Walking Is Still Honest

Discuss. This song fucking rocks. I'll add my two cents later.

i dont know what its all about. but that song gives me the special feeling inside. its my most favorite.

in a live concert i have he mentions how its about his mom raising two kids by her self.

Ah, I don't even know..this song seems like it could be about so many things. I'm sure Tom wrote it about something specifically, but it just seems like it could hold a lot of meaning for a lot of people. Definitely one of my most favorite AM! songs.

I donno, I'm probably projecting a little bit here, but I get the feeling that a lot of it is about the way some parents raise their kids with certain religions [I believe I read that Tom's family was Catholic?] and some parents don't. Although based on the lyrics, if that's the meaning of it then I'd assume his mom was in the non-religious camp.

Yeah, I get what you mean. The song definitely has something to do with religion. Maybe it has to do with a poor single mother raising kids, and depending on her religion to get her by? I actually just got this AMP magazine from a long time ago with them on the cover, I'll type up what Tom said about his family's religion:

"My father is Roman Catholic and my mother is Irish Catholic and well, being raised with the beliefs and everything they weren't avid church-goers or anything, but I did go to church for periods of time here and there. Also, I grew up with my father in the military and we traveled around a lot, and I spent a brief period of time in Italy and Germany, and stuff like that. So, moving around there wasn't a lot of time necessarily for becoming 'church members.'"

the song the acoustic version from crime sounds exacly like a CCR song i like it. i prefer the Crime version miles over the Axl Rose version

I prefer the Crime version too. The slower pace really seems to work better with the theme of the song.

What a great song. I bought an acoustic guitar last week for the sole purpose of learning Against Me! songs. Before this week, I've never played guitar before; I've got RAR and Baby down pat. Tomorrow I'm going to learn this song.

Quote :

Dear mother,
This is just survival.
Cannot promise your children everything,
But you would lie so they can sleep tonight.
Defeat tasted nothing like you said.
Still 22 days left till the end of the world.
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."

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.

Dear shithead,
This isn't happening;
The sky is really falling,
The paint's all made of lead,
There's asbestos in the walls,
Hell's coming to rip off the doors
To your priveleged heaven.
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.
We are untouchable;
Untouchable is something to be.

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...

i think the song is about tom feeling pressured to believe in the religion of his family. His mother "would lie so they can sleep tonight" meaning she would tell her children about religion, prayers and god to comfort them as kids.

And the chorus is about him questioning whether it's true and him saying "not my son, not my family" meaning his son and family won't be force fed religion.

the "DEAR SHITHEAD!" verse is his letter to either god, or more likely a religious preacher. he's singing about how shits falling apart (asbestos), and hell's coming to rip off your doors (reality is coming into) of your priveledged heaven (heaven's reserved to the religious).

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.

"Walking is still honest" is about getting off your knees and praying and just keep moving along, working harder. Keep trying, keep walking, because it's more honest/real/truthful then spending your time praying on your knees.



but then the very end of the song fucks everything up. because he sings about "and you haven't given up/forgotten me". meaning he still believes in a god that may be fighting for him to survive. unless he's singing about his mother not giving up on his faith?


Yeah so the whole song is about him questioning the religion his mother brought him up on. Well, atleast thats how I see it.

Quote :

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'd say it's more likely to be God that is untouchable. As in: not responsible for any mistakes.

Patron wrote:

Quote :

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'd say it's more likely to be God that is untouchable. As in: not responsible for any mistakes.

hmmm, but the very next line is "untouchable is something to be" --- so does that mean that there is a god to him? That means "untouchable" exists?

Or is he being sarcastic, like, god is "untouchable", and thats something we should try to be?

I'd guess the latter. He's untouchable because he can show absolutely no remorse for anything that happens in his name.

Either that, or people only credit good things to him. If something bad happens, it's usually blamed on people.

Gary - IRL wrote:

but then the very end of the song fucks everything up. because he sings about "and you haven't given up/forgotten me". meaning he still believes in a god that may be fighting for him to survive. unless he's singing about his mother not giving up on his faith?

Good stuff there, man! I think you got a great interpretation with that whole post. As for this bit that I specifically quoted...

I would say that the chorus is directed at his mother, partially. I can see how the bit "and you haven't given up on me" is, maybe, his own appreciation of her having faith in her son to either do well or go back into the religion. I say that because I feel that with my own mother. She's a very strong Christian and while I reject religion in general she still prays for me and believes that later in my life I'll go back to christianity. I really can't help but appreciate that even though she knows I'm not anything religious and that I dislike a great majority of religious people she still believes in me. She's had the struggle of raising 32 kids, only 3 being her own - the rest being her younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and my father's first three children from his first marriage. So I feel like I can really relate to this song!

I wish I could find a way to fully express my own interpretation of this song but I'm too sleep deprived at the moment to muster up the words. I certainly do like to think the "we are untouchable; untouchable is something to be!" bit is in reference to not being touched by god. What greatness is that? We may not be any chosen vessel of god, but doesn't that mean that when we set out to do something great and for ourselves it really means something more? We're doing something good, real, honest and pure because WE WANT to, not because we're told to by some higher being. Not because there's the promise of eternal damnation if we don't! We're doing it because we fucking honestly want to and we're doing it by the blood, sweat and strength of our own wills and lives. Something that we believe in that's not from or for a "higher purpose" than our honest desire to do it. I mean, I don't know about you but when I meet religious people who are at charities and such and ask them what motivates them all they say is "for the reward in heaven that God promised me" it just makes my fucking blood boil! So if there was no promise of some riches in a place that might not even fucking be there you wouldn't bother with this? What about YOUR OWN desire to do something good for someone else or for yourself that benefits others around you? I just figure that if you're going to do something good do it because you honestly fucking want to not because you'll get a pat on the back for it or whatever greatness might ensue because most of the time good deeds go unrecognized and unrewarded. If people are only in it for the rewards then the honesty just seems sapped from it! Coming away from doing a good deed of my own free will and not for the promise of heaven certainly leaves me feeling untouchable. I did something good for the sake of doing it. That's honesty. And you can't touch that. You can't fucking tarnish it!

On re-reading that I feel that I sound ungrateful. True, it's annoying that it seems like plenty of people wouldn't bother with the charities and generosity if not for being rewarded by a higher being, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate their efforts. Sure, I have more respect and appreciation for the efforts of the person who does it for the sake of doing it and for the honest desire to do it, but I don't think I under-appreciate the one who's doing it just for the reward. Some people, apparently, need such incentives to do such things.

Joaquin_Honest wrote:

Gary - IRL wrote:

but then the very end of the song fucks everything up. because he sings about "and you haven't given up/forgotten me". meaning he still believes in a god that may be fighting for him to survive. unless he's singing about his mother not giving up on his faith?

Good stuff there, man! I think you got a great interpretation with that whole post. As for this bit that I specifically quoted...

I would say that the chorus is directed at his mother, partially. I can see how the bit "and you haven't given up on me" is, maybe, his own appreciation of her having faith in her son to either do well or go back into the religion. I say that because I feel that with my own mother. She's a very strong Christian and while I reject religion in general she still prays for me and believes that later in my life I'll go back to christianity. I really can't help but appreciate that even though she knows I'm not anything religious and that I dislike a great majority of religious people she still believes in me. She's had the struggle of raising 32 kids, only 3 being her own - the rest being her younger brothers and sisters, nieces and nephews, and my father's first three children from his first marriage. So I feel like I can really relate to this song!

I wish I could find a way to fully express my own interpretation of this song but I'm too sleep deprived at the moment to muster up the words. I certainly do like to think the "we are untouchable; untouchable is something to be!" bit is in reference to not being touched by god. What greatness is that? We may not be any chosen vessel of god, but doesn't that mean that when we set out to do something great and for ourselves it really means something more? We're doing something good, real, honest and pure because WE WANT to, not because we're told to by some higher being. Not because there's the promise of eternal damnation if we don't! We're doing it because we fucking honestly want to and we're doing it by the blood, sweat and strength of our own wills and lives. Something that we believe in that's not from or for a "higher purpose" than our honest desire to do it. I mean, I don't know about you but when I meet religious people who are at charities and such and ask them what motivates them all they say is "for the reward in heaven that God promised me" it just makes my fucking blood boil! So if there was no promise of some riches in a place that might not even fucking be there you wouldn't bother with this? What about YOUR OWN desire to do something good for someone else or for yourself that benefits others around you? I just figure that if you're going to do something good do it because you honestly fucking want to not because you'll get a pat on the back for it or whatever greatness might ensue because most of the time good deeds go unrecognized and unrewarded. If people are only in it for the rewards then the honesty just seems sapped from it! Coming away from doing a good deed of my own free will and not for the promise of heaven certainly leaves me feeling untouchable. I did something good for the sake of doing it. That's honesty. And you can't touch that. You can't fucking tarnish it!

On re-reading that I feel that I sound ungrateful. True, it's annoying that it seems like plenty of people wouldn't bother with the charities and generosity if not for being rewarded by a higher being, but that doesn't mean that I don't appreciate their efforts. Sure, I have more respect and appreciation for the efforts of the person who does it for the sake of doing it and for the honest desire to do it, but I don't think I under-appreciate the one who's doing it just for the reward. Some people, apparently, need such incentives to do such things.

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.

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.

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!

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

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.

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.

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

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

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
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

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


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

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

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.

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?