Rise Against: Make it Stop (September's Children) Meaning
Song Released: 2011
Make it Stop (September's Children) Lyrics
Bang bang go the coffin nails, like a breath exhaled,
Then gone forever.
It seems like just yesterday, how did I miss the red flags raise?
Think back, the days we laughed.
We braved these bitter storms together.
Brought to...
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1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:The song is about the "September Gay Suicides" in 2010.
It talks about how the victims (who's names and ages are said at the end) feel,
"We braved these bitter storms together.
Brought to his knees he cried,"
"Eighteen years pushed to the ledge.
It's come to this,"
Tim also goes on to question American society, laws and how they are
"From a nation under God"
He questions how a nation and a God could do this to people?
"What God would damn a heart?
And what God drove us apart?..
What God could make it stop?"
He also insinuates that all Americans are free.
"Born free, but still they hate.
Bore me, I can't change"
These lines insist that These young people were BORN free but can not in fact BE free because of all these ridiculous OLD views.
Tim also says
"This life chose me, I'm not lost in sin"
Which reinforces the fact that these "beliefs" are harmful and of the past.
He also puts forward the fact that not many people are speaking out against this pressing issue and it keeps happening again and again
"Gathering candles, but not their tongues."
"And too much blood has flown from the wrists,
Of children shamed for those they chose to kiss.
Who will rise to stop the blood.
We're coming for,
Insisting on, a different beat, yeah.
A brand new song." -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:this song is a call to action for gay rights. rise against is extremely liberal in their views and express it in their music. when they say "this life chose me, im not lost in sin," they are saying these kids and other gays didnt choose to be this way or how they are and that they cannot help it. they are ridiculing society for the norms it has placed upon its people and questions who will stand up for them? many of the lyrics refer to tyler clementi who committed suicide after being filmed by his roomate doing things with another boy. "18 years pushed to the ledge..." and his reference in the end of the song. they also question the existence of any god, which i believe is a grest question. they want to know if a god created us equal, then why are gays demoralized and forced to feel sub-human? at the very end of the song, they say "i plan to go on living" and saying that the are proud of who they are (homosexuals). lastly i would like to say they are ridiculing the values of america when they say "a nation under god.." if we were a free and loving nation then why would many of our citizens and people bully these poor people? if we were a leading country we would set the proper standard when in reality we are clearly being hateful and spiteful pricks. its a clear song in its meaning and intent; it supports gay rights and is a call for action to the world to step up and demand for it.
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3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:Tyler Clementi, age 18
Billy Lucas, age 15
Harrison Chase Brown, age 15
Cody J. Barker, age 17
Seth Walsh, age 13
The names that were said around the ending. All of them committed suicide and have been bullied for being gay. My interpretation on this song is how difficult homosexuals their daily life was because they were different. -
to the people saying suicide is just giving up it is anything but that. this song talks about being bullied and hurt by others to the point of suicide as a last resort, it isnt giving up, for many they see it as the only fix for problems like this.
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Each of the names said at the end of the song where either gay or perceived to be gay.
The song is about the anti-gay bullying of LGBT youth, however it can be used for basically any type of bullying, but it's mainly in regards to bullying of gay youth.
Being bullied for being gay, I can relate to this song:
Here is what I thinnk the meaning is:
Woah, woah.
Bang bang go the coffin nails, Like a breath exhaled, Then gone forever.
It seems like just yesterday, How did I miss the red flags raise?
Think back to the days we laughed, We braved these bitter storms together.
Refers to the death, and how some where friends when they were younger.
Brought to his knees he cried, But on his feet he died.
The torment and constant bullying brought him to his knees crying (cause all of us want to be liked and accepted), but on his feet he died is referring to the attitude like I'll get back at them choosing the ultimate end.
What God would damn a heart?
And what God drove us apart?
What God could?
Refers to what God would cause this ... No God would want this for his people.
Make it stop
Let this end
Eighteen years pushed to the ledge.
It's come to this,
A weightless step.
On the way down singing,
Woah, woah.
This is mostly referring to how Tyler died when he was 18, however if you take out the references to Tyler, it can be basically many years of being pushed to the ledge of ending it all it's come to this, the end.
Bang bang from the closet walls,
The schoolhouse halls,
The shotgun's loaded.
Push me and I'll push back.
I'm done asking, I demand.
Refers to having to be closeted about your orientation (having to hide) and being bullied in school. The shotguns loaded, push me and I'll push back is referring to the person being bullied, about the rage of being tormented, etc. and how they just want it to end (not really about a school shooting, but some do take that route).
From a nation under God,
I feel it's love like a cattle prod.
Born free, but still they hate.
Born me, no I can't change.
Refers to how people say they love the person but not the so-called sin (mostly religious), when they actually hate the person. Born free, but still they hate. Born me, no I can't change. Refers to being born this way and can't change who they are, however people still hate them.
It's always darkest just before the dawn.
So stay awake with me, let's prove them wrong.
Means that even though it seems hard now, it'll get better
Make it stop.
Let this end,
Eighteen years pushed to the ledge.
It's come to this,
A weightless step.
On the way down singing,
Woah, woah.
The cold river washed him away,
But how could we forget.
The gatherings hold candles
But not their tongues.
Refers to the memorial for the persons death, how they hold candles, but still can't stop the verbal abuse, comments, etc.
And too much blood has flown from the wrists,
Of the children shamed for those they chose to kiss.
Who will rise to stop the blood.
For those they chose to kiss, isn't meaning that being gay is a choice, it just means you chose who you chose to kiss or even to kiss anyone for that matter, but not about who you are attracted to, that isn't a choice.
We're calling for
Insisting on
A different beat, yeah
A brand new song
Woah, woah.
