Walking Is Still Honest
Against Me! Lyrics
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This is just survival.
Cannot promise your children everything,
But you would lie so they can sleep tonight.
Defeat tasted nothing like you said.
Still 22 days left till the end of the world.
My legacy was making you a man
For a justice I could not change.
This is one voice not to forget;
"Fight every fight like you can win;
An iron fisted champion,
An iron willed fuck up."
Can anybody tell me why God won't speak to me?
Why Jesus never called on me to part the fucking seas?
Why death is easier than living?
You can be almost anything
When you're on your fucking knees.
Not today,
Not my son,
Not my family,
Not while walking is still honest,
And you haven't given up on me.
Dear shithead,
This isn't happening;
The sky is really falling,
The paint's all made of lead,
There's asbestos in the walls,
Hell's come over to rip off the doors
To the privileged mansion.
Do you want to love and feel it?
You can look but you can't taste it.
You can reach but you'll never have it.
We are untouchable;
Untouchable is something to be.
Can anybody tell me why God won't speak to me?
Why Jesus never called on me to part the fucking seas?
Why death is easier than living?
You can be almost anything
When you're on your fucking knees.
Not today,
Not my son,
Not my family,
Not while walking is still honest,
And you haven't given up on me,
And you haven't given up on me,
And you haven't forgotten me...
The lyrics to "Walking Is Still Honest" evoke a sense of desperation and frustration with the world in which we live. The song is written as a letter from the singer to their mother, expressing a feeling of hopelessness and a struggle to find meaning in life. The singer questions why God and Jesus have not spoken to them and why death seems like an easier option than living.
The first verse seems to address the singer's own sense of failure, as they have not been able to bring the justice they desire into the world. The line "defeat tasted nothing like you said" suggests a sense of disillusionment with the idea that one's efforts will yield a positive outcome. However, despite this, they still feel a responsibility to their mother to make her proud, even if they are unable to keep all of their promises.
The second verse switches to addressing an unnamed "shithead," as they attempt to paint a picture of the chaos and decay around them. The use of the phrase "untouchable is something to be" suggests a sense of pride in being able to survive in such a world, despite the odds against them. The repeated refrain of "not today, not my son, not my family" serves as a declaration of defiance against the forces that would seek to destroy them.
As a whole, the song seems to be about the struggle to find meaning and purpose in life, even in the face of seemingly insurmountable odds. The repeated refrain of "walking is still honest" suggests that, no matter what else may be falling apart, the ability to simply keep moving forward is a sign of strength and resilience.
Line by Line Meaning
Dear mother,
I'm still alive but barely holding on.
This is just survival.
Trying to make it through each day.
Cannot promise your children everything,
I can't guarantee anything to anyone, even to my own children.
But you would lie so they can sleep tonight.
Sometimes it's better to protect someone by not telling them the truth.
Defeat tasted nothing like you said.
Losing doesn't feel the way I thought it would.
Still 22 days left till the end of the world.
It feels like everything is going to end soon.
My legacy was making you a man
I wanted to teach you how to navigate this harsh world.
For a justice I could not change.
I fought for something that wasn't possible to change.
This is one voice not to forget;
Listen to me, I have something important to say.
"Fight every fight like you can win;
Don't give up even if it seems impossible.
An iron fisted champion,
Be strong and determined.
An iron willed fuck up."
Even if things don't go as planned, don't give up.
Can anybody tell me why God won't speak to me?
Questioning my faith and why it feels like I'm alone.
Why Jesus never called on me to part the fucking seas?
Feeling like I'm not important enough for a miracle to happen.
Why death is easier than living?
Sometimes it feels like giving up is easier than facing a difficult life.
You can be almost anything
There's potential in everyone.
When you're on your fucking knees.
Even when you're at your lowest point.
Not today,
Not right now.
Not my son,
I won't let my child suffer.
Not my family,
I won't let my family suffer either.
Not while walking is still honest,
I won't give up because I still believe in honesty and truth.
And you haven't given up on me,
I need someone to believe in me and not give up on me.
Dear shithead,
I'm angry at someone.
This isn't happening;
I can't believe what's going on.
The sky is really falling,
Everything is falling apart.
The paint's all made of lead,
Even the things that seem safe aren't always safe.
There's asbestos in the walls,
Danger is everywhere.
Hell's come over to rip off the doors
Bad things are happening and it feels like it's never going to end.
To the privileged mansion.
Even the wealthy and powerful are suffering.
Do you want to love and feel it?
Do you want to experience true love?
You can look but you can't taste it.
You can see love but sometimes you can't feel it.
You can reach but you'll never have it.
Even if you try, love may not be possible for you.
We are untouchable;
We may be hurting but we won't let others hurt us.
Untouchable is something to be.
Being strong and not giving up is something to be proud of.
And you haven't forgotten me...
I need someone to remember me and not forget about me.
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@skankles
A decade since I posted this and this song still hits hard 💪
@bardeaux82
They played in my friends garage 20 years ago. Their drums were pots and pans
@kevo3985
It's crazy how much I listened to this song over the years such a gem
@clitwad
Literally weeping as i listen to this. They were one of my first live shows and i miss these days so much
@jamespuffer2889
Against Me! wrote my life’s soundtrack with this one.
@breetknee13
An against me fan since I was 13 in 2003! Thanks for posting this! Still gives me chills to this day!
@OscarP-nz2it
Been rocking this for 17 years and I still love it. I'm from Gainesville area and I remember seeing them right after they put out "as the eternal cowboy." Still one of my favorite shows in memory.
@jackv7094
against me shows back in the day were unmatched.
@loyaltysb1228
I went to school with Jane and was there when she started in Naples Florida! Was an amazing awesome time to watch them play with nothing to be honest! Shit Kevin Mahon played on 5 gallon buckets! Jane would be on acoustic playing her heart out! Wish I knew at the time what was happening! Wish them the best
@nathanielrooker7036
Is it appropriate to say Jane or Tom?... Based on time relativity.