Lyrics for All These Things That I've Done as interpreted by K-nuxXx

All These Things That I've Done Lyrics
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 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

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

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

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

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, you're gonna bring yourself down

I got soul, but I'm not a soldier (x10)

(Time, truth and hearts)

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 ou, 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

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

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angryrobot
09-22-2008

Rated +2 
This is a song about a person who has a ton of passion but no direction. He wants to do something and has strong beliefs but for some reason he can't get off his ass because he's feels like he's being pulled in too many different directions. He's got soul (passion) but not a soldier (does not join the fight). He feels like time is running out and people are giving up on him. I like the fact that they titled the song "All these things that I have done" yet all he talks about in the song is what he wants to do. He's all talk, no action. A great song along the same lines as this one is Ocean Size by Jane's Addiction. "I wanna be more like the ocean, no talking man all action"

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barkingfrenchfry
10-04-2008

Rated +1 
I think this song is about someone who wants to change the world. So he's asking "When there's nowhere else to run, is there room for one more son." It's sort of like he's giving this speech. He says he wants to stand up and live in the hearts of men - he wants to make a difference in this world and he wants to remembered as the one changed it. "I need direction to perfection" he wants to make this world perfect. And then he asks the people for help in changing the world.
In the chorus, he's saying, "help me with this quest, don't leave me in the dust here. I'm trying to make a difference."
"I got soul but I'm not a soldier" He is stating that even though he has the spirit and motivation to try to change the world, he still can't fight it off by himself. So then again, he asks for help.
"While everyone's lost, the battle is won. With All These Things That I've Done" He is saying that if this cause is lost, then terror has already won and all these things that i've done would have been for absolutely nothing.
All those who are suffering just need to hold on a little longer and maybe the people made a difference.

So basically its about how all people need to band together if they want to make a difference.

I think this song is really inspiring and makes me want to go out and do something because the world has so many problems right now. But that's just my opinion, it might mean something totally different, i dunno.

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calloo
10-08-2008

Rated +2 
you f'ing losers.

The lyrics are intentionally vague as a commercial ploy. One person thinks the song is about drug abuse; the other thinks it's all about love. Whatever.

The truth: it's all about the band getting popular and sapping your hard-earned money.

Having said that, the song f-k'in rocks. The best part is "I want to shine on in the hearts of man .... 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 Help me out. Yeah. You know you gotta help me out. Oh don't you put me on the back-burner ...."

F'in bull shit typical capitalist song that rocks. you gotta take the gold out of captivity.

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stupper
11-09-2008

Rated 0 
bahahahaa, calloo, that was awesome ;p

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_bananapancakes
11-21-2008

Rated 0 
turning to god. about having to believe in something when there is nothing else to believe in.

"And when there's nowhere else to run"

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killersss1
12-17-2008

Rated 0 
well, im not a professional, but my interpretation of the song
is so different to everyone elses.
i think its about a young boy with a dream to be a famous singer, rockstar, actor, ect.
he wants to be remembered in history. he talks to other people about
his ambitions, but they dont get it:
"you know, you know, know you don't, you don't"
he's very mature for his age "i'm so much older than i can take"

at the begining, "when there's no where else to run..."
it's him looking up at the stars dreaming of a better life

and "if you can hold on.." refers to holding on to the dream
and not giving up on it, no matter how much pressure
he is under to get a respectable job.

he doesn't fit in at high school either:
"...im not a souldier"

sorry if im wrong, but thats what i got out of the song.
when i first heard it, this is what came to mind.

because well, the boy i was describing, is kinda me.(only im a girl)

this song really hits home


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rosettastone7
12-27-2008

Rated 0 
I got ham but i'm not a hamster

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peacelove2
01-12-2009

Rated 0 
well killersss1 you have one person that thinks your interpretation is amazing. that is exactly the same vibe i get from this song and whenever i listen to it it makes me feel like i will eventually make history and change the world someday.

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halo23
01-14-2009

Rated -1 
this song i believe and i am usually always right, i predicted that the economy would shrink in the third quarter of 2008 by 4%, thats right people, dont hate the player,hate the game, anyway about the song is about brandon flowers regretting having a man insert a erect penis into his anus, hence i need direction to perfection aka point that wang up my asshole

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heehee4321
02-18-2009

Rated 0 
its about MACBETH

well technically
macduff

yeah

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BraveSirRobin
02-21-2009

Rated 0 
rosettastone7 XD
Bill Bailey is a genious!

