i think this song is saying we need to realize that the world is going downhill, and we need to fix it before it's too late

I think this song is about the continuance of American troops in Iraq, long after it seems clear that we should pull out. Additionaly that it was a mistake to go there in the first place but out of pride we could not admit selfish reasoning as a reason to go to war.

okay i can see where you got tha Iraq part from...

"To the fight in the desert where progress stands still"

but i don't think tha WHOLE song is about that...i think it's about tha world in general and alot of tha problems we're facing

"When our rivers run dry and our crops cease to grow
When our summer grow longer and winters won’t snow"

i think this part is about global warming...about how the climate is changing.

"When your home on the range has been torn down and paved"

this part is just a guess but 2 me it means how we're losing all these family farms and are being taken over by factory farms who mistreat tha animals & feed them garbage basically (educate yourself about it at www.themeatrix.com)

"Lights go out as we pass the torch again
In hope that it stays lit"

2 me this i think this line is talking about people who protest against such issues and by saying that he hopes tha torch stays lit he's saying he hopes people won't jus give in & that they continue 2 speak out 4 what they believe in

that's what tha song means 2 me anyways but u guys are welcome 2 leave your own opinions

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"This is a chance to set things straight
To bend or break the rules back into place
There is no middle ground, no compromise, we’ve drawn the line
With perfect aim, we stand back and throw
Glass windows break and it’s all about to blow
Lights go out as we pass the torch again
In hope that is stays lit"

This can be applied to the current financial crisis going on worldwide. In fact, it fits pretty well.

It's marsh fields not marsh fever...wtf is that?

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What each line of the lyrics means:
(to my point of view)

The Whole Song
Meaning:
It's like the continuous and improvised version of the song "Ready to Fall". All we need to do is to change are ways to and for our Earth. Whatever we do to our Earth will result to us but not to it.

"When our rivers run dry and our crops cease to grow"
"When our summer grow longer and winters won’t snow"
- and -
"From the bank of the ocean and the ice in the hills"
Meaning:
The message simply points out towards Global Warming and Climate Change. It's very similar to the song "Ready to Fall".

"To the fight in the desert where progress stands still"
Meaning:
The line has a similar message to the song "State of the Union". The US soldiers are fighting and protecting the nation to have "progress" to the country, but all it results in is more war and abuse to power of the country and corruption.

"When the air that we breathe becomes air that we choke"
Meaning:
The line simply brings out a message towards Pollution. It also reflects on the "air that we breathe", as the losing oxygen in our world, and the "air that we choke", as the majoring carbon dioxide and poisonous air that we are and will breathe somehow in the future.

We should find a way to avoid it, and we should have true knowledge about it of what will result to this in the near future --- in which it's already happening. The lines are similar to "Ready to Fall" and closely to "Give It All".

"When the marsh fever spreads from the swamps to our homes"
Meaning:
"Marsh Fever" means Malaria. The message reflects towards the spreading sickness, of not just Malaria, but other sicknesses as well.

It can also result in of Pollution. We should do something about it, and do it right now.

"When your home on the range has been torn down and paved"
- and -
"The buffalo roam to a slaughterhouse grave"
Meaning:
The lines are perfect examples of the song "Ready to Fall". It gives out a message of Animal Cruelty and Environment Abuse. The "home on the range" simply says the pure land of forests or farm land that was changed or "torn down" into "paved" or commercial sites for only the use of money.

The "buffalo" symbolizes the animals of all species existing, and to it they are abused, eaten by us and being killed, by it "to a slaughterhouse grave". They only do it for personal gain, money, and for just food.

Side Note:
Rise Against, as an activist band, the band members are all-vegan, meaning vegetarian, and are very active to PETA.

"This is a chance to set things straight"
"To bend or break the rules back into place"
"There is no middle ground, no compromise, we’ve drawn the line"
"With perfect aim, we stand back and throw"
- and -
"Glass windows break and it’s all about to blow"
Meaning:
The message points out of how activists and those who care about our world, have had enough of what's happening to us and they will do anything, even to break the rules and laws, to change our world for the better and best, of and for, us and our Earth. The line can be similar to "Prayer of the Refugee" because it emphasizes activism in a way that they would do anything for the change of our world and to us.

"Lights go out as we pass the torch again"
- and -
"In hope that is stays lit"
Meaning:
The lines are simple quotes by Rise Against, but has the best meaning in the song itself. "Lights go out" means the fading or disappearing people who care for our world, and "as we pass the torch again" symbolizes the passing and future generation, in which they will continue their term in protecting and changing our world for the best of it and to our next generations.

"In hope that is stays lit" finalizes that the strength of hope towards the change will never end and the hope that it will never end.

"This is not a test, oh no"
"This is cardiac arrest"
"Of a world too proud to admit our mistakes"
- and -
"We kiss the ground as we'll fall from grace"
Meaning:
The chorus simply means regret and at the same time, hope. "This is not a test, oh no" is a line symbolizing reality and what could result in will change everything. "This is cardiac arrest" means that the downfall of our world will result to our abuses to it.

"Of a world too proud to admit our mistakes" simply says that we are always not sorry of our faults and "mistakes" towards our world. "We kiss the ground as we'll fall from grace" states that we should always be ready and face to what things we have done and do will result in, and "from grace" meaning the hope of change in our world. The chorus is definitely the same with the song "Ready to Fall".

