Do you know what's worth fighting for,
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins

One, twenty one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty one guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I

When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins

One, twenty one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty one guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I

Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone

When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins

One, twenty one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty one guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,

One, twenty one guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, twenty one guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I



Lyrics submitted by bfg1024, edited by otislover

Track duration: 05:21

"21 Guns" as written by Billie Joe/pritchard Armstrong

Lyrics © Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., EMI Music Publishing, Universal Music Publishing Group, TINTORETTO MUSIC, CHRYSALIS MUSIC GROUP

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


21 Guns song meanings
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233 Comments

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  • 0
    Song Meaning:I think that the song is referring to the Battle at the Alamo
    ''Do you know what's worth fighting for, When it's not worth dying for?" is Sam Huston saying that the war is worth fighting for but not like this.
    "You're in ruins" is referring to the Alamo being, well, in ruins
    "One, twenty one guns" is referring to the Alamo is the only one mission with 21 cannons
    "Lay down your arms, Give up the fight" refers to Sam telling the Texans not to defend the Alamo
    "When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul. Your faith walks on broken glass" is referring to the Texans knowing that they will die but the still want to defend the Alamo
    "When you burned down the house and home?" is referring to the Runaway Scrape
    "Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone" is saying that defending the Alamo is pointless

    Well that's all i got. Hope it helps. :)
    Flag noitallon March 17, 2013   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think it's about the US Soldier who is at war and joined the military because his life was not going well (which happens frequently to troubled youth, not saying all military personnel but is a fact) Henc 21 guns, a 21 gun salute at a soldiers funeral. They played this song at my friend PFC Dikcis' Funeral in one of those digital picture frames with pictures of him with his fellow soldiers in Afghanistan, and it finally made sense to me.

    Some people say the wars are not with fighting for, and to say obviously dying for.

    Do you know what's worth fighting for,When it's not worth dying for?Does it take your breath awayAnd you feel yourself suffocating? Does the pain weigh out the pride. And you look for a place to hide.

    Also shouted the closeness of comrades in battle, and sometimes making sure they're OK makes it easier to keep yourself in dangers path.

    That's just my opinion of the song.
    Flagged gopmatton January 06, 2013   Link
  • -2
    General Comment:A song about guns - more than 20 of them. Personally i would have liked less guns
    Flagged shamone12on December 19, 2012   Link
  • +1
    My Interpretation:I actually think that this song is about a couple fighting.
    And how they feel so tormented being angry with one another.

    And this song is actually telling them to stop the fight
    "Do you know what's worth fighting for,
    When it's not worth dying for?
    Does it take your breath away
    And you feel yourself suffocating?
    Does the pain weigh out the pride?
    And you look for a place to hide?
    Did someone break your heart inside?
    You're in ruins"

    Do you know what exactly are you fighting for, why
    you and your partner are even having this argument/quarrel?
    When it's not worth losing your relationship because of this argument.
    Does being angry with each other make yourself so angry with even yourself
    that it's suffocating? And does this pain outweigh your pride - proving that you're right or whatever you're fighting for?

    "One, twenty one guns
    Lay down your arms
    Give up the fight
    One, twenty one guns
    Throw up your arms into the sky,
    You and I"

    Lay down your arms by not saying all the nasty and hurtful words to one
    another
    and throw up your arms into the sky which means to surrender from the
    fight and give in.

    "When you're at the end of the road
    And you lost all sense of control
    And your thoughts have taken their toll
    When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
    Your faith walks on broken glass
    And the hangover doesn't pass
    Nothing's ever built to last
    You're in ruins"

    Now you both are on a break, whether permanent or temporary.
    And you realise that maybe you could have been in the wrong
    and all these thoughts of what you could have done, or what you could
    have done better just keep clouding your mind. And because neither
    of you are still willing to give in, it feels like you dont know that person
    anymore, and your faith in each other is crumbling.


    "Did you try to live on your own
    When you burned down the house and home?
    Did you stand too close to the fire?
    Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone"

    Now you're on your own, and you just feel like you have nothing
    not even a house or something you can call home or the feelings
    that a home provide you.
    And now you wonder if you were too blinded by anger but it's too late.

    "When it's time to live and let die
    And you can't get another try
    Something inside this heart has died
    You're in ruins"

    When you finally decided to give in and let this quarrel die.
    You realised that you can't seem to get forgiveness from your partner
    and your heart is dead because you just lost this relationship.


    ------------

    That's just my thoughts about it.
    It's a really amazing song and I guess the moral is to never let
    anger get the better of you and let it ruin something that is worth
    so much more than being right or wrong.
    Flagged gladyskzon August 07, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Memory:in the first two lines "do you know what's worth fighting for, when it's not worth dying for? i used to ask myself that because i used to play roulette thinking that maybe it would help me get through all the pain i was going through and when i was playing roulete i was only 8 years old and what got me started on playing it was when i found out that my mother passd away so yeah...
    Flagged angel97on July 05, 2012   Link
  • -2
    My Opinion:I know I'll probably get a bajillion hate replies, but, honestly, I think this is one of their worst. And yes, I've heard all their other stuff. I like 21CB, but I think this is the -only- track on there I dislike. Not to mention this song and KYE are the only songs people my age know by them, if they know of them, that is. :/
    Flagged Quintonamoreon May 28, 2012   Link
  • +1
    Song Meaning:I don't think this song is about war. Of course, with all the military metaphores, I understand where the idea comes from, but to me it seems to be about the end of a relationship. The song seems to describe the feelings one has at the end of a relationship that you've tried really hard to make work. But at some point you have to admit it's beyond you're power, you can't change the other person (and his/her feelings), and trying is just going to hurt you, because your partner will reject you over and over again. The chorus seems to be about being alone again ("one"), declaring dead on the relationship (21 guns) and giving up the fight against the inevitable...
    Flagged pearjuiceon April 08, 2012   Link
  • -1
    My Interpretation:at first I dident understand the chorus, but when i thought about it, i think hes saying "one-twenty-one" as in "121 guns." so with one hundred and twenty guns trained on you, lay down your arms (meaning weapons) and give up. then throwing up you arms for them to attack and win. I think they just put the "into the sky" part in to make it more poetic. don't get me wrong, since ive heard it, ive loved this song and cant stop thinking about it, and this just my interpretation of it. if u think otherwise, go right ahead. :)
    Flagged honorandpeaceon February 28, 2012   Link
  • +2
    General Comment:The song must have been written about war and how a soldier deals with the trauma afterward. But the beauty of it is, how each one can relate to it on their own level, cuz everyone is at war with something or the other at some point. I'd listen to the song over 21 times on loop when I went through a break up, made so much sense, and lent a direction. I love this song!
    Flag reebee0511on December 29, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I think it's quite funny that there are so many people commenting that "hate" Green Day and stuff. Anyway, I think this song is about two lovers. I can think of a few scenarios:
    1) One is abusive and/or destructive and the non-abusive/destructive one is "giving up the fight" (or the abusive one is telling the other to stop fighting since it's not worth it
    2) Someone is suggesting that the couple put aside their differences and stresses in life and care for each other more (love each other more)
    3) They are worried something bad is going to happen. They start off stressed and worried, but they end up together and happy again. Anyway, it looks as if they had robbed a place and the police are after them, putting them in a dangerous situation, hence the stress. By the end of the video, they are together in each other's arms, ready to face what's ahead of them (what they weren't before). This can also be combined with #2.
    Flag cliffdirnton December 19, 2011   Link

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