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)
From Heads Unworthy
Rise Against Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
These aching cries come from the bottom of our hearts
You can't disown us now, we are your own flesh and blood
And we don't disappear just because your eyes are shut, now tell me
Love, loss
Like a bullet's path
Tear through
Lights out
Because the fuse has blown
As their castles crumble slowly
We watch them fall
Their crown slips from heads unworthy
As we gain control
This is the family that we crossed or never had
This is a war that was lost the day it began
'Cause it's the race we run, but it keeps us at the start
And it's the song I sung from the bottom of my heart, that's how we
Read you
Like a polygraph
Not one
Single bone in your back
Own up
To how you let us down
As their castles crumble slowly
We watch them fall
Their crown slips from heads unworthy
As we gain control
Except for you and me, love
Everyone's the same, we know, we know, we know, we know
But if to live, we have to be numb
I'd rather know the pain, I'd rather know, I'd rather know
This happens almost never
But it happened once to me
And this will never be the same
The ends we seam together
I'm not after fame and fortune
I'm after you
When I've served my time I swear I
Will come back for you
(Watch them fall)
As their castles crumble slowly
We watch them fall
Their crown slips from heads unworthy
And right onto us
But, I'm after you
I'm after you
I'm after you
Yeah, I'm after you.
The lyrics of "From Heads Unworthy" by Rise Against focus on the theme of rejection and discrimination. The song begins with a powerful introduction stating that the people who are often rejected and disregarded by society are the children who cry out from the bottom of their hearts. Despite being neglected, they are still your flesh and blood, and they don't disappear just because you choose to ignore them.
The chorus of the song is about love and loss, like a bullet's path that tears through the cavity of one's chest. The fuse has blown, and their castles crumble slowly as we watch them fall. The crown slips from their unworthy heads as we gain control. This implies that those who have neglected the rejected people become powerless as we take over.
The lines "except for you and me, love, everyone's the same" signify that there is a system in place that classifies people based on their backgrounds, and how they are treated differently. The singer is not interested in fame and fortune but is after finding love and serving their time, and coming back to find it.
Overall, "From Heads Unworthy" emphasizes the need for society to be more empathetic towards the rejected and marginalized people, and the importance of not turning a blind eye towards them.
Line by Line Meaning
We are the children you reject and disregard
We are the young generation that you have abandoned and overlooked.
These aching cries come from the bottom of our hearts
Our passionate pleas originate deep within us and express the profound depth of our emotions.
You can't disown us now, we are your own flesh and blood
You cannot disavow us because we are your own biological offspring.
And we don't disappear just because your eyes are shut, now tell me
We do not disappear when you close your eyes to us, so answer me honestly.
Love, loss
Like a bullet's path
Tear through
The cavity of my chest
Lights out
Because the fuse has blown
The extreme emotions of love and loss travel through my body like a bullet, causing immense pain and shutting down my system.
As their castles crumble slowly
We watch them fall
Their crown slips from heads unworthy
As we gain control
As the powers-that-be lose their influence, we observe their gradual decline and take command ourselves, since they were undeserving leaders.
This is the family that we crossed or never had
This is a war that was lost the day it began
'Cause it's the race we run, but it keeps us at the start
And it's the song I sung from the bottom of my heart, that's how we
This is a relationship that we lack, or that we were unfortunately born into. This is a battle that was doomed from the start, since it keeps us stagnant. This is the song I sang with great passion, and it manifests our desires.
Read you
Like a polygraph
Not one
Single bone in your back
Own up
To how you let us down
We can detect your lies as if on a lie detector test, and we cannot find any evidence of courage or support within you. Admit to how you have disappointed us.
Except for you and me, love
Everyone's the same, we know, we know, we know, we know
But if to live, we have to be numb
I'd rather know the pain, I'd rather know, I'd rather know
This happens almost never
But it happened once to me
And this will never be the same
The ends we seam together
Besides us, everyone else is indistinguishable, but if we must be unfeeling to survive, I prefer to experience the agony. This is a rare occurrence, which I underwent and that irrevocably transforms me. Our shared experiences will forever connect us.
I'm not after fame and fortune
I'm after you
When I've served my time I swear I
Will come back for you
I am not seeking wealth and notoriety, I desire you. When I have fulfilled my obligations, I promise to seek you out.
(Watch them fall)
As their castles crumble slowly
We watch them fall
Their crown slips from heads unworthy
And right onto us
As their positions of power crumble, we observe their downfall. Their undeserved leadership falls from them and transfers to us.
But, I'm after you
I'm after you
I'm after you
Yeah, I'm after you.
However, I am pursuing you. I will continue to pursue you. I will pursue you. Yes, I am fervently pursuing you.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRANDON BARNES, JOSEPH PRINCIPE, TIMOTHY MCILRATH, ZACH BLAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind