anonymous June 23rd, 2006 04:05AM  
Like a lot of The Killers' songs, these lyrics are really tricky to interpret - a few of them are quite cryptic, cite 'is there room for one more son' and 'a meaning from the back of my broken hand'. Also, due to the nature of the lead singer's voice on the track, and the absence of lyrics provided with the album, it's hard to pinpoint the exact lyrics. ('gold-hearted' or 'cold-hearted', for example.) I've trawled the Internet and haven't been able to find a definitive version of the lyrics.

In short, it's tricky to figure out just what they're on about. To me (and this is personal opinion, and supported by only a handful of the lyrics) it's the voice of a man who wants to achieve something, break away from the mundane ("I wanna stand up, I wanna let go") and perhaps get famous in the process. ("I wanna shine on / in the hearts of men.") However, he's unsure of how to achieve this, and is appealing to someone - a friend, perhaps, or even a parent (if one is to take the first few lines as 'one more son' rather than 'one more song' or 'one more sun'.)

He's also frustrated with his audience's apparent lack of understanding: "You know, you know, no - you don't, you don't." A frustrated artist, maybe - if you take the first lines as "is there time for one last song?" it could be seen as a young recording artist struggling to be successful, which is backed up by "I wanna shine on / in the hearts of men." Maybe he's even appealing to a - studio (my knowledge of music recording processes is hazy at best) to hold on, "help him out", and aid him in becoming a successfull recording artist. "Is there room for one more song/If you can hold on" and "I need direction to perfection."

This is all fine, but I don't know how to take "You're gonna bring yourself down." Perhaps in his heart of hearts he doubts whether or not his music actually will be successful. Whew, that went off on quite some tangent. And I rambled on, as I'm won't to do. Sorry.

Anyway, that's just what I think. The last few verses, the title, and the "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier' bridge totally lose me, so it's unlikely I've hit the real intended meaning here, but - this is how I like to think of it, anyway.

anonymous October 17th, 2006 06:12AM  
Um...Sum of the song may not makes sense if you think about it this way, but I think it mite b about suicide or sumthing along these lines.
It could be a person that's trying to find a meaning in life and needs "direction", but can't find it. He expects it come form nowhere because he doesn't know where else to look.

He has "nowhere else to run" and doesn't know what to do, he needs help. ("you know you gotta help me out".)and he doesn't wanna hav to give up, "dont you put me on the blackburner"

"I got soul but I'm not a soldier" could mean that he has been fighting, but he isn't strong enough to keep going.
"you're gonna bring yourself down" could mean that he has to be careful with what he thinks about, because it might bring him down.
"last call for sin" -killing himself.
"when everyone's lost, the battle is won" - when you end your pain, then you win.
But, "if you can hold on" then hold on to life.

-sorry, that ran a bit long, hope you could b bothered reading it.

anonymous January 16th, 2007 05:11AM  
i think it's about wanting to BE someone. desperately. and the plea for help is more abstract...he needs "direction to perfection" and to himself, but doesn't know where to find it. He's addressing the world, I think, when he says "don't you put me on the backburner". He doesn't want to be shrouded in obscurity/mediocrity.

as for the "soldier" bit, I think it's about not wanting to conform. He's got soul, and wants to share it with the world, but cannot do all that is expected of him by society. I loved that bit best, even though I may be looking at it in an entirely WRONG light. :)

anonymous February 14th, 2007 12:33AM  
I think it's basically a whole bunch of fragmented thoughts that all come together into a common theme: He wants to improve himself, and he wants to feel like he is important to other people.
"Is there room for one more son?" He wants someone to take him under their wing and help him mature, like a mentor.

"You know, you know. No, you don't, you don't." People pretend they understand him, just to make him feel better, but they really don't know what's going on inside of him.

"I'm so much older than I can take." He's not quite ready to take on the responsibility of being an adult in the world.
"You've got to help me out...etc." He is asking for help in his self-fulfillment

"I've got soul but I'm not a soldier." He has the desire to improve his life, and to make a difference in the world, but his weak human nature and his fear are holding him back from actually putting his dreams into action.

Just a few snippets of lines that could lead to a conclusion.

anonymous February 25th, 2007 08:51PM  
The song is a plea from Christ to not let his battle and sacrifice against sin be in vain.

Christ, the "son" of God, asks that when you're at the end of your rope, find room in your life for him, "When there's nowhere else to run, is there room for one more son?" And pleads for you to not give up, "hold on" -- that he "wants to shine on in the hearts of men" and "wants a meaning from his broken hand" (his hands having been broken/pierced during his sacrificial crucifixion).

The second verse describes pain, "head aches" and "heart breaks" -- the speaker declaring "I am so much older than I can take", this could be Christ who is as old as time and has presumably seen eons of sin and pain; Christ asking God (the Father) for "direction to perfection" as he did in Gethsemane before being crucified. Alternately the speaker in the second stanza is the singer, in pain, and praying for spiritual "direction to perfection".

In the third verse, either Christ is asking the listener to "help him out" and asking the listener to not "put him on the backburner", meaning since he made such a sacrifice for mankind, he wants the listener to bring Christ into their life so the sacrifice will not be in vain; again evoking the message from the beginning as he's looking for "meaning from his broken hand". Alternately, the desperate singer is praying to God/Christ for help, "you know you got help me out". This alternative interpretation would be consistent with the next verses, "these changes ain't changing me, the cold-hearted boy I used to be" -- even at his most annoyed and angry, it wouldn't seem appropriate to describe Christ as "cold-hearted".

Then the singer pleads to Christ, "help me out ... you're gonna bring yourself down" -- perhaps referring to how Christ came down to earth in the form of a man. Alternately, if it is Christ that is asking the listener to help him out, "bringing yourself down" could refer to taking a submissive, reverent pose in the presence of God, kneeling in prayer, for example.

Then the portion that underlines the spiritual nature of the song, "I've got soul but I'm not soldier" repeats and grows quickly into a chorus of gospel singers. This is either the singer in prayer, feeling spiritually soulful, but confessing not having spirit enough to be a Christian "soldier". Alternately it could be the passivist Christ describing his basic nature.

The last verse is an exclamation point on the tale, as when Christ allowed himself to be sacrificed "the battle was won" against sin, and it is indeed the "last call for sin". Though mankind remains infected with sin ("everyone's lost") unless they repent.

Again Christ's message is repeated; "With all things things that I've done" (his sacrifice), "If you can hold on ... Hold on", allow him into your life and you can be saved.

-- boxlight@gmail.com

anonymous April 14th, 2007 03:47PM  
"The battle is won, with all these things that I have done." This line is about forgiveness. This is the key to the song, thus the reason that it is the title. "If you can hold on" He is asking God not to give up on him.

Each word in the song is carefully thought out, and many lines have a double meaning. "You gotta help me out, don't you put me on the back burner." Again he is asking God not to dismiss him as someone belonging in 'hell', the back burner, but he also is saying with everything that God has going on, he's afraid of being overlooked. Why, he isn't a religious man. "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier." He's not a soldier of God "and my affection, well it comes and goes." But "when there's nowhere else to run" he looks toward god.

He needs God to take him under his wing "Is there room for one more son?" He needs God's help and asks God to "Hold on" repeatedly.

anonymous April 16th, 2007 05:01AM  
Seriously guys, "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier", means: "even tough I'm not a religious person and I certainly don't follow any religios principles (I'm not a soldier of god, that is), I still have a soul, so please accept me as one of your children ("when there's nowhere else to run, is the room for one more son?"), instead of puting me in the backburner". The kinda gospel theme of the chorus points just to that.

This song's is somewhat of a confession (any catholics around?) from a guy who knows for certain that his way of living is far from what is expected in religious standards, but nevertheless really wants to be a good person. It's like he's saying to god: "hey I know you and I surely disagree on how I'm I supposed to live my life, and I know I've made very bad mistakes, but Í still wanna be a good son, I still wanna make you proud and shine on in "the hearts of man", like your other son has had. We may not share a lot of things, but I still need you sometimes."

