21st Century Breakdown
21 Guns
Song Meaning
Billie Joe Armstrong (Q Magazine, 2009): "It brings up 21st Century Breakdown in a lot of ways, and the 21-gun-salute for someone that's fallen, but done in an arena rock 'n' roll sort of way."
Billie Joe Armstrong): "It's not written for two people. It's written for about 20,000."
Billie Joe Armstrong): "It's not written for two people. It's written for about 20,000."
Have your own interpretation of "21 Guns"? Leave a comment below.
Lyrics
Do you know what's worth fighting for,
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins.
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone
When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins.
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
When it's not worth dying for?
Does it take your breath away
And you feel yourself suffocating?
Does the pain weigh out the pride?
And you look for a place to hide?
Did someone break your heart inside?
You're in ruins
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
When you're at the end of the road
And you lost all sense of control
And your thoughts have taken their toll
When your mind breaks the spirit of your soul
Your faith walks on broken glass
And the hangover doesn't pass
Nothing's ever built to last
You're in ruins.
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
Did you try to live on your own
When you burned down the house and home?
Did you stand too close to the fire?
Like a liar looking for forgiveness from a stone
When it's time to live and let die
And you can't get another try
Something inside this heart has died
You're in ruins.
One, 21 guns
Lay down your arms
Give up the fight
One, 21 guns
Throw up your arms into the sky,
You and I
3 videos
Videos
Green Day - 21 Guns [Cast Version] (Video)
Green Day - 21 Guns [Official Live]
Live History
Live History
- Total Plays
- 295 times / #25 most played
- Most Recent
- February 6, 2026 San Francisco, CA
- Earliest Known
- April 7, 2009 San Francisco, CA
18 tracks
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Comments
Song Comments