A Hero Of War....Is That What You'll Be?

Rise Against is no doubt one of the most rebellious rock bands in America. Their single, "Hero Of War" is a song that is highly misinterpreted. Tim Mcilrath has stated that this is the first song written with a goal. That goal was to send a message, a wake up call.


The song begins with a father-son conversation where the father introduces the idea of joining the army to his son who willingly agrees. The song begins with a cheery mood after that, where the son becomes a soldier and learns how to fight, additionally he makes friends with all those who have joined the army as well, "we marched and we sang/ we all became friends/ as we learned how to fight".

The chorus of the song reflects pride in being part of the country, and pride towards the flag of the country, "I'll carry this flag/ to the grave if I must/ cuz it's a flag that I love/ and a flag that I trust".

The song then turns around the corner and describes some of the events that take place in a battle field, "I yelled my commands/ the children they cried but I've got my man", "they took off his clothes/ they pissed in his hands". It also shows the ambiguity that a soldier faces and the contradictions within himself, "I told him to stop, but then I joined in".

The song's bridge is the breaking point of the soldier, where he can't decide what's right from what's wrong anymore. He is reluctant and desperate, "I told her to stop/ I begged her to stay/ but she pressed on/ so I lifted my gun and fired away" and the chorus also takes a dramatic turn, "A hero of war/ is that what they seem?/ just metals and scars/ so damn proud of me" it also reflects uncertainty and instability towards the flag of his country, "I brought home that flag/ now it gathers dust/ but it's a flag that I love/ it's the only thing I had trust".

The final verse of the song is the repetition of the introduction; the father-son conversation. "he said, son, have you seen the world?/ well what would you say, if I said that you could?" It is repeated here to indicate that if history could repeat itself, and if the boy knew what he would be signing up for, would he have made the same choice as he did the first time? (in other words, would he agree to fight in war?)

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Linkin Park + Transformers

So far, Linkin Park has come up with "What I've Done", for Transformers 1, "New Divide", for Transformers: Revenge of The Fallen, and "Iridescent", for Transformers: Dark of The Moon.

These guys are legendary, you've got to admit that Michael Bay has GREAT taste in music, that's part of why Transformers is so awesome. He's also included Paramore and Skillet songs in the 3rd movie soundtrack.

Personally, I'm not a huge fan of Transformers, but I'm sure hoping that a new part comes out so that Linkin Park can release another awesome song for us.

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Rise Against - Make It Stop (September's Children)

Rise Against is one of the greatest rock bands to have ever surfaced. Unfortunately, I only recently discovered their music despite the fact that they have been around for years. Their single 'Make It Stop' is what made them known to me.


The song is......beyond words. Not only because it's legendary Rock, but also because it sends an important message: an anti bullying message.

The lyrics used are very strong and very effective. The song's opening sentence gives a prominent visual and audio effect, "bang bang on the coffin nails".

Tim Mcllarth uses these words to encourage the victims of bullying to stand up for themselves and speak what's on their minds. This song was inspired by the number of suicides of bullied homosexual teenagers in America. The bridge of the song features the names of the children who committed suicide in September, starting from Tyler Clementi, who jumped off a bridge when he was only 18. Thus the name of the song "make it stop September's children" was given.

The song is about how some teenagers have to lead a miserable life because of their sexuality and end up committing suicide, "18 years pushed to the ledge", "children shamed for those they chose to kiss", "too much blood has flown from the wrists".

The song then turns to a sort of plea for help, "who will rise to stop the blood?", before it takes a more positive turn and gives a inspirational and courageous accent, "push me and I'll push back", "proud I stand of who I am", "this life chose me, I'm not lost in sin", "I plan to go on living".

The song's overall message is that just because we don't agree with something (homosexuality) doesn't mean we can treat others like dirt, we're no better than dirt if we push people to the point where they want to take their own lives.

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The Pretty Reckless: Light Me Up

'The Pretty Reckless', featuring Taylor Momsen as the vocals, have just released their first album "Light Me Up", including soundtracks Make Me Wanna Die, Zombie and Goin Down.

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