Walking Is Still Honest

JoshRaymond · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Fri Apr 11, 2008 6:05 pm

Great song got chills the first time i heard it.Anyway, i believe its about his mom raising hime and trying to force some bullshit religon on him.

Joaquin_Honest · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Fri Apr 11, 2008 11:41 pm

Gary - IRL wrote:

you sir, are the man.

oh by the way, i don't believe "untouchable is something to be" as not being touched by God is something negative. granted this is such a great line because it's so powerful and ambiguous at the same time.

I feel like it's about they don't need god to "touch them". tom's beyond that, we can't be touched by god, because we're better then him, because atleast we exist (we're "something to be"). I don't want you to think I have a negative conoctation with that line. I think it's powerful and more like a middle finger to god.

Thanks!

I don't think you find it negative. I whole-heartedly agree, actually!

e6c · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Sat Apr 12, 2008 10:07 am

Gary - IRL wrote:

And the "untouchable is something to be" means that Tom thinks that god can't mess with us. We're untouchable. There is not god that "touches" us.

I think you are close to being right, except for the untouchable line. I think of it more in the hindu since of the word... the untouchables were the lowest caste system, they had absolutley no rights and no hope for a better life... until Ghandi came along and got them to move aside the caste system.

It used to be that the untouchables were so low in society that they were not even to be interacted with, the people were almost considered to be non-existant... but when Ghandi changed everything, the untouchables became something... so long story short, untouchables aren't nothing, they are something to be.

here is the wiki article on untouchables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchable_%28social_system%29

Ana · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Mon Apr 14, 2008 4:03 am

This is my favorite AM song.

I agree with Gary about the meaning of this song.

"Untouchable is something to be" may very well refer to not being influenced by any god-worshiping religion where one is forced to pray on their knees. Untouchable/unaffected. Independent and free of guilt religions usually impose on one.

As far as the Untouchable social system goes, they were non-conformists. It fits with the whole anarcho vibe.

Stalls_Standing · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Tue Apr 15, 2008 12:03 pm

Tom:

'I wrote this for my mother, bonnie grace, she worked in a shopping mall, support me and my brother by herself...........
.........respect the women who brought you into this world.

Gary - IRL · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Tue Apr 15, 2008 2:47 pm

e6c wrote:

Gary - IRL wrote:

And the "untouchable is something to be" means that Tom thinks that god can't mess with us. We're untouchable. There is not god that "touches" us.

I think you are close to being right, except for the untouchable line. I think of it more in the hindu since of the word... the untouchables were the lowest caste system, they had absolutley no rights and no hope for a better life... until Ghandi came along and got them to move aside the caste system.

It used to be that the untouchables were so low in society that they were not even to be interacted with, the people were almost considered to be non-existant... but when Ghandi changed everything, the untouchables became something... so long story short, untouchables aren't nothing, they are something to be.

here is the wiki article on untouchables: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Untouchable_%28social_system%29

I like that, and I think Tom is a smart enough guy to possibly be meaning this.

stalls_standing wrote:

Tom:

'I wrote this for my mother, bonnie grace, she worked in a shopping mall, support me and my brother by herself...........
.........respect the women who brought you into this world.

Well now we know what the last couple lines in the chorus means --- "you haven't given up on me /forgotten me" must be him singing to his mother. that doesn't change what the rest of the song alludes to though

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germfreeadolescent · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:30 pm

this was the first song i ever heard by against me, thus, making it my favourite.

mads1102 · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Sat Apr 19, 2008 4:41 pm

heres my interpretation:

Dear mother,
This is just survival.

means that life on earth is just survival. that there is no higher reason for why we are here. survival = evolution.

Cannot promise your children everything,
But you would lie so they can sleep tonight.

you cant promise your children that there is a life after death, or that life is gonna be fair, but you lie, and tell them stories about heaven, and how good people are rewarded, to them to make them sleep easier.

Defeat tasted nothing like you said.
Still 22 days left till the end of the world.

shot in the dark, but maybe it refers to making rent. which goes back to survival. that all u need to worry about, is staying alive, and not faith. using "the end of the world" might be to show how the day that decides whether or not ull have a house is the end of the timeline of survival.

My legacy was making you a man
For a justice I could not change.
This is one voice not to forget;
"Fight every fight like you can win;
An iron fisted champion,
An iron willed fuck up."

i really have no idea Razz

i could have interpreted the lines seperatly, but then there would be no coherent meaning to the verse at all.

