How You Survived the War
The Weepies Lyrics
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Unless it's to crawl back on your knees
Is that the way you want it?
You get back to the wall
And put your hands up
It's a holdup
You give up like every time before
That is how you survived the war
You never multiply, all these divisions
You give yourself the least of parts
I put on my green felt hat, pack our provisions
Playing a merry Prince of Thieves
Is that the way you want it?
You get back to the wall
And put your hands up
It's a holdup
You give up like every time before
That is how you survived the war
You're not gonna lose this one
You don't have to cut and run
I think you can choose to love and what is more
That is how you survived the war
Now in a summer's day, spring a ripened plum
How will you live under the sun?
You follow the open road, remembering the guns
When you get lost under the trees
Is that the way you want it?
You get back to the wall
And put your hands up
It's a holdup
You give up like every time before
That is how you survived the war
That is how you survived the war
You never change your mind once it's made up
The Weepies' song How You Survived the War is a melancholic reflection on an individual's struggles with decision-making and perseverance. The opening lines "You never change your mind once it's made up, unless it's to crawl back on your knees" reflect on the difficulty of sticking to one's decisions despite the consequences they may bring. The next stanza contains lines that suggest giving up or surrendering in difficult situations remains a pattern of behavior for the individual: "You get back to the wall/And put your hands up/It's a holdup/You give up like every time before/That is how you survived the war." The choice of words and imagery in these lines seem to imply that the individual is no stranger to adversity, and this experience has led them to believe that giving up or surrendering might be the better option.
But halfway through the song, there is an optimistic shift in tone that seems to address the listener directly. The lyrics urge the listener to embrace change and choose love and growth over surrender, "You're not gonna lose this one/You don't have to cut and run/I think you can choose to love and what is more/That is how you survived the war." The final stanza features peaceful imagery, suggesting a final acceptance of the struggle and a willingness to move forward despite memories of past battles, "Now in a summer's day, spring a ripened plum/How will you live under the sun?/You follow the open road, remembering the guns/When you get lost under the trees."
Overall, the song seems to be a reflection on the human condition, the choices we make, the struggles we face, and the potential for growth and change even amidst the darkest of times.
Line by Line Meaning
You never change your mind once it's made up
You are a person of conviction and once you decide something, you stick with it.
Unless it's to crawl back on your knees
Unless circumstances force you to admit that you were wrong and you need to apologize for your mistake.
Is that the way you want it?
Do you really want things to be this way?
You get back to the wall
You find yourself in a difficult situation.
And put your hands up
You surrender to the situation because you feel like you have no other choice.
It's a holdup
You feel like you are being held captive by your circumstances.
You give up like every time before
You have a habit of giving up when things seem hopeless.
That is how you survived the war
Your ability to surrender in difficult situations has helped you survive.
You never multiply, all these divisions
You do not try to create divisions or conflict between people.
You give yourself the least of parts
You prioritize others over yourself and do not seek recognition or reward.
I put on my green felt hat, pack our provisions
I prepare for our journey and take care of the practicalities.
Playing a merry Prince of Thieves
I approach life with a sense of humor and adventure, even in difficult situations.
You're not gonna lose this one
You are determined to succeed in this situation.
You don't have to cut and run
You do not have to give up or flee from this situation.
I think you can choose to love and what is more
I believe that you can choose to approach this situation with love and compassion.
That is how you survived the war
Your ability to approach difficult situations with love and compassion has helped you survive.
Now in a summer's day, spring a ripened plum
Life is full of ripe opportunities and abundant blessings.
How will you live under the sun?
How will you make the most of the opportunities and blessings in your life?
You follow the open road, remembering the guns
You move forward in life, but do not forget the difficulties and challenges you have faced in the past.
When you get lost under the trees
When you encounter obstacles that are difficult to navigate.
Is that the way you want it?
Do you want to surrender to your circumstances once again?
You get back to the wall
You find yourself in a difficult situation once again.
And put your hands up
You once again feel like you have no other choice but to surrender.
It's a holdup
You feel like you are being held captive by your circumstances once again.
You give up like every time before
You once again have a habit of giving up when things seem hopeless.
That is how you survived the war
Your ability to surrender in difficult situations has helped you survive.
Contributed by Ethan J. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
gplustree
I track my music listening and I've listened to this song far more than any other in my entire life. I've dreamed this song in full. It has incredibly strong personal meaning to me. It's deep comfort, a telling of my faults, a reminder of the path I must take, and just plain raw beauty all rolled into one. Thank you, Deb and Steve. I thought you were done saving my life with Say I Am You but you had more to give.
FreeDandelions
This song gives me a sense of nostalgia. And i don't know why. I feel like i heard it a very, very long time ago, but i lost it. but somehow i found it again, and it makes me feel incredibly warm inside.
David Postolache
YES! That's exactly it! Thanks for putting it in to words!
thequis223
This song came up on my Pandora account. First Weepies song I ever heard. Was so beautiful I made a Weepies station. So good.
Rabinowitzstu
Much of the Weepies music touches me, but especially this one. This could have been written for and about me. I'm so glad I discovered this amazing duo
DullTorpor
Another great one by The Weepies. Some of their songs are just so incredibly good.
OutAtTheShow
Lovely harmonies. Lovely instrumentals. Lovely song.
robertus
They’re great... first one I heard yrs back was ‘Somebody
Loved’,...... beautiful!
Pioneer Biz
absolutely lovely. nothing short of such.
Cy'Arra Smith
This song helped me through my depression in high school and after when I lost my cousin. We both graduated that year and he died the day after my birthday. It was crazy because we see him every year at thanksgiving but that year we didn’t and I was missing him then a month later he passed. 🥺 rip 12122014 gone but never forgotten.