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sethamicone
02-24-2009

Rated 0 
I like to think of this song as the story of my dad's life. About how he got out of high school with all this optimism for life and as time went on and he went through different phases of life and different jobs, and how he came to where he's at today looking back on life kind of pleading for God, family, whoever to cut him a break.

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WayEyeSee
03-08-2009

Rated 0 
i'm sure somewhere in the 8 pages of comments someone said something similar to this, but after listening to this song really closely i think it's a back and forth conversation between the singer and god.. the singer sings the main verses, and god responds to him with the chorus verse "yeah, you know you gotta help me out. yeah, ohh dont you put me on the backburner, you're gonna bring yourself down.." God/whatever superior you believe in is pleading with him to just hold on and remember he is there for him.. listen to the song and look at it that way and it gives you a whole new perspective of the lyrics. amazing song.

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Jvrs
04-04-2009

Rated 0 
yeah, so, is anybody even bothering to comment on the facts that the lyrics are WRONG

'i want them eating from the back of my broken hand'

kthxbai

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Jvrs
04-04-2009

Rated 0 
also, bold-hearted, anyone?

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sugar_kiss
04-07-2009

Rated 0 
anyone think its about invisible children?
or at least i think it is because i first heard this song in a IC trailer.
:p
amazing song.

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heatherlynn
05-02-2009

Rated 0 
I think this song has more to do with overcoming a challenge and become something great in life, but the singer has a strained relationship with the person he is asking help from and that he needs this persons help in order to succeed.

He is asking for someone to take him under his wing with the lyrics " Is there room for one more son"
then he goes on to say how he wants to be great and " Shine on in the hearts of man" but people just don't seem to understand his aspiration or believe that he can overcome this challenge.

then with " another head ace another hear break" it's saying he trying but he keeps failing and " his affections come and go" here he is thinking to himself either I can do this or F this.

"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"

Here he is asking for help and telling the person not to put him on the back of their priorities list .. probably due to a strained relationship.

" these changes aint changing me the cold hearted boy i use to be" - While everything around him is changing he is still the same person but he is now able to step back look at himself and think wow I was like that.

"you're going to bring yourself down"- saying to the person who is helping him out that he might end up disappointing him and that he is risking getting himself hurt as well.

"I've got a soul but im not a soilder" - he has the soul and the passion to accomplish is goals even thought he is not some heroic figure.

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

here I think he is saying well here I go if there is anything else that needs to be done i need to do it. Then he accomplished his goals and looks back on who he might have hurt to get there.

.....or I could be completely wrong.





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Aranneas
05-30-2009

Rated 0 
The straight religious interpretation is overly convoluted and doesn't really fit the diction of the song. I agree that the religious references and imagery are deliberately placed, but I think that they're used here ironically or at the least as an allegory.

This is about a man that has screwed up his life and is turning to his family as a last resort. Consider: 'is there room for one more son' implies there being more than one son. You could of course take this to mean all of humanity as the sons of god. It makes a lot more sense to me as a plea to a father from his estranged son for aid - e.g, "is there room for me here? Can you take care of me? I have no-where else to go."

Further, 'putting someone on the backburner' is a euphemism for shutting someone out of your life. Not unlike what a disciplinarian father might do to a rebellious son. Again, you could make this out to be an old testament style god figure, but there's no evidence for it. The style of the song seems to imply a personal, heartfelt plea. I know that some people certainly do feel that they have a personal relationship with god, but the expectation seems to be of a literal, verbal response. Not sure how many would actually say that god speaks to them in words.

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rach1010010010
06-22-2009

Rated 0 
I completely believe that this song is about growing up.
"If you can hold on, hold on." Hang onto that certain feeling of freedom. Hang onto feeling like the world is yours for the taking.
Most of this song basically describes a rush you get from just being young.
It describes the way you see the world and how you feel the world sees you.
I think this song is from a teenagers point of view speaking to the adult world. "You know, no you don't" "You gotta help me out"

I think the "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier" part means, 'I have passion and ambition, but I know there's a lot of struggles ahead and I'm not ready for them'

"Over and out, last call for sin" Is also just about getting ready to grow up and leave childhood behind.

