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 โ vocals, guitar
James Bowman โ lead guitar
Andrew Seward โ bass
Atom Willard โ drums
Former members:
Kevin Mahon โ drums (1998โ2001)
Dustin Fridkin โ bass (2000โ2002)
Warren Oakes โ drums (2001โ2009)
George Rebelo โ drums (2009โ2010)
Jay Weinberg โ drums (2010โ2012)
Inge Johansson โ bass (2013โ2018)
Discography:
โข Reinventing Axl Rose (2002)
โข As the Eternal Cowboy (2003)
โข Searching for a Former Clarity (2005)
โข New Wave (2007)
โข White Crosses (2010)
โข Transgender Dysphoria Blues (2014)
โข Shape Shift with Me (2016)
8 Full Hours of Sleep
Against Me! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
No one is homeless.
When you sleep,
You can't feel the hunger.
When you sleep,
No one is lonely in a dream.
Without classes,
Without nations
She's standing there with open arms,
And one night could last forever,
And if you asked her,
She'd never let go,
And you'd stay forever
And the sun's always rising
In the sky somewhere,
And if young hearts should explode
From all the lies they've been told
Let the new night bring you peace
And the promise of tomorrow,
Where we can wake to a new beginning.
Tomorrow I'll all but have lost their faces
My friends and family,
Memories of all we had
And the times we should have lived,
And tomorrow America just might fall apart.
Tomorrow, tell me,
Where will you wake up?
Beyond title, beyond these careers and laws,
Something more than borders on a map
And the sun's always rising in the sky somewhere,
And if young hearts should explode
From all the lies they've been told
To live through one night like this,
I would trade it for the silence
The lyrics to "8 Full Hours of Sleep" by Against Me! are a powerful commentary on the struggles faced by those who are homeless or experiencing hunger and loneliness. The song opens by highlighting the temporary sense of safety that comes with sleep, allowing for a brief respite from the harsh realities of the world. There is a stark contrast between the dreamlike state of sleep and the harshness of reality, as expressed in the lines "Without classes, without nations" โ a reflection of the ways in which societal hierarchies can exacerbate issues of poverty and inequality.
The song offers a glimpse of hope and a call to action, with the description of a figure standing with open arms, ready to offer comfort and support. There is a sense of longing for a world where people can live without the constraints of borders and institutions that perpetuate inequality. The line "Where we can wake to a new beginning" is a hopeful declaration of change, a call for a better tomorrow.
Finally, the song returns to the theme of the rising sun, offering a sense of continuity and the promise of a fresh start. The idea of trading "one night like this" for the silence speaks to the idea that sometimes the loudest statement one can make is to simply refuse to participate in a system that perpetuates suffering and inequality.
Overall, "8 Full Hours of Sleep" is a powerful commentary on the injustices of the world, but also a call to action for all those who believe in a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
When you sleep,
Sleeping means no one is living without shelter.
No one is homeless.
Sleeping means no one is living without shelter.
When you sleep,
Sleeping means you are not hungry.
You can't feel the hunger.
Sleeping means you are not hungry.
When you sleep,
Dreams can make you forget loneliness.
No one is lonely in a dream.
Dreams can make you forget loneliness.
Without classes,
Social classes don't exist in dreams.
Without nations
Nationalities aren't relevant in dreams.
When you sleep,
In dreams, you can find love.
She's standing there with open arms,
In dreams, you can find love.
And one night could last forever,
In dreams, time passes slowly.
And if you asked her,
If you could, you wouldn't want to wake up.
She'd never let go,
If you could, you wouldn't want to wake up.
And you'd stay forever
If you could, you wouldn't want to wake up.
And the sun's always rising
Every day brings a new beginning.
In the sky somewhere,
Every day brings a new beginning.
And if young hearts should explode
The pressure to fit in can be devastating.
From all the lies they've been told
The pressure to fit in can be devastating.
Let the new night bring you peace
Sleep can provide peace and healing.
And the promise of tomorrow,
Hopes for tomorrow can bring peace and healing.
Where we can wake to a new beginning.
Hopes for tomorrow can bring peace and healing.
Tomorrow I'll all but have lost their faces
Memories can fade with time.
My friends and family,
Memories can fade with time.
Memories of all we had
Memories can fade with time.
And the times we should have lived,
Regrets can weigh heavy on the mind.
And tomorrow America just might fall apart.
The future is uncertain.
Tomorrow, tell me,
The future is uncertain.
Where will you wake up?
The future is uncertain.
Beyond title, beyond these careers and laws,
There is more to life than societal pressures.
Something more than borders on a map
There is more to life than societal pressures.
To live through one night like this,
The joy of life is worth living through the hard times.
I would trade it for the silence
The joy of life is worth living through the hard times.
Lyrics ยฉ ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind