Handlebars (song)
Encyclopedia
"Handlebars" is a song by Flobots
. It was released as the first single from their debut album, Fight with Tools
and is the group's largest success, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
in just less than three weeks after the single's release.
, but was re-released on Fight with Tools
two years later which then led to its single release one year after the release of Fight with Tools.
is endless, but when it comes to taking on a project like ending world hunger, it's seen as outlandish. It's not treated with the same seriousness. [...] at the same time, I knew there were people at that moment who were being bombed by our own country. And I thought that was incredibly powerful." It is the contrast between these "little moments of creativity, these bursts of innovation," and the way these ideas are put to use "to oppress
and destroy people" that the singer feels is both "beautiful and tragic at the same time."
The next part of the song centers on the friend who went the way of the dove. He walks along a cracked sidewalk and sees a chalk drawing depicting the first scene of the video: two children on bicycles with their arms in the air, riding down a hill next to a city. He picks up his phone and sees the corporate friend's face. Here the perspective switches to the other friend, and we see him talking to the peaceful friend on the phone.
The corporate friend hangs up and walks down the street. He lists his accomplishments and they are shown in the video before he stops in front of the same tower that appeared in the beginning of the video. He looks up at it. In the next scene he is completing a transaction with a man in a board room. A graph, clearly of profits, zigzags up a board with the corporate logo on it before ending in what looks like a spatter of blood. The camera zooms out and we see that he was inside the tower. He then gives a speech behind a podium which is broadcast on television. The background changes from the original corporate image into two American flags. The other friend sees it and shakes his head disappointedly.
The scene then cuts to the world being more bleak and oppressive, with security cameras and smokestacks, emblazoned with the corporate logo, spewing toxic fumes into the air. A scene features the dove being killed by an eagle, and a fighter jet soars overhead.
In the next sequence, the previously peaceful friend begins rallying a crowd of oppressed-looking people. We see a man wearing a bandana spray an X over a poster with a picture of the now-dictator-like friend on it, and then the word "LIAR" below that. We then see a crowd of people, led by the rebellious friend, advancing on the tower. They are stopped by a line of heavily-armed riot-control officers, with shields displaying a fist and submachine guns, who proceed to kill the entire crowd. The bandana wearing man is killed first by a sniper, following many more deaths. The corporate friend looks on in horror as he sees his friend shot down dead and lying on the floor.
The video ends with a flashback
of the two friends pedaling off riding with no handlebars crisscrossing into a bright light.
Several times in the video, the dove as a symbol is destroyed. Once an actual dove is killed by an eagle. The second time a wall with a dove painted on it, located next to a billboard displaying the corporate symbol and a cityscape again featuring the tower, is destroyed by a wrecking ball
. In addition, we see an eagle fly over the head of the corporate friend when he is walking down the street.
Another reference made within the video is to Che Guevara
, an iconic revolutionist. This can be seen when the oppressed friend is rallying a crowd, an image of Guevara's face appears on an overweight man's yellow t-shirt.
Arguably, there is also a reference to Bloody Sunday
when the peaceful protesters are marching. They are gunned down by guards in a similar fashion as to that of the marchers in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Bloody Sunday in 1905. Another reference is seen during the massacre seen of a flashing image similar to that which represented the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse. The image particular to the iconic image of Satar Jabar.
. Fueled by radio airplay, including six straight weeks at the top of KROQ's
most played list, it was the first single since Semisonic's
"Closing Time
" to chart in the top ten so quickly.
It has had similar success on the digital landscape, having over 7,700,000 total plays on the band's MySpace.com page and over a substantial 17 million views on YouTube. Digital download purchases have placed the song at #4 on certain rap and hip-hop charts on Amazon.com
.
"Handlebars" has also performed well on the Billboard charts
. Peaking at number three on the Modern Rock Tracks
chart, number twenty-two on the Hot Digital Songs
chart, number thirty-five on the Pop 100
chart, number thirty-seven on the Hot 100 chart, number sixty-three on the Canadian Hot 100
On September 7, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
at #35 on downloads alone and has so far peaked at #14.
7" vinyl
Guest musicians
Flobots
The Flobots are a political rock and hip hop musical group from Denver, Colorado, formed in 2000 by Jamie Laurie. Flobots found mainstream success with their major label debut Fight with Tools , featuring the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio in April 2008.-Early...
. It was released as the first single from their debut album, Fight with Tools
Fight with Tools
Fight with Tools is the debut album by Flobots released in October 2007 and re-released on May 20, 2008. It features the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio the following April...
and is the group's largest success, peaking at #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
in just less than three weeks after the single's release.
Background
"Handlebars" was written and recorded in 2005, it was originally recorded for their first EP, Flobots Present...PlatypusFlobots Present...Platypus
Flobots Present... Platypus is the first EP by the band Flobots, released in 2005.The song "Handlebars" was re-recorded and re-released two years later for their next album, Fight with Tools...
