Hold onto chance
Lest we bleed ourselves
Then save for the pets
They're the loneliest

Put into jars
We'll save this earth
Put into jars
We'll save this earth

We can't both become the same pawn
That's made to fall
Oil that tastes like blood
Stole the summer scent from me to you
You're stabbing me through you
You're stabbing you through him
And betting most of this world
We'll add enough of the whole world

Steal from yourselves
It never felt so good
And feed from their hand
Confused by opposites

Put into jars
We'll save this earth
Put into jars
Keep safe this earth

We can't both become the same pawn
That's made to fall
Oil that tastes like blood
Stole the summer scent from me to you
You're stabbing me through you
You're stabbing you through him
And betting most of this world
We'll add enough of the whole world
This world
We'll add enough of the whole world

Feeling manic for a day
Depends on the trend
Depends on the surface
If the sun never sets

We can't both become the same pawn
That's made to fall
Oil that tastes like blood
Stole the summer scent from me to you
You're stabbing me through you
You're stabbing you through him
And betting most of this world
We'll add enough of the whole world

Is the main thing you'll shout 'til the bitter end
Into jars

About This Song

"Jars" is a haunting meditation on environmental destruction and humanity's futile attempts to preserve what we've already poisoned. The song uses the metaphor of collecting specimens in jars-a desperate, almost childlike gesture to "save this earth"-to explore how we compartmentalize and contain nature rather than truly protecting it. Lyrically, the track delves into themes of complicity and interconnected harm, with lines about oil tasting like blood and people "stabbing" through one another, suggesting how environmental damage creates a web of mutual destruction. The fragmented, cryptic verses mirror the confusion and helplessness many feel when confronting ecological collapse, while the repeated jar imagery evokes both scientific preservation and the kind of specimen collecting that distances us from living ecosystems. Musically, Chevelle delivers this message through their signature heavy, atmospheric sound-dense guitar work and Pete Loeffler's strained vocals create a sense of suffocation that perfectly complements the lyrical themes. The production maintains the band's post-grunge heaviness while incorporating more experimental elements that reflect the album's sci-fi concept. The song resonated with listeners during a period of growing environmental awareness, offering a darker, more abstract take on climate anxiety than typical protest songs. Rather than offering solutions or hope, "Jars" captures the psychological weight of living in an era where preservation often feels like a hollow gesture against overwhelming destruction.

Comments (53)