Roo May 27th, 2007 11:32PM  
I agree with this song being reference to God. Back of my broken hand, he wants the stigmata sign. This guy is turning to Christ, perhaps going into priesthood and perhaps he feels he should have done it sooner than now. He is singing about himself and to God, reference to coming down is Jesus rising again.

He is saying that he has soul but is against violence. He is not a soldier, he is a soul of Christ, a son of God.

He is begging forgiveness from God.

anonymous June 26th, 2007 01:30AM  
Song is about a troubled person contemplating suicide and basically him calling out for help but overcoming realising how valuable life is so he holds on. This has a religious theme as well. "When there's nowhere else to run Is there room for one more son" means that he wants to kill himself and is asking god if there is room for one more person in heaven. "If you can hold on, hold on" meaning try not to follow through with your thoughts because suicide is wrong and you should set an example to others by being stong "I wanna shine on in the hearts of men".
"I need direction to perfection, no no no no Help me out" are obvious cries for help.

"I got soul" this means he will have soul until his natural death and not through suicide "but I'm not a soldier" means that he is not a soldier which is a metaphor for soldiers that sign up to get killed in battle which is almost the same as suicide. Also it means he is against violence (killing himself) which is what most soldiers are trianed to do.

anonymous August 14th, 2007 04:06AM  
I think the song is basically about life, and how he wants to change and become a better person. "I got soul but I'm not a soldier".. I think this means that whilst he has soul, feelings, is an emotional person etc, he isn't a soldier, he can't just go push on through life, deflecting hurt and pain as if he is wearing a bulletproof vest.

Basically it seems as if he's crying out for guidance, as if his life is lacking something, and he just needs SOMEONE to help. Perhaps he is feeling rather guilty hence the title of the song, "all these things I've done", and really desperately wants to change for the better. He's tryed so many things but nothings really working - "these changes ain't changing me, the cold-hearted boy I used to be".

Great song!

anonymous November 18th, 2007 12:48AM  
I've heard this from someone who actually knew Brandon Flowers and asked him about the meaning of the song. He said that it was about how he is a member of the Mormon church and how he has a struggle between wanting to do what is right and wanting to fit in with the rest of the world (his wanting to smoke and drink and such). If you're a Mormon it makes sense if you listen to it more. "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier." "I want to shine on in the hearts of men." "When there's no where else to run is there room for one more son." i.e. Son of God. "You're gonna bring yourself down." i.e. a plead with other members of the Church to help him out. Anyway, I could go on but you get the idea.

anonymous February 29th, 2008 04:33PM  
The song is about atonement for past misdeeds and the need to mature and become a better person. However the people who Flowers needs atonement from aren't willing to give it or believe he has the capacity for change.

If you watch the US version of the video, you see each of the various scantily clad women holding up numbers. This is because the scenes are out of sequence. The numbers represent the proper order of the scenes. The video starts with the last scene as Flowers gets attacked from behind and knocked into a puddle. The woman who threw the boomerang is the same woman that slaps him in the face from Scene 1. In Scene 1, Flowers is obviously returning home after a night on the town. Fresh lipstick from another woman still on his face. Hence the reason for the slap. Next he takes a shower and slips in the tub. In Scene 2, you see all the band members falling from the sky into a trailer park, clad in cowboy outfits (looks like somewhere in Las Vegas). This is obviously a dream sequence, because Flowers is lying unconscious in the tub from the previous scene. For most of the video, they are outlaws running from the people they've wronged. The women eventually catch up with the band in the end and exact their justice with boomerangs. The women can represent ex-girlfriends, wives or even an entire family. Whatever they are, they haven't forgiven them. Having given up on Flowers, the woman walks away. End of video.

anonymous April 7th, 2008 05:18AM  
For me anyway, this song is about trying to find a meaning to life through a creator, a song about maturity from innocence and finding out why we are here. When there is nowhere left to run means that nothing else can fufill him, not drugs, women, all the amenities of life on earth can make him feel right again, and he needs to find something more.

anonymous October 21st, 2008 05:19PM  
When there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
(...son of God -- could mean Jesus Christ is the first son, or it could mean there are so many, is there room for just one more)
One more son
If you can hold on
If you can hold on, hold on
(Not quite ready to completely be a son -- still has a lot of life to live before being ready to complicate dedicate himself to religious stuff)

