Meaning of "Handlebars" by Flobots

its a great song abt the limitless potential each of us is endowed with ..great song

this version is better.

I think it is actually a pro-American song, or at least the possibilities of wat we as Americans could achieve. I mean, U can do anything that u put ur mind to in America wether u wanna take a part a remote control or send out a thousand vaccinations or split the atom of a molecule wheras in other countries in the world this is a novelty. But with great power comes great responibility, as in being able to control the power to “destroy the world in a holocaust." They may be implying that we are starting to lose that control because it is hard to control a bike with no handlebars. Don’t overlook the “I’m proud to be an American” line as simply being satirical. America isn’t that bad, If u think it is the worst country in the world try visiting one of those other countries and tell me wat u think when u get back.

I think this song is saying everyone can do something and has a talent but just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should or that it’s the right thing to do.

It’s my understanding that the song follows the life of a person, so to speak. The person might be an allegory to something else, like a nation, but anyhoo...“I can ride my bike with no handlebars." Completely innocent. Kid riding his bike without touching the handlebars. As the song progresses, the innocence of that action escolates into killing, destruction, and greed. The moral of the song, I guess, is just because he “can” ride his bike with no handlebars, he doesn’t bother to think if he “should” ride his bike with no handlebars.

I think this song is talking about terrorism and how we use the media and propaganda to influence people, like when he talks about leading a country with a microphone. Also it’s talking about how hitler and kim Jong ill and the Chinese guy came to power and that they say they’ll do good with the extra power and it end up being bad. Like it talks about the holocost and launching missles like kim jong. And it doesn’t actually say this but the massacre at teinemin square ( or however you spell it). I mainly think it’s talking about how just a few people, when they get enough power, can cause major deveststion. And I will admit it talks about the atom bomb and how we wiped out japan.

You have to watch the video. It’s about two friends who start off riding their bikes with no handlebars and they get to a fork in the road. One chooses the path of peace (the first few verses in the song). The of chooses the path of control (last few verses in the song).

That’s what it is. It’s about power IMO. People with power abuse the capabilities they are given, whether it’s something as ridiculous and harmless as riding a bike w/o handlebars, wire-tapping, or “ending the world in a holocaust”. Whether or not it’s how they intended, it shows the tendency of people to use power just because they can without much foresight.

i think it means you can do whatever be whatever and see whatever you want (hense over half the lyrics) with being aware of the consequences (like when his freind died because his power got to his head)

songs can take on different meanings to different ppl

to me this song means ppl with power can do many good things, but at the same time can kill and destroy many ppls lives....

in the song it says
I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or let’em all die in exasperation
Have’em all healed of their 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
I can guide a missile by satellite


there it is contratsing between the good and the bad that can be done by ppl

i feel that the song is about humans ability to do simple things, from riding a bike, to being able to desrtoy themselves and the world around them.

i feel that the song conveys the message that humans have all these abilities, from being able to ride a bike, to destroying themselves and the world around them.

point 1- the singer talks about leadin a nation with a microphone. hitler obviously had a great speaking powers attracting the attention of the population of germany, to his “truths” that he spoke.

point 2- he also talks about global, security, nobility, and purity. all of which hitler believed in, he wanted to take over the world. he thought his “kingdom” was secure because of the appeasement of the european countries and the reclusive actions of the US. nobility, because he tool lead like it was natural. purity, he killed so many of the “unpure” jews, gypsies, african americans.

point 3- obviously point 3, is talking about his actions with the gustapo, the genocides, and assassinations which would be necessary to take over some countries.

point 4- the holocaust. obviously it ended the world, in a sense. it ended hitlers dream of “the world”,



I see the strings that control the systems
I can do anything with no assistance
(1)I can lead a nation with a microphone
With a microphone
With a microphone(/1)
I can split the atoms of a molecule
Of a molecule
Of a molecule

Look at me
Look at me
Driving and I won’t stop
And it feels so good to be
Alive and on top
(2)My reach is global
My tower secure
My cause is noble
My power is pure(/2)
I can hand out a million vaccinations
Or (3)let’em all die in exasperation
Have’em all healed of their lacerations
Have’em all killed by assassination
I can make anybody go to prison
Just because I don’t like’em(/3) and
I can do anything with no permission
I have it all under my command
I can guide a missile by satellite
By satellite
By satellite
and I can hit a target through a telescope
Through a telescope
Through a telescope
and (4)I can end the planet in a holocaust
In a holocaust(/4)
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust
In a holocaust

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handle bars
No handlebars

I can ride my bike with no handlebars
No handlebars
No handlebars

this is just my opinion and i dont know if anyone said it yet but what i noticed is he was listing all the things we are capable of doing then i was thinking how many of those things we actually do not that many we tend to be the ones guiding missiles and hitting targets through a telescope and possibly ending the plaent in a holocause but were not handing out vacciantions or leading the nation with a microphone. what i think is they are saying how we do things with force that causes destruction but should be doing things to help

I think its the proggression of the world.

America coming to control-“i can ride my bike with no handlebars”

Technology becomes advanced-“I can see your face on the telephone, I can make money open up a thrift store
I can make a living off a magazine
I can design an engine sixty four
Miles to a gallon of gasoline, I can split the atoms of a molecule”

And the third part startin from “Look at me
Driving and I won’t stop”..to,“and I can end the planet in a holocaust”- shows the power that America has

i think that its about how lazy the world is today. and how much we could get done if we spent less time sitting around doing nothing.
we COULD learn to ride a bike with no handlebars.
we COULD create an underwater computer.
we COULD invent an engine that got 64 miles to the gallon.

and the second part is about how what we do do (hehe i said doodoo ) is all about war, crime, and just plain disagreeing.
“i can put anyone in prison because i dont like them."
“i can start a war with a holocaust”
(i think thats right)
but yeahh.
thats my opinion.

and also i think that jeremiiaaaahhh made a good point.

i believe that this song is talking about the the two different worlds there are one being the corporate world the other being the more peaceful and relaxed world as it shows in the movie the two friends both seem to be completely innocent but as the one in the corporate world grows more rich and powerful he grows more corrupt to the point where the peaceful one stands against him and is killed by his old friend i think this represents how power corrupt even the most innocent

Vote McCain or die