, but was re-released on Fight with Tools
Fight with Tools
Fight with Tools is the debut album by Flobots released in October 2007 and re-released on May 20, 2008. It features the single "Handlebars", which became a popular hit on Modern Rock radio the following April...
two years later which then led to its single release one year after the release of Fight with Tools.
Theme
Jamie Laurie stated that the song "is about the idea that we have so much incredible potential as human beings to be destructive or to be creative." "And it's tragic to me that the appetite for military innovationMilitary science
Military science is the process of translating national defence policy to produce military capability by employing military scientists, including theorists, researchers, experimental scientists, applied scientists, designers, engineers, test technicians, and military personnel responsible for...
is endless, but when it comes to taking on a project like ending world hunger, it's seen as outlandish. It's not treated with the same seriousness. [...] at the same time, I knew there were people at that moment who were being bombed by our own country. And I thought that was incredibly powerful." It is the contrast between these "little moments of creativity, these bursts of innovation," and the way these ideas are put to use "to oppress
Oppression
Oppression is the exercise of authority or power in a burdensome, cruel, or unjust manner. It can also be defined as an act or instance of oppressing, the state of being oppressed, and the feeling of being heavily burdened, mentally or physically, by troubles, adverse conditions, and...
and destroy people" that the singer feels is both "beautiful and tragic at the same time."
Music video
The video for the song is animated. It starts out lighthearted, showing two young friends sitting on a hill looking over a city. Prominent in the city is a crystalline tower with part of its framework showing. The friends ride their bikes down the hill without their hands on the handlebars, while one smiles widely. They arrive at a sign that points in two directions, one labeled with a corporate-looking symbol, and the other labeled by a dove. They hug and head their separate ways, the one who originally smiled taking the path of the dove.The next part of the song centers on the friend who went the way of the dove. He walks along a cracked sidewalk and sees a chalk drawing depicting the first scene of the video: two children on bicycles with their arms in the air, riding down a hill next to a city. He picks up his phone and sees the corporate friend's face. Here the perspective switches to the other friend, and we see him talking to the peaceful friend on the phone.
The corporate friend hangs up and walks down the street. He lists his accomplishments and they are shown in the video before he stops in front of the same tower that appeared in the beginning of the video. He looks up at it. In the next scene he is completing a transaction with a man in a board room. A graph, clearly of profits, zigzags up a board with the corporate logo on it before ending in what looks like a spatter of blood. The camera zooms out and we see that he was inside the tower. He then gives a speech behind a podium which is broadcast on television. The background changes from the original corporate image into two American flags. The other friend sees it and shakes his head disappointedly.
The scene then cuts to the world being more bleak and oppressive, with security cameras and smokestacks, emblazoned with the corporate logo, spewing toxic fumes into the air. A scene features the dove being killed by an eagle, and a fighter jet soars overhead.
In the next sequence, the previously peaceful friend begins rallying a crowd of oppressed-looking people. We see a man wearing a bandana spray an X over a poster with a picture of the now-dictator-like friend on it, and then the word "LIAR" below that. We then see a crowd of people, led by the rebellious friend, advancing on the tower. They are stopped by a line of heavily-armed riot-control officers, with shields displaying a fist and submachine guns, who proceed to kill the entire crowd. The bandana wearing man is killed first by a sniper, following many more deaths. The corporate friend looks on in horror as he sees his friend shot down dead and lying on the floor.
The video ends with a flashback
Flashback (narrative)
Flashback is an interjected scene that takes the narrative back in time from the current point the story has reached. Flashbacks are often used to recount events that happened before the story’s primary sequence of events or to fill in crucial backstory...
of the two friends pedaling off riding with no handlebars crisscrossing into a bright light.
Several times in the video, the dove as a symbol is destroyed. Once an actual dove is killed by an eagle. The second time a wall with a dove painted on it, located next to a billboard displaying the corporate symbol and a cityscape again featuring the tower, is destroyed by a wrecking ball
Wrecking ball
A wrecking ball is a heavy steel ball, usually hung from a crane, that is used for demolishing large buildings. It was most common during the 1950s and 1960s. Several wrecking companies claim to have invented the wrecking ball...
. In addition, we see an eagle fly over the head of the corporate friend when he is walking down the street.
Another reference made within the video is to Che Guevara
Che Guevara
Ernesto "Che" Guevara , commonly known as el Che or simply Che, was an Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, intellectual, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist...
, an iconic revolutionist. This can be seen when the oppressed friend is rallying a crowd, an image of Guevara's face appears on an overweight man's yellow t-shirt.