  • Anonymous
    I think this is pretty accurate. Luckily, this is one Chevelle song that is a little easier to interpret. I can't wait for their yet-to-be released album Sci-Fi Crimes!
  • Anonymous
    Great song..! I can't wait for the next album..! September feels so far away..? But yet so close..
  • Anonymous
    I saw then live in Gilford, NH they played Jars, and another new song of theirs too. they were wicked good! I suggest if anyone has a chance go see them! I can't wait for the next album.
  • Anonymous
    Not exactly a complex song especially for Chevelle. Any band that'd present this to a record company wouldn't get signed.
  • Anonymous
    i love this song it is my fav cant stop listing to it and i cant wait for mayhem fest tommrow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • Anonymous
    every chevelle song just sounds different than anything else. Their lyrics are just awesome and really get people to think outside than other songs that just come out and say what the song is about. Chevelle is the best band in the world!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! buy Sci-Fi Crimes!!!!
  • Anonymous
    I dont get it? Im a Chevelle fan but this song is just a little too hard for me to take seriously... Jars thats as bad as naming your band corn
  • Anonymous
    yeah i was at krackathon in syracuse NY and they played this and it was amazing, ofcourse i was moshing the whole time but what ev.
  • Anonymous
    What a lot of people don't know about Chevelle...is that they started as a Christian band. The "jars" that they are referring to are in the bible. Look it up. Like the badass song "The Clincher"..if you've ever read the lyrics to it, it's plain as day. They are talking about the blood of Jesus Christ saturating the Earth. You can say whatever you want about Chevelle, but they brought Christian music into your stereo without you even knowing it.:)
  • Anonymous
    Not the most complex song in the world, as has been mentioned, but energetic as all hell. Pete's been slowly stepping up his vocal game bit by bit with each album, and it shows in this song, particularly with the melodic growling in the bridge. It's a lot more tastefully done this time around. Can't wait to hear the next album.
  • Anonymous
    muy buena cancion, los escucho desde Vena sera. Con su nuevo rock alternativo me es my agradable andarlo escuchando en mis ratos libres.
  • Anonymous
    what's this song about?????? - really, I'm clueless, what exactly is it about???????
  • Anonymous
    Yeah they put on kick ass live shows I was at K-Rockathon a few weeks ago and they were awesome
  • Anonymous
    this song is about how environmentalist are trying to save the Earth by "putting it into Jars"
  • Anonymous
    I think they are talking about obtaining oil through bloodshed and putting that oil into barrels and storing it greedily.
  • Anonymous
    Don't really care what the Lyrics mean! The band f*ing rocks and thats good enough for me. I saw them @ The Austin Music Hall ,austin.tx and they was the sh**......
  • Anonymous
    Yeah its about the war over the oil using bloodshed and not caring who is getting hurt and that we are slowly killing the earth it just a matter of time..... lets see the government fix it....YEAH SURE!!!!!when hell freezes over.
  • Anonymous
    I saw them a few months ago at Earthday Birthday, they were absolutely amazing, I love Chevelle, this isn't one of my favorite songs by them but it's still good! :)
  • Anonymous
    they were just at mobiles bayfest and they completly stole the show no one topped them not even close
  • Anonymous
    Good song. I think it is about how we are destroying the planet (and fighting over resources) at the expense of the next generation. Also that people only pretend to care about the planet because there's a cool new "green" trend. Just my thoughts though, there's no right answer.
  • Anonymous
    Love this album!!! Watched Chevelle live at Sokol Auditorium in Omaha. Listen to Highlands Apparition also.
  • Anonymous
    I loooove this song. Pete is soooo hot and has a really sexy voice. i think the message is that we are trying to win the war (which is over oil and oil only) at the expense of ignoring global issues. very cool though, hope they never stop making songs!!!!
  • Anonymous
    It's obvious that this song refers to the socio-economic conditions of Third World nations and how the intervention of nuclear war could help us in ridding the planet of these sub-human scum and their terrorist policies of inter breeding. yeah.
  • Anonymous
    "What a lot of people don't know about Chevelle...is that they started as a Christian band. The "jars" that they are referring to are in the bible. Look it up. Like the badass song "The Clincher"..if you've ever read the lyrics to it, it's plain as day. They are talking about the blood of Jesus Christ saturating the Earth. You can say whatever you want about Chevelle, but they brought Christian music into your stereo without you even knowing it.:)" I would thumbs down the living shit out of this comment. Will you all stop writing off bands as Christian? It's fucking annoying. Don't get me wrong, it is your right to interpret the song as you please; that's what's so great about art. It can be what you want it to be. But just slapping that bullshit label on every band really gets under my skin. Not once have I ever seen or heard anything about Chevelle proclaiming themselves a Christian band. You wanna slap the Jesus' menstrual blood label on something, do it to the actual genre of Christian rock.
  • Anonymous
    LOL. I love reading everyone's comments. I understand what you're saying about people labeling this or that as Christian music. However, I find it amusing that my very first Chevelle album was purchased at a Christian book store. Not saying it means anything, but it's a funny fact. :) Music is artistic and open to many interpretations.
  • Anonymous
    The song is about how it is a joke to try and save the environment. its saying that your pretty much putting the earth into jars and saving it for later ...
  • Anonymous
    i've seen them live and they are not happy people, all there saying is that their pissed off that the world isn't being saved by God or whoever, they just want everyone to be a collective so they can get someones attention.
  • Anonymous
    THE SONG IS ABOUT PEOPLES CONSUMPTION AND NEED TO SATISFY THEIR HUNGER!!! PEOPLE CANT LET GO LIKE WILSON THE BALL TO THE CASTAWAY...ALL THE SHIT WE GO THROUGH IS BECAUSE OF US!! WE ARE GOD ON EARTH, HOW CAN WE SAVE THE EARTH IF WE POLLUTE IT?myspace.com/rugerbuster
  • MATTHEWGD
    sounds like people clashing and competing for the same thing... the right to have the satisfaction of owning the keep and doing anything desperately to get it even if it means being owned as keep...consumption and greed consuming the earth to drive on becomes a bloody road to get the oils to drive on. humans are adapted to this tragedy and will continue until oblivion- its pretty deep.
  • Anonymous
    They did not start out as a Christian band, they were first signed at a Christian Rock Label, but then they left there because Pete and Chevelle said that a rock stage is not a pedostil to preach.""
  • Anonymous
    Chevelle aren't a Christian band. Get over it people. If they were, they wouldn't swear in their songs and they would actually write a few songs about god, which they do not. Never have. Just because he writes poetically, doesn't mean it's a reference from the bible. Pete said himself, he does not use his music as a means of preaching religious beliefs, and that they were signed to a Christian label by accident for their first release Point #1. End of story. Pete also said himself, this song is "kind of play on words. It's saving the environment. It's a joke about saving the environment and it's about literally taking the earth, and putting it into jars to save it for later. It's very tongue in cheek."
