P.O.D. - Youth Of The Nation
P.O.D. - Youth Of The Nation Lyrics
Send Youth Of The Nation Ringtone to your Cell 
Last day of the rest of my life
I wish I would have known 'cause I'd have kissed my Momma goodbye
I didn't tell her that I loved her or how much I cared or thank my
Pops for all the talks and all the wisdom he shared
Unaware I just did what I always do
Everyday the same routine before I skate off to school
But who knew that this day wasn't like the rest
Instead of takin' the test I took two to the chest
Call me blind but I didn't see it comin' and
Everybody was runnin' but I couldn't
Hear nothin except gun blast it happened so fast
I didn't really know this kid though I sat by him in cla*s
May be this kid was reachin' out for love or
May be for a moment he forgot who he was or
May be this kid just wanted to be hugged
Whatever it was I know it's because
We are we are
(We are)
The youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are)
Youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are)
The youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are)
Youth of the nation
Little Suzzie she was only twelve
She was given the world with every chance to excel
Hang with the boys and hear the stories they tell
She might act kind a proud but no respect for herself
She finds love in all the wrong places
The same situations but different faces
Changed up her pace since her daddy left her
Too bad he never told her she deserved much better
Johnny boy always played the fool
He broke all the rules so you would think he was cool
He was never really one of the guys
No matter how hard he tried
With the thought of suicide
It's kind a hard when you ain't got no friends
He put his life to an end they might remember him then
You cross a line and there is no turnin' back
He told the world how he felt with the sound of a gat
We are we are
(We are)
The youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are)
Youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are)
The youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are)
Youth of the nation
Who's to blame for the life that tragedies claim?
No matter what you say it won't take away the pain
That I feel inside I'm tired of all the lies
Don't nobody know
Why it's the blind leadin' the blind?
Guess that's the way that the story goes
Will it ever make sense somebody's gotta know
There's gotta be more to life than this
There's got to be more to everythin' I thought exists
We are we are
The youth of the nation
We are we are
Youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are we are)
The youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are we are)
Youth of the nation
We are we are
(We are we are)
Youth of the nation
(Youth of the nation)
We are we are
(We are we are)
Youth of the nation
(Youth of the nation)
We are we are
(We are we are)
Youth of the nation
(Youth of the nation)
We are we are
(We are we are)
Youth of the nation
(Youth of the nation)
We are
Youth of the nation
We are
Youth of the nation
We are
Youth of the nation
We are
In the chorus ''We are the youth of the nation'', P.O.D emphasizes that the nation's youth and therefore its hope and future consists of those miserable teenagers described above, questioning whose fault this is: ''Whos to blame'' (28) and if there will ever be a shelter from all the pain young people are going through.
Although P.O.D actually is a metal-band, regarding this particular song, I would say that a rap group like the Furious Five could have had an influence on them. I can hear their influence in the song because they deal with the ghetto life of teenagers and they give their political opinion. They have very similar topics and might even have the same message as P.O.D. In addition, Furious Five raps and all of the lyrics of the song ''Youth of the nation'', except for the chorus, are rapped.
In line 30 the lyrics refer to political leaders and their weaknesses and inability to lead a nation and take care of the nation's youth: ''why it's the blind leading the blind''.
Line 28, ''Whos to blame for the life that tragedies claim'', can be used for a religious reference because a lot of people blame God for their tragedies in life. But political authorities could also be blamed, or the young people's parents. The songwriter deliberately states a question in this line, to make the audience think about whose fault the tragedies are.
Another reference to religion is clarified in the very end of the song, saying that ''there's got to be more to everything I thought exists''.This is a definite hint at the invisible, parallel world of angels and demons and the God who we can not see yet. Especially because we know that the band is a Christian band, we can be sure that they are talking about God in this section.
The first poetic device in the song is an elegiac: ''I wish I would have known'' (1). It shows the sadness and desperation of the student.
A metaphor in the lyrics can be found in line 30: ''the blind leading the blind''. The blindness represents the unawareness, foolishness and naivety of both leaders and the ones who are lead. Of course the people are not really blind. But the result still are the tragedies of teenagers.
A simile comparing the exceptional day of the killing spree at the student's school is given: ''this day wasn't like the rest'' (6)
The period of Modernism is more represented in the lyrics than Postmodernism.
For example, the idea that life and all the suffering in life have a purpose, which is a modernist thought, is given in the lyrics: ''Will it ever make sense/ There's gotta be more to life'' (31, 33). The songwriter is convinced that life is designed by someone (God) and talks about the contradiction between the good purpose of God and the pain of our youth.
Another idea of Modernism is the celebration of what is normal and the thought that everything ''fits in''. Stanza 2 tells us about the boy Johnny who committed suicide because he tried so hard and could never fit in the group of friends he wanted: ''He was never really one of the guys no matter how hard he tried'' (22).
In addition, Modernism represents the normal routine. The student who was in his normal day pattern is now disturbed and hurt by the killing spree at his school:
Everyday the same routine before I skate off to school but who k new that
this day wasn't like the rest, instead of takin' the test I took two to the chest