Every time I hear Linkin Park’s “Hands Held High”, I think of how this one song can probably imply to every war this country has gone through and possibly relate to a lot of people who have experience a loss to war. When Mike Shinoda states “Like this war’s really just a different brand of war/ Like it doesn’t cater the rich and abandon poor/ Like they understand you in the back of the jet/ When you can’t put gas in your tank /These fuckers are laughing their way to the bank and cashing the check/Asking you to have compassion and have some respect/,” I realize that corporate world has really screwed us over for years and that really don’t care. It seems like even the President gets a kick of being in a war and it is not fair for the rest of America who is being affected. Also how the drum in the background sounds like a military march illustrates a war scene. This is a very somber song that can probably be played in any movie about war or it can simply be the anthem to our economic status and our war in the Middle East.
This song was created for many reasons. Mainly, everyone can relate to this song because we all feel betrayed by the Bush administration in one way or another. I love how the song sounds like a prayer or cry for help when the singer (Chester Bennington) sings “Amen” in between choruses. Other people might hear this song and reject it because it is very depressing and people might not want to be reminded of what this country has been through. What is represented in this songs is Mike Shinoda’s opinion of what he see’s and how it has affected his family. It is his only biased because there is no background representing sources he has learned to present this. I think this is a good song because many people can relate to it and it is being sent just for that purpose; so the public can have something to relate and realize that they are not alone.