Arguably, there is also a reference to Bloody Sunday
Bloody Sunday (1905)
Bloody Sunday was a massacre on in St. Petersburg, Russia, where unarmed, peaceful demonstrators marching to present a petition to Tsar Nicholas II were gunned down by the Imperial Guard while approaching the city center and the Winter Palace from several gathering points. The shooting did not...
when the peaceful protesters are marching. They are gunned down by guards in a similar fashion as to that of the marchers in St. Petersburg, Russia, on Bloody Sunday in 1905. Another reference is seen during the massacre seen of a flashing image similar to that which represented the Abu Ghraib prisoner abuse. The image particular to the iconic image of Satar Jabar.
Reception
The song found success on alternative stations in the summer of 2008, which also experienced crossover success. The song is notable for its extremely high request count.Chart performance
On May 1, 2008, the song peaked at #3 on the Billboard Modern Rock TracksModern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
. Fueled by radio airplay, including six straight weeks at the top of KROQ's
KROQ-FM
KROQ-FM — branded 106.7 KROQ — is a commercial modern rock radio station licensed to Pasadena, California serving the Greater Los Angeles. The call sign is pronounced "kay rock." It is the flagship station of Loveline hosted by Dr...
most played list, it was the first single since Semisonic's
Semisonic
Semisonic is an American alternative rock band formed in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1995. The band consisted of three members: Dan Wilson , John Munson , and Jacob Slichter...
"Closing Time
Closing Time (Semisonic song)
"Closing Time" is the title of a song by American alternative rock band Semisonic. It was released in March 1998 as the lead single from their album Feeling Strangely Fine. One of the band's most popular songs, it was written by Dan Wilson and produced by Nick Launay. The song was nominated for the...
" to chart in the top ten so quickly.
It has had similar success on the digital landscape, having over 7,700,000 total plays on the band's MySpace.com page and over a substantial 17 million views on YouTube. Digital download purchases have placed the song at #4 on certain rap and hip-hop charts on Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
.
"Handlebars" has also performed well on the Billboard charts
Billboard charts
The Billboard charts tabulate the relative weekly popularity of songs or albums in the United States. The results are published in Billboard magazine...
. Peaking at number three on the Modern Rock Tracks
Modern Rock Tracks
Alternative Songs is a music chart in the United States that has appeared in Billboard magazine since September 10, 1988. It lists the 40 most-played songs on modern rock radio stations, most of which are alternative rock songs...
chart, number twenty-two on the Hot Digital Songs
Hot Digital Songs
The Hot Digital Songs chart ranks the best-selling digital singles in the United States, according to Billboard.Beginning in February 2005, digital sales have been incorporated into many of Billboards music single charts. It was decided to do so mainly because of the dramatic rise in popularity of...
chart, number thirty-five on the Pop 100
Pop 100
The Pop 100 was a songs chart that debuted in February 2005 and was released weekly by Billboard magazine in the United States until its discontinuation in 2009...
chart, number thirty-seven on the Hot 100 chart, number sixty-three on the Canadian Hot 100
Canadian Hot 100
The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007...
On September 7, 2008, the song entered the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart
The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ...
at #35 on downloads alone and has so far peaked at #14.
| Chart (2008) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Alternative Songs |
3 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Pop Songs |
30 |
| U.S. Billboard Billboard (magazine) Billboard is a weekly American magazine devoted to the music industry, and is one of the oldest trade magazines in the world. It maintains several internationally recognized music charts that track the most popular songs and albums in various categories on a weekly basis... Hot 100 |
37 |
| UK Singles Chart UK Singles Chart The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official Charts Company on behalf of the British record-industry. The full chart contains the top selling 200 singles in the United Kingdom based upon combined record sales and download numbers, though some media outlets only list the Top 40 or the Top 75 ... |
14 |
| New Zealand Singles Chart New Zealand New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga... |
26 |
| Canadian Hot 100 Canadian Hot 100 The Canadian Hot 100 is a music singles popularity chart issued weekly by Billboard magazine which ranks songs in Canada. The chart debuted in the Billboard issue dated June 16, 2007 and was made available for the first time via their online services on June 7, 2007... |
63 |
Track listing
Compact Disc- "Handlebars" - 3:27
- "Rise" - 4:10
7" vinyl
- "Handlebars" - 3:27
- "Handlebars" (DJ ShadowDJ ShadowJoshua Paul Davis better known as DJ Shadow is an American music producer, DJ and songwriter. He is considered a prominent figure in the development of instrumental hip hop and first gained notice with the release of his highly acclaimed debut album Endtroducing....., which was constructed...
Remix) - 4:03
Personnel
Flobots- Jamie "Jonny 5" Laurie – vocals
- Brer Rabbit – vocals
- Jesse Walker – electric bass
- Andy "Rok" Guerrero – guitar
- Mackenzie Roberts – violaViolaThe viola is a bowed string instrument. It is the middle voice of the violin family, between the violin and the cello.- Form :The viola is similar in material and construction to the violin. A full-size viola's body is between and longer than the body of a full-size violin , with an average...
- Kenny Ortiz – drums
Guest musicians
- Joe Ferrone – trumpet