Elective Amnesia Lyrics

Lyric discussion by Irrepressible 

Cover art for Elective Amnesia lyrics by Rise Against

So, here's my take, if you are interested:

Our humble narrator opens with a problem: people have become soft, weak, and mentally unsound. "We don't sleep very much...paper thin, overweight...Where's the strength we relied on?"

He proceeds to blame this on our television culture: "Glowing screens simulate, Ads that no longer take place...Each day we are torn between life and convenience..."

He suggests a solution: rebellion against the status quo, going off the grid, etc: "Let's just start over, let's erase what they've made!" "First a spark, then a flame, now a fire, we explode!" "Disconnect, cut the cord, lights are off, now they'll know; that everything has a price"

And in the last verse, he delivers us an admonition of what will happen if this sedentary lifestyle is maintained: "It could be minutes away, it could be hours or days, before the bottom falls out, before the ground gives way."

...at least, that's what I took away from it.

My Interpretation