What does The Kill mean?

30 Seconds To Mars: The Kill Meaning

Album cover for The Kill album cover

Song Released: 2006


The Kill Lyrics

What if I wanted to break
Laugh it all off in your face
What would you do? (Oh, oh)
What if I fell to the floor
Couldn't take this anymore
What would you do, do, do?

Come break me down
Marry me, bury me
I am finished with you

What if...

  1. whatever123
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    Sep 26th 2010 !⃝

    This song is clearly a self-struggle, there's no doubt about that. In essence, "The Kill" is a critical focal point in your own life, when you want it to end because it can't be any better at the other end of the tunnel. When it reaches the bridge, he's discussing that very thing; "I tried to be someone else/but nothing seemed to change/I know now/This is who I really am inside. This is when you lose all hope because you realize that no new path is right for you. You begin to worry that you're going to die in this horrible world and existence. This is when many people would go and commit suicide (yes they would;I actually have met someone who almost took that path). Yet, you persevere through to the end. Here, you have some relief, only to find that the new conflict is almost identical to the previous, and the song ends with its own opening lyrics, bringing a closing mystery to the song, which fits the rest of the album.

  2. anonymous
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    Jul 12th 2010 !⃝

    This song is about him letting the darker side to him free while he is asking himself if this is what he should become and that side of him is trying to brake down his normal side. I agree with that one guy partially, when he his is quiet it is the darker side and when he raises his voice it is the normal side.

    "I tried to be someone else, but nothing seemed to change. I know now, This is who I really am inside. I finally found myself, fighting for a chance. I know now, this is who I really am!" In the video the two hims meet and confront eachother and both know who the true one is. although, I'm not quite sure which one it is. In the video they also show that everyone has a duplicate. What this means is that we are all having this battle within our minds. And in some both personalities are used. Or even up to fifteen are used. This as you all should know is skitsofrenia.

  3. anonymous
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    Jun 27th 2010 !⃝

    The song has two meanings, one being the obvious relationship issue and not changing for anyone else but the deeper hidden message is the Satanic/Luciferian one. He is saying he's done running from God, being a "god-fearing" person and found who he really is. He said he's going to laugh in your face, meaning God's and stop worshiping a God.

  4. bcinque
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    Jun 23rd 2010 !⃝

    I think he is speaking to someone who hurt him and held him back from being who he wanted to be. Someone who tried to control him and wanted him to be someone he is not. perhaps riding him and destroying him.

    what if I wanted to fight
    beg for the rest of my life...
    you say you wanted more
    what are you waiting for?
    Im not running to you

    When youve had enough of someone pushing you to live up to their own standards of excellence and rejecting who you really are..and you let that person know what if...I wanted to be a begger or I want to fight instead of giving in...if you want more than I offer you then leave because Im not going to hide who I am anymore..Im not running from your criticism. In my interpretation, I feel it could be a person in his childhood or someone who took on a role of control over his life.

    come break me down
    youre killing me or
    bury me

    To me this is a taunt to that person..
    go ahead come and tear me down ...all your doing is killing who I am ...your burying me anyway ..I realize that now and Im finished with you. ..you no longer control me.

    lookin my eyes
    youre killing me
    all I wanted was you..
    I tried to be someone else
    but nothing seemed to change
    I know who I really am inside

    The words are so straight forward here
    and towards the end when he tells us he knows who he is..he lets loose and goes off ..to me this signifies the rage he kept inside and the release of finally saying this is who I am.

  5. music21life
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    Apr 20th 2010 !⃝

    to the dude who said its about one of the coolest movies ever made yes it was "the shining" but the movie wasn't made by Stephen King it was made by Stanley Kubrick. and the song is about fighting yourself to find who you are.

  6. NinjaTurtle
    click a star to vote
    Mar 1st 2010 !⃝

    in the vid, JL is arguing with himself, so its probably his good side and bad side fighting over what he should do next. Also, he probably just wan't to be a normal person because of the two versions of him, one of them is all dressed up in a tux, and the other is just a normal guy. i know its all about the vid, but i think that brings the point across better

  7. anonymous
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    Feb 2nd 2010 !⃝

    At First I Thought This Song Was About A Girl; Because It Would Make Sence To Think Of It That Way, Because He Said's "You Said You Wanted More; What Are You Waiting For?" &&* With All Honesty I Thought It Was About A Guy Who Was In Love With A Girl &&* She Just Could Not Make Up Her Mind On What She Wanted; && The Guy Was Trying To Change Himself Into What He Thought She Wanted; Also I Thought She Was "The Kill" Because He Saids "look in my eyes your killing me; killing me"
    But:
    On The Other Hand After Seeing the Video And Much Harder Thought It Dose Look Like The Song Is Based Upon Finding Yourself, Being Lost In Your Head, Trying To Find Yourself But Being Faced With Trying To Please Others When The Only Person That Really Maters Is Yourself, && How You See Yourself. Trying To Find Out Who You Really ARE &&* Who You Want To Be; Its Like Looking In The Mirror And Not Knowing Who Your Looking At; Its Trying TO Escape Your Old Ways &&* Move On, From who YOu Were And Who You Are Now.
    Thats Just What I Think; There No Right Or Wrong In A Person's Personal Opinon,
    Nataly-

