I think people are taking their song lyrics way too literally, although I think most people have the right idea about what the song is about. If you like Rise Against and their message, read a book called Ishmael because this heavily influences their work (and they say so in the booklet with their album). I happened to come across it in my Bio class, and was well worth the read. Anyways.
This song refers to Mother Culture (pointed out in Ishmael, read it) and how it is going to ruin the world. I firmly believe this because of this:
The drones will slave away, they’re working overtime,
-we work so that we don't starve
They serve a faceless queen, they never question why.
-"they" is actually everyone, the faceless Queen being Mother Culture, and we don't question why things are like they are, going all the way to the basis of our culture and the way it works
Disciples of a god, that neither lives nor breathes,
-we listen to mother culture blindly because it’s all we know
(I won’t go back!)
to simpler lives that is, that of the Leavers (Ishmael)
But we have bills to pay, yeah we have mouths to feed!
-the reason why we CAN'T go back now, mother culture prevents this
(I won’t go back!)
Too make a long story short - in today's world you work because if you don't you starve. But Mother culture tells us that if somebody is starving, send them food (such as places in Africa), yet this only makes the problem worse because they reproduce and require even more food in the future. How do we grow more food? We destroy the forests and make more room for agriculture. In effect, we’re destroying the world and all of nature simply so that we can have more people, simply to keep anyone from suffering. But in the end, if things continue as they are and our own technology can’t save us, then everyone will suffer.
Again, I urge any devoted Rise Against listener to read Ishmael. You’ll see the connections in every song and hopefully become a little more aware, as this song calls for.
I think people are taking their song lyrics way too literally, although I think most people have the right idea about what the song is about. If you like Rise Against and their message, read a book called Ishmael because this heavily influences their work (and they say so in the booklet with their album). I happened to come across it in my Bio class, and was well worth the read. Anyways.
This song refers to Mother Culture (pointed out in Ishmael, read it) and how it is going to ruin the world. I firmly believe this because of this:
The drones will slave away, they’re working overtime, -we work so that we don't starve They serve a faceless queen, they never question why. -"they" is actually everyone, the faceless Queen being Mother Culture, and we don't question why things are like they are, going all the way to the basis of our culture and the way it works Disciples of a god, that neither lives nor breathes, -we listen to mother culture blindly because it’s all we know (I won’t go back!)
Too make a long story short - in today's world you work because if you don't you starve. But Mother culture tells us that if somebody is starving, send them food (such as places in Africa), yet this only makes the problem worse because they reproduce and require even more food in the future. How do we grow more food? We destroy the forests and make more room for agriculture. In effect, we’re destroying the world and all of nature simply so that we can have more people, simply to keep anyone from suffering. But in the end, if things continue as they are and our own technology can’t save us, then everyone will suffer.
Again, I urge any devoted Rise Against listener to read Ishmael. You’ll see the connections in every song and hopefully become a little more aware, as this song calls for.