Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. Th… Read Full Bio ↴Rise Against is an American punk rock band from Chicago, formed in 1999. The group's current line-up comprises vocalist/rhythm guitarist Tim McIlrath, lead guitarist Zach Blair, bassist Joe Principe and drummer Brandon Barnes. Rooted in hardcore punk and melodic hardcore, Rise Against's music emphasizes melody, catchy hooks, an aggressive sound and playstyle, and rapid tempos. Lyrically, the band is known for their outspoken social commentary, covering a wide range of topics such as political injustice, animal rights, humanitarianism, and environmentalism.

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)

The Violence
Rise Against Lyrics

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Dancing on the crumbling precipice
The rocks are coming loose just at the edge
Are we laughing? Are we crying?
Are we drowning? Are we dead?
Or is it all a dream?

The bombs are getting closer everyday
"That can never happen here" we used to say

Have these wars come to our doorstep?
Has this moment finally come?
Or is it all a dream?

Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?
Is the violence in our nature
Just the image of our maker?
Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?
To become something greater
Than the violence in our nature?
Are we not good, good enough
Or is it all a dream?

To a predetermined fate are we condemned
Or maybe we're a book without an end
We're not stories, we're not actors
We're awake and in control
And this is not a dream

So can we break this mold
And set in motion something new?
Forgetting what we know
An evolution overdue
Fight the current
Pull the ripcord
Get away

Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?
Is the violence in our nature
Just the image of our maker?
Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?
To become something greater
Than the violence in our nature?
Are we not good, good enough?

Well trodden paths are all we take
We need a storm, let's pray for rain now
To wash these roads away
Let's get off track and wander far
Same roads lead to same destinations
Follow nothing but your heart
We're talking in our sleep
And sleeping through our lives
We dream of the places where we never die
We step from our shadows and into the light

Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?
Is the violence in our nature
Just the image of our maker?
Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?
To become something greater
Than the violence in our nature?
Are we not good enough?
Are we not brave enough?

Are we not good, good enough?
Or was it all a dream?

Overall Meaning

The Violence by Rise Against is a powerful critique of modern society and humanity's tendency toward violence, both on a personal and a geopolitical level. The lyrics describe a world on the brink of collapse, where people are living on the "crumbling precipice" of a changing world that is becoming more dangerous and unstable every day. The question in the chorus asks if we are not good enough or brave enough to transcend this violence, to become something greater.

Throughout the song, there is a sense of urgency and immediacy, as if the world is seconds away from collapsing into chaos. The use of rhetorical questions in the opening lines, "Are we laughing? Are we crying? Are we drowning? Are we dead? Or is it all a dream?" creates a feeling of uncertainty and disorientation, as if the world has lost its bearings and people are struggling to make sense of what's happening around them.

As the song progresses, the lyrics become more pointed in their criticism. The lines, "Is the violence in our nature just the image of our maker?" suggest that our tendency toward aggression and hostility is not something we can blame solely on external circumstances, but is instead an inherent part of who we are. The final verse offers hope for change, urging listeners to "get off track and wander far" and "follow nothing but your heart." Ultimately, the message of The Violence is that we have the power to break free from the cycle of violence, but it will require us to be brave, to take risks, and to think differently about ourselves and the world around us.

Line by Line Meaning

Dancing on the crumbling precipice
We are treading on a thin line, where danger looms overhead; we are almost at the point of falling off to our death.

The rocks are coming loose just at the edge
Our foundation is breaking apart and getting weaker, and one false step can lead to our downfall.

Are we laughing? Are we crying?
Amidst this chaos, we don't know what to feel or how to react to the uncertain future we face.

Are we drowning? Are we dead?
The unfavorable circumstance might lead us to struggle for survival or even death.

Or is it all a dream?
Or maybe, it's all just a figment of our imagination, and it's not happening for real.

The bombs are getting closer every day
The threat of destructive elements looms close to us, and the situation seems to be getting worse.

"That can never happen here" we used to say
We used to think that such destruction is impossible, especially affecting us, but now the reality is different.

Have these wars come to our doorstep?
Is the unwanted yet daunting situation finally affecting us and taking a toll on our society?

Has this moment finally come?
Is this it? Is this what we've been fearing and dreading for so long?

Or is it all a dream?
Or maybe it's all just a figment of our imagination, and it's not happening for real.

Are we not good enough?
There's doubt in our abilities to face and combat the adversity we're facing.

Are we not brave enough?
We don't think we have the courage to confront the danger and take action.

Is the violence in our nature
Maybe aggression and destruction come to us inherently.

Just the image of our maker?
Are we just a reflection of our creator, who's also responsible for the violence we're witnessing?

To become something greater
But we want to be more and rise above our inherited violent tendencies and response to the darkness.

Than the violence in our nature?
We aspire to evolve beyond the harmful attitude and transform into something better.

Or is it all a dream?
Or maybe it's all just a figment of our imagination, and it's not happening for real.

To a predetermined fate are we condemned
Are we destined to face such doom and obliteration, and the future's already decided?

Or maybe we're a book without an end
But maybe we write our story, and it's not yet over; we have the power to change our fate.

We're not stories, we're not actors
We're living, breathing beings who have control over our actions, and we can form our moral and ethical stance.

We're awake and in control
We're actively aware of the reality we're facing, and we have the power to implement change - it's not left to the hands of fate.

And this is not a dream
This is all happening for real, and we have to face it without trying to escape through our dreams.

So can we break this mold
Can we surpass the limitations on our ideals and morals and try something new and revolutionary?

And set in motion something new
Can we create a new wave of thought and action, and move forward, leaving behind the past?

Forgetting what we know
Forgetting the dogmas and frameworks that we were brought up with and instead focusing on creating something entirely new and unbiased.

An evolution overdue
We've been stagnant for far too long, and it's time to take the first step towards growth and progress.

Fight the current
Don't go with the flow; take a unique path forward that creates a ripple of change.

Pull the ripcord
Take an abrupt step to break the monotony and do something unconventional that sparks change.

Get away!
Get away from the limitations we're confined in and break free to get something entirely new started.

We travel back to what we take
We will always find ourselves back to the things and places that hold a special place in our heart and where we find solace.

We need a storm, let's pray for rain now
We need turbulence and hardship to bring about change, and we should pray for it to happen right now.

To wash these roads away
To cleanse our world of violence, we need rain to wash away the hatred, bigotry, and violence that's plagued our society.

Let's get off track and wander far
Sometimes, straying from the conventional path leads one to the most fantastic opportunities, and it's time for us to lose our inhibitions and try something new.

Same roads lead to same destinations
If we keep doing the same thing, we will end up at the same place we're at right now, and that's not what we desire for our nation.

Follow nothing but your heart
In times of chaos, it's important to quiet the noise and listen to your heart, which will always lead you in the right direction.

We're talking in our sleep
Sometimes, we mindlessly go through life and do things without actively thinking about them or making conscious decisions of our own.

And sleeping through our lives
We must wake up and take over the world instead of lettings things happen around us without us actively participating in decision-making.

We dream of the places where we never die
We dream of living in a society where there's no hate, bigotry, or needless violence and everyone lives in peace and harmony.

We step from our shadows and into the light
Stepping away from the darkness and towards a brighter future requires us to leave our comfort zone and put ourselves out there.