Raise high monolithic statues so fragile as they fall
I am ever enthralled
Gaze, lie and smirk in time, your arrogance will suit you well
'Til fashion is dispelled

As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
You're going out, going out forever unknown
These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
(These waves of plastic fame are drying up and I smile)
You're going out, going out forever unknown
(Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unkown)

From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn

Without habitation, you'll never find a soul inside
No life, but nothing's died
No lights, but quite the show (Just as long as no one ever knows
All motion is pantomime)

As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
You're going out, going out forever unknown
These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
(These waves of plastic fame are drying up and I smile)
You're going out, going out forever unknown
(Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unkown)

From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn

Dancing in the rain of descending ash
Dancing on your grave, I'll see you all falling
Dancing in the rain of descending ash
Dancing in your dust, I'll see you all falling
I'd stop it, had you a heart
I'd stop it, had you a heart

From above a rain of ashes descends
Anathema I will remain, forever will remain
From below, in my seclusion
Look up to the sky to see paper wings and watch them burn



Lyrics submitted by afirewithin

Track duration: 03:57


Paper Airplanes (Makeshift Wings) song meanings
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50 Comments

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  • 0
    My Opinion:I'm not trying to be offensive here but I think it's a bit silly to assume this song cannot be about 9-11 based solely on the fact that the Americans in here (or assumed Americans, based on posts) think that Davey Havok (someone you don't even know on a personal level) could never speak ill of those events...Really? There are loads of people all over the world who feel differently (not necessarily against the States, but at least not seeing them as victims necessarily).

    With all that being said, I doubt this song is about that tragedy since I believe it was likely written well before then...which brings me to my question about the above comment: do you know exactly when it was written? It's just that many bands have loads of great songs just banked for years before releasing them.

    IMO, Sold Your Soul hit the hammer on the head with this song's meaning...this is about Conformity and "Posing" so to speak.

    In closing, I'd like to just address all the "AFI aren't politically inclined enough to do such and such" comments...WOW, you guys and girls need to open your eyes a bit wider...that subject holds the majority of what they write about.
    Flag carriestupidheadon October 01, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I actually think it's about Limp Bizkit, or Fred Durst in particular. Hear me out...

    "Raise high monolithic statues so fragile as they fall
    I am ever enthralled
    Gaze, lie and smirk in time, your arrogance will suit you well"

    "As waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
    You're going out, going out forever unknown
    These waves of plastic fame go out of fashion
    (These waves of plastic fame are drying up and I smile)
    You're going out, going out forever unknown
    (Because you're dying to become forever unknown, unknown)"

    Limp Bizkit were once the biggest band in the world. Of course, they let fame get to them (at least Fred did), and once nu-metal started to die out and people were beginning to tire of Durst, it dragged them even further down the gutter. Also take into account that this song was written around the same time as LB's popularity began to decline, and Dursts antics during that period were unintentionally hilarious ("no lights, but quite the show"). It seems like Davey is celebrating their downfall, if the lyrics here are any indication.
    Flag notaminorthreaton August 23, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Oh, I just love how AFI now is the exact same thing this song puts down.
    Flag x_storyat_3on September 28, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:AFI is philosophy in its deepest form. fashion is analogy used for ego, you need to kill your ego to achieve something greater. in other words you need to go out of fashion. u need to die in this egotistic form (turn into ashes) in order to be reborn in your true form which is pure. and every person experiences a shadow of this final death everyday. life is cycle of losing and gaining ego.
    the more i listen to AFI the more i see how spiritual they are and i don't think it's accidental.
    Flag grape-to-wineon August 01, 2008   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:This song is about conformity and fads.

    No one got the Icarus reference? Fly too close to the sun and you'll burn. Hence the rain of ashes. So and so became too conceited, and is now dead. "Dancing in the rain of descending ash, dancing on your grave" is kinda a What goes around, comes around thing. This song is amazing. Lyrically / musically. I'd stop it, had you a heart.
    Flag SoldYourSoulon June 14, 2007   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i dont get how you guys would think this was about 9-11 even if it makes sense i dont think davey is that politicaly envolved but i think this song is about religion. if you didnt no this alreadu your supposed to listen to the whole cd backword and it tells a story about davey so to speak an autobiograohy.sing the sorrow is about how davey has to leave his home b/c he is"sick" and cant stay there anymore(maybe he is refearing for his illness and how he left his home) and eventually in the cd davey kills himself in either a metaphric way or literal way (this happens on girls not grey) so this song is how davey loses his faith in god and how when he relied on god to be there for him god wasnt which makes sense b/c davey got cancer and maybe when davey was in the hospital davey was reliying on god to help him he wasnt there for him. maybe i over look this song and look to deep in this song but this is wat i get out of this song and i hope you can see wat i see in this song
    Flag emogirl28on October 02, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think this song is about materialistic models or celebrities.
    Flag beefwellingtonon September 05, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I read how people are posting the theory about 9-11 and quoting him on "Dancing in the rain of descending ash,
    Dancing on your grave, I'll see you all falling.
    Dancing in the rain of descending ash,
    Dancing in your dust, I'll see you all falling." and you're saying if the 9-11 theory is true then Davey is mocking everyone who has died in the attacks by dancing on their graves. Why are you all acting like the dance is mocking them? Maybe its a commemerative dance to remember everyone who died, like a tribute to their lives.
    Flag FuneralGothon September 03, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:"Nooone Hugs a Rose - your insight is good, but unfortunately, Davey would have to be quite the sick fool to make his song about 9/11.
    if this song is about 9/11, Davey must be on Osama's side.

    "Dancing in the rain of descending ash
    Dancing on your grave, I'll see you all falling
    Dancing in the rain of descending ash
    Dancing in your dust, I'll see you all falling"

    Why would Davey dance on the of people who have fallen from the Towers?
    Im assuming Dancing means he is excited or carefree. Not actually doing a dance.

    Seems kinda wierd to me.

    But maybe Im not interpreting the bridge rite."







    He doesnt mean "Dance" like with music and all that..
    Dancing is another expression of fighting or running..
    he probably meant fighting for your life and staying alive.
    Flag Draithicaon September 01, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Like some i believe the album is not in the correct order; I believe it really begins with This Time Imperfect and ends with Miseria Cantare.

    This time imperfect – He suffers from a depression that is destroying him inside and tries to commit suicide but fails hence this time imperfect
    But Home is nowhere – People do not understand him which leads him to feeling that he is alone in the world.
    The leaving song part 1 – He focuses on the negative so he does not notice the good in his life
    This Celluloid dream – He falls in love, she changes him for the better
    Paper Airplanes – People may laugh at his failures but they too will someday crash and burn
    The Great disappointment – the love they shared was never the true perfect love that he thought it was. He’d hoped for it’s existence, but he was only hurting himself by wasting all his time on something that isn’t real.
    Death of seasons – realizes that nothing was as he thought, he is growing tired of living
    Girls not grey – He commits suicide
    Dancing through Sunday – misery and joy go hand in hand. He realizes this now as life’s questions are answered to him in limbo as he awaits his fate
    Silver and Cold – he apologizes to her, wants to comfort her, protect her from misery
    Bleed Black – He is in purgatory, he rethinks his life, knows he won’t reincarnate
    The Leaving Song part 2 – He rethinks life and the hate which lead him to his fate. God comes to him, he tells god that there nothing worthy of redeeming, Satan comes, takes him to hell,
    Miseria Cantare – he’s in hell and the souls in hell are chanting to him

    Well there's my brief interpretation of this album. If you want to know my whole explanation which is basically a line by line breakdown of the songs e-mail me at the_great_disappointment_27@yahoo.ca because my entire interpreation would never fit in this space.
    Flag love_like_winteron August 26, 2006   Link

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