I wanna stand up, I wanna let go
(wants to forget about all the past things that he's done)
You know, you know - no you don't, you don't
(God knows but then he doesn't completely because he's perfect so.. How could he completely?)
I wanna shine on in the hearts of men
(This is a common Book of Mormon phrase [Brandon Flowers is Mormon] -- would mean that he wants human acceptance, which normally doesn't coincide with spiritual acceptance, hearts of men generally refers to the shifting, inconsistent, and weak opinions of mankind)

I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand
Another head aches, another heart breaks
I'm so much older than I can take
(feels old beyond years)
And my affection, well it comes and goes
(religiously torn)
I need direction to perfection, no no no no
(wants someone else or something else to pull up along or influence him, since he can't do it on his own, but again, torn)

Help me out
Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
(obvious meaning -- back burner = get to me when you get to me as opposed to right now)
You know you got to help me out, yeah

And when there's nowhere else to run
Is there room for one more son
These changes ain't changing me
The cold-hearted boy I used to be
(same moral dilemma themed with the rest of the song)

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
You know you got to help me out, yeah.
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down


I got soul, but I'm not a soldier (X 10)
(pretty decent spiritually but not full on)

Yeah, you know you got to help me out
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
You know you got to help me out, yeah.
You're gonna bring yourself down, yeah.
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, oh don't you put me on the back burner
You're gonna bring yourself down
Yeah, you're gonna bring yourself down

Over and in, last call for sin
(same thing -- doesn't want to give up his worldly life but still wants the spirituality)
While everyone's lost, the battle is won
(no one's perfect, but that's ok.. maybe because of atonement?)
With all these things that I've done
All these things that I've done
If you can hold on
If you can hold on
(he'll fix his life eventually)

This song (and a lot of the Killers songs such as the new 'Human' single that just came out) are about being spiritually conflicted.. I think they're great, they make me laugh

anonymous November 13th, 2008 02:08AM  
"is there room for one more son" he is most likely talking about there being room for him in gods picture, cause he views christians as gods people, or sons and he wants to be included. "if you can hold on" he is saying if you have perseverance through your faith and prayer u can become a son. "while everyones lost the battle is won" "if you can hold on"= you will have victory if you stay with god and fight the battle against temptation

anonymous November 22nd, 2008 04:36PM  
Well I always think about the old Hispanic Folklore story when I hear this song, "LA Llorana". It kind of sounds like the whole story. I don't know but I know One of you guys can figure this out

anonymous December 9th, 2008 03:44PM  
I definitely think this song has to do with Jesus. I think most of the lyrics are to be taken as if they are coming directly from the mouth of Jesus (Don't put me on the back burner and others) and some are from the mouth of a man (I need direction to perfection). The line "I got soul, but I'm not a soldier," I think, is referring to the baptism of Jesus, during which the Holy Spirit descended upon and prepared him for his ministry. He has soul, that is spirit, but most certainly is not a soldier.

anonymous December 10th, 2008 06:52PM  
It doesn't necessarily have to do with God and Jesus...
"I wanna stand up, I wanna let go
You know, you know, no, you don't, you don't
I want to shine on in the hearts of men
I need direction from the back of my broken hand"
It's someone, probably young (a young adult, maybe, in mid-20s) and with all of life's possibilities ahead, full of dreams and aspirations and things he dreams to do and accomplish, but at the same time he feels a little lost and without direction, without knowing which way to follow - like all young people do.

"Another head aches, another heart breaks
I am so much older than I can take
And my affection, well, it comes and goes,
I need direction to perfection, no no no no"
And so, while this young person is discovering everything the world has to offer, it stumbles upon heart-aches and broken hearts - which are inherent to living and a certainty in life. This young person keeps on trying to deal with this all and everything inherent to this age - mood swings, passions that don't last too long, etc - and keeps trying to find his way.

"I got soul but I'm not a soldier" was really well interpreted in Nike's commercial during the Olympic games: there is fight in this person, although, this person is not a fighter. Meaning: this person will not give up and let the odds beat him, he will strive for his goals, like a soldier that can't give, up, unlike a soldier, this person is a pacifist and will avoid conflicts and fights at all costs...