  • Anonymous
    it's a good song but there are too many people speaking for chevelle, let them explain it's meaning.
  • Anonymous
    for sure as stated on 98 rock in baltimore the song is about just that...saving the world into jars. the band said it was more of a mind story of a old man ( earth ) that saved the " earth " into jars..there words
  • Anonymous
    the song is about the downside of going green, not about saving it.
  • Anonymous
    I think its about lost love. thats so impossible he cant escape even if he wants to. when they left she jumped into another relationship and its just to make her feel wanted again,and it kills him to see her hurt and with another man. he thinks that it will be enough if he lets her go and has his anger to keep him company. but thats just my sad romantic thots. the world thing is probably right.
  • Anonymous
    Wow, you guys are pretty ridic... Not every song ever has a Christian meaning. I am a Christian, and I encourage it. But there are people that aren't, and just because you are doesn't mean you have the right to say a song is actually a Christian song or not! Skillet, is a kickbutt Christian band, and so is Flyleaf, and they are Christian bands!!!! A lot of people like to believe the song "Savior" by Rise Against is a Christian song, and it is not. I've heard interviews on the song and it isn't. Being said, you have your right to your own opinion about music. But let the band/artist explain before you start passing judgement.
  • Anonymous
    I think that Pete had an encounter with God and thats what we all hear in his music!
  • Anonymous
    wow some of you guys are pathetic, i aree with this guy below me. Iam a full Christian and like he said not every song similar to this is a Christian song. So people dont be ignorant and naive please.
  • Anonymous
    Hey guys, instead of argueing about how christian or not this band is, how about you try to find out for yourselves with a little research...it only took me 2 minutes to find out that they don't call themselves a christian band, they don't preach their faith to anyone through their music. Their lead singer stated that the only reason they would be called a christian band is because the first label they signed with distributed records to christian bookstores. So lets put all the arguements to rest and enjoy this good fucking piece of art!
  • Anonymous
    The song has the meaning intended by the band, but once it is released to the public, it can have any number of interpretations to individual people. That's the most wonderful thing about music, literature, or any other art. By its very nature, it is subjective. Each of us is free to take from it what we want. Many artists refuse to discuss the "meaning" of their work for this very reason. They want people to be able to take from it what they need, untainted by what the artist's interpretation. Calling music "objective" is one of the most preposterous things I've read in awhile. I know from experience that sometimes a song or poem doesn't always make sense, not even to the person who wrote it.
  • Anonymous
    why is there so much hate in this world. It seems like people are naturally mean. Why argue on a lyrics forum why waste the time with negative feelings and furthermore expressing them...on a lyrics forum. Life is so incredibly short it isnt fair. To all of the angry people checking on this forum daily please stop and enjoy your life and be happy, no time for anger or hate especially over something so little as individual interpretations of a song.
  • Anonymous
    This CD and all of Chevelle CD ROCK! First time I saw Chevelle was an opening act for Coal Chamber and Slipknot back in 1999 in a hole the wall bar! Awsome then.. awsome now.
  • Anonymous
    just for the record, the song's actual meaning is about the environmental problems going on in our recent society. i love that everyone has their own subjective ideas about what it means to them, that's what music is for. but for those who feel the need to fight and make themselves right, the band went down as stating the environment was the meaning behind it!
  • Anonymous
    Love life and enjoy what others create to give us the opportunity to be happy. Everyone is right in their own mind and opinions is your view at the angle you are looking at. But in the center everything is GOD but not for everyone unless they believe you would have to be a believer to understand where im coming from. But regardless great piece of art and can't wait til they make more!! POP QUIZ who says this line- "speak to me in a language i can hear, humour mebefore i have to go?"
  • Anonymous
    One of the few songs about the environment and saving this planet that doesn't SUCK! It's pretty obvious about what it's about, no need to be double labeling things. "Oil that tastes like blood" is showing how dependent we are to oil and how willing we are to destroy for it. Jars meaning to preserve and protect what we have before it's tainted. Hasn't anyone ever found something really valuable and just put it into a jar? My fifth grade teacher did and he has really ancient crap littering his shelves.Where is everyone getting this Christian stuff from? Just because the members are Christian does not make all their songs or their band Christian rock. Until they admit it out loud or specifically outline it for you in a song, it's not. If anyone can point out one line that can't be linked back to our environmental issues, than yeah, good job.
  • Anonymous
    I just wish people would leave religion and meaning out of it, to be honest. Why can't you just appreciate the song for what it is? Good music. Nice instruments, nice vocals, just sit back and enjoy, don't argue about what it is.
  • Anonymous
    Song's about Jars...... Egyptians used jars.... therefore he's singing about an Egyptian religion.... Seriously pretty sure it's about the environment. What a great song. One of my favorite bands simply because the lyrics are a lot more complex than the typical stuff you hear on radio these days. How Pete memorizes the lyrics for every song is mind boggling.
  • Anonymous
    Really? Are you kidding? It's about the environment, and has a relationship thrown in. Whether the last part is about overall human infighting or individuals, it's definitely about the environment. And cut the Christian crap-I'm a good Catholic, but COME ON! GROW UP!
  • Anonymous
    Ironic as it is, from my point of view, which seems to question my many fellow human race who question their own beliefs while telling me what to think about the song, which is a very fine tune indeed, with all the oil and the blood... what was i trying to say?
  • Anonymous
    Um... Wow. A mix of strange comments out there. I'd like to point out how fun it was from just listening to the song, to listening and reading lyrics. I have only just now read the actual words, even though I have probably heard the song like 30 times before hand. I always thought it said "We've had enough of this world". It makes me wonder if they (or any other artist) purposefully wrote out parts of songs to say one thing and sound like another. A double message? I am not saying they do, in fact, it is very unlikely. But it is still a nice thought, and something that I may now employ if I ever write and preform songs.the liquid spoon