Start a War by The National Lyrics Meaning – Unraveling the Anthem of Disenchanted Expectations
Lyrics
We expected something more
Do you really think you can just put it in a safe
Behind a painting, lock it up and leave?
Do you really think you can just put it in a safe
Behind a painting, lock it up and leave?
Walk away now and you’re gonna start a war
Whatever went away, I’ll get it over now
I’ll get money, I’ll get funny again
Whatever went away, I’ll get it over now
I’ll get money, I’ll get funny again
Walk away now and you’re gonna start a war
We expected something, something better than before
We expected something more
You were always weird but I never had to hold you
By the edges, like I do now
You were always weird but I never had to hold you
By the edges, like I do now
Walk away now and you’re gonna start a war
Whatever went away, I’ll get it over now
I’ll get money, I’ll get funny again
Whatever went away, I’ll get it over now
I’ll get money, I’ll get funny again
Walk away now and you’re gonna start a war
Walk away now and you’re gonna start a war
The National’s ‘Start a War’ captures listeners with its haunting melody and the lyrical prowess of Matt Berninger’s deep baritone. At first glance, the lyrics brood with an air of imminent departure and conflict. Yet, like many of The National’s songs, a deeper dive reveals layered meanings and poignant reflections on the human condition.
It’s a track that holds within its chords a commentary of personal and perhaps societal disappointment, cloaked in the emotive tapestry for which the band is renowned. ‘Start a War’ isn’t just about the discord of a romantic relationship; it unfolds to become a simmering narrative of failed expectations, the potency of evasion, and the consequence of actions.
The National’s Echo of Anticipated More
The recurring line, ‘We expected something, something better than before. We expected something more,’ resonates as a universal sentiment. It’s about the disappointment felt when reality doesn’t align with our aspirations. The National taps into this feeling, juxtaposing a simple life truth against the complex background of a somber melody, the tone of which suggests that these ‘expectations’ are not merely about personal dreams, but perhaps a broader social discontent.
This repeating admission is a raw exposure of vulnerability, made even more profound by Berninger’s voice. Each utterance is an acknowledgment of aspirations unmet and dreams deferred, whether in personal relationships, professional ventures, or the wider sweep of life’s grand design.
Tucking Away Emotions: A Safe or a Pressure Cooker?
‘Do you really think you can just put it in a safe / Behind a painting, lock it up and leave?’ The metaphor of locking away something precious or dangerous behind a facade is striking. The National uses these lines to comment on the common behavior of suppressing emotions or avoiding confrontations, in the hope that problems will dissipate over time.
However, the lyric warns us that such a tactic is akin to kindling for conflict. This imagery suggests an eventual explosion is inevitable, begging the listener to ponder the futility of avoidance and the reality that issues must be addressed, lest they start a ‘war’ when left to fester.
A Return to Former Glory: An Ephemeral Solace?
The lines ‘Whatever went away, I’ll get it over now / I’ll get money, I’ll get funny again’ may sound like a declaration of moving on and a promise of regained happiness and normality. However, Berninger’s delivery couches this claim in an air of defiance that feels more like desperation than genuine renewal.
These lyrics can be read as an acknowledgment of the void left by an unnamed loss, be it love, opportunity, or dreams. This promise to self to recapture a lost essence is laden with the struggle to actually achieve newfound completeness, signaling the human tendency to yearn for the past amidst present difficulty.
The Hidden Meaning: Holding on by a Thread
Berninger’s words, ‘You were always weird but I never had to hold you / By the edges, like I do now,’ plunge us into the dynamics of change within relationships – romantic, platonic, or otherwise. It’s an admission that to sustain bonds, one sometimes must handle the other with extreme caution, as if the slightest misstep might tear the fragile fabric of connection.
This subtle yet profound observation highlights the struggle to maintain a grip on something that’s inherently slipping away, suggesting the unease that accompanies recognizing and adapting to the newfound fragility in someone or something once thought to be unwavering.
The Power of a Promise: ‘Walk Away Now, and You’re Gonna Start a War’
This memorable refrain, ‘Walk away now and you’re gonna start a war,’ serves as a stark ultimatum that echoes with finality. It’s a line that packs a punch with its stark exposition of consequences tied to the act of abandonment – whether leaving a lover, a cause, or one’s beliefs.
This powerful warning operates on multiple levels, intimating the inextricable link between action and reaction, the past and the future, and the self and the other. The National posits it as both threat and fact, a stark revelation that to retreat is not a neutral act but one that guarantees upheaval, aligning with the recurring theme of evading the inevitable.
