| Rise Against – Lanterns Lyrics | 12 years ago |
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I feel like this, along with a lot of other Rise Against songs, is more about the oppression and injustice brought upon some in society through, for example, bullying. "This night will fall like any other Daylight subsides and shadows crawl out from under That corner's hiding something stirs oh so restless, cracked windows opened wide deadbolt turns, doors creak open Whispers and moonlight there to guide" This verse feels like him singing that the darkness is coming again, like it always does, the "evil" or "menacing" parts of it come out (perhaps in the form of those who like to harass others or the harassment itself) and the only thing to get through it is by the weak sound and light of whispers and moonlight, something you really have to cling to in order to notice it. The last part seems to me to be related to hope. "Come raise your lantern to the sky Can we illuminate this night? We'll dance like heathens round our flame While the world sleeps we are awake" Here it's basically like he's saying if we can make the "night" brighter, if we can illuminate society through compassion and empathy. I'm not as sure about the dancing around the flame like heathens, but that might be a euphemism for them clinging to the "light", the compassion, despite the fact that the majority sees them as heathens, strange or weird, for doing it. And while the world sleeps, ignores these problems, they are awake, knowing that they're going on. "The black bird calls, it sings a chorus While the gathering swells The flames grow tall right before us As drums keep pounding And the masses now are fusing Bodies pressed and tangled As we revel in confusion our inhibitions thrown into the fire" I think that this entire verse is just about people coming together and helping, thus making the fire bigger and the night brighter, and the restrictions that are placed on them, for example someone who is bullied might be afraid to socialize due to being cast out or harassed, are let go so that they are free in a sense. "Here in the dark we are safe from the judgment And now arm in arm, locked tight so no one gets in The Heaven-sent say, "Child you are Hellbent" But Hell is not where we're going Hell's where we've been" The beginning of this part is a bit confusing, but I suppose that they take some sort of solace in not being the center of attention because they can avoid the judgement and prejudice of others, and they are locked arm in arm tightly, holding on to each other, so that no one can get in and hurt them. Then comes the part that really made me interpret the song in this way: "Hell is not where we're going, Hell's where we've been". This to me seems like that the "better" people in society, the ones who are supposed to represent the norm, call them hellbent because they don't understand or refuse to understand, but he says that they come from pain and suffering, not going towards it. That feels especially true when it comes to children who are bullied because of homosexuality, because despite their suffering there are still adults, those who are supposed to represent reason and compassion, who say that they are wrong, unholy, twisted and that they're going to hell for being the way they are. Just my two cents, really. |
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