To me, knowing the kind of topics Chevelle finds important enough to write about, this song is about standing against a corrupt leader. "Might not be the face you'd expect," leads me to believe the Gunman is someone people are supposed to trust. The part about the "blinding riot," to me, means the hyped up followers of this leader who see him as the good guy the leader either once was, or lead his followers to believe he was (:so amazed at the way it was televised".) Pete is saying he was once one of these followers, but one morning he woke up and realized this person is leading them to destruction, so he decides to stand against the Gunman.
To me, knowing the kind of topics Chevelle finds important enough to write about, this song is about standing against a corrupt leader. "Might not be the face you'd expect," leads me to believe the Gunman is someone people are supposed to trust. The part about the "blinding riot," to me, means the hyped up followers of this leader who see him as the good guy the leader either once was, or lead his followers to believe he was (:so amazed at the way it was televised".) Pete is saying he was once one of these followers, but one morning he woke up and realized this person is leading them to destruction, so he decides to stand against the Gunman.