Handcuffs
Brand New Lyrics


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I'd arrest you if I had handcuffs
I'd arrest you if I had the time
I'd throw you down in the back seat
As if you'd committed a terrible crime

I'd break in a town's worth of houses
And rob whole families blind
I'd do it to you like you do it to me
If you knew you would get away fine

I'd drown all these crying babies
If I knew that their mothers wouldn't cry
I'd hold them down and I'd squeeze real soft
To let a piece of myself die

It's hard to be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man

I'd arrest you if I had handcuffs
I'd arrest you if I had time
I'd wait for you outside the courtroom
Taunting when all your appeals were declined

I'd drive my car off of a bridge
If I knew that you weren't inside
With a pedal to the floor who could ask for more
A fantastic way to kill some time

And you could lay on your back and be beaten
You could put up your fists and fight
You could try and be way up
Way up, way up, way up
Way up, way up, way up

It's hard be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man
When you're still lying

It's hard to be the better man
When you forget you're trying
It's hard to be the better man
When you're still lying, you're still lying

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to "Handcuffs" by Brand New are filled with dark and violent imagery that depicts the singer's desire for revenge against someone who has wronged them. The first verse has the singer saying that they would arrest the person if they had handcuffs, and throw them into the back seat of a police car as if they had committed a terrible crime. They then go on to say they would rob whole families blind like the person did to them, and even drown crying babies if they knew their mothers wouldn't cry. The second part of the song has the singer admitting that it's hard to be the better man when you forget you're trying, suggesting that they know they shouldn't act on these desires for revenge but struggle not to.


The entire song can be seen as a critique of revenge and the desire for it. The singer is fantasizing about violent acts they could commit against the person who wronged them, but also admitting that they know it's wrong. The chorus of the song reinforces this struggle, with the repetition of the phrase "It's hard to be the better man when you forget you're trying." The song seems to be saying that even if revenge feels good in the moment, it ultimately won't make things better and could lead to more violence and destruction.


Overall, "Handcuffs" is a powerful and thought-provoking song that deals with themes of revenge, violence, and the struggle to do the right thing.


Line by Line Meaning

I'd arrest you if I had handcuffs
I would take you into custody if I possessed restraints


I'd arrest you if I had the time
If I had leisure, I would capture you


I'd throw you down in the back seat
I would put you in the back of my car by force


As if you'd committed a terrible crime
Like you were a felon, committed a heinous act


I'd break in a town's worth of houses
I would burglarize every house in a town


And rob whole families blind
Steal everything of value from entire families


I'd do it to you like you do it to me
I would do it to you just like how you do it to me


If you knew you would get away fine
If you were immune to punishment


I'd drown all these crying babies
I would suffocate the infants who are crying


If I knew that their mothers wouldn't cry
If the mothers were not going to lament their loss


I'd hold them down and I'd squeeze real soft
Gently taking away their life


To let a piece of myself die
Kill part of me inside


It's hard to be the better man
It is difficult to be good


When you forget you're trying
When you lose sight of the fact that you're attempting to be a better person


I'd wait for you outside the courtroom
I'd stand by outside of the court for you


Taunting when all your appeals were declined
I'd tease you after all your attempts have been denied


I'd drive my car off of a bridge
I would ram my car off a bridge


If I knew that you weren't inside
If I knew you had already left, so you wouldn't be harmed


With a pedal to the floor who could ask for more
I could go full speed ahead without caution or care


A fantastic way to kill some time
A great way to pass the time


And you could lay on your back and be beaten
You could lie down and be subject to physical abuse


You could put up your fists and fight
You could defend yourself


You could try and be way up
You could attempt to rise up


It's hard to be the better man
It is difficult to be good


When you're still lying
When you're still being dishonest




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: VINCENT ACCARDI

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

@mychemicalrepublican8420

I cry every time I listen to this song. The Devil and God are Raging Inside Me is one of the most important albums I've ever listened to.

@onevisualeye_

Straight up !!!

@eloquentwizard7492

It’s one of the most important albums anyone has ever listened to

@Mamba4.8

Maybe the greatest album of modern rock.

@stacytaylor5801

HIGHLY agree every song on this album is insanely amazing

@teckguy00

I say that all the time. this album saved my soul. I never felt as seen by music as Brand New makes me feel seen and understood.

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@BadDecisions333

All i'm saying is this album is hitting me different at this stage in my life.

@JunkNVamps

Gonna be 2021 soon, this music is still gonna be ageless

@nemui_kinoko

2022 now

@AngelTorres-kj2ne

@@nemui_kinoko Soon to be 2023. Still amazing to listen to.

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