Wretches and Kings by Linkin Park Lyrics Meaning – A Dissection of Rebellion and Power Dynamics
Lyrics
Makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part
You can’t even passively take part
And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels
Upon the levers, upon all the apparatus
And you’ve got to make it stop
To save face, how low can you go?
Talk a lotta game, but yet you don’t know
Static on the wind, makes us all say whoa
The people up top push the people down low
Get down, and obey every word
Steady, get in line if you haven’t yet heard
Wanna take what I got, don’t be absurd
Don’t fight the power, nobody gets hurt
If you haven’t heard yet, then I’m lettin’ you know
There ain’t shit we don’t run when the guns unload
And no one make a move, unless my people say so
Got everything outta control, now everybody go
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Feel alone, final blow
We, the animals, take control
Hear us now, clear and tall
Wretches and kings, we come for you
So keep face, how slow can you go?
Talk a lotta shit, and yet you don’t know
Fire on the wind, makes you all say whoa
The people up top and the people down low
Get down, and I’m runnin’ it like that
The front of the attack is exactly where I’m at
Somewhere in between the kick and the hi-hat
The pen and the contract, the pitch and the contact
So get with the combat, I’m lettin’ them know
There ain’t shit you can say to make me back down, no
So push the button, let the whole thing blow
Spinning everything outta control, now everybody go
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Feel alone, final blow
We, the animals, take control
Hear us now, clear and tall
Wretches and kings, we come for you
Still alone, fight our blow
Filthy animals beat down low
Steel and bone, black and blue
Run at the sunshine, we come for you
From the front to the back and to side to side
If you feel what I feel, put ’em up real high
Front to the back and the side to side
If you feel what I feel, put ’em up real high
Front to the back and the side to side
If you feel what I feel, put ’em up real high
Front to the back and the side to side
If you feel what I feel, put ’em up real high
Front to the back and the side to side
If you feel what I feel, put ’em up real high
Front to the back and the side to side
If you feel what I feel, put ’em up real high
When the operation of the machine becomes so odious
Makes you so sick at heart, that you can’t take part
You can’t even passively take part
And you’ve got to put your bodies upon the gears and upon the wheels
Upon the levers, upon all the apparatus, and you’ve got to make it stop
And you’ve got to indicate to the people, run in to the people on it
And unless you’re free, the machine will be prevented from working at all
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey, hey
Linkin Park, the band known for amalgamating electronic elements with hard-hitting rock, often painted landscapes with their music that echoed the societal and personal turmoils. ‘Wretches and Kings,’ a track from their fourth studio album ‘A Thousand Suns,’ serves as a gripping manifesto that calls out the dissonance between those who wield power and those who are subjected to it.
The fiery track, loaded with both metaphorical and literal weight, is not just an auditory assault but also a poetic outcry against systemic oppression. It’s in this charged environment where the lyrics solicit a deeper analysis, provoking thoughts on revolution and resistance.
Harnessing the Spirit of Rebellion
The intensity of ‘Wretches and Kings’ is unmistakable from its opening salvo, sampling a speech by activist Mario Savio. It’s a clear nod to the historical struggles against systems of control and an immediate alignment with political insurrection. The energy of the song is not a mere backdrop for rebellion; it is the essence of uprising itself.
Linkin Park uses this song to remind us that, sometimes, change does not come from quiet whispers, but rather through laying one’s passions and efforts directly ‘upon the gears and upon the wheels’ of the oppressive machine. The metaphorical machine in their lyrics sends a powerful message advocating for active resistance.
Analyzing the Power Divide: ‘The People Up Top and The People Down Low’
The binary of ‘the people up top’ and ‘the people down low’ opens a discourse on class struggles and power imbalances. In just one line, the band encapsulates a vast history of social hierarchies and the frustrations bred from such constructs.
This class commentary is both timeless and timely, resonating with the ethos of ‘Occupy’ movements and beyond. The band does not shy away from asserting that the acts of those in power ripple down to create the lived realities of the underprivileged masses.
The Battle Cries Hidden in Plain Sight
At first listen, ‘Wretches and Kings’ may seem like another Linkin Park banger, electrified by their signature sound. But submerged within that electric current are profound nuggets of advocacy that incite listeners to question the status quo.
The call to ‘get down and obey every word’ is laced with irony. The hidden sarcasm serves as a call-to-arms, a reverse psychology, if you will, to do quite the opposite — to stand tall and speak loudly against forces that demand unconditional compliance.
Revisiting the Memorable Lines: Sonic Revolution in Verse
‘Fire on the wind, makes you all say whoa,’ hits with the force of a molotov cocktail to the establishment. These fiery words are crafted to spark the kindling of unrest within the listener, creating a sing-along that doubles as a war chant for the disaffected.
Each mention of the phrase ‘Hey, hey, hey,’ far from being a simple interjection, morphs into an anthemic call, reminiscent of crowds uniting in protest. Through these lines, Linkin Park encapsulates the visceral response of a crowd ignited by shared desire for change.
Uncovering the Anthem for Autonomy
The song culminates as an anthem for autonomy, insisting that freedom is not merely about the absence of control but the presence of a voice. The repetition of ‘if you feel what I feel, put ’em up real high’ isn’t just about solidarity; it’s about visibility and the shared acknowledgment of a collective struggle.
When Linkin Park demands the listener to show resistance, it’s a powerful conclusion to the overarching themes of empowerment, illustrating that the act of raising one’s hand is the first step in dismantling the apparatus that Savio initially condemned. ‘Wretches and Kings’ is a call to be seen, to be heard, and above all, to reclaim power.
