We Are the Lost
Anti-Flag Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the middle of millions of others, but still somehow unseen.
She is across the aisle; he's on the floor above,
Your neighbour and every prisoner.
Each station filled with static,
Broadcasting nothing but noise.
Deep inside of each of us,
We are the helpless and the hopeless,
That no one wants to see.
Have you ever been drowned? Transparent sea...
In the water with millions of others, but still somehow unseen.
She is across the aisle, he's on the floor above,
Your neighbour and every stranger.
Each station filled with static,
Broadcasting nothing but noise.
We are the lost, the dead and gone, the seldom seen.
We are the helpless and the hopeless,
That no one wants to...
Outside we are alive,
Where is the line, the great divide?
Are we dead? Are we gone? Are we dead? Are we moving on?
We may fail to see a change but were never going to fade away
We will be seen.
We are the lost, the dead and gone, the seldom seen.
We are the helpless and the hopeless,
That no one wants to see.
We will be seen. (x9)
The lyrics of Anti-Flag's "We Are the Lost" convey a feeling of invisibility and disconnection in a world where we are constantly surrounded by people. The opening lines ask a rhetorical question, "Have you ever been alone?" while in the middle of a crowd. The mention of transparency suggests that the singer feels like they are not seen or heard by those around them. The repetition of "across the aisle" and "on the floor above" shows that even in close proximity to others, there is still a sense of distance and isolation.
The song continues with the idea of being lost in a sea of people, using the metaphor of drowning in a transparent sea. The use of static on the radio as a metaphor suggests that all of the noise around us is drowning out meaningful communication. The chorus is a statement of solidarity with those who feel lost and forgotten. It is a call for recognition and acknowledgement of those who are struggling and need help.
The final lines of the song offer some hope, suggesting that even though we may feel lost and invisible now, we will eventually be seen. The repetition of "we will be seen" is a powerful statement of resilience and determination.
Line by Line Meaning
Have you ever been alone? Transparency...
Have you ever felt alone despite being surrounded by millions of people, as if you're transparent and nobody sees you?
In the middle of millions of others, but still somehow unseen.
Despite being among millions of people, you still feel invisible and ignored.
She is across the aisle; he's on the floor above,
There are people around you, perhaps living in the same building or working in the same place, but you don't know them or make a connection with them.
Your neighbour and every prisoner.
People close to you, such as your neighbors, can seem just as distant and lost as someone locked up in prison.
Each station filled with static,
The world around you is filled with noise, confusion, and chaos.
Broadcasting nothing but noise.
Everything you hear and see seems pointless and unhelpful.
Deep inside of each of us,
This applies to everyone, not just to you.
We are the lost, the dead and gone, the seldom seen.
We all feel lost, invisible, and forgotten at times, as if we don't matter or exist.
We are the helpless and the hopeless,
We often feel powerless and without hope, as if there's nothing we can do to improve our situation.
That no one wants to see.
Others may be unaware of or indifferent to our struggles and pain.
Have you ever been drowned? Transparent sea...
Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your surroundings, as if you're drowning in a transparent sea of people and things?
Your neighbour and every stranger.
People you don't know or interact with can feel just as close or far away as those you see every day.
Outside we are alive,
We may seem fine or even happy on the outside, but inside we may be struggling or suffering.
Where is the line, the great divide?
It's hard to tell where one person's problems or identity end and another's begin. We are all connected to each other in some way and affected by each other's actions and attitudes.
Are we dead? Are we gone? Are we dead? Are we moving on?
It's hard to tell if we're still alive and making progress or if we're stagnating or just going through the motions.
We may fail to see a change but were never going to fade away
Even if we don't see immediate results or improvements, we still exist and matter.
We will be seen.
Despite feeling lost and invisible, we have the potential to be noticed and recognized for who we are and what we do.
We are the lost, the dead and gone, the seldom seen.
Reiterated point that we all feel disconnected, invisible, and forgotten at times.
We are the helpless and the hopeless,
Reiterated point that we can all feel powerless and without hope.
That no one wants to see.
Reiterated point that others may not understand or recognize our struggles and pain.
We will be seen. (x9)
Reiterated point that despite feeling lost and invisible, we still have the potential to be noticed and recognized for who we are and what we do.
Contributed by Skyler A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.