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)
What We Worked For
Against Me! Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
So I found three simple chords and held them together with my weak voice
On an out of tune guitar my father gave to me
And may Elvis turn in his grave
And Les Paul kiss my dirty, calloused fingers
And may the likes of this song never make one fucking dollar
Leave it for a demo tape to be played until it's broken, then remembered only for what it was
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
That we gave them hell
To my friends and enemies who could have been anything
Titans and heroes who found survival in cause and effect
Behind counters, behind windows, striving just to be people
With bitter ideals of justice
Do we only need to keep working because it pays rent?
Sleeping under plastic stars glued to ceiling
Muscles burning alcohol and nicotine every morning
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
But we gave them hell
There's a height beyond skyscrapers
There's a distance beyond the freeway
More than pictures in a magazine
More than tragedy in a rock and roll song
It's more than actions you know are safe to make
It's more than money could ever buy
Are we living to work and die in American cities?
And working to live and die in American cities?
And dying for what we worked
"What We Worked For" by Against Me! is a deeply introspective song that delves into the conflicting emotions that people experience when they look back at their lives and see everything they have accomplished in comparison to everything they wanted to do before time and circumstances wore them down. The song starts with the artist talking about how they've lost the confidence to write a song, which is when they found three simple chords and held them together with their weak voice. It represents how sometimes life doesn't allow us to accomplish what we set out to do, but we still move forward without giving up on ourselves. The artist then goes on to talk about an out-of-tune guitar that their father gave them, representing the hand-me-downs and the struggles to acquire basic needs that one faces when making ends meet.
The lyrics then take an unexpected twist, as they start talking about the potential of the song that they've written. They mention how Elvis would turn in his grave and Les Paul would kiss their dirty, calloused fingers, a reference to the style of music that their song represents, and how it would never make them any money. The artist essentially claims that their song is so pure, only a demo tape could do it justice, and it would be something that people would remember for the passionate intensity of its message.
The final verses of "What We Worked For" talk about the lives that people lead and how sometimes people are forced to make sacrifices in order to survive. They talk about their friends and enemies who could have been anything from heroes to titans, but instead found survival in cause and effect - essentially settling for less than they wanted. However, the chorus reiterates that they all gave it their best shot, and even if they didn't end up where they wanted to, they still gave it hell.
Line by Line Meaning
Lost the confidence to write a song
I had writer's block and couldn't come up with anything, so I simplified things and just used three chords and my voice to create something new.
So I found three simple chords and held them together with my weak voice
I chose to use a minimalistic approach to writing music and put together a few simple chords that I could sing over with my limited vocal abilities.
On an out of tune guitar my father gave to me
I used an old, worn-out guitar that belonged to my father but hadn't been played in years because it was out of tune and in poor condition.
And may Elvis turn in his grave
I'm aware that my music may not be well-received by everyone, including those who are no longer with us, like Elvis Presley.
And Les Paul kiss my dirty, calloused fingers
I hope that even though my playing may not be perfect, someone with the name recognition of Les Paul can appreciate the passion and effort I put into it.
And may the likes of this song never make one fucking dollar
I'm not in it for the money, I just want to create something meaningful and authentic.
Leave it for a demo tape to be played until it's broken, then remembered only for what it was
I don't want to be famous or make a lot of money from this, but I hope that it can live on even if it's just a demo tape that gets worn out from being played too much.
That we gave them hell
We worked hard and gave it our all, no matter what the outcome.
To my friends and enemies who could have been anything
I address everybody, regardless of their status or position in life.
Titans and heroes who found survival in cause and effect
Even people who are seen as heroes or giants struggle with the same fundamental human issues that we all face.
Behind counters, behind windows, striving just to be people
We're all trying to get by in life, whether it's by working a job or just trying to be happy as a human being.
With bitter ideals of justice
We may have strong beliefs about what's right and wrong, but that doesn't mean everyone else shares them or that we'll always be successful in promoting them.
Do we only need to keep working because it pays rent?
We work to survive, but is that all there is to life?
Sleeping under plastic stars glued to ceiling
We may have to sleep somewhere that's not ideal, like a low-cost motel, just to get by.
Muscles burning alcohol and nicotine every morning
Working hard can take a toll on our bodies, and sometimes we turn to vices like alcohol and cigarettes just to cope.
But we gave them hell
Again, we worked hard and put in a lot of effort, no matter what the outcome.
There's a height beyond skyscrapers
There are limitless possibilities and opportunities in life, beyond what we may see or experience on a day-to-day basis.
There's a distance beyond the freeway
We can go beyond just what's immediately available or accessible to us, and reach for something more meaningful or fulfilling.
More than pictures in a magazine
We can find inspiration or happiness in things that go beyond just consumerism or superficial ideals.
More than tragedy in a rock and roll song
We can find meaning in life beyond just music or art, even though those things may touch us deeply.
It's more than actions you know are safe to make
Sometimes taking risks or stepping outside our comfort zone is necessary to find fulfillment or reach our goals.
It's more than money could ever buy
Money can't buy happiness or fulfilment, and sometimes the pursuit of money can actually detract from our goals in life.
Are we living to work and die in American cities?
Is the rat race all there is to life, and are we all just destined to work ourselves to death in our endless pursuit of success?
And working to live and die in American cities?
Is life just a never-ending cycle of work, retire, and die?
And dying for what we worked
Is it really worth it to work ourselves to death, sacrificing everything else in our lives for success?
Contributed by Arianna V. Suggest a correction in the comments below.