When I first found this song, I totally thought this song was talking about someone he knew before. Someone he knew back in highschool, who was really confident and always looking ahead...someone who always talked about the future like he was ready for it..Possibly popular and/or perhaps someone who might of been a little over their head. And after all the years that have passed...since he saw him last.. he "hasn't moved an inch".
But no! xD Apparently the singer confirmed he was talking about Japan going back to the sword, since westerners were bringing guns over. I'm totally paraphrasing btw..but at the time, the Tokugawa Shogunate saw that as a way to take away from what Japan originally was. In the end, they ended up banning guns I believe. The singer said he thought it was fascinating that an entire civilization would reject a technology that is better, and much more advanced, to a technology that is much more primitive, in order to go back to the way they once were. Hence "giving up the gun." It's basically a giant metaphor about people going back to the thing they loved doing most, even if it means giving up something that is better for them.
When I first found this song, I totally thought this song was talking about someone he knew before. Someone he knew back in highschool, who was really confident and always looking ahead...someone who always talked about the future like he was ready for it..Possibly popular and/or perhaps someone who might of been a little over their head. And after all the years that have passed...since he saw him last.. he "hasn't moved an inch".
But no! xD Apparently the singer confirmed he was talking about Japan going back to the sword, since westerners were bringing guns over. I'm totally paraphrasing btw..but at the time, the Tokugawa Shogunate saw that as a way to take away from what Japan originally was. In the end, they ended up banning guns I believe. The singer said he thought it was fascinating that an entire civilization would reject a technology that is better, and much more advanced, to a technology that is much more primitive, in order to go back to the way they once were. Hence "giving up the gun." It's basically a giant metaphor about people going back to the thing they loved doing most, even if it means giving up something that is better for them.