The National – Start a War

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  My Interpretation:One of my all time favorites. To me the song is about war and diplomacy in a relationship. It's about a failing relationship where they're going through financial hardship. The girl is compartmentalizing the relationship-- thinking that good frames will save bad paintings. He's being diplomatic and trying to convince her that he'll figure out how to make more money and the relationship will be fun again. The lack of funds probably caused her to lose confidence in him. Be he promises that things will be back to the way they were, just give him some time to... get money, to get funny again.
  
  However, the threat of war haunts this song at the end of each chorus. If she gives up on the relationship/walks away, so will he. No longer will he be trying to make good on his promises. He's going to fight war. He's going to become something she's never seen before. When a man has nothing to lose, there is are no rules. There is no code and no measure.
  
  You have a heavy droning drum beat pacing along with the song. Kind of like the war drums that keep the cadence of a soldier's march. Love it.

  Flag mjwang24on March 16, 2012   Link

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    "The girl is compartmentalizing the relationship-- thinking that good frames will save bad paintings."
    
    the lyrics are "put it in a safe behind a painting lock it up and leave..." Nothing to do with how the picture looks or the frame. It's talking about putting something in a wall safe, and hiding the wall safe behind a painting...

    Flag Hansolo305on April 19, 2013  
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  General Comment:this song was the opening for the movie "warrior" with tom hardy and nick nolte. perfectly fits the atmosphere and imagery of rundown pittsburgh.
  
  the author brett easton ellis said it made him choke up straight away, and he's right.

  Flag borismulleron September 24, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:this is so intense...and I'm living just the war stage of the song...so I completely relate myself to the song...Its a break up...and she is walking away...and we're going to hate and avoid each other for the rest of our lives now...and I'm trying so hard to get funny again!
  
  awesome song! just got into this band...and I'm in awe...so much intense songs!

  Flag doideraoon February 07, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I just listened to it again, and I think it also could be about an abusive relationship. She would have to hide any marks or bruises behind makeup, thus the painting. He claims that things will get better, "he'll get money, get funny again" and they "expected something better than before." Men who typically hit their loved ones say that it will be different and so much better the next time around.
  "you were always weird but I never had to hold you by the edges like I do now".. this line is a lot more disturbing when thought of with this meaning....
  The "walk away now and you're gonna start a war" line might be him threatening her if she tries to leave.
  
  I know that this probably wasn't their purpose of writing this song, but I thought it was an interesting take that fits well with the lyrics.

  Flag olivia11on September 23, 2010   Link

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    Even though I don't think this interpretation is "correct," it is a pretty interesting one. That hold you by the edges line makes sense from the woman's POV. Walking on eggshells.

    Flag Aquarius121on October 23, 2012  
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  General Comment:"We expected something, something better than before. we expected something more
  do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting, lock it up and leave
  do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting, lock it up and leave
  walk away now and you�re gonna start a war"
  
  
  Here he's saying that he feels like they've been loading on the baggage and negative feelings toward each other and masking it to make it all better. He recognizes that they can't continue to do so, but is frustrated and doesn't understand how she's happy just leaving it be and letting the remains lay as they are.
  
  "Whatever went away I�ll get it over now. I�ll get money, I�ll get funny again
  whatever went away I�ll get it over now. I�ll get money, I�ll get funny again
  walk away now and you�re gonna start a war"
  
  I think this part is expressing his bitterness after a fight he and the girl he cares about had. Saying that 'whatever went away' doesn't matter, referring to the girl that 'walked away'. Also, the 'I'll get money, etc' part is an extension on his bitter feelings and is a sarcastic remark, as in she's able to dish it out and tell him what he needs to fix, yet she's just gonna up and leave and expect it to be okay. He's been willing to work on everything she's requested, but is trying to bite his tongue about what he'd change about her.
  
  "We expected something, something better than before. we expected something more
  you were always weird but I never had to hold you by the edges like I do now
  you were always weird but I never had to hold you by the edges like I do now
  Walk away now and you�re gonna start a war"
  
  I think that this means that with each fight, they expect things to get better, for that past confrontation to be the largest obstacle in their relationship. However they constantly experience more and more problems, and he feels that she's becoming even more difficult to handle, more rigid. He seems to feel that the relationship is a one way street and the more effort he puts in, the less the girl resembles who he fell in love with.

  Flag olivia11on September 07, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I think the song is about a desperate man. Desperate because his wife, girlfriend, friend has given him the silent treatment.
  He wants to save the relationship in some way or another or end things in good term but seems unable too because of the other person's unwillingness to communicate and tendency to keep everything locked up. For me the message of the song is that without communication people fall apart.

  Flag youngmaninhistwentieson May 31, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:I believe that "walk away now and you're gonna start a war" might be refering to the legal and custody battles that take place when a marriage ends. Any thoughts?

  Flag N0LIMITLIONon April 29, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:Many of Matt Berninger's lyrics refer to his now wife Karen, especially during the times they (presumably) were not together. Most obviously, "About Today" channels similar emotions to "Start A War". And it's no coincidence that when playing live, "Start A War" would often follow "About Today" in the setilst.
  
  Lyrically, we’re hearing the fate of a precarious relationship trying to balance out. Berninger’s decision to be plain-spoken rather than metaphorical gives the song its profound tension. Most singer-songwriters would kill to articulate the fall-out of a relationship as well as him.
  
  And personally, I hear no political undertones whatsoever in this song. The melody too close, the lyrics too intimate, and the singing far too personal to be about anything but the singer and his emotions.
  

  Flag mikecon September 24, 2009   Link

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    I believe that "walk away now and you're gonna start a war" might be refering to the legal and custody battles that take place when a marriage ends. Any thoughts?

    Flag N0LIMITLIONon April 29, 2010  
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  Song Meaning:To me this song is about someone who has recently been put in a position that reqires alot of responsibility, and to make it tangible I'll say that it's a public office position. Before the person wanted the position becuase all he saw were the priveldges that came with the position, but not the actual reason the position was created. Now he realizes that he has to mature and deal with these problems because people are depending on him, but he's not sure he wants to. And then there's a disagreement between two parties over which he governs that he has to solve as part of his new responisbilites.
  
  'we expected something, something better than before, we expected something more' is refering to the people who elected him into this office who had hope for him. This shows its not the first time this has happened.
  
  'do you really think you can just put it in a safe behind a painting, lock it up and leave' is his idea for 'solving' the problem, doing nothing about it. He doesn't want to decide because he's worried someone will be upset at his decision.
  
  And sorry this was so long....
  
  'walk away now, and you're gunna start a war' is refering to what he really wants to do with the problem, just walk away and ignore it. Although if he doesn't choose sides everryone involved will be angry and chaos will follow.
  
  'you were always weird but I never had to hold you by the edges like I do now' is the people realizing who they really elected to be in this position.
  
  Wether the person in question ever matured and did what was right instead of what was popular is for the listener to decide. It's really a coming of age song.
  
  
  Please note that these are just my thoughts, and someone else could have a whole different perspective of the song. And I used the metaphor for a quicker way to explain, rather than a bunch on incoherent babble.

  Flag todaynowon August 09, 2009   Link

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  My Interpretation:There's most certainly a threat in this song, a building up tension. You can hear the drums slowly going harder, and a warning horn after the chorus. There's something high at stake.
  
  The narrator wants to make clear that he is unsatisfied with the current situation and he feels that the third person ("you" in the song) wants neglect the whole situation. He threats with unpleasant consequences if the second person doesn't help making things change.
  
  Suppose this is about a relationship. A couple broke up, but got back together believing everything was going to get better. But it didn't. Things even got worse. Now, the narrator doesn't want to loose his partner but feels like she is letting go. Some persons, like our narrator, can start to threaten or manipulate that person (eg: "if you stop loving me, i will get depressed / loose my job / etc"). And that is exactly what he is doing in this song.

  Flag scndskyon December 30, 2008   Link

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