21 Guns : Green Day
Zach McDonald
Green Day - 21 Guns [Official Music Video]
Issue
The issue addressed in the song 21 Guns is the increasing amount of men and women coming home from serving their country in a casket. Green Day believes that war is causing more problems than it is solving. It is tearing families apart and destroying the minds of the soldiers who make it home alive. I agree with the message they are sending because no family should have to go through having their family member killed by another human being.
"Does the pain weigh out the pride?"
Military veterans who come home from war are often thought of as heroes but cannot accept the respect and pride that they deserve because of what they did to gain it. They do not believe that they deserve it.
"One, twenty-one guns, Lay down you your arms, Give up the fight"
This lyric references a 21 gun salute which is used primarily in military ceremonies to honor the soldiers who have fallen fighting for their country. The chorus implies that while there is a time for fighting, there is also a time to surrender and make peace which is better than continuing war.
"And you lost all sense of control, And your thoughts have taken their toll"
This lyric refers to post war diseases like PTSD. PTSD affects soldiers because they have seen so many tragedies and have caused so much damage that their mind gets overloaded by all of the wrong that they feel they've done and it literally drives them to insanity. It destroys a solider's mind and can often create more tragedies back in their homes.
Green Day
Green Day is an American Punk Rock band formed in 1986 by lead vocalist and guitarist Billie Joe Armstrong. They are one of the world's most influential and best-selling bands of all time with 75 million records and 5 Grammy Awards. Punk Rock is a breeding ground for protest songs and Green Day demonstrates that well in many of their songs.