Back in March, Rise Against released a new album called Endgame. Today, I am going to give you a bit of a mini-explication. Each song title will be a link to the song on youtube. I will only tell you about the first 3 songs, though. I might continue later.
Architects - This song expresses the shift of responsibility from the old to the new. Society is divided into two categories: Architects (those who guide their world as they see fit) and Followers (sheep). As the old generation's architects die off, who will take their place? Basically, the song asks the question, "How are you going to govern your fate?"
Help is on the Way - This song talks about those in need of aid. In the music video for the song, hurricane victims are shown huddled on their roof--trapped by the water encircling their house. "They said they said, help is on the way... but it never came." The message of the song is to help those in need. Disasters happen; people struggle. It is up to their fellow man to send help.
Make it Stop (September's Children) - MY FAVORITE SONG ON THE ALBUM. And the music video adds to that tremendously. Seriously, watch it. This song is all about dealing with homosexuality as a young person. So many teens consider committing suicide to escape the torment they feel as an outcast, a weirdo, a sin. And it needs to stop. You can do SO MUCH MORE by staying alive. The music video follows three teens (2 boys and a girl) as they pick up a gun, hang a noose, and climb onto a bridge. Each has been bullied and is on the edge of ending his or her life. But just before the end, they decide to go on living. Once they become a little bit older, they become successful in their own way.
Please, please. Don't even consider suicide. It hurts so many people--and not the ones that might deserve it. Continue living. Fight through the pain. Find some sort of outlet. But don't harm yourself. Just think of when you are an adult, and you can help those around you. YOU CAN MAKE THE WORLD RIGHT. But you end all chance of that--all chance of justice, happiness, truth--when you take your own life. The ending sequence of the video shows people who have made it through the rough, horrible years and found happiness.
IT GETS BETTER, I promise. This may sound trite to you, but it is so powerful when you see the number of people who believe it and offer you their support. There are people who love you. Plenty of people. And as much as they want to help, they need you to help yourself. I.e., DO NOT COMMIT SUICIDE. PLEASE.
Gay teenagers have been killing themslves for generations. The difference is now that enough people care so we hear about them. That's what is making a difference, why bands are singing about it, why people like me speak up against the haters like we never have before.
ReplyDeleteI just love this from Gabrielle Rivera's It Gets Better.
"So, did I say it gets easier? no, but you get stronger. And you get more beautiful. And you believe in yourself harder. And anything this messed up world throws at you, you’ll be able to handle. Don’t take your own life. It’s not worth it. If you take your own life, they win. And if you take your own life, that’s one less gay person of color, or white, or disabled, or multi-abled, or whatever, that isn’t here, able to show them the truth. So please love yourself. Please be strong. And you’ll be all right. That, I do promise you."