Meaning of "Handlebars" by Flobots

I think it is simply about how power corrupts.

ramunematt wrote: What do you think is?

It means that one person can start with a innovation like riding a bike without holding the handelbars to either helping or destroying humanity and the world

PS3KICKS360 wrote: I am a celebrity for all those gay porno’s I do in my spare time

I think that the song is about how humans are so full of themselves. Yes, that is related to the government. But.. You have to look past the government. We humans have it in our head that we can do anything. That kind of mindset leads to power and destruction.

I wish i knew how to explain what i mean a little bit better. But yeah. I think its just about how humans are so.. I don’t know. All of the things that we do. We brag about. Humans are... attention whores.

Man. Ok. this probably makes no sense. But.. hopefully someone will understand what I’m trying to say.

This song is about as cool as AIDS

Jacksane is a GENIUS i tell you!!!
Call me

i was also sorta thinkin the same thing as imurlilxfantasi when i first heard the song...bush is leading the world with one microphone..good or bad...its being done...the government is corrupt..all the technology is ludacris when other things should be taken care of...instead of everyone worrying about “look at my cool new cellphone” hence “I can see your face on the telephone”

I agree with everyones post. They all have good points. I personally think its about how anyone can become powerful just from being able to do lots of small things. I actually think there are lots of hidden messages in this song.

This song is about America. We are a young country who started out small...riding bikes with no handle bars...and enjoyed the attention it gave us. We realized how simple power was to obtain and we exploited our knowledge to an unheard of extent. We saw how quickly and easily power could be obtained. this is shown through the abruptness of the song when it quickly changes from a mood of self confidence to a sense of arrogance and power. When it states that “I can split the atom of a molecule” it is speaking about the atom bomb and the power that it was over other people and nations. We are quickly to threaten other people that threaten our power and we will do anything to keep our strength and supremacy over others. The top is a good feeling, and that is where the united states lies.

Although this may sound bad, this is what sets our nation and culture apart from other countries. our drive and determination to acheive the most we can and our need for power makes us a strong country continuously evolving to adapt to the global situation. The world is about survival of the fittest, and only with this attitude will you achieve something in life.

The song is about slow rise to power as you make descisions in your life, as you see in the video anyone can reach these limits if they are willing to pay the price, the video shows the narrator in 2 forms, one of a corporate background, one jus a kid. he seperates at a fork in the road, the kid goes towards the dove, Peace and Morality, the business man goes towards a Symbol that is the letter C, for corporate. The video continues on showing the kid taking care of the poor and forgotten as the business man is successful but still doing good like making medicine, but then he finds how to split atoms, rises to the top of his business then the business turns to President, his company towers over the city and controls all, He has cameras watching everything until people start rising up. Slowly more and more die and the business man finally realizes how his power has corrupted him as he watches his bestfriend, the kid, shot down. This happens to be when the song sings about a Holacaust. The business man then remembers the time they rode together, with no handlebars... the song is bout how a man gave up morality for power and destroyed his world, he started off right but slowly became corrupted and it cost him the price of his bestfriend’s life to realize his corruption... the song shows why you should have morals

I belive that it about both the power of the goverment and how lives can differ so much, kind of like a poem written by Robert Frost.

i think its about with power comes with resposibility and like learning first riding a bike with no handle bars than making a comic book and keeps gettin more power like a holocaust or a assination i really love this song

i think its about with power comes with resposibility and like learning first riding a bike with no handle bars than making a comic book and keeps gettin more power and you have a greed for it which ends up like a holocaust or a assination i really love this song it makes me sad but happy

This song has such a huge message it is so amazing. But it doesnt only have one certain message, it has so many different messages. I thought at first that it was about how we can start of doing the most simple things like riding a bike with no handle bars or making a comic book or keeping a beat with no metronome, and then gaining more skill and more power from it all like leading a nation and being able to split a molecule. Then it goes on to having so much power you dont know where to stop and you become addicted to the power and the thought of power. to me it is about how our life choices make up who we are and what path we travel. This song is so so so deep.

this song is amazing. I love the way it starts off with the creepy half-whisper “I can ride my bike with no handlebars” - as if there is something more sinister to come from that seemingly innocent show of skill.

to me, that first lyric pans out to represent an arrogant and scary attitude of America towards the rest of the world.

“I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let’em all die in exasperation
Have’em all grilled leavin lacerations
Have’em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don’t like’em and
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command”

flobots are wondering at and scared by the power the dominant have - the power to play with lives, to save a million lives or let them die depending on our fancy, to assasinate who we want, to end the planet in a nuclear holocaust. They draw this out from such a global level (I can guide a missile by satellite) to such a seemingly innocent activity as riding a bike, at the beginning and end, and seem to ask the question whether one really should ride their bike without handlebars (have free dominion over the world) simply because he can.

this song is amazing. I love the way it starts off with the creepy half-whisper “I can ride my bike with no handlebars” - as if there is something more sinister to come from that seemingly innocent show of skill.

to me, that first lyric pans out to represent an arrogant and scary attitude of America towards the rest of the world.

“I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let’em all die in exasperation
Have’em all grilled leavin lacerations
Have’em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don’t like’em and
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command”

flobots are wondering at and scared by the power the dominant have - the power to play with lives, to save a million lives or let them die depending on our fancy, to assasinate who we want, to end the planet in a nuclear holocaust. They draw this out from such a global level (I can guide a missile by satellite) to such a seemingly innocent activity as riding a bike, at the beginning and end, and seem to ask the question whether one really should ride their bike without handlebars (have free dominion over the world) simply because he can.

this song is about a boy that try’s everything to impress people but nothing works so he keeps going bigger and bigger until he tries to play god which is when then mention the holocost...Dee Dee Dee

I love this song. I think it is about two people(best friends, brothers, father and son, etc.) That were together young- when he learned he could ride with no handlebars. They had to go there separate ways. One of the guys wants to prove to he other he’ll be okay- I can see your face on the telephone, I could make money, etc. Then he discovershe has more power than he once realized- I could lead a naion with a microphone, I could make new antibiotics, etc. Then he is consumed by his own power- launch a missel, holocaust ect.

so...basicly i think the song is about how humans are enevitably consumed by power.

i agree with de.luxe not jacksane it completely has to do with the government and their ovewhelming display of power and how they use it in ways for their advantage not the citizens

I think the song is basically about someone always wanting to strive and accomplishing things. The dude had good intentions but soon those same intentions got in the way of his ever growing power, so he had to choose between whats is right and what brought him more power.

From reading these posts below and stuff, Everyone has there own opinion’s on this song and no one is wrong. This song has alot of meaning and is pretty powerful.

My opinion is that when it says:
I can ride my bike with no handlebars,
no handlebars,
no handlebars.

That he could control his life with nothing guiding him.
Between the two friends. One was being controlled and went
corporate. The other free and able to accomplish anything without anyone guiding him.

The corporate friend was able to control the other’s and control the world. The other took his life in hand and lived for what he believed in and wanted to do not ever being told.

I can’t say all of my opinion on the entire song because it would take up quite a bit. Since it has alot of meaning. But it is a beautiful song.