Semi Precious Weapons is a rock band from New York City consisting of Justi… Read Full Bio ↴Semi Precious Weapons is a rock band from New York City consisting of Justin Tranter on vocals, Stevy Pyne on guitar, Cole Whittle on bass and Dan Crean on drums. Pyne replaced former guitarist, Aaron Lee Tasjan, in November 2008. The band play their own "Filthy Glamour" brand of rock music and espouse a "Dirty Showbiz" philosophy.

In 2006, Semi Precious Weapons (SPW) was formed by Berklee College of Music graduates Tranter, Whittle, Crean and Tasjan. In 2007 erstwhile manager BP Fallon brought in Tony Visconti to produce their first album, We Love You. Funded by Tranter's jewelry sales, they originally released the album as a free download.

In March 2008 the band signed a worldwide recording agreement with Razor & Tie. The band's album We Love You was re-released under this label on September 30, 2008. Semi Precious Weapons signed to Interscope Records in November, 2009. Since November 27, they have been the special guests for Lady Gaga's The Monster Ball. At the same time they began recording a new album titled You Love You, which released on June 29, 2010.

In January 2008 they caused a stir in the United Kingdom after Kate Moss attended their concert at London's Death Disco club and danced with 'six foot bisexual' singer Justin Tranter. Vogue described the band as "unashamedly crass and deliciously animated". On March 18, 2010, the band's eponymous song "Semi Precious Weapons" achieved their first number one - on New Zealand radio station The Edge.

Justin Tranter has a jewelry line called "Fetty" that sells at Barneys New York. The designs include weapons, hearts, and diamond braille. Justin Tranter was a coach on the MTV show MADE, where he helped a shy sixteen-year-old become a bassist in her own band. Their track "Magnetic Baby" is featured as a downloadable track in Rock Band 2. The band had a cameo in the video for Lady Gaga's "Telephone" and served as her opening act on her 2009-2011 tour The Monster Ball Tour.

Hands Up
Semi Precious Weapons Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Down, down, down
Never bring us down
Down, down
Don't bring me down

There's only some many bowls to break
Until you're asleep wide awake
While everyone else just waits for you

There's only some many ways to go
There's only some many scars to show
Until you believe, don't know way to.

Down, down, down
Never bring us down (x3)
Down, down
Don't bring me down

Hands up, motherfucker! (x3)
Hands up, hands up!

There's never too many times to try
There's never too many sins to fight
So come on and live your life for you

There's never too much love to chase
There's never not room for mistakes
If you wanna swim, make it rain for you

Down, down, down
Never bring us down (x3)
Down, down
Don't bring me down

Hands up, motherfucker! (x3)
Hands up, hands up!

There's never too much love to chase
There's never not room for mistakes
If you wanna swim, make it rain for you

Down, down, down
Never bring us down (x3)
Down, down
Don't bring me down

Hands up, motherfucker! (x3)
Hands up, hands up!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Semi Precious Weapons' song "Hands Up" convey a message of defiance against those who seek to bring us down, encouraging us to keep pushing forward despite the obstacles we may face. The repeated refrain of "Down, down, down, never bring us down" and "Don't bring me down" leaves no room for doubt as to the message of the song.

The lyrics also touch on the idea that life is full of challenges and struggles, but we must continue to persevere if we want to achieve our goals. The lines "There's only so many ways to go, there's only so many scars to show, until you believe, don't know way to" suggest that we must keep pushing forward and trying new things if we want to succeed.

Finally, the repeated call to "Hands up, motherfucker!" is a fitting rallying cry for the song, encouraging listeners to raise their hands in the air and celebrate their triumphs and victories.

Line by Line Meaning

Down, down, down
Feeling down and defeated

Never bring us down
Not let anything bring us down

Down, down
Low point in life

Don't bring me down
Don't let anyone bring me down

There's only some many bowls to break
There's only so many things you can destroy

Until you're asleep wide awake
Until you're so worn out and exhausted you can't rest

While everyone else just waits for you
Others expect you to clean up your act

There's only some many ways to go
There are limited options

There's only some many scars to show
There are limited experiences to draw upon

Until you believe, don't know way to.
Until you have faith in yourself, you can't see a clear path

Hands up, motherfucker! (x3)
A call to get pumped and energetic