Converge have enjoyed a relatively high level of recognition. According to AllMusic, they are "regarded as one of the most original and innovative bands to emerge from the punk underground." Their popularity rose with the release of Jane Doe, which was ranked as the best album of 2001 by Terrorizer and later as the 61st Best Metal Album of All Time by Rolling Stone. Subsequently, Converge moved from Equal Vision Records to the considerably larger label Epitaph Records and their records gradually became more elaborate and expensive to produce. Special releases have traditionally been handled by Deathwish Inc., established by Bannon in 1999. The band's ninth studio album, The Dusk in Us, was released in November 2017 through Deathwish and Epitaph.
On My Shield
Converge Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Looked for a handout beyond the gates
And I need to know if their blood was worth it
As we live this inferno and burn down to the bone
All of the arrows that plunge into prey
Are their promises of better days
And I need to know if their blood was worth it
Die on my shield, die on my shield
As love's war rages on
(All of our pain is worth it- together we fall apart)
The song On My Shield by Converge speaks of the struggles of life and questions the cost of sacrifice. The opening lines look at people who are wounded and require help, but have also looked for an easy way out without paying the cost. The singer then wonders if their blood was worth the sacrifice that they made. The lyrics then refer to the chaos and destruction around us as we all burn down to the bone, as people continue to plunge arrows into prey, which are simply promises for better days, but people must know if their blood was worth the sacrifice.
The refrain of the song "Die on my Shield" refers to the ancient Greek warrior code of "Come back with your shield or on it", meaning that they should either win or die in battle. The singer would rather die on his shield and be remembered for his bravery than being a coward who fled from battle. The song reflects on life's difficulties and how they bring people down, but it also reminds listeners that true love is worth dying for.
Line by Line Meaning
All of the wounded that need to be saved
I see many people who need help and support in order to heal.
Looked for a handout beyond the gates
They look for help outside of themselves, perhaps from others or from a higher power.
And I need to know if their blood was worth it
I question the value of the sacrifices made by those who suffered and died for a cause.
As we live this inferno and burn down to the bone
We are all caught up in the pain and struggle of our existence, which consumes us and wears us down to nothing.
All of the arrows that plunge into prey
Life is full of challenges and obstacles that strike us down, like arrows piercing their prey.
Are their promises of better days
We hope that all of the hardships and struggles we endure will ultimately lead to a better future.
And I need to know if their blood was worth it
I continue to wonder if the sacrifices made in the past were truly worth the cost.
As we live this inferno, because I would rather...
Despite the challenges, I would rather face them head on and stay true to my beliefs and values.
Die on my shield, die on my shield
I would rather die defending my beliefs and staying true to myself than compromise just to survive.
As love's war rages on
Despite the struggles and pain, I believe that there is still meaning and hope to be found in life.
(All of our pain is worth it- together we fall apart)
In the end, all of our struggles and pain are worth it if we can face them together and support each other.
Contributed by Charlie W. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Lid Di
Together WE FALL APART!!!!! What a breakdown,masterpiece
Abraham Ibarra
This entire album is PERFECT. Best album of 2012.
That One Guy
I fucking adore Converge. This is probably the most mathy song they have released, next to Murk Marrow and Fault & Fracture IMO.
K. Tsoutsoulis
This was a cool 7". And it's slightly strange to see it as a deluxe song on the new album, but nay stray left behind.
Pyne Kone
It starts cool and then gets AWESOME.
Felsbrocken
2:30 I misheard: "DIE!!! LEMON!!!! TREE!!!!" and I just love it, laughing my ass off, imagining Jacob & co. fucking ripping that fucking bitch of a lemon tree apart xD
iChuckBricks
Here for my daily dose of converge!
gs518
Why everyone using that FUCKING profile photo
HenglishShogun
I fucking love you converge
hasnol hadiff
fucking best