also, the line

"while everyone's lost, the battle is won, with all these things that i've done"

it is saying that even though we are all sinners, we are all saved by Jesus. just my thoughts.

well the line I have soul but i'm not a soldier says it all for me..and all these things I have done ...well thats life, you do things for reasons, maybe you dont know why, maybe you do, who am I to say..you take turns in the road and you do what seems right to you...is it? who knows..only life and time will tell...but hey folks..life is TOO short for regrets..only one shot and you should all do what you feel is right...no maybe I need to think about that also..

A little late, but somehow, I really doubt this is about Christianity and being "saved." Based on some of their other songs, they're not strongly religious, or at least not strongly Christian, if any of that at all. In one of their other songs, it says "Because that bitch keeps trying to make him pray." That shows that they aren't strong Christians, unless they changed religion that drastically between albums. Anyway, it could be about accepting his sins and who he is, and he just needs to look forward and rely on others to help him out... That's just part of it, though.

Previous poster, this is for you:

Brandon is a Mormon and he is pretty religious.

That doesn't mean all his songs have to be about Christianity though. He likes using multiple themes which includes some Christianity.

This is a very nice song. It's like a call for help.
The video is strange, but the shower is l o v e l y.

Lydia

The shower is indeed lovely...hehe. I'm working on my interpretation.

This piece of music took me closer and closer to God. Just wanted to share this with anyone who enjoys mainsteam rock/pop or Indie music, in case there is someone who could get the same inspiration from this as I have.
Its called : ‘All these things that I have done’ and its by The Killers. Lyricist: Brandon Flowers, who was born and raised a mormon, (The church of Jesus Christ of later day Saints) and has stated that this song is very personal to him.

Lyrics Comment
When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son, one more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on When you’re in crisis, with nowhere to turn
Does God still have room for me, amidst my sin, doubt and confusion. ( ‘Son’ : We are all God’s children). Hang in there!
(Melodically the music is very soft – reflecting the introspective theme).
I wanna send up, I wanna let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men
I want a mean it from the back of my broken hand (melodically the tempo accelerando’s: quicker and Crescendo’s: louder - reflecting the battle that is exploding in his soul)
‘send up’ – to God; ‘let go’ : my desperation / my crisis. Inner conflict:- God, ‘you know’ : help. ‘No you don’t’ – If you’re with me – why do I feel like this? You don’t understand. I’m desperate to re-connect spiritually. ‘Shine in hearts of men’ Mthw 5:16;
Corinth 2 : 4:6.
‘back of my broken hand’ ref – the nails crushing Jesus’ hands – I want a connection, passion, faith of that depth!
Another head aches, another heart breaks
I’m so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no
This conflict is crippling me. There is pain all around me. Its wearing me down.
I am inconsistent. I am shallow.
I need you Lord. ‘perfection’ – I am unworthy, failing. I need ‘direction’ – guidance in life. Guidance to holiness.
No, no, I can’t take much more of this conflict
Help me out
Yeah, you know you gotta help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out, yeah
Help me, Lord. I can’t take this turmoil.
‘backburner’ I feel alone / abandoned. May also be metaphorical reference to hell.
I need an answer.
And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be

One of the areas for the conflict: This faith isn’t changing me. I’m resistant to changing. I’m still the flawed man I was.
Yeah, you know you gotta help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out, yeah
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down



This conflict isn’t worth it. Its only bringing me down. I should Give up and Give in.
I got soul, but I'm not a soldier (x10) (Melodically – the song dimenuendo’s : quietens). And in the quiet moments the spirit connects:-
JESUS answers. (All of the Jews were expecting a successor to King David: a great soldier and military leader who would overthrow the Roman Empire and renew their kingdom on Earth. But He came to resurrect the souls of everyone, for all time).
(Melodically – the song slowly quickens and crescendo’s with a rousing choral effect until a huge fortissimo: climax – reflecting the power of the spirit that is engulfing him)
Time, truth and hearts Jesus! ‘time’ : God in the flesh - omnipresent for all time. Jesus died ‘at the right time for us’ (Romans 5:6); ‘truth’ : ‘I am the truth and the way’; ‘hearts’ : ‘replacing our hearts of stone with a heart of flesh.’ He will ‘turn’ the hearts (Lk 1:17:)
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out, yeah
You're gonna bring yourself down, yeah
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You're gonna bring yourself down, yeah
You're gonna bring yourself down


Reprising the conflict. But now, he’s been answered!
Over and in, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done.
All these things that I’ve done:
(Time, truth and hearts)
If you can hold on
If you can hold on
‘over’ The battle is over. ‘Last call for sin’ . I am changed. And I know my sins, my failings, are forgiven, through him that won the battle when everyone was lost. I can let go of my conflict because he has already won the battle. He won the battle for me, and for us all. Whenever we are lost, whenever I am lost, I can find him and be with him in my battle, to its glorious victory – because of all the things he did.

Hold on. Never give in to despair. He can win the battle for you!




I think it is autobiographical, concerning Flowers’ conflict with himself and his crisis of faith. But it is a glorious affirmation of hope in faith and Jesus Christ

May well be 'stand up' rather than 'send up' - he wants to be able to 'stand up' and be counted, or be the 'stand up' guy. At the moment he feels unworthy of this.

Could be 'gold' rather than 'cold' hearted - I was always the 'golden boy' and I can't forsake this for the humility that my faith would demand

I really think this a plea to god from someone who feels like a sinner. I took the "I'm not a soldier" part perhaps too literally, and my interpretation of this song is that it is a soldier questioning what he is doing.

He is trying to let god in, or Jesus (One more son). He wants spiritual help because he was a gold-hearted boy, and these changes, which would be going to war, are not changing who he is inside.

"All these things that I have done" would be the sins every soldier commits in time of war. He wants god to help him out of trouble, and asks God to bring himself down, or leave heaven and enter the singers life to help him.

Some other lines make me think of war as well. Everyone's lost, the battle is won. Also, "over and out" sounds like a general telling his troops that they are done doing whatever, he is making his "last call to sin", and at this time, all the singer can do is think about all these things that he had done.

The man is saying he is a good man with a soul, but he is no soldier, and he wants God to get him out of where he is. Anyway, this works for me, but I suppose any song having to do with religion can work on a trillion different levels.

"When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on"

I thought this was about religion as well but from this paragraph i got the image of suicide. Is there room in heaven for me if this isn't working out. If you can hold on to your life do it.

it's about a poopy baby head diaper face

Awesome song..!!

The line "Ive got soul but Im not a soldier" is referring to a man who has soul like is a deep person, who cares alot and is very sensitive but is not a soldier,not willing to put his love on the line. I think this man has had a rough life. Probably has been hurt in the past. He has alot of love to give but is not willing to make the sacrifice again. "Put me on the back burner" is saying he loves this woman but he just cant give her his heart at this moment so dont forget about me but dont pursue me right now,you have to wait because he is not ready.

This was fairly easy for me to interperet.

So Brendan left his family in a way, and his old beliefs. only to find that he wanted to be accepted back in the family
(the first part basically)

So before, he wanted to stand up and be independent from his family and let go
and he asks if they know what he means
like ,"You know?"
but then he feels like they dont understand him
(no you don't, you don't)
He wants to be remembered for ever with his music
(in the hearts of men, the biblical references are kind of a metaphor for being famous)

as he gets older he is feeling lonely ( head aches heart breaks) and he realizes that he is lonely and self centered
and he needs some help,
so he asks for it.

so now he is asking his family to forgive him and if there is room for one more son.
and now hes not going to change for anyone
as he pleads for his parents forgiveness he says that he still has the same beliefs but he is not going to become a missionary.(hes got soul but he's not a soldier)

while most people would still be trying to find their identity
he has come to realize that he had it all along
(the battle is won)
in result to him leaving and coming back

i think

Is there room for one more sun

I think he means, THE son. I think he's asking for some return of the messiah or something, someone who can redeem him. Someone who can help him become a better person.
I also think the song's narrarater has hurt someone. He may be in the army, but not wanting to be a soldier anymore, and feels guilt for people he has hurt.

those are my thoughts anyway. I'm not christian or anything- the soldier of God thing might me there too- Jesus is sometimes portrayed as an old general. He could be saying that he does not feel that he is righteous enough to live up to the standard that God asks of a human.

i agree with Rizo and stryker311, the lyrics are just so pure and real...i love the video too, directed by anton corbijn. he has amazing vision...

I think that also can be about a father, i mean, not god but a dad.

Well, it can be possible because, two father and God are authority figures, so

When there's nowhere else to run (because im tired of not getting nothing (help) from my father

Is there room for one more son (the next son for this father that Can Be a perfect son, not like me)

If you can hold on, hold on (when you, father, get a "new perfect son", dont commit the same mistakes that you did to me, before)

I wanna stand up, I wanna let go
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men
I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand
(the all above means that I wanto to let go because i dont want to see you forever, so I dont need you, and you may dont "know" beacusa for you, Im not really important)

Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well it comes and goes
I need direction to perfection, no no no no
(all above means that because I am letting go, I will get another kind of aches far away, my affection always will be changing, but so I want get well, be perfect)

Help me out
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
You know you got to help me out, yeah
(all the above,.. please helpme though, please dont bother me arguin me again plz, dont make me suffer again!)

These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be (well xplained)

You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
(you will be sad and alone, after I let go, cuz you love me, but yeah, you dont help me)

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier (maybe I made and make some mistakes, but im not perfect! wanna to be the good boy, knowing that in the deep, i am a saint)

Time, truth and hearts (this is so cool, cuz mean, in all this time, the truth is being revelated, about the real dad-son relation that always we ever had, and hearts because when i let go, the two, you, father, and me, ur son, will have the heart break, but for different reasons, of course)

Over and out, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
(Time, truth and hearts)
If you can hold on
If you can hold on
(above: little mmm "wild" cuz, say about a kind of "revenge" letting go without see behind me, forgetting who are u, father, and course, this stuff can be a kind of "sin"; and when you, father, and the others cause maybe you put all the rest of people against me, so everyone's lost, [for me], I won the War, with all these things that I've done [forgetting you, father, lettin u alone and sad, and yeah, also for all the thing that I made bad in the past [small mistakes]

If you can hold on (please, if you never will change with me, at least change with your new "inivisible son" :| because, im dead for you.... and you for me...)

Didn't one of the band's brothers lose a limb and one of the road crew's cousin get killed whilst fighting in Iraq ?

Isn't this song supposed to be in the first person as a cry for help and support for all veterans of soldiers that have returned from hell and can't fit into civilian life...especially with lost limbs?

"When there's nowhere else to run"
[talking in the first person on behalf of the veteran thats lost a limb and has the memories of killing people on the battlefield, Brandon wants to show that the veteran is cornered by his own past]

"I wanna stand up, I wanna let go"
[its about breaking out and telling a story - for a voice to be heard - a voice that's shunned by society]

"I wanna shine on in the hearts of men"
[the naivity of going out to "defend" the realm]

"I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand"
[trying to make sense of life after their experience of killing others...possibly innocent civilians...including young children]

"so much older than I can take"
[Brandon (putting himself in the first person as the band member's brother) talks about how war has made a young soldier old before his time]

"Help me out"
[he just wants a break - someone to help him e.g. a job, some dignity]

"The GOLD-hearted boy I used to be"
[alludes to simple life before entering the battlefield]

"Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner"
[akin to asking 'hey where's the marching bands on my return from war' - 'I've gone through a lot for my country and where's the gratitude and support?]

You're gonna bring yourself down
[reflecting on society, and how by shunning the veterans, its a sad reflection on themselves]

Over and out, last call for sin
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
(Time, truth and hearts)
If you can hold on
If you can hold on

[refers to redemption for what's happened and holding on to one's own sense of pride, dignity and self after a traumatic experience - this is not a call to arms - its a cry for help...and understanding for young guys who need society to know what they went through and Despite, no longer being a soldier - they are still human beings]

.......I got soul, but I'm not a soldier

lifeonstandbyx it wasn't written for the movie 'The Matador', which incidentally is a good movie and the song suits.

For a really cool way of listening to it, you should check out 'Southland Tales' which has the Killers version being mimed by Justin Timberlake. It shouldn't work but it really does.

I love this song. I agree with everyone else that it has strong religious themes about trying to find your faith again, but I think there are other elements to it as well.
If you have seen the UK version of the video to this song (which you should definitely go watch on YouTube if you haven't) it brings out the theme of all of humanity helping each other - 'you know you've gotta help me out' - and watching to 'shine on in the hearts of men'. It's not just about finding your faith in God, but what that represents - your faith in helping and being helped by other people - 'all these things that I've done'. You've gotta help each other out if you don't wanna bring humanity down.

I always thought 'I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier' meant that he has soul, he has what it takes, but he does not act with violence, war, etc. i always liked that interpretation

i really love your interpretation dundapple, and i think there is a whole anti-war/violence theme, maybe i am the only one who sees that, but i think "I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier", refers to loving/helping and not fighting/war

I think this song has something to do with mormonism and how certain sins can't be forgiven. He's pleading to god for help kind of and I think he's saying the mormons can't help him, they will just put him on the backburner. I think the word "backburner" means fireside which is a kind of get together for mormons that have quit or don't go to church.

I think this song has a lot of Christain meaning.

All these things that i've done. *he's wanting to be forgiving*

I especially like the chorus.

*Him*- Yeah, you know you got to help me out
*God*-Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner
*him*-You know you got to help me ou, yeah
*God*-You're gonna bring yourself down, yeah
*God*-You're gonna bring yourself down
*God*-Yeah, oh don't you put me on the backburner

I think thats the way alot of Christains today do.
They Ask God to bring them threw a hard part in their life. And when God does. They act like God isnt there anymore.
*On the Backburner*
You can't just Be a christain.
You have to commit yourself to Jesus christ.
And you can't just "throw" God away.
.............
Its a very good song.
Thats just what i thought.

A lot of great ideas on what the song's meaning is. Guess this is what makes music so great, the fact that yeah, the author might've had an in mind when he wrote it, but people give life to the lyrics on their own and make it more personal that way. Nothing wrong with that in my opinion. If you find a religious side for it, then suit yourself, as long as the song gets to you and you enjoy it, its even better if it can evolve to something more than just one point of view (the author's) and becomes larger that way. This is what I believe makes this song amazing and makes me believe that it will be one of those songs that will go through time like many other timeless classics out there.

About what he says in two moments of the song between lines, some people say they hear him say "Time, truth and hearts". Someone said he hears "Time, truth and Trust". But even so, every time I hear the song, specially after reading all these comments and trying to hear it like you guys do, what I really hear is "Time to Fuss". I hear it more clearly every time I play the song. Just my point of view I guess =)