The band existed for almost a decade before mainstream success. The members met and played in Our Lady of Mount Carmel Secondary School under the name Pezz and remained underground in Toronto's indie music scene until 2001. The band renamed itself Billy Talent after running into legal trouble with the old name. It was then that Kowalewicz's connection with an employee of Warner Music Canada's A&R department landed the band a record deal and launched them into mainstream success. Since then, Billy Talent has made three multi-platinum records in Canada and continues to expand their success overseas; this included touring for 20 months supporting their second album. They released their third album, Billy Talent III, in 2009, and their fourth album, Dead Silence, in 2012. Dead Silence was followed up by a full UK tour throughout October and November 2012. To commemorate the longevity since the release of their first studio album, the band has released a greatest hits album entitled Hits in 2014. In 2015, they began to prepare material for their fifth studio album. Just before entering the studio, drummer Aaron Solowoniuk decided to sit out the recording sessions while he continued his longstanding battle with multiple sclerosis. Fellow Canadian Jordan Hastings was quickly recruited to play as Solowoniuk's studio stand-in, and, in early 2016, the group completed work on Afraid of Heights, which was released in July of that year. The band's most recent album is Crisis of Faith, released in January 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Billy_Talent
Studio albums
Billy Talent (2003)
Billy Talent II (2006)
Billy Talent III (2009)
Dead Silence (2012)
Afraid of Heights (2016)
Crisis of Faith (2022)
This Is Our War
Billy Talent Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Now there is no more
Once we fought to change our fears
But now this is our war (This is our war)
This is our war
Wash your mind out, where's your morals?
How many people have to live this sorrow?
How many really want to change tomorrow?
We're still playing the prideful game
As we profile the enemy that we created
We're still playing the prideful game
With the cards on the table
In the end we're all the same
Where's the compassion in the world today?
Yeah, we're all the same
Until we find another way
This is our war (This is our war)
Once there was a nation here
Now there is no more (This is our war)
Once we fought for change arm in arm
But now this is our war
Divisive words from ivory towers
Seeds of intolerance turn into flowers
Countless fools and reckless cowards
Rally the people in the quest for power
We're still playing the prideful game
As we profile the enemy that we created
We're still playing the prideful game
With the cards on the table
In the end we're all the same
Where's the compassion in the world today?
Yeah, we're all the same
Until we find another way
This is our war (This is our war)
Once there was a nation here
Now there is no more (This is our war)
Once we fought for change arm in arm
But now this is our war
Is this the land of segregation?
Is this a place that we call home?
Don't let the old style generation
Carry the flag for you and me no more
This is our war
This is our war
We're into the red, We're into the red
And as it burns the fire spreads
We're under the threat, We're under the threat
Will it still burn tomorrow?
Once there was a nation here
Now there is no more
Once we fought to change our fears
But now this is our war (This is our war)
Once there was a nation here
Now there is no more (This is our war)
Once we fought for change arm in arm
But now this is our war
Is this the land of segregation?
Is this a place that we call home?
Don't let the old style generation
Carry the flag for you and me no more (This is our war)
Once there was a nation divided
Now this is our war (This is our war)
Once we stand embraced arm in arm
We stand for something more
The lyrics of Billy Talent's "This Is Our War" are a critical commentary on the current state of society. The song laments the loss of a united nation that once existed, and how now the world has become divided due to people's unwillingness to change. It challenges the listener to examine their morals and question the consequences of their actions. The song makes a case for compassion and empathy and calls out those who use divisive language to rally people towards power.
The chorus of "This Is Our War" is a stark reminder of the conflict we face. The repetition of the line, "Once we fought for change arm in arm, but now this is our war," emphasizes the stark reality that we are fighting among ourselves instead of fighting for change together. The song questions our society's values, asking where our compassion has gone and highlighting how the prideful pursuit of power is destroying our sense of unity. The final line of the song "We stand for something more" is a reminder that we can overcome these conflicts if we come together for a common cause.
Line by Line Meaning
Once there was a nation here
There used to be a country where we belong.
Now there is no more
The nation has fallen apart and is no longer united.
Once we fought to change our fears
We were united and fought our fears as a team.
But now this is our war (This is our war)
However, now the fear has created a war where we are divided.
Wash your mind out, where's your morals?
Revise your thoughts and question your moral values.
How many people have to live this sorrow?
How long will the people have to suffer from the consequences?
Life should not be begged or borrowed
We should learn to appreciate life and not take it for granted.
How many really want to change tomorrow?
How many individuals are willing to make a change for a better future?
We're still playing the prideful game
We are still fighting for our ego and pride.
As we profile the enemy that we created
We classify the enemy that we ourselves have made.
With the cards on the table
Everything is laid out and open.
In the end we're all the same
Ultimately, we are all alike despite our differences.
Where's the compassion in the world today?
What happened to the empathy and kindness in today's world?
Until we find another way
Until we discover and develop a new solution.
Divisive words from ivory towers
Words from influential and powerful leaders that stir division.
Seeds of intolerance turn into flowers
Small acts of intolerance can eventually grow into something big and destructive.
Countless fools and reckless cowards
Senseless and reckless individuals exploiting the masses.
Rally the people in the quest for power
Manipulate the masses to gain more influence and authority.
Is this the land of segregation?
Is this a place where individuals are separated based on their differences?
Is this a place that we call home?
Is this a place where we feel safe and secure?
Don't let the old style generation
Do not allow the outdated and traditional mindset to control us.
Carry the flag for you and me no more
Do not represent us anymore.
We're into the red, We're into the red
We are in deep trouble.
And as it burns the fire spreads
The problem is getting bigger and more dangerous.
We're under the threat, We're under the threat
We are in danger and at risk.
Will it still burn tomorrow?
Will the problem still exist tomorrow?
Once there was a nation divided
The nation was fragmented and not united.
Is this the land of segregation?
Is this a place where individuals are separated based on their differences?
Once we stand embraced arm in arm
We used to stand united and supportive of one another.
We stand for something more
We stand for something greater and more meaningful than ourselves.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: AARON SOLOWONIUK, BEN KOWALEWICZ, IAN D'SA, JON GALLANT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind