Trojans

This song isn't just about the breaking off of a love, it's about the unentangling of two lives intertwined. This guy created many memories with his love and now he's trying to get away from them so he can move on, hence the "painting of the walls". However as hard as he tries the there are still little things that he sees in his everyday life that remind him of her. Even though he's now guarding the gates to his heart these little things sneak inside unnoticed like a Trojan horse and then hurt him when the memories come flooding back.

The Trojans metaphor isn't referring to a condom or the Trojan horse from greet mythology.

Going by the rest of the song it seems to be referring to a trojan virus. All the thoughts/memories are looked at as files on a computer. A trojan virus is usually attached to file you download and once in your computer spreads and corrupts the whole system.You can delete the original file it came with, but once the trojan is there it's near impossible to get rid of without rebooting your entire system.

Using that metaphor the song seems to be about trying to get over a past break up. You can try to change as much about your life to try and forget about a big relationship but a part of it will always be remembered. You can try changing the locks, or throwing out old photos but the relationship (virus) will always be there.

Okay everyone, I would like to point out that the Trojan Horse didn't have any Trojans in it. Sorry, but your memories of the Iliad are obviously failing you. The Trojan Horse had Achaeans (Greeks) in it. The Trojans were in Troy, and were the intended targets and recipients of the Trojan Horse and the Achaeans within. Unless Atlas Genius has also forgotten their Greek mythology, the "Trojan" reference means something else. And honestly? Trojan condoms? That just seems a little silly. Why would he have condoms in his head? If he were thinking about condoms, he would have said, "These (Trojans/condoms) on my mind". You guys can read a little deeper than that.

I think the general meaning of this song is that he met a girl, and fell in "love" with her. She seamed so perfec, just like the trojan horse did and then once she got inside and he really liked her she broke him and hurt him. Even though he thought it was the one he has to start over again, reluctently. He changes all his thoughts and makes it harder for him to be hurt, convinces himself what she did was wrong, but he still always feels the love for her that he had. He changes the locks, but he can't change how he felt.

This is about the internal destruction acquired from losing a women he once loved. And no matter what he does, he can't get her out of his mind. She is embedded in him like a Trojan horse and it's tearing him apart.

The first time I saw this website I thought it was going to be awesome. Then I started reading all the stupid crap that people wrote on here. Everyones stupid interpretation of what they think the song means. I never cared to read your speculation on what you think a song means. Without further ado in the words of the writer of this song:

"In a brief interlude, vocalist Keith Jeffery explained that their first recorded track “Trojans” is about the feeling you get after a great day that ends in a fight with your girlfriend."

The trojan reference is most certainly mainly focusing on the trojan horse, as you mentioned.

Here is my take, without lyrics, so, refer to them as you read this.

The singer was in love with a woman. This love was amazing, perhaps the best of his life. The girl left him, but the love did not. And now he is nostalgic, but he is trying to use this nostalgia to motivate him.

There is constant reference to not changing the past. To how our past has shaped us. The experiences are there, they cannot be changed, and here we are: in this moment. The love he felt for this girl is still resonating inside of him, but he does not want to this to bring him down.

The theme of capturing beauty, expressing it, instead of letting the lump in one's throat slide down, away, gone for eternity, is huge here. The singer is trying to say how badly he wants himself, and the listener, to express beauty as it comes. To create. Creation derives from feeling.

The love from this girl is lodged inside of his soul. As if it was a trojan horse invading a town, the love from this girl has invaded his heart. He still feels it, but that experience is over. Here is the contrast: Heartbreak and beauty. By creating art, by expressing feelings, by turning negativity from the past (which is balanced by positivity from the past) itno positivity moving forward, the singer feels he may be able to become whole again despite the hole in his heart.

Wow. I have never sat down and analyzed the song so much. And, just for kicks perhaps, here is a line by line analysis:

Take it off, Take it in, Take off all the thoughts of what we've been.

--> Balance. Feelings come and go. Let go of the past and focus on the moment

Take a look, Hesitate, Take a picture you could never recreate.

--> Reflect, feel nervous (natural feeling), and embrace beauty.

Write a song, make a note for the lump that sits inside your throat.

--> Instead of letting the negative side of feelings get to you and lead you to isolation, depression, and suppression -- express them. Turn sadness into motivation, turn regret into desire, etc., embrace those feelings and create, re create yourself - learn how to love, live, and laugh despite the past.

Change the locks, change the scene, Change it all but can't change what we've been.

--> Focus on changing the present without realizing the past will never change.

Your trojan's in my head. It's ok if it's gone.

--> The love from his lost soul mate is still there. It's gone now, but it once was, and that is enough.

--> The thoughts that you had that it was the one.

Again, here he states he thought she was the one.

And oh what is left? For all those times is that what you get?

--> And while they thought they were soul mates, she is now gone. And he's left alone. This is the anger, the sadness and heartbreak, the regret and desire to change the past is expressed.

Oh regardless the walls get painted anyway.

--> Despite all of this, the "walls get painted". The town the trojan horse invaded (his heart being invaded by her love) will have the town re built. He can rebuild himself, move forward, despite heartbreak.

Oh you're guarding the gates, but it all got away.

--> He was trying to hold onto their love, but it got away.

Your trojan's in my head. Take it off. Take it in.

--> The love is still infecting him. It comes and goes, but it is still there. There is a balance that can be achieved here, though.

Take off all the thoughts of what we've been.

--> The past thoughts and feelings can be let go of in lieu of focusing on the here, now, and the future.

Take a look, Hesitate, Take a picture you could never recreate.

--> The idea of embracing the moment is repeated. Also, the listener is encouraged to recognize beauty. For example, while the singer was still WITH his love, while the love AND the girl was there, those moments deserved photographing and documenting. There will be more moments for him like this in the future and he is realizing how important it is to embrace these moments. Also, this is same for the listener, but ALSO, the listener is urged to cherish love with a woman when she is still there, because these moments are possibly fleeting. You never know when someone will die, when someone will leave your life, when the love of your life and you will breakup or lose that love. So, realize the wondrous beauty of these moments as they come because moments are what define our reality.

Write a song, make a note for the lump that sits inside your throat

--> Never, ever let a beautiful moment go by, because while moments define our reality, beautiful moments define our past.

Change the locks, change the scene. Change it all but can't change what we've been

--> Work to change your present, the here and now, because the past is done and it cannot be changed.

So, you see, SEX is SO SO SO secondary in this song.

First, to clear it up, I think “Trojan” is referring to the virus where it can change and rearrange documents.

I see this being about a boy meeting a perfect girl (or boy...) and they create a special relationship, but she doesn't look at him that way ("Take it off Take it in Take off all the thoughts of what we've been Take a look Hesitate") so he tries to get over her, ("Take a picture you could never recreate Write a song make a note for the lump that sits inside your throat Change the locks, change the scene Change it all but can't change what we've been") but can't stop thinking about her. No matter what he tries to do something is changing his thoughts making her even more desirable. (“Your trojan’s in my head”) He tells her that it’s alright that she doesn’t think that they are right for each other, (“It's ok if it's gone The thoughts that you had that it was the one”) but he defends with “if we aren’t anything what are we?” (“And oh what is left? For all those times is that what you get?”) He doesn’t care, he thinks they can change. (“Oh regardless The walls get painted anyway”) He realizes that there is someone else in this love triangle, but he says that he loves her more than the other guy ever will. (“Oh you’re guarding The gates, but it all got away”) Screw it, I want you, let’s be together.

I have seen many people argue its about the trojan horse and others about a trojan virus. Remember that trojan virus was named from the trojan horse, its the same idea. After watching the music video its clear to me that he is talking about a woman whose memory is invading all of his memories, she keeps showing up even with his memories of his childhood (like when he looks through the fishbowl and sees her face).

You're all on the wrong track. This is about a dude reproaching his friend for having sex with his girlfriend in HIS bed! He comes home, lies down on the pillow, and yucch! a used Trojan sticking to his hair (not "head"). Change the locks? What good, if his lady is going to let him in anyway? The rest is all a lament about friendship abused and the like. Or maybe it's just another example of the infectious disease that spreads from one songwriter to another: lyricus stupidus, commonly known as Yankovic's syndrome.