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)
Long Forgotten Sons
Rise Against Lyrics
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Where the vultures circle on winds that blow
From northern skies that haunt these waking moments
Our shadows cast by the mountain range
Our calloused souls, we find a way
Through desperate eyes, we long for the horizon
While this sun is rising, yeah
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
When cries for help go unanswered
And signal fires just burn and burn
We wonder if we're waiting here for nothing
'Cause our lips are sewn our ears are filled
With the constant drone of the unfulfilled
But we'll never fall if we stand for something
We stand for something, yeah
Yeah, we are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
Don't fall, I see lights in the distance
They're not far away
Stand up cause the sky is turning gray
There's hope in these footsteps of persistence
So don't go astray
These lights get closer every day
'Cause we are the long forgotten sons
Yeah we are the long forgotten sons
We are the long forgotten sons
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
And we are alone under this sun
We work to fix the work that you've undone
What you've undone
The lyrics of Rise Against's "Long Forgotten Sons" speak of a journey of perseverance and resilience through an unknown and perhaps unforgiving terrain. The song is an ode to the forgotten ones, the outcasts who do not belong to anyone, who struggle to find a place in a world that may not appreciate their worth. The image of vultures circling overhead evokes a sense of danger, as if the travelers are constantly on the brink of death. But in the face of such adversity, the calloused souls of the forgotten ones find a way to endure, to defy their circumstances, to hope for a better future.
The song suggests that the forgotten ones are not waiting passively for someone to help them, but are actively working to fix what others have undone. They stand for something, even if their lips are sewn and their ears are filled with the noise of unfulfilled dreams. The repeated refrain of "we are the long forgotten sons and daughters" reinforces the sense of solidarity among those who have been left behind by society. The final lines of the song offer a glimmer of hope, as the lights in the distance become closer every day. It is a song of struggle, resilience, and hope in the face of adversity.
Line by Line Meaning
Far from home on a road unknown
We are lost in unfamiliar territory
Where the vultures circle on winds that blow
Danger looms around us as we trek ahead
From northern skies that haunt these waking moments
The harshness of nature troubles our minds with every step
Our shadows cast by the mountain range
The mountains that flank us cast shadows on us
Our calloused souls, we find a way
Our spirit is hardened and resilient, making us forge ahead
Through desperate eyes, we long for the horizon
We desperately seek the end of this journey, yearning to be done with it
While this sun is rising, yeah
We keep moving forward as the sun rises in the sky
We are the long forgotten sons
We are people who are overlooked and abandoned
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
We don't have anyone to care for us
And we are alone under this sun
We are isolated, struggling to survive
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
We are trying to repair the damage caused by others
When cries for help go unanswered
Our pleas are ignored
And signal fires just burn and burn
The fires we set to signal for help are ignored as well
We wonder if we're waiting here for nothing
We question if our efforts are in vain
'Cause our lips are sewn our ears are filled
We are silenced and deafened by the situation we are in
With the constant drone of the unfulfilled
We hear the unhappy grumbles of those whose hopes are unmet
But we'll never fall if we stand for something
We will not falter if we stand for what we believe in
Yeah, we are the long forgotten sons
We are still people who require attention
And daughters that don't belong to anyone
We still feel unwanted and alone
Don't fall, I see lights in the distance
We see a glimmer of hope in the distance
They're not far away
Our rescue is within reach
Stand up cause the sky is turning gray
It is time to make our effort to be noticed
There's hope in these footsteps of persistence
We have faith in our efforts despite the odds
So don't go astray
We will not deviate from our path
These lights get closer every day
Our path to a new and better life is getting clearer with time
And we work to fix the work that you've undone
We continue our work to rectify the damage caused by others
What you've undone
The harm caused by those before us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRANDON BARNES, JOSEPH PRINCIPE, TIMOTHY MCILRATH, ZACH BLAIR
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind