Your empty walls
Your empty walls
Pretentious attention
Dismissive apprehension
Don't waste your time, on coffins today
When we decline, from the confines of our mind
Don't waste your time, on coffins today

Don't you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning
Dying of anticipation
Choking from intoxication

Don't you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning
Dying of anticipation
Choking from intoxication

I want you
To be
Left behind those empty walls
Don't
You see
From behind those empty walls

Those empty walls
When we decline, from the confines of our mind
Don't waste your time, on coffins today

Don't you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning
Dying of anticipation
Choking from intoxication

Don't you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning
Dying of anticipation
Choking from intoxication

I want you
To be
Left behind those empty walls


Don't
You see
From behind those empty walls
Want you to be
Left behind those empty walls
Don't
You see
From behind those empty walls
From behind those empty walls
From behind those empty walls
The walls
From behind those empty walls

I left you
yesterday before
you killed my family

Don't you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning
Dying of anticipation
Choking from intoxication

Don't you see their bodies burning?
Desolate and full of yearning
Dying of anticipation
Choking from intoxication

I want you
To be
Left behind those empty walls
Told you
To see
From behind those empty walls
Want you to be, left behind those empty walls
Told you
To see
From behind those empty walls
From behind those empty walls
From behind those fucking walls
From behind those goddamn walls
Those walls
Those walls



Lyrics submitted by naeem9

Track duration: 03:50

"Empty Walls" as written by Serj Tankian

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc.

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


Empty Walls song meanings
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184 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:I think elite89 is dead on.
    I would add that window as an empty wall is that the window and hence "empty walls" is a metaphor for TV/the media (and yes, the censorship of the coffins - as well as the attitude of the vast majority of the media in the early years of the Iraq war, which was very jingoistic).

    Why an "empty" wall? A wall is something that separates. As elite89 pointed out, in the video, the children are behind the window, something that could easily be the definition of an "empty wall". A window separates physically, but not visually. So once you've convinced an audience that exchanging the "confines of their minds" (not having to think too much or find things out first hand) for an "empty wall" (getting information and others' thoughts on TV - which is easier but also allows much more information to reach the audience) all that's left is to make sure what's behind the empty wall isn't something you don't want your audience to see (for example: the censorship of the coffins of US soldiers killed in Iraq being offloaded back home).

    "Those empty walls
    When we decline, from the confines of our mind
    Don't waste your time, on coffins today"

    These lines refer to the censor (aka the Bush Administration & co.) persuading its audience to basically "not think" and just accept what's being put onto the empty wall of a TV screen.
    Flag blitzmuton March 02, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Although it does sound a lot like the holocaust, I feel as if he is speaking of the future of america. Burning (killing) those who do not agree to terms, being put into camps. The construction of FEMA camps is becoming more evident to us all. Dying of Anticipation refers to the day when things will finally be normal.
    Flag SerjFanon September 16, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think it might not as deep as some people go with song meanings. If you really think about the song lyrics and this event is sort of fits. This sounds like it's about the Holocaust.
    Before you deny me, think about it. Bodies burning, chocking from intoxication, no coffins, I (Jew) loved you (Germany) before you killed my family. It fits.
    Flagged zyxw10on April 27, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:It's about Area 51 and The Holocaust and The Iraq War.It means were just as bad as everyone else,our government is hiding stuff and we will end up with our own holocaust or civil war of ourselves if we don't open our eyes.
    Flagged AnarchistByForceon January 30, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:If you watch the video it ties in to the war with iraq.

    0:22 it's the Twin towers
    1:04 its the start of the war in the middle east
    2:00 it's pulling down Saddam's Husseins statue
    2:10 it's kinda self explanatory
    2:26 it's unfair inprisonment of unfortunates
    2:33 a Muslim who got tortures by the U.S, even though there was no edvidence linking him to Al Qaeda
    3:05 is a car bomb.
    To sum up his overall agenda of this video he is saying that the US handled the war like "kids"
    Flagged Nate531on December 22, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think the meaning is that the the basic idea of war in the political figures mind is "childs play". We do what fits us, at the whole end of thing you see the children look at the window, We then feel remorse. Remorse for the things that we did. I think the Empty walls has two meanings, which first: we must see in there own perspective, second is that the government are shielding our children, shielding our citizens about the war being a good decision.
    Flag hgyoi45605on December 14, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I think it's abt the Armenian genocide
    " Don't you see their bodies burning?
    Desolate and full of yearning
    Dying of anticipation
    Choking from intoxication" Is abt how Armenian's suffered

    "I loved you
    yesterday before
    you killed my family"
    Its bcz Before the Armenian Genocide Armenian's and turks were frndz but the turks betrayed us ( Armenians ) and tried to eleminate us from the world by not leaving any Armenian living on earth but they failed.


    BTW Serj Tankian is Armenian and us Armenian's have been effected alot by the Armenian genocide and always think abt it and remember it and we are filled with anger and sadness bcz of it and want the turks to give us back what they took from armenian lands, so sserj tankian wrote this song to express abt his anger . ( And if u know abt the Armenian genocide and reread the lyrics u wld see that I’m write )
    Flag AlexSoghomonianon October 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:EMPTY WALLS = MIND F**KING MEDIA. THAT'S ALL.
    Flag Darkbreatheron September 15, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:lol hes talking about walls that makes it seem more personal then then the iraq war lol only one persons ive read so far mentioned the walls
    Flag wjh100on July 01, 2011   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:lol all i see in it is he saying theres all these things going wrong death alround you move foward might be wrong but thats my intertepation and its really helping my sanity right now
    Flag wjh100on July 01, 2011   Link

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