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)
Pretty Girls
Against Me! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
When she picks up the phone
Should you leave a message
When's she not at home
Wanted to know if you'd like
To see a movie or get a drink
It'd be cool just to be in your company
And if she says yes
Take this to another phase of chemistry
You gotta lie
You have to tell the truth
You have to explain why this could
Never because
There are things
That cannot be undone
There are mistakes
That will never be forgiven
Sometimes at night
I pray to wake
A different person
In a different place
Maybe we could just be friends
I'm being a bit presumptuous
The stomach churns
The mind starts to race
You notice we start to exaggerate
Well I just wanna be on your way in
God I wanna be healthy
I don't want this problem
Or you wouldn't think
Something like irresponsibility
Would complicate something like
Asking for some company
But there are things
You must accept as said and done
There are truths
You must learn to conform
You can pray all night and day
You'll always make the mistake
In the same place
Drunk mouth ruined it again
Sometimes I say the dumbest things
All but baby it's you specifically
It could be anybody
I gotta get this stuck in my head
Now it's already over
Before it's even started
Against Me!'s song Pretty Girls is about the nervousness and anxiety surrounding asking someone out on a date. The lyrics describe the internal dialogue of the singer, who is trying to gather the courage to reach out to the person they are attracted to. The song acknowledges the risk and uncertainty inherent in asking someone out while also highlighting the importance of honesty and acceptance of the outcome.
The first verse is about the singer's internal struggle around reaching out to the person they are interested in. They contemplate the best way to ask them out and what their intentions might be if they say yes. They are aware that lying about their intentions is not an option and that telling the truth could complicate things.
The second verse explores the fear of rejection and the consequences of mistakes made. The singer wishes they were someone else in a different place, but they can't escape reality. They contemplate the possibility of just being friends, but their anxiety causes them to overthink the situation and become overwhelmed.
Line by Line Meaning
What are you gonna say
What will your response be
When she picks up the phone
When she answers your call
Should you leave a message
Should you leave a voicemail
When's she not at home
When she's not available
Wanted to know if you'd like
Asking if you want
To see a movie or get a drink
To hang out or go to a movie
It'd be cool just to be in your company
It would be nice to spend time with you
And if she says yes
If she agrees
What might my intentions be
What are my true motives
Take this to another phase of chemistry
Taking this to the next level
You gotta lie
You might have to lie
You have to tell the truth
You should be honest
You have to explain why this could
You have to explain why this might
Never because
It can never work out
There are things
Some things
That cannot be undone
That cannot be changed
There are mistakes
Some mistakes
That will never be forgiven
That won't be forgotten
Sometimes at night
Oftentimes at night
I pray to wake
I wish to wake up
A different person
A different version of myself
In a different place
In a different location
Maybe we could just be friends
Maybe we could just be acquaintances
I'm being a bit presumptuous
I might be a bit forward
The stomach churns
I feel anxious
The mind starts to race
I start to overthink
You notice we start to exaggerate
You see that we overreact
Well I just wanna be on your way in
I just wanna be a part of your life
God I wanna be healthy
I want to be emotionally healthy
I don't want this problem
I don't want this issue to persist
Or you wouldn't think
Otherwise, you might assume
Something like irresponsibility
Something like a lack of accountability
Would complicate something like
Would make something as simple as
Asking for some company
Asking to spend time together
You must accept as said and done
You have to accept things as they are
There are truths
Certain facts
You must learn to conform
You must learn to adjust to them
You can pray all night and day
You can pray as long as you want
You'll always make the mistake
You'll always repeat the same mistake
In the same place
In the same situation
Drunk mouth ruined it again
Speaking while drunk ruined it again
Sometimes I say the dumbest things
I sometimes say foolish things
All but baby it's you specifically
Except for you specifically
It could be anybody
It could be anyone
I gotta get this stuck in my head
I need to get this out of my head
Now it's already over
It's done before it even began
Before it's even started
It ended before it could begin
Lyrics © ROUGH TRADE PUBLISHING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rosalindarogers6474
Her singing this, so stripped down and raw, is my favorite performance of this song.
@sassysky86
Laura, I’d be a proud to be in your company... our transitions closely coincided with each other. Against me was my favorite indie punk band in high school. 🥰
@Tigerpuffer
I always have a bit of a giggle when a singer throws in the extra F-bomb. Laura is always good for a few of those. :3
@dunbardunbaro6285
How old are you? Nickleback?
@abbiewigmore8912
This song. Fucking hell. I cannot imagine the hell laura has been through. at the end she looked like she was gonna burst into tears.
@johnnyscifi
Yea, totally. Im pretty sure its why she didnt finish the song...:(
@TeriLynn923
+Abbie Wigmore Yeah I know. It makes me want to grab her up and hug her until she realizes she's okay and that we all love her, and that she's beautiful and amazing.
@abbiewigmore8912
I performed a cover of an against me! Song on friday with a friend of mine. It's the first time I've sang in public for a long time. She inspires me to do what scares me. Love her.
@TeriLynn923
She is very inspirational.
@sassysky86
Ive been through it, and i can tell you that dysphoria is hell on earth. Im here with you Laura. 🫂