*Though in my opinion, soldiers could be pacifists, too. ;)

questioner16 December 26th, 2008 05:24PM  
Ok so lines 1 thru 3 are pretty clear. A sinner has nowhere else to go but to God to ask for forgiveness, and he is asking if there is room for himself in God's kingdom.

Lines 4 and 5 are basically stating hold on to your faith, whether in good times or bad.

Line 6 "I wanna stand up, I wanna let go" is stating he wants to stand in his faith, but yet at the same time his flesh just wants to let go. This is the Christian struggle between the heart/soul and the flesh. His biographies are clear he is a devout Mormon.

Line 7 "you know, you know, no you dont, you dont" is basically stating you should understand his conflict, but then you dont. and why not? Well his audience is mostly non-Christians. non-Christians don't usually understand the internal struggles that Christians face.

Line 8 "I wanna shine on, in the hearts of men" verifies the above, as the clear point being made in a context that is somewhat ambiguous otherwise.

Line 9 "I want a meaning from the back of my broken hand" is explaining the nail-pierced hands of the crucifixion and the meaning of the cross in which he himself is tied to via Christ.

Line 10 "Another head aches, another heart breaks" is simply telling of the downers in his life experience...likely the effects created by his sins.

Line 11 "Im so much older than I can take" is odd because he is only 27 or 28 years old, our age. So he must be stating age in a different sense, figuratively. Sometimes age can be referred to either one's level of wisdom and knowledge, or else experiences built up over life. Its likely he means the former, that he feels the burden of his wisdom....because in his biography he states he pretty much lived under a rock his whole youth in a Mormon family.

Line 12 "And my affection, well it comes and goes" which obviously refers to the ups and downs of faith Christians have.

Line 13 "I need direction to perfection, no no no no" is perhaps the most awesome line in the whole song because the natural inclination of a Christian is to try to make themselves more perfect by their own deeds (self righteous), and yet its so so so so the wrong way to go about it. So what is the right way to go about it?

Line 14-18 (The Chorus):
"help me out, yeah
you know you gotta help me out, yeah
oh, don't you put me on the back burner
you know you gotta help me out, yeah"

He is crying out to God for help. Thats the ultimate way to be right with God, not self-correcting or self-righteousness.

Line 18-21: "and when there's nowhere else to run. Is there room for one more son? These changes ain't changing me. The cold hearted boy I used to be."

That is referring to him being changed and yet at the same time he is failing at changing. Its referring to the change of heart you have when you become saved (verified by him saying he's not the cold hearted boy he used to be)However, he has failed at full repentance of his sins because there are some he is still committing. Thus the changes aint changing him.

Lines 22-27: A repeat of the chorus, this time with the additon of the line "youre gonna bring yourself down, yeah" which I think means he is now referring to the church body, or possibly his family, but surely some entity, individual, or group of people OTHER than God. This is perfectly place in the lyrics chronologically, as it has just occurred after he admits he is still sinning and devout churches will often kick out members who fail to repent of their sins even if they were trying to.

When a church body refuses to help someone out who is struggling, and instead kicks them out the door...that church is likely to fall in the future. Though there was also an opinion I read that it might have to do with his personal family and/or sexual partners who haven't forgiven him. but thus far I think its the church.

Then it goes into the bridge "I got soul, but Im not a soldier" That bridge is referring to the fact that he has the Holy Spirit necessary for salvation, but he is failing at conquering his battles over sin.

Then we have a repeat of the chorus with no new additional meanings

And finally we have the last 4 lines of meaning:
"Over and in, last call for sin"
"while everyones lost, the battle is won"
"With all these things that Ive done"

Basically its stating that despite the fact that we are all sinners and fall short of the glory of God...the battle is still won due to the victory in Christ. The last line "With all these things that Ive done" is just his restating "Even With All these things that I've done, the Battle is still won" as if the power of Grace is baffling to him.

I give both the song/lyrics and the video the award for most complex literature written this year.

anonymous January 2nd, 2009 12:46AM  
it's about jake green from jericho. its the opening song, and jericho is awesome so thats why the song is about him