"DISPARITY BY DESIGN"
By Rise Against
The band that brought me back from many years without listening to human music (meaning not Rhinoceros Tap, Dreamland or other kids CDs) was Rise Against. I was drawn into Rise Against by their hit songs; Savior, September's Children and Help is on the Way. But while learning about the band I learned that I liked the other, less known songs even better, and their earliest albums blow me away. I don't joke when I say all 72 songs I have are awesome. I love them all.
As well, I found that Tim dealt with issues I cared about; environmental consequences of crony capitalism, the personal price people pay for wars started by others, and overall the pain as I watched my country give up its foundational roots and walk away from some of the promises of its ideals.
Choosing this song comes from spending a couple of days with a friend I had not seen in 27 years. While in college we talked for hours about politics and philosophy, and we picked up where we left off just this week. While my friend Shelly is quite a bit more radical than I, we both agreed that the incredible divide between the wealthy in this country and the increasing ranks of the poor is something that is destroying our country as we speak, and will in the long run tear us apart as a people. Tim McIlrath deals with this issue so well in this song.
The Lyrics are as follows:
All the way at the bottom
Of the barrels we cried out
So ashamed of our tears that
We blame only ourselves
That's when they win
They keep us convinced
To lift up our chins
These playing fields are level
We all have a chance
With that they dismiss
The fast lanes they rode
In which access depends
On who you know
Or where you came from
Whose daughter are you?
Whose fortunate son?
We're told to stick out our thumbs
They feast from the linens
While we settle for crumbs
This first stanza talks directly to something that I struggle with a lot. Our society teaches people we all have a chance, that equal opportunity is here for all to be a success. I believe it, as I teach high school, and if I did not believe it, then my job becomes nothing but a cruel joke. The other half of this "American Dream" is that while everyone has the opportunity to succeed, failure is your own fault. I just cannot buy this. Yes, I have seen people truly mess up in high school. However does that mean that they deserve a life of poverty for them and their children? Are people of wealth condemned to a life of poverty based on their high school mistakes? And lastly, the main point of this part: If you convince people that their circumstances are their own fault, then you win....they deserve it. They cannot rebel.
The chorus: (So impressed that the term "a just reparation" is used in a rock song)
Is this an over-reaching arm
Or is this compassion?
Is this a handout undeserved
Or a just reparation?
(A just reparation)
Verse 2:
All the way from the towers
High above glass ceilinged tombs
Tell themselves that they've earned this
By working hard and playing by the rules
But this is only part true
A dangerous trick played on me and you
And so, like a practical joke
We pulled on these bootstraps
So hard that they broke
Chorus 2:
Is this an over-reaching arm
Or is this compassion?
Is this a handout undeserved
Or a just reparation?
And like a single domino
That falls while the rest stay vertical
We're fed these empty fairy tales
Will you believe them?
This next part is powerful, threatening and hopeful. The threat to those who hold power over others is so clear, to pray that they never face the sleeping giant. However my favorite words of the song are "Perhaps the man in the gutter is not so different from you." These words have led to a ton of discussions at dinner and in the car that people on the street had childhoods, made decisions, played with their friends, and tried, but ended up where they are. How different from us are they really? Are they not human like us, and are they not deserving of every chance to repair their lives? Is it not better for all of us if they can find a way to deal with the demons that haunt them, whether it be drugs, alcohol, mental illness, or simply a series of events that dropped them there? While there is always an extra trillion or two to fix the banks that fail or invade the country we are mad at, we as a country argue that programs to help the poor are wasteful and inefficient. Is this the direction we really want to head as a people?
If there's a God, you better pray
That this sleeping giant never wakes
If we just took a step back
A bigger picture we might view
Perhaps the man in the gutter
Is not so different from you
Come in out of the cold
Forget all that you know
Because there's always been room
By the fire for you, oh
Come in out of the cold
Will you believe them?
Is this an over-reaching arm
Or is this compassion?
Is this a handout undeserved
Or a just reparation?
And like a single domino
That falls while the rest stay vertical
And finally, the last two lines are amazing. While I am not a full believer that the American dream is an empty fairy tale, I do wish there was more of a safety net for people, and more of a real opportunity for those who have made mistakes. The opportunities they have often cause them to be more in debt, and less able to rebuild their lives. This disparity in our country is not a side effect of the system, it serves a purpose for those at the top...it is Disparity by Design.
We're fed these empty fairy tales
And I'm through believing
As well, I found that Tim dealt with issues I cared about; environmental consequences of crony capitalism, the personal price people pay for wars started by others, and overall the pain as I watched my country give up its foundational roots and walk away from some of the promises of its ideals.
Choosing this song comes from spending a couple of days with a friend I had not seen in 27 years. While in college we talked for hours about politics and philosophy, and we picked up where we left off just this week. While my friend Shelly is quite a bit more radical than I, we both agreed that the incredible divide between the wealthy in this country and the increasing ranks of the poor is something that is destroying our country as we speak, and will in the long run tear us apart as a people. Tim McIlrath deals with this issue so well in this song.
The Lyrics are as follows:
All the way at the bottom
Of the barrels we cried out
So ashamed of our tears that
We blame only ourselves
That's when they win
They keep us convinced
To lift up our chins
These playing fields are level
We all have a chance
With that they dismiss
The fast lanes they rode
In which access depends
On who you know
Or where you came from
Whose daughter are you?
Whose fortunate son?
We're told to stick out our thumbs
They feast from the linens
While we settle for crumbs
This first stanza talks directly to something that I struggle with a lot. Our society teaches people we all have a chance, that equal opportunity is here for all to be a success. I believe it, as I teach high school, and if I did not believe it, then my job becomes nothing but a cruel joke. The other half of this "American Dream" is that while everyone has the opportunity to succeed, failure is your own fault. I just cannot buy this. Yes, I have seen people truly mess up in high school. However does that mean that they deserve a life of poverty for them and their children? Are people of wealth condemned to a life of poverty based on their high school mistakes? And lastly, the main point of this part: If you convince people that their circumstances are their own fault, then you win....they deserve it. They cannot rebel.
The chorus: (So impressed that the term "a just reparation" is used in a rock song)
Is this an over-reaching arm
Or is this compassion?
Is this a handout undeserved
Or a just reparation?
(A just reparation)
Verse 2:
All the way from the towers
High above glass ceilinged tombs
Tell themselves that they've earned this
By working hard and playing by the rules
But this is only part true
A dangerous trick played on me and you
And so, like a practical joke
We pulled on these bootstraps
So hard that they broke
Chorus 2:
Is this an over-reaching arm
Or is this compassion?
Is this a handout undeserved
Or a just reparation?
And like a single domino
That falls while the rest stay vertical
We're fed these empty fairy tales
Will you believe them?
This next part is powerful, threatening and hopeful. The threat to those who hold power over others is so clear, to pray that they never face the sleeping giant. However my favorite words of the song are "Perhaps the man in the gutter is not so different from you." These words have led to a ton of discussions at dinner and in the car that people on the street had childhoods, made decisions, played with their friends, and tried, but ended up where they are. How different from us are they really? Are they not human like us, and are they not deserving of every chance to repair their lives? Is it not better for all of us if they can find a way to deal with the demons that haunt them, whether it be drugs, alcohol, mental illness, or simply a series of events that dropped them there? While there is always an extra trillion or two to fix the banks that fail or invade the country we are mad at, we as a country argue that programs to help the poor are wasteful and inefficient. Is this the direction we really want to head as a people?
If there's a God, you better pray
That this sleeping giant never wakes
If we just took a step back
A bigger picture we might view
Perhaps the man in the gutter
Is not so different from you
Come in out of the cold
Forget all that you know
Because there's always been room
By the fire for you, oh
Come in out of the cold
Will you believe them?
Is this an over-reaching arm
Or is this compassion?
Is this a handout undeserved
Or a just reparation?
And like a single domino
That falls while the rest stay vertical
And finally, the last two lines are amazing. While I am not a full believer that the American dream is an empty fairy tale, I do wish there was more of a safety net for people, and more of a real opportunity for those who have made mistakes. The opportunities they have often cause them to be more in debt, and less able to rebuild their lives. This disparity in our country is not a side effect of the system, it serves a purpose for those at the top...it is Disparity by Design.
We're fed these empty fairy tales
And I'm through believing
 | Dan Adler was raised in Southern California to a mom and dad, one of whom appreciated Creedence and left wing anti-war politics. By the teenage years, Dan became obsessed with Black Sabbath, listening to the same seven albums repeatedly for 5 years. During this time, his favorite concert experience was seeing Metallica open for a bunch of bands that no longer exist and winning the 1st ever Santa Cruz Air Guitar contest. After several years in Africa listening and dancing to Chimurenga music, Dan returned to have the two best children in the world, one of whom spends a lot of time at concerts with him. What a lucky dad! |
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