In regards to the meaning of this song:
Before a live performance on the EP Five Stories Falling, Geoff states “It’s about the last time I went to visit my grandmother in Columbus, and I saw that she was dying and it was the last time I was going to see her. It is about realizing how young you are, but how quickly you can go.”
That’s the thing about Geoff and his sublime poetry, you think it’s about one thing, but really it’s about something entirely different. But the lyrics are still universal and omnipresent, ubiquitous, even. So relatable. That’s one thing I love about this band. I also love their live performances, raw energy and Geoff’s beautiful, imperfectly perfect vocals. His voice soothes my aching soul.
I've gone through life white-knuckled in the moments that left me behind
Refusing to heed the yield
I penetrate the force fields in the blind
They say I'll adjust, God knows I must
But I'm not sure how
This natural selection picked me out to be
A dark horse running in a fantasy
(Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time (flesh and bone)
Somewhere outside that finish line
I square up and break through the chains
And I hit like a raging bull
Anointed by the blood, I take the reins
Cut from the cloth of a flag that bears the name of "Battle Born"
They'll call me the contender
They'll listen for the bell
With my face flashing crimson from the fires of hell
(What are you afraid of?)
And what are you made of? (Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time (flesh and bone)
And what are you made of? (Flesh and bone)
Man, I'm turning on a dime (flesh and bone)
(This could decay)
This could decay like the valley below
Defenses are down
The stakes are high (scouting the crowd for a face of compassion)
The fairytale end (to face off the journey that fathers no more)
The staggering blow (you'll find the truth in the roots of desire)
You lead with your chin (thinkin' with your corners, just a compass and the sun)
This could be real (thinkin' with your corners, just a)
Simple
And what are you made of? (Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time (flesh and bone)
What are you made of?
He faces forward, trading in his blindness for the world of love
And time is raging, may it rage in vain
And you always had it, but you never knew
So boots and saddles, get on your feet
There's no surrender, 'cause there's no retreat
The bells are sounding, bring this match to an end
We are the descendants of giant men
Refusing to heed the yield
I penetrate the force fields in the blind
They say I'll adjust, God knows I must
But I'm not sure how
This natural selection picked me out to be
A dark horse running in a fantasy
(Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time (flesh and bone)
Somewhere outside that finish line
I square up and break through the chains
And I hit like a raging bull
Anointed by the blood, I take the reins
Cut from the cloth of a flag that bears the name of "Battle Born"
They'll call me the contender
They'll listen for the bell
With my face flashing crimson from the fires of hell
(What are you afraid of?)
And what are you made of? (Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time (flesh and bone)
And what are you made of? (Flesh and bone)
Man, I'm turning on a dime (flesh and bone)
(This could decay)
This could decay like the valley below
Defenses are down
The stakes are high (scouting the crowd for a face of compassion)
The fairytale end (to face off the journey that fathers no more)
The staggering blow (you'll find the truth in the roots of desire)
You lead with your chin (thinkin' with your corners, just a compass and the sun)
This could be real (thinkin' with your corners, just a)
Simple
And what are you made of? (Flesh and bone)
And I'm running out of time (flesh and bone)
What are you made of?
He faces forward, trading in his blindness for the world of love
And time is raging, may it rage in vain
And you always had it, but you never knew
So boots and saddles, get on your feet
There's no surrender, 'cause there's no retreat
The bells are sounding, bring this match to an end
We are the descendants of giant men
Lyrics submitted by phoebe9261, edited by Loquacity
Flesh And Bone Lyrics as written by Dave Brent Keuning Brandon Flowers
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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I think this is most definitely a battle of beliefs vs. passions. Brandon Flowers being an active mormon has found himself loving Sin City (Las Vegas), is hard to stay out of the trends and pressure (especially in the music industry) and all those things that involved sin:
"They say I'll adjust God knows I must But I'm not sure how This natural selection picked me out to be A dark horse running in a fantasy"
But somewhere in between he finds balance and courage to keep his faith intact, and proudly wears the flag of the place that he loves the most:
Somewhere outside that finish line I square up and break through the chains And I hit like a raging bull Anointed by the blood, I take the reins Cut from the cloth, of a flag that Bears the name of "Battle Born" (Nevada)
so then he emphasizes that even though you could be afraid (future, afterlife ? etc) at the end of the day you are flesh and bone (human), something the mormom often refer to God being like, with the ability to sin and be weak. Just like the "valley" (Vegas is a valley)
At the end he says to keep fighting, keep battling, the is not end to it. Just gotta do it because "we are the descendants of giant men"
Like many other The Killers songs written by Brandon Flowers, this song is much about the mormon religion and las vegas. In these lyrics alone, he mentions God, hell, and flesh and bone. Regarless of the meaning, the lyrics are great and the music even better. Love this song.
not every song he writes has to do with his mormon beliefs
I don't think it's about his beliefs at all. Besides, Brandon loves Las Vegas because he's seen some good in the place. Not everything is about the city of sin. And as fyi, the members of the lds church are very strong in Las Vegas, in fact they are one of the strongest members.
This song, like much of the album, is about overcoming adversity. It starts as a simple synth layer and then quickly sets the fast pace for the album. That's very different than most of their other songs and it shows growth in their musicianship. I think the "what are you made of?" bit is sort of a motivational mantra that means "you're still alive, you can do this". That maybe going from a small beat to a song with so much power shows a sort of phoenix from the ashes type of comeback? It'd definitely be relevant to the band as they were on hiatus...
i agree<br />
I'm so in love with Brandon Flowers, he's sooo handsome and soooo hot!
And his wife is absolutely gorgeous too!
SO WHAT ARE YOU MADE OF??
LETS GO.
This is a continuation to a Dustland Fairytale.
@cdbuurstra Whoa dude you can't just drop that bomb on us. Explain what you mean, I'm totally curious!
I absolutely adore the Killers and Brandon Flowers! <3
Okay. I like the Killers and this song. But the lyrics crack me up: "this natural selection picked me out to be a dark horse running in a fantasy." Like, what?
I'm not sure what the significance of this is, but I noticed several lines in a row that seem to be tie-ins with Day & Age songs.
"Defences are down / The stakes are high" reminds me of "When your chips are down / When your highs are low" from "Joy Ride" (not that similar, but a bit reminiscent), then "The fairytale end" reminds me of the opening line "Dustland fairytale beginning" from "A Dustland Fairytale", and finally "The staggering blow" reminds me of the titular line of "A Crippling Blow".
The "dustland fairytale" one definitely seems like it must have some purpose, although I'm not sure what it is, since this song seems to me to be a significantly different story to "A Dustland Fairytale" (otherwise I might think that this is meant as the sequel or something). The other possible tie-ins aren't all that similar and might be me reading into it too much, but the fact that they're all right there together suggests to me that it was on purpose, although I don't know for what purpose.
I just went to see the Killers in concert, my oh my were awesome! I came back uplifted, and still am happy to have at last got to see them! Brandon Flowers has an aura about him! I felt uplifted by watching him couldn't keep my eyes off him! Thank you the Killers for great concert!