In 2012, Grace publicly came out as transgender. After a long period of line-up changes and uncertainty surrounding the band's future, their sixth studio album, Transgender Dysphoria Blues, was released independently in January 2014 to critical acclaim. The band's seventh album, Shape Shift with Me, was released in 2016. In addition, the band have four well known EPs: Crime as Forgiven by Against Me!, The Acoustic EP, The Disco Before the Breakdown, and New Wave B-Sides. They have released numerous singles, two live albums, and demo versions of the three of their studio albums.
Band members:
Laura Jane Grace – vocals, guitar
James Bowman – lead guitar
Andrew Seward – bass
Atom Willard – drums
Former members:
Kevin Mahon – drums (1998–2001)
Dustin Fridkin – bass (2000–2002)
Warren Oakes – drums (2001–2009)
George Rebelo – drums (2009–2010)
Jay Weinberg – drums (2010–2012)
Inge Johansson – bass (2013–2018)
Discography:
• Reinventing Axl Rose (2002)
• As the Eternal Cowboy (2003)
• Searching for a Former Clarity (2005)
• New Wave (2007)
• White Crosses (2010)
• Transgender Dysphoria Blues (2014)
• Shape Shift with Me (2016)
Jordan's First Choice
Against Me! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Yourself like this?
Tell me how could you blame anyone else
When you aren't really committed?
Tell me where was your head
When you broke that promise to yourself,
The one where you don't forget
Every life lesson that happened before your eyes
So you don't wake up to regret she's gone years away?
You had hopes and dreams of a day
Where everything, everything, everything would come together,
You wouldn't have to be so scared.
Are we just working till a day we decide we've had enough?
All along
We were strong enough
To be sick of it,
And put them back in their fucking place.
?
We were never in this
Together.
The reality that you know
Is just behind your idea
Of a society, security, and self.
Am I just fucked up?
'Cause I can't remember
The last time any of this made sense,
The last time I
Could stand up to myself.
Street faces all blend into one,
They ask for spare change.
Am I forgetting
What it looks like
From the other side?
Have I forgotten where I've come from?
Are we just working till a day we decide we've had enough?
All along
We were strong enough
To be sick of it,
And put them back in their fucking place.
?
We were never in this
Together
The song "Jordan's First Choice" by Against Me! delves into the concept of compromise and commitment. The lyrics pose questions about how one can compromise their own values and principles, and forsake their dreams and aspirations. The song talks about how it is easy to blame others for our failures, but the real question is if we are truly committed to what we want. The lyrics talk about breaking promises and regretting the past.
The song also talks about the disillusionment with society, security, and self. It touches upon a sense of being lost and not knowing where one stands in the world. The lyrics of the song convey a sense of pain, anger and confusion. It talks about feeling forgotten and ignored and the inevitability of having to work until one is sick of it all.
Overall, the song imparts a powerful message on staying true to oneself and not allowing external pressures to shape who one is. It questions what we value and the compromises we make in order to achieve them. The song urges listeners to be strong enough to stand up for their values and dreams, and to not forget where they came from in the process.
Line by Line Meaning
Tell me how could you compromise
Yourself like this?
How could you sell out your own beliefs and values for something that doesn't truly matter in the grand scheme of things?
Tell me how could you blame anyone else
When you aren't really committed?
Why are you shifting the blame to others when you yourself didn't prioritize what you claim to believe in?
Tell me where was your head
When you broke that promise to yourself,
The one where you don't forget
Every life lesson that happened before your eyes
So you don't wake up to regret she's gone years away?
What were you thinking when you betrayed your own principles and failed to learn from past mistakes, causing irreversible damage?
You had hopes and dreams of a day
Where everything, everything, everything would come together,
You wouldn't have to be so scared.
You used to envision a future where everything aligns and you wouldn't have to feel so anxious or uncertain, but what happened to that optimism?
Are we just working till a day we decide we've had enough?
All along
We were strong enough
To be sick of it,
And put them back in their fucking place.
?
Is life just a cycle of working until we reach our breaking point? We have always been capable of rebelling against the system and those who try to oppress us.
We were never in this
Together.
We might have shared similar struggles, but we were never truly united in our efforts towards a better life.
The reality that you know
Is just behind your idea
Of a society, security, and self.
What you perceive as reality is merely a construct influenced by societal norms, our desire for safety, and our individual egos.
Am I just fucked up?
'Cause I can't remember
The last time any of this made sense,
The last time I
Could stand up to myself.
Is it just me or is the world increasingly incomprehensible? I can't recall the last time I confidently stood up for myself.
Street faces all blend into one,
They ask for spare change.
Am I forgetting
What it looks like
From the other side?
Faces of the less fortunate become indistinguishable, all asking for a spare coin. Have I forgotten what it's like to be in their shoes?
Have I forgotten where I've come from?
Have I lost touch with my own roots and experiences that shaped who I am today?
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
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