Song Details
- Album Release Date: 2012
- Genre: emo
Song Meaning of “The War at Home” by Handguns
The War at Home by Handguns is an anthem to those who feel like outsiders or different from the mainstream. The war they sing of isn’t a literal one, but rather the internal battle of desperation they feel inside in their everyday lives. The song speaks of a world that is dark and deceiving, where they feel alienated from those around them and their parents don’t understand their feelings. It echoes of an unstoppable strive to make it through the most difficult of times while drowning in a constant stream of despair.
This conflict is poignantly depicted in the opening lines:
“If I’m not alone then why do I feel so scared?
On the outskirts I’m watching the war at home.”
These lyrics set the tone for the way the protagonist in the song feels, stuck in a limbo of being an observer of the conflict, and feeling alone in the process. The war their lyrics allude to is the desire to fit in and be accepted, trying to repress the feelings of sadness and loneliness that seem to become overwhelming.
The chorus is a chorus of desperation and helplessness, and speaks directly to the longings of anyone who has ever wanted to belong and be understood.
“And if I could just feel at home
Instead of feeling so painfully alone
With all these battles that I can’t control
Dear God, let me find a way to know
To make it through this war at home”
The chorus is significant as it makes the point that the war they sing of is won with resilience and understanding, not with violence or hatred. The key to their victory is a belief in themselves and a trust that only time can heal their wounds. They express the feeling that they don’t want to be like those on the outside who don’t understand the struggles they go through each day, but they also don’t want to be scorned by those around them.
The track emits a message of hope to those who feel like the ‘outsiders’, that their struggles will someday be rewarded. It’s a reminder that it’s okay not to fit in and to exist outside of the comfort zone created by society. While there’s no easy solution to home-grown dilemmas, the War at Home serves as a confidence-booster and ode to those who are forging a path on their own.