At Our Expense
Against All Authority Lyrics
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And they're holding guns
Keeping our rebellion to a minimum
As we watch them gain
Behind this barbed wire fence
It's so insane
It's at our expense
And the media distorts the truth
We never had a choice
We never had a voice
You make decisions that affect us all
Put us in a position that we don't belong
All of our resources have been spent
And it's at our expense
Now you're punching holes in the sky
With plutonium powered rockets that fly
To probe what can be reached and suck it dry
And it's at our expense
It's at our expense
It's at our expense
It's at our expense
And it's all at our expense
The lyrics to Against All Authority's "At Our Expense" convey a feeling of frustration and anger directed towards those in power who make decisions that negatively impact the masses. The first few lines paint a picture of a rebellious protest, acknowledging the power dynamic at play as the protesters hold banners while those in power hold guns. Despite the protesters' efforts, they feel they are unable to truly rebel against the "insane" actions of those in charge that are carried out "at our expense."
The song continues to criticize the media for "distort[ing] the truth" and perpetuating the illusion of choice and voice that the masses supposedly have. The lyrics suggest that those in power have inevitably put the masses in a position where they are unable to have any significant control or agency over the decisions that affect them. This feeling of helplessness and frustration is further emphasized by the line "all of our resources have been spent", indicating that the people's efforts have been in vain and they are left at a loss.
The last verse describes the actions of those in power that cause environmental destruction, launching rockets powered by plutonium to "probe what can be reached and suck it dry". Once again, this is carried out "at our expense", as the wider public has to bear the consequences of the actions of the powerful. The repetition of the phrase "It's at our expense" throughout the song drives home the message of how the masses are often left carrying the weight of the decisions of those in power.
Line by Line Meaning
We're holding banners
We're protesting and making our voices heard
And they're holding guns
Those in power are trying to silence us through force
Keeping our rebellion to a minimum
Using violence to prevent us from rebelling and gaining power
As we watch them gain
We can see those in power gaining more control and taking advantage of us
Behind this barbed wire fence
We are being physically separated from those in power
It's so insane
The situation is crazy and unjust
It's at our expense
We are paying the price for the decisions and actions of those in power
And the media distorts the truth
The media is not reporting the truth and is protecting those in power
We never had a choice
We have no say in the decisions that directly affect us
We never had a voice
We are not being heard or represented
You make decisions that affect us all
The people in power are making decisions that have a direct impact on our lives
Put us in a position that we don't belong
Those in power have put us in difficult and oppressive situations that we shouldn't have to endure
All of our resources have been spent
We have been stripped of our resources and have nothing left
Now you're punching holes in the sky
The people in power are spending exorbitant amounts of money on frivolous projects
With plutonium powered rockets that fly
They are funding expensive and dangerous projects rather than using the resources to help those in need
To probe what can be reached and suck it dry
They are taking advantage of the resources they discover and leaving nothing for the rest of us
It's at our expense
All of this is happening at the expense of the common people
It's at our expense
We are the ones who are suffering the consequences
It's at our expense
We are being taken advantage of and exploited
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
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