Rise Against: Lanterns Meaning
Lanterns Lyrics
Daylight subsides and shadows crawl
Out from under black corners hiding
Something stirs, oh so restless
Cracked windows open wide
Deadbolt turns, doors creak open
Whispers and moonlight there to...
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The song reminds me of my high school graduation!
"We never carried days on our own/But now it's up to us to know"
it's kind of when we depended in our family to support us, but now that we are grown, we have to learn to be on our own.
"As we walk out/Without question, without doubt/In the light/that we have found/It is finally clear/Our day has come/And we'll stand for who we are/We are ready, we are young/We have nothing to fear"
We're taking our steps to independence, and we are ready for life and know what we want to do with our lives. -
this song follows the song endgame. If endgame is about the 'end of the world' where we bring destruction upon ourselves, then lanterns is the rebirth that follows. They use the word lanterns because one, technology would be set back, and two, when you hold a lantern in the air your hand is curled into a fist such as the one in the middle of Rise Against's logo.
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Lanterns speaks out to me as not being Religous in any form. It speaks to the alienated, which often happens from Religion.
The words, "Dance like Heathens, around the flame" draws comparison to two very alienated groups, Native Americans and Pagans. Pagans had to meet in the dark, or risk being burned at the stake. Native Americans, of course, were subjected to heavy racism until the 1900's.
Both of these were targeted for being different. Today's targeted group, LGBT, is especially labelled as "Heathens" "Degenerates" and "Sinners" that are all "Hell-bent."
Being LGBT myself, I can comfortably quote Mark Twain and say, "Go to Heaven for the climate, and Hell for the company." -
This is my favorite song. I think it really means that people who are bullied are trying to speak out "can we illuminate these nights" "while the world sleeps, we are awake" And standing up. This is only what I think though there are many other possibilities. Again, this is my favorite song
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I think this song is about rebellion in general and introduces a sort of "revolution" thing, kinda like a gathering of the Different People (as you realize Rise Against is all about being different and criticizing today's condition).
Also, this song is sort of like a "dark side" to Rise Against, not only because everything in this song is happening in the dark, but also because I think this song is about navigating your way behind the walls, you are lost and then you find yourself in this cluster of people who are just like you, we are all "different".
"Come raise your lantern to the sky and let's illuminate this night" has that very REVOLUTIONARY feeling, like everything's happening in the dark and only the chosen ones (the different ones) know about it.
It's the beginning of something, a rebellion.
"Here in the dark we are safe from the judgment"
-means that in this group, nobody can judge or tease us because we are different.-
"Now arm in arm locked tight so no one gets in"
-meaning not everyone can get in, it's only our people Like Us.-
"The heaven-sent, say child you're hell-bent"
-probably saying that people think we're bad because we're different, but that's not it.-
"But hell is not where we're going
Hell's where we've been"
-meaning that our life has been hard enough, we HAVE been living in Hell and in this "society" is where we can express everything.-
"The blackbird calls, it sings the chorus
While the gathering swells
The flames grow tall right before us
As drums keep pounding
And the masses now are fusing
Bodies pressed and tangled
Yes, we revel in confusion
Our inhibitions thrown into the fire"
-this part has a sort of "cult" feeling, it reminds me of Wicca and how Wiccans have to hide their true identity in the past or people will shut them out of society.-
Anyway that's just what I think. I get this impression the first time I heard the song and I thought, like, "WOW. This is so me." -
Well, Rise against is known for being very politically charged in song writing so to me this is a song about rebellion, and waking up to whats going on in America. Hence:"Here in the dark we are safe from the judgment
Now arm in arm locked tight so no one gets in
The heaven-sent, say child you're Hell-bent
But Hell is not where we're going
Hell's where we've been" This meaning we feel safe in our lives by ignoring the fact of freedoms being stripped away and we are safe from judgement where as people who are enligtened and speak out against tyranny are outcasts or "tinfoil hat wearing people" and when you become enlightened you realize we have been living in the hell of oppression and to not fear because where we're going "Freedom" is a better place. Basically this song is for the believers of liberty, or "enlightened" to know we aren't alone and when we band together we won't be ignored, and by "raising your lantern" or educating people you will illuminate the ones in the dark. Powerful song....... Really goes hand and hand with "architects" on this album. This HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH RELIGION GUY WHO THINKS ITS SATANIC! LOL! -
It's promo song for a new spirituality... I must admit, that I am confused... cos it seems, it is promo song for satanism... cos it says: "The heaven-sent, say child you're Hell-bent
But Hell is not where we're going
Hell's where we've been"
So obvious, it's talking about how society judge this beliefs, cos they supposed to lead to hell.
It's to me some kind of apology to change beliefs and turn of old beliefs. In someway turn of what is God for us now. Is that right or not? It's up to any individual to decide... of course if it wants to :)
Read or listen that song again and you'll see a lot of metaphors about what I am talking about... And all new album is somehow religious (just my opinion). By the way I am fan of Rise Against, but this is wiered to me :) -
I agree with the other interpretations regarding social enlightenment, religion and social/physical oppression. I think there is also an element of 'resistance' or 'rebellion' in the song; the 'lantern' image not only refers to 'lighting the way' or 'illuminating', but if you actually act out raising up a lantern, you will notice the arm is extended upward in a fist, an image often associated with both the band, and rebellion.
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i think this song is all about religion.well at least organized religion. the main one that sticks out to me and seals the deal is "The heaven-sent, say child you're Hell-bent
But Hell is not where we're going
Hell's where we've been" -
This song is about the Enlightenment, and how religions are totally unnecessary and judgemental.
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This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
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I love this song, it really speaks to me
-basically, it's about the outcasts and oppressed who hide "outside of the world" and can only come out when the rest of the world isn't there. Like when it's said "here in the dark we are safe from the judgement" it means they don't need to worry about other people judging them or looking at them with disgust. It talks about how it is safe for those outcasts to come out during the night, and then they are free to gather together and "throw their inhibitions in the fire", but "can we illuminate this night?" to enjoy our time in the world where we don't have to fear. And they'll :dance like heathens around a flame" as a ritual or pact between them since they only come out during the night -
To me this song talks about how people who do not fit in with a larger crowd belong with eachother and should form their own group.
The song brings up the word Heathens which is someone who does not belong to a widely practiced religion. In other words People who dont share the common ideas.
They also use the lyrics "While the world sleeps, we are awake."
Again someone who is not on the same page as the mass crowd.
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