Tip the Scales

I think that this song means that no one has the balls to be different. "We beathe so selfishly." Take a stand for what you believe in. In the words of Isaac Brock, "Tt's easy to forget that we're alive for the first time, and the last time." Take a stand and rise against injustices.

It's about how we go through life trying to do great things and screwing up.

"These machines feed on the tears of broken lives and dying dreams"

Other people profit from your failure. If you're thinking politically, we die to keep others alive, but what do those we keep alive become?

"You can lead me to the bloodbath But you can’t make me drink"

We all have to try hard to make our own paths. Again, thinking politically, shouldn't we be learning from mistakes instead of repeating them in wars. We can't just follow someone else's plans and footsteps, we'll gain nothing. No one will gain anything except the "machines"

That's what it means to me. I think it can be a very political song if you think about it.

"These machines feed on the tears of broken lives and dying dreams We’re throwing wrenches in the gears Our lives will not be lived in vain"

To me these lines are about working for the system, being stuck in a dead end pointless job e.t.c.. Just living a pointless life without any meaning wasting away. And in 50 or 100 years all you did with your life really was keeping the machinery up in a recklesss destructive sinking ship.

So this song is saying that there's so much inside of everyone, dreams, feelings, thoughts, ideas, but most people waste away working for someone elses profit all their life and for someone else getting richer and bigger and it all wastes away, working for someone they don't know or someone they hate (boss/capitalist). "Throwing wrenches in the gear" i think means not participating and blindly following along to the rules they made.

Like e.t.c. it'd be bad if Rise Against instead of playing and doing music and what they do would be stuck in a dead end job working for some asshole and his asshole corporation and a fucked up society..

amazing song, probably one of their best.

as for its meaning, in my opinion it's about making a difference and becoming more than just an average joe. the narrator obviously has a problem with the present human condition and the last thing he wants is to be a part of that, rather he wants to known and remembered for being special.

it's a great song and something we can all use to inspire us to become great. once again, rise against has made one ass-kicking song.

I don't know if any of you have read the book Farhenhiet 451, but it is in their album notes in Revolutions Per Minute, and if you read the book, this song seems to be exactly like the book, it's really insane, but I think this is one of the songs that is Rise Against's identity, it is their message in one song.

I think this song is about revolting against a system designed to rob you of your happiness and prosperity.

A few exerpts that may have a deeper meaning I found:

These are our lives But did they ever even matter? Are we worth remembering?

(What did you really accomplish with all of your lifes hard work)

These machines feed on the tears of broken lives and dying dreams

(People work hard because they believe in the American Dream. If they knew that the deck was stacked against them, they wouldn't participate.)

We sell ourselves everyday

(comparing our "work" to slavery)

Tip the scales makes me think of unbalance. As in an unfair advantage given to a class of people. This means that no matter how hard you work at it, you will only be as good as you were when you were born.

The rest of the song is pretty straght forward. Thorwing wrenches in the gears could be a call for revolution. Join the_cold_revolution

We excel from others failures. We don't do enough to be remembered for. We don't try hard enough to make a difference in the world. We don't live up to what we say we will, like keeping a simple secret. People are too easily forgiven, and we don't stop to see what is really wrong.

I couldn't have said it better

Promises we plan to break Are made in whispered voices Cause our despair knows many names

We make mistakes But we apologize with roses we never stop to smell along the way

best lines for yesterdays valentines day! it cost me a little laugh while listening to this

Ever think that this is there statment against major record labels? This was there first release on geffen and one of the only major label releases of the year that said anything. These machines are record labels, getting rich of people singing of loss and heartbreak, but nothing significant. "We're throwing wrenches in the gears, our lives will not be lived in vain" they are not going to be part of the system. For to long bands have thought that once they get a contract with a major label they have to stop making albums that say something, politically or otherwise. I think this is Rise Against saying that it is not worth getting signed to a mjor record label if your voice is lost. They want to leave an impact on the world, and they are not going to forfeit that oppurtunity just to have a record thar syas Geffen.