Re-Education (Through Labor) Lyrics

Performed by Rise Against

To the sound of a heartbeat pounding away
To the rhythm of the awful rusted machines
We toss and turn but don't sleep
Each breath we take makes us thieves
Like causes without rebels
Just talk but promise nothing else

We crawl on our knees for you
Under a sky no longer blue
We sweat all day long for you
But we sow seeds to see us through
'Cause sometimes dreams just don't come true
We wait to reap what we are due

To the rhythm of a time bomb ticking away
And the blare of the sirens combing the streets
Chased down like dogs we run from
Your grasp until the sun comes up

We crawl on our knees for you
Under a sky no longer blue
We sweat all day long for you
But we sow seeds to see us through
'Cause sometimes dreams just don't come true
Look now at what they've done to you

White needles buried in the red
The engine roars and then it gives
But never dies
'Cause we don't live
We just survive
On the scraps that you throw away

I won't crawl on my knees for you
I won't believe the lies that hide the truth
I won't sweat one more drop for you
'Cause we are the rust upon your gears
We are the insect in your ears
We crawl
We crawl
We crawl... all over you

We sow the seeds to see us through
Our days are precious and so few
We all reap what we are due
Under this sky no longer blue
We bring the dawn long over-due
We crawl
We crawl
We crawl... all over you


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Headlights What? | Reviewer: Anonymous | 11/10/11

White needle buried in the red has nothing to do with headlights. The white needle is the needle on the tachometer of a car. The "buried in the red" is the RPMs sitting in the red for along time. What this image is a metaphor for is up to you.

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Awesome song | Reviewer: Dr B | 7/17/11

IMO one meaning of the song is about the industrial revolution and the labor rebellion among the factory workers. The factories literally turned the air surrounding a city into a thick smog. However, that is just the tip of the iceberg, the meaning can go alot deeper; such as the oppressions of communism. Read Animal Farm and 1984, then listen to this song.

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We don't live we just survive. | Reviewer: Anonymous | 7/12/11

White needles buried in the red
"The engine roars and then it gives
But never dies
'Cause we don't live
We just survive
On the scraps that you throw away"

I think this part is talking about drug use actually. I don't think that the red is a symbol of communism but rather blood. I definitely don't think it's about China but rather the labor based society we live in. America has some of the longest work hours around the world and when we clock out we take our work home. He's saying the world is so obsessed with working that we aren't living. It's a declaration that we need to work to live and not live to work.

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Great, great Song | Reviewer: Miguel | 7/12/11

It´s a great song, musically as well as meaninfully, i personally believe that refers to the very controlled society we live in, fredom is no longer exists as it should be understood, for big organizations like goverments, capitalists, war chiefs do their own will as their insterest command, leaving all of us optionsless

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Great and powerful song | Reviewer: Anonymous | 4/1/11

I personally believe it's literally about the re-education through labor system in China. Rise Against is known for singing about political issues and i feel like the song definitely describes the situation for people in the re-education through labor system. And i think the "White needles buried in the red" is symbolizing communism. Just my two cents.

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... really now people? | Reviewer: L | 3/10/10

Is Rise Against not known for the hidden meanings in its songs? It is in no way speaking of communism. It is speaking of how most people in America, if not the world, are 're-educated' or 'reprogrammed' by the higher-ups in the government and the companies for which they work, through labor, as the case is.

-L

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awesome song | Reviewer: Gino RvdW | 3/4/10

best thing I like of this song is:

White needles buried in the red
The engine roars and then it gives
But never dies
'Cause we don't live
We just survive
On the scraps that you throw away

the white needles, supposedly being the headlights of their ''rusted machines'' referred to in the first verse, going against all the other machines constantly going in one direction,
they try and go the OTHER way, push back the stream of mindless machines that follow each other like sheep.

they then refer to their engines roaring, displaying courage and will, but then it gets tough as the engine ''gives'' but just doesn't die, yet again depicting their struggle against ''the greater conscience''
and the following lines speak for themselves ^^

i find their songs on the latest album so AWESOME, truly strong lyrics too ^^

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ya man | Reviewer: Anonymous | 2/18/10

this is the most obvious meaning of all there songs. He wants to fucking stick to the man. Hes sick of just being pushed around by these authorities and wants freedom. If you listen to the song with that in mind youll realize its about rebellion. Rock on rise against!

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Tim McIlrath's meaning | Reviewer: not anonymous, just unknown | 11/27/09

"It's talking a lot about the 9-to-5, dog-eat-dog lifestyle, and what we are asked to do to simply make ends meet nowadays, and I think it's a feeling shared by people all around the world and especially in this country." You guys are so busy arguing though that you forgot what music was made for, to be personally interpreted. Interpret it in a way that you believe to be true. Hold that belief, cuz we don't have much to believe in anymore

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Its commie | Reviewer: Anonymous | 5/21/09

yo this is song is about communism, its not at all about a corrupt society as a whole it's strictly communism. They use communist symbols throughout the entire song like red, and labor. It's probably about communism in China but I not sure on that. Either way if it was they probably wouldn't be allowed to shoot the music video in China due to the fact that they are bashing communism, which would explain why they are in a random city like Chicago. Anyway like I said I'm not sure if they are bashing all forms of communism, communism in China, or both.

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