Strike Anywhere is a political band, with lyrics touching on such issues as police brutality, anarchism, anti-capitalism, women's rights, animal rights, and globalization. They have also contributed tracks to political benefit albums, such as a live version of "Sunset on 32nd" for 1157 Wheeler Avenue: A Memorial for Amadou Diallo and "To the World" for the Rock Against Bush, Vol. 1 album. According to the liner notes for their album Change is a Sound, they support "the vegetarian lifestyle, the living wage movement, and the fight against corporate globalization".
Current Members:
* Thomas Barnett - Vocals
* Matt Smith - Guitar/Vocals
* Garth Petrie - Bass
* Eric Kane - Drums
* Mark Miller - Guitar/Vocals
Former:
* Matt Sherwood - Guitar/Vocals (1999-2007)
Instinct
Strike Anywhere Lyrics
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For you my friend
Here after all this time
We may never sing this one
It's just here as a light to help you
When the power goes out
Like the moments you might
Shake yourself awake
The only ones we never talk about
The glare of madness
In grown-ups' eyes
The rage that takes
The whole room
By surprise
This vicious trap
The male cultural disguise
Is the one we fight against
We Go, We Go, We Go
The one we fight against
We Go, We Go, We Go
So I'll write these words now
For you my friend
Here after all this time
We may never sing this one
It's just here
As a light to help you
The sickness
The silence
As you hide in your room
Wishing so hard they'd forget
You're alive
But
You're alive
So the sight of broken things
Won't mean a pound of flesh
And the time you speak up
Won't be repaid by fists
Praying not to be missed
The night you ran away
We Go, We Go, We Go
The night you ran away
We Go, We Go, We Go
So I'll write these words now
For you my friend
Here after all this time
We may never sing this one
It's just here
As a light to help you
This violence passes for
An apology
The trickle down
In our society
This is for the peace
You never had
This is for the peace
We never had
This is for the peace
We never had
How do we guard the door
Against your Dad?
We go, We go, We go
The night you ran away
We go, We go, We go
So I'll write these words now
For you my friend
Here after all this time
We may never sing this one
It's just here
As a light to help you
The lyrics to Strike Anywhere's "Instinct" speak to the struggle of fighting against societal norms and expectations that perpetuate violence and aggression. The song begins with the vocalist addressing their friend and writing these words for them as a form of support. The lyrics acknowledge that they may never perform the song to a live audience, but it still serves as a light to help their friend through difficult times when they may feel alone and afraid. The song then delves into the idea of the prejudice and violence that is ingrained in society, seen in the "glare of madness" in grown-up's eyes and the vicious trap of the male cultural disguise.
The chorus of the song, "We Go, We Go, We Go" is a chant of resistance, a call to action against the violence that is perpetuated in society. The lyrics speak to the experience of feeling powerless and silenced, "the sickness, the silence, as you hide in your room, wishing so hard they'd forget you're alive, but you're alive". The lyrics also address the trauma that individuals may endure, such as physical abuse, and how it can affect one's perceptions of relationships and trust for the rest of their lives. The song ends with a call to action, questioning how society can protect individuals from the violence perpetuated by their own parents.
Overall, Strike Anywhere's "Instinct" is a powerful critique of the violence ingrained in societal norms and expectations. The lyrics acknowledge the struggle of fighting against the violence that is perpetuated by societal norms and call for resistance and change.
Line by Line Meaning
So I'll write these words now
I am writing this song specifically for you.
For you my friend
Because you are my friend and I care about you.
Here after all this time
Even though a lot of time has passed, I am still here for you.
We may never sing this one
This song may not get performed live, but it is still important.
It's just here as a light to help you
This song is meant to offer comfort and support to you during difficult times.
When the power goes out
When things seem helpless and bleak.
Like the moments you might
Similar to the times when you may have to
Shake yourself awake
Wake up from a bad dream or realization.
From those horrible dreams
The nightmares you have that you cannot talk about.
The only ones we never talk about
The nightmares are too dark and difficult to put into words.
The glare of madness
The flame of insanity or fear in somebody's eyes.
In grown-ups' eyes
The fear that many feel from adults as children.
The rage that takes
The fury that engulfs you without warning.
The whole room
The anger is all-encompassing and affects everyone.
By surprise
The outburst takes everyone off guard.
This vicious trap
The harmful cycle that keeps happening.
The male cultural disguise
The societal expectation for men to act a certain way that is often toxic.
Is the one we fight against
The cycle of toxicity is what we are trying to break free from.
We Go, We Go, We Go
We are determined to fight against these harmful expectations.
The sickness
The illness or pain that you carry with you.
The silence
The lack of communication or discussion about difficult topics.
As you hide in your room
When you must isolate yourself to protect your own health and safety.
Wishing so hard they'd forget
Hoping that abusers or harmful individuals would disappear or forget about you.
You're alive
You are still here and fighting, even when things are difficult.
So the sight of broken things
The damage and destruction around you will no longer break you down.
Won't mean a pound of flesh
You will not allow yourself to be hurt any longer.
And the time you speak up
When you find the courage to advocate for yourself.
Won't be repaid by fists
No one will harm you or punish you for standing up for yourself.
Praying not to be missed
Hoping that you won't be targeted or hurt again.
The night you ran away
The night you left to escape the abuse or harm in your life.
This violence passes for
The acts of abuse or harm are often seen as
An apology
A way of seeking forgiveness, which is not fair or appropriate.
The trickle down
The harmful things in society spreading and affecting everyone.
In our society
In our communities and country as a whole.
This is for the peace
This song is dedicated to wanting peace and safety for people.
You never had
Because you have not experienced true peace or safety.
We never had
Because as a society, we have not created or maintained true peace or safety for everyone.
How do we guard the door
What can we do to protect ourselves and others from harm.
Against your Dad?
How do we protect ourselves and others from abusive or harmful family members.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
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