  8. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 2nd 2010 !⃝

    At First I Thought This Song Was About A Girl; Because It Would Make Sence To Think Of It That Way, Because He Said's "You Said You Wanted More; What Are You Waiting For?" &&* With All Honesty I Thought It Was About A Guy Who Was In Love With A Girl &&* She Just Could Not Make Up Her Mind On What She Wanted; && The Guy Was Trying To Change Himself Into What He Thought She Wanted; Also I Thought She Was "The Kill" Because He Saids "look in my eyes your killing me; killing me"
    But:
    On The Other Hand After Seeing the Video And Much Harder Thought It Dose Look Like The Song Is Based Upon Finding Yourself, Being Lost In Your Head, Trying To Find Yourself But Being Faced With Trying To Please Others When The Only Person That Really Maters Is Yourself, && How You See Yourself. Trying To Find Out Who You Really ARE &&* Who You Want To Be; Its Like Looking In The Mirror And Not Knowing Who Your Looking At; Its Trying TO Escape Your Old Ways &&* Move On, From who YOu Were And Who You Are Now.
    Thats Just What I Think; There No Right Or Wrong In A Person's Personal Opinon,
    Nataly-

  9. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 9th 2009 !⃝

    everyone is entitled to their own oppinion on the song, so dont diss people because of what the song means to them.

  10. Rocklover09
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    Oct 10th 2009 !⃝

    My point of view. I see that 30STM took scenes from the movie call The Shining. They based all 4 members off one character named Jack. Well basically the band members are facing problems with them selves and that they let the building take them away. cuse the building is haunted. later when they give up the let the building absorb them and they are living way back in time.

  11. anonymous
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    Sep 8th 2009 !⃝

    I understand this song to be more about the self. I am a little crazy so I know how it is to face different personalities and identities within myself. I just watched Fight Club so I feel this way right now. However, I have discovered something more. Life is a Beautiful Lie, a perfect denial of who we really are!

    As we go through life, we try and remember who we are and what we are meant to be. The problem is, we deny who we are! We want to be someone else, we try new things, we try being like other people, we try to be something different, we try and try and try! We go round and round in circles trying to be what we are meant to be, but we never grasp who we are.

    In the video we see Leto face his alter ego. They both say the same thing...THIS is who I really am! Truth is, neither of them is right! Neither of them wins. The more we try, the more doors we open, the more identities we make available.

    In Fight Club, the narrater faces Tyler, who is actually his alter ego. He has allowed Tyler to take control of his life and diminish his fear. However, it gets out of hand and the narrator hunts down Tyler, only to realize that it is himself he is hunting. He now has to destroy this second ego and rebuild his true self. Both selves have a passion and believe that they know best for Tyler. They try to convince one another that he is right.

    At some point in life, we must all approach ourselves and defeat the personality or characteristics that are holding us back from our true destiny, if you will. I truly believe that we are all meant to live for so much more. We were given life for a reason. Yes, it is a beautiful lie and the perfect denial to love ourselves and to live for what we want. The problem is, it all too often collapses on us. We try to be someone else only to find that who we thought we were isn't even us. I know that doesn't make sense, but think about it. Are you who you think you are? You try hard to be you, but somehow, you want more, you need more, something is missing. It's true, we can all do better and no one is perfect. Maybe it is just a game of survival. We do our best to stay alive and use what we have while we can. Maybe there is no purpose, maybe nothing exists. Maybe you don't exist, maybe I don't exist. Yet, we somehow know that we are here and do our best to be someone.

    Here is the truth! We are someone, every one of us is someone. Someone greater than we can possibly imagine. We are the creation of the Creator. We are a peice of the whole. And like a holograph, the whole is in the part. While we are here on Earth, we strive to be someone, but deny who we really are, or who we are a part of. We are a part of God and he has a purpose for us. This is who I really am! I tried to someone else, but I know now! I am a child of God and my identity is in Christ. I try live up to His love and fight my own desires. I look in my eyes, and I am killing myself with my own stupidity. I deny God and try to do things on my own. God has promised us that He will provide and that He will give us life, directing our every move, if only we would listen. Who will I listen to? God or myself? That's the ultimate question of life. I must die to myself, as the narrator in Fight Club killed Tyler. I must destroy my own thoughts and desires and listen to God, for Jesus is the Way the Truth and the Life. No man comes to the Father but by Christ. Jesus Others You = JOY! Love the Lord your God with all your heart soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself. My identity is my own creation, my desires have brought destruction on myself. I feel pain and I will die because I listened to myself. From now, on, I will do my best to live for God, for it is in Him that I have life. I know now, this is who I really AM!

  12. ChiOokami
    click a star to vote
    Aug 24th 2009 !⃝

    i believe this song is about how sometimes you have to fight with your self to find the true you, and keep that other you put away or "burried" away.

  13. anonymous
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    Aug 8th 2009 !⃝

    I'm Pretty sure Jared said something like this that this song is about finding who you really are.

  14. anonymous
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    May 23rd 2009 !⃝

    LISTEN UP ALL OF YOU STUPID ARGUING FOOLS! pretty much every song out there can be interpreted in more than one way. It ALL depends on the person hearing the song as to how they are really going to "hear" it. Its all about whats gone on in your life.. its YOUR mind telling you what you WANT to hear in a song.

  15. starryeyed
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    Apr 1st 2009 !⃝

    I think it is about him realising that he is pretending to be someone else for another person, all he wanted was to have that person in his life and he has finally realised he doesn't like the false person he has become and he is finally done with pretending.




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