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bex678
08-01-2009

Rated -1 
This song is on the basis of Brandons religion, (being a Mormon). He's finding it difficult to prctise his religion when being dropped into the world of rock n roll, ''i've got soul but i'm not a soldier'' - he has his faith but slips up sometimes... ''i'm not a soldier''.
This is a superb song, and Brandon is a superb lyricist. I saw it live at hard rock calling in July and it was ridiculously amazing!

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bex678
08-01-2009

Rated 0 
this song is the basis of brandons struggle to stay faithful to his religion (being a mormon) but he is finding it difficult whilst being in the realms of rock n roll. ''ive got soul but im not a soldier'' defines his faith in his religion is still strong but he slips up sometimes... ''im not a soldier''.
superb song. Brandon is an amazing lyricist.


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Driana
08-01-2009

Rated 0 
I think the meaning is similar to "the prodigal son"

Anyway, I put the lyrics in the same order as the video, and it turned out pretty much the same meaning, but It made it a little bit more clear to me:

0. 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.....(0:00)

1. 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

Help me out
yeah, you know you got to help me out
yeah, oh don't you put me on the black burner
you know you got to help me out yeah.....(1:12)

2. 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
Time, truth, hearts.....(3:51)

3. And where theres nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The gold-hearted boy I used to be

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the black burner
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.....(1:43)

4. 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.....(0:31)

5. Yeah, you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the black burner
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.....(3:17)

6. I got soul but I'm not a soldier (x10)
Time, truth, hearts....(2:25)

7. If you can hold on
If you can hold on....(4:32)

I think it's like a prayer, saying, i'm weak, my affection to 'thee' comes and goes, but deep inside I am still that gold-hearted boy, desspite all the changes in my lifestyle, and I need a meaning for my broken life cause I feel I'm getting older, and I want to stand up and shine (matthew 5:16), but I feel like letting go, I need direction, so help me out, don't put me on the blackburner(a play on words -backburner, blackburner)....help me hold on, because I got soul but I'm not a soldier(I don't understand the sense of this sentence though, if it means like, I am good but I am not that strong, or, I've sin, but I inside I am still a good person)...I'm struggling, this is the last call for sin, and after all this struggling, the battle is won, I'm done with all this bad things...hold on

I just love the song, it's perfect

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GETSTERN
08-03-2009

Rated 0 
I think this song is def about God, and how no matter what your sins are, God will forgive you.

"When there's nowhere else to run,"
He's saying that "all these things that he's done" isn't helping him,
And he has nowhere else to turn but God.

"Is there room for one more son?"
He wants to repent of his sins and and become, like, a "Son of God."

Yep, and the rest of the song is pretty much along those lines.

That's just what I think.

Beautiful song.


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bearfan34
09-05-2009

Rated 0 
I can't believe someone was stupid enough to say this song is better than anytthing Dylan or fucking Bruce Springsteen ever did. Unbeblievable. Guys, the lead singer of this band states that Springsteen is his idol. No way in hell are the killers anything close to resemble anything Springsteen did. If you wnat to listen to real Bruce listen to the whole Born to Run album and Darkness on The Edge of Town. Then try to compare The Killers to Bruce. You'll be embaressed of yourself.

I like The Killers a lot but they'll be the first to tell you that they by no means are near Springsteen level of music. Stupidest thing I ever heard. wow

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nursejen
11-20-2009

Rated 0 
It seems very simple to me.
Getting older. He's coming to terms with himself. Remorse over what he's done in life and fear that he'll never be able to redeem himself. Can't shake the past; realizes he's dragging all his baggage with him as he gets older. Wants to be a "better" person but knows he can't without support and guidance. Has the desire to change but just can't do the work ("I've got soul but I'm not a soldier"). Doesn't want to be forsaken. He's misunderstood; has great intentions but they just don't show. Feels entitled to some forgiveness. He needs more time, then maybe it'll get better. Maybe it doesn't even matter in the end. In the meantime, life goes on as usual.

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