Summary:
We should overlook our actions towards our mistakes and we should and now do something about it to change everything, though having one chance, we should be positive to our hopes to the changes we will do for the better and best of our world. Let that time be right now.

first time I heard this song I got shivers...and I had really mixed feelings. I teared up, I got happy, because I knew this song hits on soo many levels.
It's about the planet going down the toilet

"When the air that we breathe becomes air that we choke
When the marsh fever spreads from the swamps to our homes
When your home on the range has been torn down and paved and
The buffalo roam to a slaughterhouse grave
What more will it take"

Tim is saying..this shit is real, we need to act or we will be a nation and world falling into the pit of death. He wants us to get active about global warming and different issues in the world that are tearing it apart.

"Lights go out as we pass the torch again
In hope that is stays lit"

-This line means that if we keep doing good and changing the earth for good, then we need to KEEP doing it by setting an example for our young children being born in the future so they can live in a better world too.
That's why I love this band so much, they talk about politics and issues that matter.

another amazing song from an amazing band :]

Short and sweet... We're all screwed... Thought I'd save everyone some time. Good song on a less than Rise album.

Note 1: all vegans are vegetarians but not vice versa. Vegans don't consume milk, eggs, etc. Nothing from an animal.

Note 2: these guys sound like a bunch of whiners. I am all for keeping our little fish bowl called Earth livable, but to say that the air we breathe is so polluted that were choking and that all our crops are dying is just a bunch of reactionary post-thinking exaggerated horse hockey. The constant drone of the "no future" generation is pathetic, and to be more to the point, calling things black or white when there's lots of grey out there smacks of adolescent expressions and not much in the way of critical thought. Just my two cents. Flame away if you must, but when I hear this song, I think I am being brainwashed by middle school greenies who are long on doomsdays and short on truth.

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note 1 , fine
note 2, how dare you speak your slanderous filth about this band, you sit behind your facade of replicant212 while they're out actually TRYING to make a difference. You have no right to bring your negativity to this table, as far as your choking air, check out beijing, crops dieing if anything is the extravagant amounts wasted on livestock for meat, your thought of constant droning is a very real possibility, granted it may not concern you because if you're already in the upper class of economy nothing means shit to you. There's always a grey spot RA's atleast attempting to make it more defined, and the brainwashing isn't by this song, it's by your main stream media and political propaganda forced down your throat.

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Umm, I think you're all wrong.
You people seem to be saying, "we", as in, the whole world. Sure, we've all got our issues, but part of the title of this song is, (Post Amerika), and umm, I'm pretty sure he is referring to America's fuck ups. :P

But yes, "our mistakes". Sure. i'll go with it.

Oh my fucking gosh!!!
The little teenie bopping faggots, who sit on the net all day, acting like they're making a difference, and put on as if they're the ones seeking out the truth...shut the fuck up! You're using words like, "your MAIN STREAM media" and "political propaganda".
You're using these new words as if they're the fucking answer to all the worlds screw ups. It's like you think you're all wise and preachy. Nobody gives a shit about your lessons on what the government is doing. it's old news. Propaganda has been a way of life for centuries. We all know the government of pretty much every country is full of corruption, and the "main stream", as you non-conformists, like to act like you're avoiding, even though everything you stand for has been created by them, has been around for ever, and is everywhere. You can't avoid it. And just think, if tehre was no "mainstream", what would you pussies be not-conforming to? So shut your trap and keep the political activist bullshit to the real activists. Yeah?

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honestly i believe its abot global warming and how were not doing shit abot it

anyone know why they say amerika instead of america?

duff3d, not trying to start an argument. Your clearly a well spoken and educated individual but it's hard to see any validity in your comment when it reeks of hypocrisy.

"Amerika" is the Russian spelling. It's also in "Blood red, white and Blue". Anyway, these lyrics are about our precarious position in history and how far-reaching the trouble is. The music kinda reminds me of Bad Religion- "The Grey Race". Both awesome songs.

Here in Europe we spelling it with "K" =P

"Neutrality means that you don’t really care
Cuz the struggle goes on whether or not you’re there
Blind and unaware"

Powerful words in one of the best environmentalist anthems in recent memory. Message from Rise Against: The world is going to shit, so you better figure out where you stand and do something about it.

"Neutrality means that you don’t really care
Cuz the struggle goes on whether or not you’re there
Blind and unaware"

Powerful words in one of the best environmentalist anthems in recent memory. Message from Rise Against: The world is going to shit, so you better figure out where you stand and do something about it.

I have to disagree with you replicant212...

to me this song is about how out world is crashing

When our rivers run dry and our crops cease to grow
When our summer grow longer and winters won’t snow - these 2 lines symbolize global warming

That’s how we’ll know
This is not a test, oh no
This is cardiac arrest
Of a world too proud to admit our mistakes
Crashing into the ground as all fall from grace - to me this part points out that this is our only earth, this isn't a test, this is the real deal. it also says how we can't admit we are wrong and messed up so we just keep doing the wrong thing

When your home on the range has been torn down and paved and
The buffalo roam to a slaughterhouse grave - we are constantly making cities, we can't leave anything be and have to commercialize everything

Neutrality means that you don’t really care
Cuz the struggle goes on whether or not you’re there
Blind and unaware - even as we (the us) stay neutral, that doesn't mean its not happening, it just means to choose to block it out and deny it

i love the line...

"When the air that we breathe becomes air that we choke"

to me this means....
the air that we breath...oxygen...becomes air that we choke...we choke on the smog and carbon dioxide being let into the air...thus we are choking the air with the pollution we are causing i love it

this song is about how the world is spiraling downward and everything is going wrong
from global warming...."When our summer grow longer and winters won’t snow"
and the ending of natural resources..."When our rivers run dry and our crops cease to grow"
"To the fight in the desert where progress stands still"...the iraq war and how it isnt progressing...
the name of the song is the meaning of the song
collapse (post-america)

If you think about it, this entire song is just railing on the Bush administration.