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)
Because Of The Shame -
Against Me! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't remember the last time I saw you.
I can't remember the last time we talked.
You left home for a fresh start,
Working as a waitress down in Bradenton.
With my name tattoo'd into your skin.
Because of the shame I associate with vulnerability
Can you hear me right now?
I watched your mother bury you today, with tears in her eyes.
It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.
Don't it feel so detached and unreal? Don't it seem so far away?
Like the past never happened, or like nothings ever changed.
With your casket open in front of me,
Your eyes closed and your lips silent.
With my name tattoo'd into your skin.
Because of the shame I associate with vulnerability
I am numbing myself completely.
Can you hear me right now?
I watched your mother bury you today, with tears in her eyes.
It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.
I didn't listen to the preacher.
I couldn't look your husband in the eyes.
I'm not sure what I meant to you then,
So I'm not sure what I owe you now.
But if something I said hurt you
I swear it was not my intention.
With your name tattoo'd into my skin.
Because of the shame I associate with vulnerability
I am numbing myself completely.
Can you hear me right now?
I watched your mother bury you today, with tears in her eyes.
It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.
The song "Because of the Shame" by Against Me! is a heart-wrenching reflection on the complexities of relationships and the ways in which we protect ourselves from vulnerability. The song seems to address a former friend or partner who has passed away, with the singer struggling to come to terms with their own feelings of guilt and shame in the aftermath.
The lyrics "We used to get high together, instead of getting high alone" suggest that the singer and the subject of the song were once close friends who had a shared interest in drug use. However, the line "I can't remember the last time I saw you" suggests that their relationship has since deteriorated, with the two drifting apart. The subject of the song has left home for a new start, but still carries a tattoo of the singer's name on their skin.
The central theme of the song is shame and the ways in which it can prevent us from truly connecting with others. The singer is numbing themselves completely to avoid the uncomfortable feelings associated with vulnerability. However, the death of the subject of the song forces the singer to confront these feelings head-on, with the final lines addressing the idea that the two will be forever linked through their shared tattoo.
Line by Line Meaning
We used to get high together, instead of getting high alone.
We used to be close, but now we are apart and lonely.
I can't remember the last time I saw you.
We have not seen each other for a long time.
I can't remember the last time we talked.
We have not had a conversation in a long time.
You left home for a fresh start, working as a waitress down in Bradenton. With my name tattoo'd into your skin.
You moved away from your old life and included me in your new life by tattooing my name on your body.
Because of the shame I associate with vulnerability I am numbing myself completely. Can you hear me right now?
I am trying to avoid being vulnerable by numbing my emotions. Can you understand me and my pain?
I watched your mother bury you today, with tears in her eyes. It wasn't her words that shook me, it was the resemblance you shared.
I went to your funeral and saw your mother crying. What really affected me was how much you looked like her.
Don't it feel so detached and unreal? Don't it seem so far away? Like the past never happened, or like nothings ever changed. With your casket open in front of me, your eyes closed and your lips silent. With my name tattoo'd into your skin.
It feels like a dream or a distant memory, like nothing has changed since we were together. Your body is in front of me, but you are gone forever. Yet, you still have my name tattooed on your skin.
I didn't listen to the preacher. I couldn't look your husband in the eyes. I'm not sure what I meant to you then, so I'm not sure what I owe you now. But if something I said hurt you I swear it was not my intention. With your name tattoo'd into my skin.
I was not able to listen to the ceremony or face your husband because our relationship was uncertain. I do not know what I owe you now that you are gone. If anything I said or did hurt you, I did not mean for it to.
Lyrics © OBO APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
m maulana
"Yes, the song is a true story. My friend CC and I used to work at this bar in Gainesville called the Top. She was the bartender, I was the doorman. We used to hang out after closing, getting high, having drinks, listening to records. We both had each other's names tattooed. Life moved on and we fell out of touch. A little over a year ago I got a call telling me that she had been murdered. At the funeral her mother asked me to write a song for her, so I did."
Jaycoby Hyde
Fuck me!!! Wow. This song hits me every time
Caliburn Combat
That's sad af 😞
Roy Jameson
@yeah nah that's a bummer I'm from NJ and hearing Tom liking Bruce bums me out
Loren Means
😢😢😢❤️❤️❤️
Michele Renea
@torpol i know, right? Some people have so much difficulty with reading comprehension. Its funny, but those people are, so frequently, the same people who are mean spirited, nasty truly, at heart, and akways looking for what THEY feel is an excuse that will "make it legitimate" for them to try to tear someone else down or criticize them in a non constructive way - in a purely mean way, as in, criticizing the PERSON, not the behavior or action, and usually for something that hasn't even been done, or something that has been misunderstood as having been done by the individual DOING the criticizing in the first place, that fact - obvious to everyone else - being completely obscured to the critic, in their haste to find a "reason" to spew their anger and vitriol on any target that they figure will be "justifiable". Sad. That's the world today, such as it is...🤷♀️...smh
Barbara Johnson
Laura is one of the finest damn songwriters of our time. 🌹🌹🌹🌹
Drew Peternel
100%. She's always had the best lyrics, too. Nothing but poetic.
Cole Adams Music
GORGEOUS VOICE AND GUITAR!! As a transman and singer songwriter, she is my HERO! Thank you for being so brave!!! <3 <3 <3 THANK YOU for sharing your story!!!
DAZE-N-DAYS
Shes a trans woman