(Tyler Clementi age 18)
A brand new song
Woah, woah.
(Billy Lucas age 15)
Woah, woah.
(Harrison Chase Brown age 15)
Woah, woah.
(Cody J. Barker age 17)
(Seth Walsh age 13)
Make it stop.
Let this end,
This life chose me, I'm not lost in sin
But proud I stand
Of who I am
I plan to go on living
Make it stop.
Let this end,
All these years pushed to the ledge.
But proud I stand
Of who I am
I plan to go on living. -
The first 3 interpreters are correct and well researched in their interpretation.
My experience with this song is a little bit different however. I am comfortable to say I am pansexual, but mostly interested in women (mostly, not completely, you'll see why)
Anyways, I considered becoming gay because people always from gradeschool on towards highschool called me ä "faggot" and never put any thought to it rather find more ways to offend me. So at some point I just embraced it and questioned if I was gay. I was afraid of "being gay" and I really didn't know if I was at the time. My best friend comes out as bi and I felt motivated to believe I can start over because people mistreated me everywhere and women tore my emotions apart. I had a gay experience (fondling) with my friend when I felt rock bottom lonely but at some point, but I wasn't really turned on and I realized I might not be as gay as I thought. I am also really addicted to porn and I never watched gay porn nor got turned on by it, which was against my wishes because I wanted to embrace my insults. In the end, considering what I did and what I tolerate, I am pansexual, if I am intimate enough and interested, I am sexually attracted, man or woman.
With that out of the way, I saw this song as a reminder to just bullying in general. Why should I have to go through people turning on me and pushing me aside to the point of considering suicide (I tend to contemplate it more than I should). It just shows that in a nation to tolerate and believe in a person's potential, they are still brutal to the OUTCASTS.
The OUTCAST is more important to me, regardless of sexual orientation. The orientation is one aspect, but this song feels like an anthem to anyone who broken for ANY reason, that is how I relate to it. Sexuality on the other hand is more of a journey to me than a political issue, however I still hate the idea that it still matters what kind of people we should be intimate sexually and emotionally with. Anyways, anyone who feels left out should embrace a song like this because some people could be just cold around you and you are entitled to more respect than you've gotten in the past. -
It's about being bullied about being gay should not make you commit suicide "all these years have pushed me to the ledge / but proud i stand, of who i am / i plan to go on living".
But you still don't have to take it "push me and i'll push back / i'm done asking i demand" -
Yes. It is very obvious that this song is about the suicides that happened in September 2010 ( September's Children). I also read on wiki that Tim's nephew wrote the song after a close friend who was gay,commited suicide. I actually showed this song to my ELA teacher and she's in charge of the Anti Bullying club and LGBT club and now it's like their little theme song. Great song!
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Yes. It is very obvious that this song is about the suicides that happened in September 2010 ( September's Children). I also read on wiki that Tim's nephew wrote the song after a close friend who was gay,commited suicide. I actually showed this song to my ELA teacher and she's in charge of the Anti Bullying club and LGBT club and now it's like their little theme song. Great song!
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Sight_Unseen: they were gay, at least some of them
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this song is about the September suicides... all of the names mentioned in this song, were the names of a few of the victims of homophobic bullying!
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What God would damn a heart?
could also be directed to those who bully gays because they think it's a sin to be gay and pointing out that actually no god would damn someone for his heart, so for his sexual orientation. -
To the guy above, those lyrics are about these people who were bullied into suicide for something they had no control over. "Bang bang on the coffin nails". These people are being buried and put in the coffin. "Then gone forever" Saying that after that, they are forgotten and the bulling continues. "It seams just like yesterday, how did I miss the red flags raised" Saying that it felt like the person who died was just alive and how did the person miss all the signs of depression and suicide.
Hope this helps -
I do understand it very good, but please could someone explain me this:
"Bang bang go the coffin nails, like a breath exhaled,
Then gone forever.
It seems like just yesterday, how did I miss the red flags raise?"
It sounds like someone is running riot.
But I think no one of these "children" from the last stanza has done this. Or is it another one of the gay suicides? -
i think this a anti- bully song because in my school i have seen many people bully each other, IT NEEDS TO STOP NOW!
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Like other have said. The song is about gay rights and the suicides of children during the month of September 2010.
First I want to say I am a Christian. And one of my biggest embarrassments for me is when other Christians attack people who are gay. I am 100% for gay rights and hope one day they will not be attacked. Sometimes people look at me weird when I say I believe in gay rights, yet am a Christian. And I just want to say that, even though there are Christians that attack people who are gay, there are also many Christians out there that believe in gay rights and believe that no body should be treated differently because there attracted to the same sex.
If you are gay and are being bullied, please stay strong because I promise it will get better. -
well no one should be bullied, but committing suicide is not the way out. you should fight for your rights and what you believe in. suicide is just giving up.
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This song is about a number of kids who commited suicide in September, 2010 because of their sexual orientation (And too much blood has flown from the wrist,
Of children shamed for those they chose to kiss.) and what drove them to it. It questions American society and laws and more specifically just how free we are to be ourself.
It talks about the effects of bullying and how the victims feel and also about the importance of staying true to yourself.
It says that we should all respect others, and even if our religion tells us that homosexuality is wrong, we can still be kind (From a nation under God,
I feel it's love like a cattle prod.
Born free, but still they hate.
Born me, no I can't change.)
We should all look out for each other (how did I miss the red flags raise?) because it doesn't take much to save a life. Kindess is key. Respect others and remember if you are being bullied know or feels ashamed because of who you are, it gets better (It's always darkest just before the dawn. So stay awake with me, let's prove them wrong)
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