Can anybody tell me why God won't speak to me?
Why Jesus never called on me to part the fucking seas?
Why death is easier than living?

general frustration and anger towards the christian faith.

You can be almost anything
When you're on your fucking knees.

they tell you that you can be anything, as long as you follow them, and get down on your knees for their god.

Not today,
Not my son,
Not my family,
Not while walking is still honest,

that he is not going to let that happen to his family. to sound cliche, he will be the boss of his own destiny. he is not going to leave it up to anyone but himself.

And you haven't given up on me.

you, being his mother. he is saying that he doesnt need any help from a god that he believes is non-existant, as long as his mother doesnt give up on him.

Dear shithead,

shihead being priest, minister, etc.

This isn't happening;

not sure about that one either Razz

The sky is really falling,

ozone layer deteriorating.

The paint's all made of lead,

products that hurt the environment

There's asbestos in the walls,
Hell's coming to rip off the doors
To your priveleged heaven.

the church itself is deteriorating, and there is nothing your god can do to stop it.

Do you want to love and feel it?
You can look but you can't taste it.
You can reach but you'll never have it.

basically making fun of catholic ministers being unable to have sex.

We are untouchable;
Untouchable is something to be.

without religion, one is totally free (untouchable), to do whatever you want without thinking about whether or not ur immorality is gonna land u in hell, and having that freedom is a great feeling.

Can anybody tell me why God won't speak to me?
Why Jesus never called on me to part the fucking seas?
Why death is easier than living?
You can be almost anything
When you're on your fucking knees.
Not today,
Not my son,
Not my family
Not while walking is still honest,

And you haven't given up on me,
And you haven't given up on me,
And you haven't forgotten me...

same as before, but just written a couple of times extra Razz

yea, thats pretty huge.. sorry about that... i just never really thought about the meaning of the song before, and then i just got a brainwave hehe

Ana · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:11 am

mads1102 wrote:

heres my interpretation:

Defeat tasted nothing like you said.
Still 22 days left till the end of the world.

shot in the dark, but maybe it refers to making rent. which goes back to survival. that all u need to worry about, is staying alive, and not faith. using "the end of the world" might be to show how the day that decides whether or not ull have a house is the end of the timeline of survival.

Dear shithead,

shihead being priest, minister, etc.

This isn't happening;

not sure about that one either Razz

The sky is really falling,

ozone layer deteriorating.

The paint's all made of lead,

products that hurt the environment

There's asbestos in the walls,
Hell's coming to rip off the doors
To your priveleged heaven.

the church itself is deteriorating, and there is nothing your god can do to stop it.

Do you want to love and feel it?
You can look but you can't taste it.
You can reach but you'll never have it.

basically making fun of catholic ministers being unable to have sex.

I like your explanation about 22 days possibly referring to rent time. Also the part about asbestos in the walls... pretty cool.

impact · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Sun Apr 20, 2008 9:15 am

i've always seen this song as a depiction of individuals not being religous.. he is trying to get a point across showing that people are still "good people", even if they arent religious?

iloveyourmom · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Sun Apr 20, 2008 11:58 am

impact wrote:

i've always seen this song as a depiction of individuals not being religous.. he is trying to get a point across showing that people are still "good people", even if they arent religious?

Thank you, that's what I got out of it when I first heard it and that's why I love it so, so much.. I hate that when I tell people I'm agnostic or not religious they assume I have no morals and aren't capable of doing good things in this world. This song makes me feel oh so good...

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impact · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Tue Apr 22, 2008 7:13 pm

iloveyourmom wrote:

impact wrote:

i've always seen this song as a depiction of individuals not being religous.. he is trying to get a point across showing that people are still "good people", even if they arent religious?

Thank you, that's what I got out of it when I first heard it and that's why I love it so, so much.. I hate that when I tell people I'm agnostic or not religious they assume I have no morals and aren't capable of doing good things in this world. This song makes me feel oh so good...

hey,

great mind thinks a like, eh?

brizanne__ · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Mon Apr 28, 2008 9:48 am

great song. i would love to see this song live.

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e6c · Subject: Re: Walking Is Still Honest Mon Apr 28, 2008 12:50 pm

Can you guys imagine 20 years from now taking some college course like "An Analysis of Against Me! Lyrics"

I would love to be the professor of that class, and get the different viewpoints on all the different interpretations of the lyrics!

Guest

Haha, that would be the best class ever!