

This is love, it's not treason This is love, it's not treason This is love, it's not treason This is love, it's not treason

They see sharks in the estuary They claim the arc’s Bartholomew’s They say war is necessary But we say war is child abuse

We’d rather make our children (We request to negotiate) Martyrs than murderers (We come to you unarmed) We’d rather make our children (We desire to communicate) White Flag Warriors

Core-to-core Were the ones We’ve been waiting for We hold steady Steadier than stevedores Not tevias or matadors On matters of what came before Forgive the debts To settle scores Test the mettle Either ore Whats your plan got to do with me If the bell tolls let freedom ring And find the new ways if we must be King Instead of leading the young to our suffering

We pass testaments down scream back at heaven For testing us like Wednesdays at eleven Wanna recruit and train us to act evilly? Save it for the shooting range and smack DVDs Won’t study war no more this millennium It’s never again for me or anyone So think harder when you refer to us Rather make our children martyrs than murderers

This is love, this is not treason This is love, this is not treason This is love, this is not treason This is love, this is not treason

They shell dwellings to quell the shellings They lift taboos to seduce the cowards They say we’re too yellow-bellied But we say we’re the new superpower

We’d rather make our children (We request to negotiate) Martyrs than murderers (We come to you unarmed) We’d rather make our children (We desire to communicate) White Flag Warriors (You cannot do us harm)

We seek waivers to not be liable We claim to speak for a higher truth We stand opposed to the homicidal We tell you you’re fireproof

We’d rather make our children (We request to negotiate) Martyrs than murderers (We come to you unarmed) We’d rather make our children (We desire to communicate) White Flag... Warriors

We'd rather make our children... We'd rather make our children... (Warriors)

Do what you want to our courage (?) Ask of us what you will Demand from us a sacrfice But do not make us kill

the message is i'd rather make my kids die for a reason rather than die for peace than fuel war which is pretty much useless, and to all the people calling it cowardice, they already knew you would call them cowards and they put in their songs, "They say we're too yellow bellied, But we say we're the new superpower". And who is the USA to decide what the "evil of the world" is? we're bad enough, we don't have to play global policeman.

It's simple. It's about peace. "They say war is necessary. But we say war is child abuse." That means we are harming the world that the next generation will live in with war. Personally, I think a white flag warrior is someone who stands strongly against violence and war, and spreads peace. They go onto the battlefield with a white flag and no weapons. They make it stop.

I think it actually says "This is love, this is not treason" whenever they say those lines.

i think it means that we need to show our emotions and stop automatticaly turn to violence its a really deep song

People should not be afraid of their government, their government should be afraid of their people.