The Wars, Part Six

As always, start at Part One. ~

Ah, so we've arrived at the inevitable Green Day song. ~ Indeed, "21 Guns" seems to be one of the more well-known songs in my list. ~ In fact, Green Day is one of the rare rock bands that I was familiar with since earlier childhood; "Boulevard of Broken Dreams" and "Wake Me Up When September Ends" are two of the very first English songs I ever heard. ~ "21 Guns" was a new one to me, though. ~ Quite a pleasing melody, with a catchy chorus. ~ The music video puzzled me, but I did enjoy the effect of the bullets piercing the drywall and letting light shine through the holes into the room. ~ Now, without further ado, I shall let you succumb to the sounds of Green Day and your own thoughts on the wars. ~

As a result, individuals may begin to question the validity behind the reasons for war and gain a sense of futility regarding the war.

21 Guns, by Green Day:

[Verse 1]
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

[Chorus]
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms, give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky, you and I

[Verse 2]
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

[Chorus]

[Bridge]
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?

[Verse 3]
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

[Chorus, repeat]

Literary Content

In “21 Guns,” the individual comes to the realization that he’s fighting a war that is “not worth dying for.” This echoes his friend’s earlier comment that “no cause could be […] worthy” of dying for (see “Everybody’s Gone to War”); his point of view now resembles hers. He even takes up her role, speaking to a fellow soldier and attempting to convince him to “throw up [his] arms into the sky” so that they can surrender together in a war that is not “worth fighting for.” In explaining his decision, the individual uses the word “ruins” to evoke the image of a desolate battlefield ravaged by war; this image has transferred itself onto the individual, who likewise has been torn asunder by the psychological effects of war. His “pain weigh[s] out the pride” of fighting for his country; his “[mind broke] the spirit of [his] soul,” as slowly, the thoughts of the deaths of his fellow soldiers combined with his own heinous deeds of murder overtook his initial “killing machine” desire and instinct. His sadness and inability to forget those whom he killed is reflected by his “looking for forgiveness in a stone;” he tries to apologize to the graves of the dead, yet is unable to find repentance because he is a “liar,” having pledged his duty to a cause he no longer believes in. Scorched because he “[stood] too close to the fire” of war, the individual is unable to heal from the burns inflicted by his deeds on his memory. Hence, he realizes that “something inside [his] heart has died” and that he can no longer go back to the way he was before; as such, he wants to “lay down [his] arms [and] give up the fight.”

Auditory Elements

The chord progression for each line throughout the song is Dm, A#, F and C, resolving from a minor to a major instead of the opposite, like in “Everybody’s Gone to War.” This evokes a more hopeful tone in the overall song, though it is still tinged with a slightly mournful mood reflecting the “ruins” caused by the war.

Furthermore, after verse 3, there is a pause that last from 3:38 to 3:41; at this time, it seems as if the song has ended. However, the lyrics and accompaniment suddenly restart with the chorus. This pause, located right after the words “you’re in ruins,” suggests that the individual is overcome by his sense of futility in the war; nevertheless, the louder and more vigorous sound caused by the addition of bass accompaniment in the chorus that follows shows his renewed hope for the future. This combination further conveys an initially futile tone that blends into one of hope for peace.