Stand Up
Flobots Lyrics
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We shall not be moved
Except by a child with no socks and shoes
If you've got more to give than you've got to prove
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
Stand up
We shall not be moved
Except by a woman dying from a loss of food
If you've got more to give than you've got to prove
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
We still don't understand thunder and lightning
Flashback to when we didn't fund the dam
Didn't fund the damn levee
No wonder man
Now our whole damn cities torn us under man
Underwater but we still don't understand
We see hurricane spills overrun the land
Through gaps you couldn't fill with a hundred tons of sand
No we still don't understand
We've seen planes in the windows of buildings
Crumbled in
We've seen flames sending chills through London
And we've sent planes to kill them
And some of them are children
But still we crumble under buildin'
Underfunded but we still don't understand
Under God but we kill like the son of Sam
But if you feel like I feel about the son of man
We will overcome
Stand up
We shall not be moved
Except by a child with no socks and shoes
If you've got more to give than you've got to prove
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
I said put your hands up and I'll copy you
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
If you've got more to give than you've got to prove
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
We shall not be moved
Except by a child with no socks and shoes
Except by a woman dying from a loss of food
Except by a freedom fighter bleeding on the cross for you
We shall not be moved
Except by a system that's rotting through
Neglecting the victims and ordering the cops to shoot
High treason now we need to prosecute
So stand up (Stand up)
We shall not be moved
And we wont fight a war over fossil fuel
Times like this that you want to plot a coup
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
Stand up (Stand up)
We shall not be moved
Unless we are taking a route we have not pursued
So if you've got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
I said put your hands up and I'll copy you
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
If you've got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up
Now shake, shake a Polaroid dream
Nightmare negatives develop on the screen
We sit back and wait on the government team
Criticize they but who the f**k are we
The people want peace
But the leaders want war
Neighbors don't speak peak through the front door
House representatives preach stay the course
Its time for a leap of faith
Once more
Put your hands up high if you haven't imagined
Hope that the pen strokes higher than the cannon
Balls to the wall nose to the grindstone
My interrogation techniques leave ya mind blown
Places your bets lets peak to the enemy
Don't let them pretend that we seek blood
And whose we anyway kimosabai
Mighty warlord want to be street thug
A threat for a threat leaves the whole world terrified
Blow for blow never settles the score
Word for word its time to be clarified
We the people did not want war!
So stand up (Stand up)
We shall not be moved
Except by a child with no socks and shoes
If you've got more to give than you've got to prove
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
Stand up (Stand up)
We shall not be moved
Unless we are taking a route we have not pursued
So if you've got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
I said put your hands up and I'll copy you
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
If you've got a dream and a lot to do
Put your hands up
The lyrics of Flobots' song "Stand Up" are a call to action for people to rise up against social injustice that persists today. The group has called it their "anthem for the underdog." The first verse focuses on the plight of children and women who are struggling to survive due to poverty and lack of food. It states that these individuals, despite their vulnerability, have the power to move society towards change. The song proceeds to call out the lack of understanding of natural disasters and the underfunding of critical infrastructure that leads to man-made disasters. The chorus is repeated as a call for people to put their hands up and join in the fight for a better future.
The second verse discusses the concept of war and how it is not what most citizens want for their country. The leaders are shown to be out of touch with the people and the reality of life. The verse highlights the need for peace and alternative forms of governance that can provide a better future for everyone. The song concludes by calling for people to stand up for themselves and their communities, even if it means taking a new path that has not been tried before.
Overall, "Stand Up" is a powerful and inspiring song that encourages people to take action against injustice and oppression. It calls for people to come together and use their collective strength to create a better future for everyone.
Line by Line Meaning
Stand up
Take a stand
We shall not be moved
We will not back down or be pushed around
Except by a child with no socks and shoes
Only the most vulnerable among us could make us budge
If you've got more to give than you've got to prove
If you have something meaningful to contribute, go for it without overcompensating
Put your hands up and I'll copy you
Let's work together and support each other's efforts
We still don't understand thunder and lightning
There's still so much we don't comprehend about the world
Flashback to when we didn't fund the dam
Remember when we didn't invest in infrastructure
No wonder man
It's no wonder we find ourselves in this mess
Now our whole damn cities torn us under man
Our cities are literally underwater due to our lack of action
Underwater but we still don't understand
We're facing a crisis, but we're still clueless
We see hurricane spills overrun the land
Natural disasters are wreaking havoc and causing major damage
Through gaps you couldn't fill with a hundred tons of sand
The problems are so severe that they can't be solved easily
We've seen planes in the windows of buildings
We witnessed the 9/11 terrorist attacks
Crumbled in
The buildings collapsed
We've seen flames sending chills through London
We've seen the devastating impact of terrorism in other parts of the world
And we've sent planes to kill them
We've responded to these threats with violence
And some of them are children
Innocent civilians are often caught in the crossfire
But still we crumble under buildin'
We're still vulnerable to attacks and our infrastructure is failing us
Underfunded but we still don't understand
We're not investing enough resources into addressing these issues and still don't fully comprehend them
Under God but we kill like the son of Sam
Despite our spiritual beliefs, we commit violent acts
But if you feel like I feel about the son of man
If you feel the way I do about Jesus or other influential leaders
We will overcome
We will persevere and thrive
Except by a woman dying from a loss of food
We won't back down until even the most vulnerable among us have their basic needs met
Except by a freedom fighter bleeding on the cross for you
We won't back down until we achieve justice and freedom for all, even if it requires sacrifice
Except by a system that's rotting through
We won't back down until we bring attention to and fix broken systems
Neglecting the victims and ordering the cops to shoot
Those in power often perpetuate violence against oppressed communities
High treason now we need to prosecute
It's time to hold those in power accountable for their crimes
Unless we are taking a route we have not pursued
We won't back down unless we're trying something new
So if you've got a dream and a lot to do
If you have a goal and a lot of work to put in
Shake, shake a Polaroid dream
Bring your vision to life
Nightmare negatives develop on the screen
Don't let the challenges or failures deter you
We sit back and wait on the government team
We rely too heavily on the government to solve our problems
Criticize they but who the f**k are we
We judge those in power, but we're not doing enough ourselves
The people want peace
We all desire a peaceful existence
But the leaders want war
However, those in power often prioritize conflict over peace
Neighbors don't speak peak through the front door
We're quick to judge and ostracize those who are different from us
House representatives preach stay the course
Politicians often cling to the status quo even when it's not working
Its time for a leap of faith
We need to take a risk and try something different
Once more
Again and again, as many times as it takes
Put your hands up high if you haven't imagined
If you haven't yet envisioned a better world, it's time to start
Hope that the pen strokes higher than the cannon
We need to prioritize diplomacy and peaceful solutions
Balls to the wall nose to the grindstone
We need to work hard and be dedicated to achieving our goals
My interrogation techniques leave ya mind blown
I have a unique perspective or unconventional methods
Places your bets lets peak to the enemy
It's time to confront our opponents and take a stand
Don't let them pretend that we seek blood
We're not out for pain and violence
And whose we anyway kimosabai
Who are we really fighting for?
Mighty warlord want to be street thug
Those in power are often aggressive and combative
A threat for a threat leaves the whole world terrified
Violence only begets more violence and fear
Blow for blow never settles the score
Fighting back doesn't lead to resolution or peace
Word for word its time to be clarified
Communication and dialogue are essential to resolving conflicts
We the people did not want war!
The public doesn't support violent conflict
If you've got a dream and a lot to do
If you have a goal and a lot of work to put in
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: CLIFFORD NEWTON, PAUL F. TRUST, JAMES DURBIN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind