Hands Held High... Linkin Park...

Can I also point out the way the song seems to follow the political time-line of a war. It could be any war. not just the current middle-east. At the start, he talks about speaking out and how he's singing this so that more people could possibly add their voices and stop the war from happening. Then he talks about how he can see through all the different lies that the politicians are making and the way they are just using the public and not caring for their reaction beyond their own well being: "These ------- are laughing their way to the bank and cashing the check Asking you to have compassion and have some respect"

The second verse then explains that we all know what's going to happen and that it's going to be horrid, yet no-one does anything to help. "In my living room watching but I am not laughing Cause when it gets tense I know what might happen World is cold the bold men take action Have to react or get blown into fractions" Then there's a change of scene and we're over in the fighting country, with war atrocities such as the boy dragged under a jeep. then we've got this line which I've noticed something new: "Do you see the soldiers they're out today They brush the dust from bullet proof vests away" This could be referring to the inadiquacy of the UN, who are meant to go and help yet all they can do is sit and watch and clean their uniforms. He then goes on to talk again back home, about the effect of war on the family. "My dad he's got a lot of fear I know But enough pride inside not to let that show My brother had a book he would hold with pride A little red cover with a broken spine" I'm not 100% certain on this, but I get the feeling that his father has been conscripted or called to service. As for his brother and the quote and the ending I'm completely at a loss. It seems significant but I can't see it personally. I like the current interpretations we've got (not so sure about the Communist thing. even if it is a Karl Marx quote). "With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you" I think it may have something to do with the general high hopes of everyone crashing. e.g. The politicians hoping to gain something from a war, then losing popular support and gaining nothing.

Finally I want to draw attention to the ending of the two verses: "1.And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day In their living room laughing like "what did he say?" 2.And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day both scared and angry like "what did he say?"

This is what first made me see it. The change from them innocently laughing and saying "what did he say" as if they didn't believe that he would actually go to war, then they are scared and angry after they've seen the war on TV.

Now, I'm not sayng this is right, as you can see the argument is a bit broken, but I'm just highlighting a new level to people.


Hands Held High

Turn my mike up louder I got to say something Light weights step aside when we come in
Feel it in your chest the syllables get pumping People on the street they panic and start running
Words on loose leaf sheet complete coming I jump on my mind and summon the rhyme, I'm dumping
Healing the blind I promise to let the sun in Sick of the dark ways we march to the drumming
Jump when they tell us that they wanna see jumping Fuck that I wanna see some fists pumping
Risk something, take back what's yours Say something that you know they might attack you for
Cause I'm sick of being treated like I have before Like it's stupid standing for what I'm standing for
Like this war's really just a different brand of war Like it doesn't cater to rich and abandon poor
Like they understand you in the back of the jet When you can't put gas in your tank
And these fuckers are laughing their way to the bank and cashing the check Asking you to have compassion and have some respect
For a leader so nervous in an obvious way Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day In their living room laughing like "what did he say?"
[Chorus] Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen [End Chorus]
In my living room watching but I am not laughing Cause when it gets tense I know what might happen
World is cold and bold men take action Have to react to get blown into fractions
Ten years old it's something to see Another kid my age drugged under a jeep
Taken and bound and found later under a tree I wonder if he had thought the next one could be me
Do you see the soldiers that're out today They brush the dust from bullet proof vests away
It's ironic at times like this you pray But a bomb blew the mosque up yesterday
There's bombs in the buses, bikes, roads Inside your market, your shops, your clothes
My dad he's got a lot of fear I know But enough pride inside not to let that show
My brother had a book he would hold with pride A little red cover with a broken spine
On the back, he hand-wrote a quote inside "When the rich wage war it's the poor who die"
Meanwhile, the leader just talks away Stuttering and mumbling for nightly news to replay
And the rest of the world watching at the end of the day both scared and angry like "what did he say?"
[Chorus] Amen Amen Amen Amen Amen
With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you
With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you
With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you
With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you
With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you
With hands held high into a sky so blue As the ocean opens up to swallow you [End Chorus]

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