Those Anarcho Punks Are Mysterious...
Against Me! Lyrics

We're all presidents,
We are all leaders of our own lives and communities.

We're all congressmen,
We all have a say in how our society is run.

We're all cops
We all have the potential to enforce social norms and rules.

In waiting.
We are waiting for our turn to wield power.

We're the workers of the world.
We are the people who keep society running from day to day.

There is the elite and the dispossessed
Society is divided into those who have power and those who do not.

And it's only about survival,
Everyone is striving to survive and thrive in their own way.

Who has skill to play the game
Those with the skills to navigate the system have an advantage.

For all it's worth,
Despite the challenges, we do our best to succeed.

Reaching out for a scary kind of perfection.
We strive for excellence, even if it is daunting.

Let's try to keep
We should strive to maintain a level of detachment and objectivity.

As much emotion out of this
We should not let our passions control us or cloud our judgment.

As possible.
But emotions can be difficult to suppress entirely.

Let's try not to remember any names.
We should focus on the ideas and ideals, not the people behind them.

We'll do it for our country,
We are motivated by a sense of loyalty and duty to our nation.

For our people,
And to the individuals within it.

For a moral vision.
And for a righteous cause.

United, we'll make them remember
Together, we can create change and leave a lasting impact.

Our history,
Our collective past and the events that shaped our present.

Or how we like to be told
Or the stories we tell ourselves and each other about our history.

How we like to be told,
These stories can influence our thinking and guide our actions.

And we rock,
We are powerful and influential.

Because it's us against them.
We see ourselves as being in opposition to those who hold power over us.

We found our own reasons to sing,
We have found our own sources of hope and encouragement.

And it's so much less confusing
Having a clear sense of identity and purpose makes life easier to navigate.

When lines are drawn like that,
When society is divided into categories, it can be easier to understand.

When people are either consumers or revolutionaries,
When people view themselves as either participating in or rebelling against the system.

Enemies or friends hanging on the fringes
When people are seen as being either with us or against us.

Of the cogs in the system.
Of the various institutions and structures that make up our society.

It's just about knowing where everyone stands.
It helps to understand where individuals and groups stand in relation to the larger whole.

All of a sudden,
Sometimes, events can occur suddenly and change the course of things.

People start talking about guns,
When things become more extreme, some people resort to violence and coercion.

Talking like they're going to war
People can become militant in their approaches to change.

'Cause they found something to die for.
When people feel strongly about an issue, they may be willing to make great sacrifices.

Start taking back what they stole;
Sometimes, people feel they have been wronged and take matters into their own hands.

Sure beats every other option,
When all other avenues seem exhausted, violence can seem like a viable option.

But does it make a difference how we get it?
It is worth questioning the ethics and efficacy of violent tactics.

Well, do you really fucking get it?
The singer is challenging the listener to think deeply about these issues.