Crittic47274 May 6th, 2007 03:02PM  
Ok well Mr. 13 year old, since your so smart your probably used to people telling you your wrong, so I'll be the one to tell you today. Just because that's what the videos about, that's not what the songs about. Its about the person (girl) he hates most. He refers to her as being dead but feeling alive, and how cold and dead on the inside she is, even the heroes separate and run from her,yet he's in love with her and he can't help it, you realize this when he tells her to lay her hand on him one last time, and says its alright. He craves her so bad he would be satisfied by her only lying her hand on him. So don't get smart with people older than you anymore little man, we don't appreciate it.

anonymous July 8th, 2007 07:43PM  
The song is written after the movie 28 Days Later, watch the movie then read the lyrics if you don't believe me (the line "it's alright" is repeated many times in both the movie and song). While the video is made after the short story called "The Lottery" written by Shirley Jackson. It's really good, you should read it if you haven't.

anonymous July 11th, 2007 04:23AM  
I believe this song is about someone who sees that people are shallow and live a lie. But he knows one person who deep down, is different, they have different values and beliefs. They don't believe in everything they are told. Like people today who listen to the media like zombies. "you're so cold but you feel alive." They fallow the rest, but inside they are really their own person, a good person who needs to come the surface. "put your hand on me" spread their goodness and help others be real and not shallow.

anonymous July 16th, 2007 03:17PM  
I think you guys all have good ideas, conclusions and evidence. Here's my opinion; the writer, the band, and the director of the music video all could have also had different interpretations of the song. There could be more than one right answer.

anonymous September 4th, 2007 11:02AM  
I think the song is about sacrifice and rebellion. Sacrifice "wise men wonder while strong men die." The theme of rebellion is relevant through out the song a couple of lyrics come to mind when I listen to it "Hollowed heroes separate as they run...Show me how defenseless you really are satisfied and empty inside Well, that's alright, let's give this another try."

anonymous October 16th, 2007 08:56PM  
LOL, that thirteen-year-old got owned.

This song isn't about the Salem Witch Trials, it's an extended metaphor.

anonymous November 2nd, 2007 11:24PM  
I took the meaning mostly from the video, but I think that the song mostly has to do with drugs. You see the guy carrying a huge weight and walking off to his own death of his own will (although he's chained, no one is forcing him to walk). The weight would be symbolic of the addiction he has, and he can let it go if he wants to but chooses to keep it with him. At the end, he can't let go of it to save himself. Also, the lyrics say stuff like "you're so cold put your hands in mine" meaning that he knows the addiction is wrong but he wants it anyway.

anonymous November 9th, 2007 10:59AM  
This song is based on the movie 28 Days Later.

anonymous November 23rd, 2007 11:46PM  
Well, to me when I listen to this song I always picture an empty world. Possibly telling a story about zombies, or the dead coming to life.

"Wise men wonder, while strong men die."

Baffling the scientists as to how this happened, people die.

"In this land of make believe, dead and dry."

Referring to of course the living dead.

Of course this isn't a very deep interpretation but that's my idea at least. This would fit along with the people saying it's about 28 days later.

breaking.me November 29th, 2007 12:13AM  
It's about heroin. That's just a strong opinion though from a strong intuition. I am a Heroin addict in recovery and even thou they don't say it blatantly, as an addict I can feel his pain from an addict point of view. even though it sounds like he's talking to a person we try to give a face to our drug of choice because we are in a love/hate relationship with it and sometimes it feels like heroin has a sole and a personality. and that's the way Breaking Benjamin address the drug in words, like its a person.

"Crowded streets are cleared away
One by One"(people get taken down one by one from the disease of addiction)
"Hollow heroes separate
As they run"(by the word "hereos" he means family members that are loved and there familys whole world like an older bro/sis or mom/dad. and they are running from life by getting high.

"Wise men wonder while
Strong men die"( "wise men" being people that are smart enogh not to try heroin can only wonder what its like, while strong struggling addicts die fighting the disease.

"Show me how it ends it's alright"(he is being confident that he knows that he will be alright)
"Show me how defenseless you really are"(are you really defensless and just letting the disease take you or are you trying to fight it.(usaully it looks like you want to get high all the time when inside your fighting it and don't know how to stop)
"satisfied and empty inside"(ur high and you feel good but its a fake satisfied that's why he says but empty inside.)
"Well, that's alright, let's give this another try"( that's alright you failed again lets keep fighting and give this another try)

"If you find your family, don't you cry" (if your family sees this happening to you don't cry in shame and hopelessness)
"In this land of make-believe, dead and dry" (being addicted to drugs feels like a make believe world that's dead and dry). I have a lot more to back all this up but half of you prob won't give it a chance and read it. I love those guys

anonymous April 25th, 2008 12:27AM  
The song can be applied to the Salem witch hunts, but like lots of music videos, that doesn't mean it was the original meaning.

And I'm only 13 too, doesn't mean I go about spewing "I am better than thou" crap all over the place

anonymous April 30th, 2008 09:16PM  
Ben stated in his blog, that he has been off drugs for 7 months, meaning that up until 7 months before he wrote the blog, he was using drugs. Therefore, it is not too far a stretch to believe that he is using the Salem Witch Trials in a couple of ways to discuss drug (although not necessarily Heroin) addiction. The way this society treats drug addicts is much like a witch hunt, throwing people in prison rather than offering treatment, for instance. Also, the drugs themselves act like witch hunters and executioners. clinging to the addict, entrapping the addict, eventually killing the addict. I did find interesting the theory that there could be a relationship between the band's wiccan symbol and Ben's choosing to use the Salem Witch Trials to symbolize a relationship with drugs, however, it so happens that the famous Salem Witch Trails actually took place in Massachusettes, not Pennsylvania, so I'm not sure the band being from Pennsylvania was that significant.

DragonOfDK May 5th, 2008 05:20PM  
I love this song, because it can be interpreted in a million ways.
I like to think the song has to do with fighting.
I am a karate student myself, and the song really helps me when I fight, I hum it in my mind.
Its probably got nothing to do with fighting at all, but it can still be interpreted that way.
Heres and example:

Crowded streets are cleared away, one by one

(People make space for the fight. The fight starts)

Hollow hero’s separate, as they run

(Hollow meaning no heart, ergo, no courage to fight, so they separate from those who are ready to fight)

You’re so cold keep your hand in mine

(Fighters become cold when fighting; they don’t recognize each other in the ring, all that matters now is fighting, so they become cold. Keep your hand in mine, could symbolise… ehm, well fighting is like a dance, keep your hand in mine, as to keep your head in the fight…. Or something… :-P)

Wise men wonder while, strong men die.

(Wise men could be a metaphor for the brain, the wise man.
While the strong man, is the body taking the punches. While the brain is wondering what the opponent will do next, the body takes the load, takes the punches and kicks.)

Show me how it ends it’s alright

(The person wondering I he’ll win, how it will end. And while he is losing, he’s telling himself its alright)

Show me how defenceless you really are

(After having convinced himself it’s alright, he now convinces himself the opponent also is badly hurt, but hiding it under a facade. Show me how defenceless you REALLY are. Trying to find a way through his defence)

Satisfied and empty inside

(Satisfied with the fight, because the fight is challenging. And empty inside, cold, emotionless, until the fight is over)

Well that’s alright, lets give this another try.

(The person fighting is going down, but gets back up, and tells himself its alright, lets gie this another try)

If you find your family don’t you cry

(If you see your family in the crowed of people and you know they are watching you lose, don’t think of what they think about you, don’t you cry….or… something:-P)

In this land of make believe, dead and dry

(When you are exhausted, the room seems to turn, it sort of become a land of make believe, you want to give up. Your eyes and mouth is dry, and your body won’t respond to what your mind says, so in a way, you body is dead)

You’re so cold but you, feel alive

(You’re still emotionless, the fight has not ended, and though you are exhausted, the fight has been great, and it makes you feel alive)

Lay your hand on me, one last time

(Lay your hand on me, as in hit me, one last time. Imagine two people fighting, and they both are to exhausted to continue. Hit me one more time, give me a reason to hit back. Hit me one last time, let’s fight, one last time)

Yes I know it’s a bit ridiculous, but that's what I like to think....

anonymous July 4th, 2008 08:42PM  
To add to the person talking about the wiccan symbol and such. and about how Benjamin Millers wife was named Jane......would also make sense about the song "Diary of Jane"

anonymous September 3rd, 2008 05:02AM  
It makes me think of 9/11 the most, but the Witch Trials theory hits home as well. Either way, it's a damn sad song.

anonymous October 8th, 2008 06:17PM  
It is amazing how this one song can be interpreted in so many ways. When I first watched the videos and then listened to the lyrics I couldn't figure out what it meant because they seemed so different. When I first heard the drug thing I automatically thought it was wrong. But also the same with everything everyone has said. Now I am still no sure what this song truly means. But that is what makes it an amazing song. It all depends on the person and what they have gone through.

anonymous January 13th, 2009 08:31AM  
I thought the song had something to do with nazis clearing the streets of Jews, but that's just me and you could take it in many different ways,

SzepasszonyXx January 29th, 2009 07:33PM  
Um.. I came to read what other people think the song means not say what I think it means.. even though this is an lyric interpretation site.. I just wanted to say.. in the top rated one someone talks about the Wiccan 4 leaf clover.. and that may be what it looks like.. I know nothing about Wicca.. But the logo.. Its 4 B's Ben Burnley Breaking Benjamin.. Anyone else notice that? Surely I can't be the only one.. Also I would like to pass on something I read or watched.. I can't remember which.. but the story goes.. when Ben Burnley was starting out he performed at this club and when he was finished.. the guy that came out to speak after he was finished.. told him great benjamin you broke it.. referring to the mic.. or something to that effect.. That's the story I heard.. believe or not.. your choice ;) pee ess.. sorry for the bad grammar and dots.. its just how I do it.. lol

anonymous March 30th, 2009 07:26PM  
The Salem witch trials did not just persecute girls. John Proctor and Giles Corey were both accused of witchcraft. John was hanged and Giles was pressed to death. There were more but those two are probably the most well known. Most of the accusers were young girls. They didn't tie stones to the accused and throw them in lakes either, they had actual trials. Plenty of people still write and read about the trials. Ever heard of The Crucible? There's also quite a few songs out there about them, Under A Killing Moon by Thrice and there's also a song by a band called Ishia. It was an important event in history and there are a lot of people with ancestors who were either accused or accusers. Some themes of the song might connect with the trials even if it's not about them.

anonymous May 22nd, 2009 07:13PM  
I know my theory isn't as great as everyone else's, but w/e.
I've noticed humans have the tendency to blame everything on everyone else.
The people escorting him appear sad because they have no one else to blame for their sins, which the man is carrying (the block).
The man can't escape their blame (which is why he is chained to it) and almost crumbles under the pressure (he fell). He thinks it's nothing and keeps on going (picks it up and walks more). Eventually, his ignorance ultimately leads him to destruction (goes underwater with the block.)