The band spent its first four years signed to the independent record label Fat Wreck Chords, on which they released two studio albums, The Unraveling (2001) and Revolutions per Minute (2003). Both the albums were met with underground success, and in 2003 the band signed with the major label Dreamworks, which was absorbed by Geffen. Rise Against's major label debut Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004) brought the band mainstream success, largely in part to the popularity of the singles "Give It All" and "Swing Life Away". The band's next album, The Sufferer & the Witness (2006), peaked at number ten on the Billboard 200 in the United States, and was Rise Against's first album to chart in countries outside of North America.
With the release of Appeal to Reason (2008), Rise Against's music shifted toward a more accessible and radio-friendly sound, with greater emphasis on production value. The album's third single, "Savior", broke the record for the most consecutive weeks spent on both the Hot Rock Songs and Alternative Songs charts. Rise Against's popularity grew with the release of Endgame (2011), which peaked at number two on the Billboard 200, and charted highly worldwide. The band's seventh and eighth albums, The Black Market (2014) and Wolves (2017) continued the trend of commercial success, and both peaked with the top ten on the Billboard 200. Their ninth and most recent album, Nowhere Generation, was released in 2021.
Rise Against is also known for their advocacy of progressivism, supporting organizations such as Amnesty International and the It Gets Better Project. The band actively promotes animal rights and most of the members are straight edge, PETA supporters and vegetarians.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rise_Against
Studio albums
The Unraveling (2001)
Revolutions per Minute (2003)
Siren Song of the Counter Culture (2004)
The Sufferer & the Witness (2006)
Appeal to Reason (2008)
Endgame (2011)
The Black Market (2014)
Wolves (2017)
Nowhere Generation (2021)
A Gentlemen's Coup
Rise Against Lyrics
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A cataclysmic dawn
We trusted but something has gone wrong
We bought it
But woke to find it gone
Impact in 5, 4, 3, 2
The place before
On cats' feet
We scatter in the streets
She asks me "do you think it's safe to breathe?"
It doesn't look that way to me
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
Afraid, we cower
To interests not our own
The power to free or to control
We let it skip through
Our fingers to the bone
Watch as the bodies wash ashore
Whoa
Nobody lives here anymore
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
How long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall?
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
And how long will we fall for this?
How long, how?
We storm the gates
Raise the flags
Just the same old story
We seize the throne, subjugate
We should have burned it to the ground
Whoa
Some might say we've lost our way
But I believe we've not gone far enough
The lyrics of "A Gentlemen's Coup" by Rise Against discuss the pain and chaos that ensues in the aftermath of a failed trust. The opening lines "The pain, disorder, a cataclysmic dawn" depict a sense of destruction and turmoil that has been caused by something that was trusted. However, as the lyrics continue, it becomes clear that what was trusted is now gone and the impact is imminent with "Impact in 5, 4, 3, 2".
The second verse takes a different turn, as the lyrics describe a desolate and radiation-stricken place. There is a sense of fear and uncertainty as people run through the streets, wondering if it is safe to breathe. The third verse is a call to action, speaking to the necessity to seize control and overthrow those in power. The lyrics suggest that we should have gone further, indicating a possible frustration with current attempts at change.
Overall, the song seems to critique those in power who make decisions that do not have the best interests of the people at heart. It also highlights the danger of blindly trusting those in authority without questioning the motives behind their actions.
Line by Line Meaning
The pain, disorder
The chaos and suffering caused by the events that have transpired
A cataclysmic dawn
A violent, destructive beginning to a new era
We trusted but something has gone wrong
Our faith in what we believed to be true has been betrayed
We bought it
We fell for the deception
But woke to find it gone
Only to realize that what we thought we had was not real
Impact in 5, 4, 3, 2
Countdown to the moment of impact, where the consequences of our actions will be realized
The place before
The world as it was before the chaos
The radiation creeps
The negative effects of what has happened continue to spread slowly
On cats' feet
Silently but surely
We scatter in the streets
People try to avoid the danger or get away from it
She asks me "do you think it's safe to breathe?"
Others seek guidance or reassurance from those around them in times of uncertainty
It doesn't look that way to me
The harsh reality is that things are not safe, no matter how much we wish they were
We storm the gates
We take control by force
Raise the flags
We assert our dominance and make our presence known
Just the same old story
This is a recurring pattern throughout history
We seize the throne, subjugate
We overthrow the previous rulers and establish ourselves as the new authority
We should have burned it to the ground
It would have been better to completely eliminate the previous system, rather than simply take it over
Some might say we've lost our way
Critics may argue that we have deviated from the right path
But I believe we've not gone far enough
From our perspective, we have not achieved all that we set out to do, and there is more work to be done
Afraid, we cower
We are fearful and submissive in the face of powerful forces
To interests not our own
We are controlled by those who do not have our best interests at heart
The power to free or to control
Those in power have the ability to either liberate or oppress the people
We let it skip through
We allowed it to slip away from us, without fully realizing the consequences
Our fingers to the bone
We worked tirelessly, and yet it still slipped away
Watch as the bodies wash ashore
The tragic aftermath of the events that have transpired
Nobody lives here anymore
The devastation is so great that people can no longer inhabit this place
And how long will we fall for this?
How much longer will we continue to be deceived by those in power?
How long, how?
We question how much longer we can endure this cycle of oppression and chaos
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRANDON BARNES, JOSEPH PRINCIPE, TIMOTHY MCILRATH, ZACH BLAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind