2. “We’re not gonna take it. No, we
aint’t gonna take it. We’re not
gonna take it anymore.”
In Emerson’s “Self Reliance,” Emerson says,
“Whoso would be a non-conformist. He who
would gather immortal… Explore if it be
goodness.” In this line, Emerson is saying that if a
man want to be successful, he must not worry
about the approval of others. In the lines,
“We’re not gonna take it. No, we aint’t gonna
take it. We’re not gonna take it anymore,” the
speaker expresses his ideas of non-conformity by
stating that he is tired of doing the “normal”
thing and acting like everyone else. In further
lines he expands on this idea by stating that the
refuses to be told what to do.
3. “We’ve got the right to
choose and there ain’t no
we’ll lose it.”
In “Self Reliance,” Emerson says, “Trust thyself:
every heart vibrates to that iron string.” In this
statement, Emerson is explaining that trusting
your ideas is important to gain success. Similar
ideas are expressed in the lines, “We’ve got the
right to choose and there ain’t no we’ll lose it.”
In these lines, the speaker is saying that he has
the right to make his own choices and act on
his ideas. In addition, he is not willing to give
up this right. These thoughts expresses his
views of individual expression.
4. “This is our life this is our song”
In “Self Reliance,” Emerson says
“What I must do is all that concerns
me, not what other people think.”
Emerson explains that he cannot
worry about other people’s approval
while doing a task. He must do what
he thinks is right. The verse “This is
our life this is our song,” shows the
ideas of self reliance. The speaker
says that in his life, he can do what
he wants.
5. “We’re right. Yeah! We’re free.
Yeah We’ll fight. Yeah! You’ll
see!”
• In Emerson’s “Self Reliance,” he writes “To believe
your own thought, to believe that what is true…
that is genius.” In this line, Emerson explains the
importance of believing in your own ideals and
views. Throughout the lines “We’re right. Yeah!
We’re free. Yeah We’ll fight. Yeah! You’ll see,” the
speaker says that he believes is his ideas and that
he has the right to express these views. He shows
the importance of individual expression during
this verse.
6. “Don’t pick our destiny.”
• In Emerson’s “Self Reliance,” he writes,
“Nothing is at least sacred but the
integrity of your own mind.” In this line,
he is saying that the human mind is very
special and that you need to follow your
ideas. In the verse “Don’t pick our
destiny,” the singer says that he need to
follow his ideas and do what he thinks is
right. This line expresses the ideas of
self reliance.
7. “We don’t want
nothing, not a thing
from you”
In “Civil Disobedience,” Thoreau writes,
“Government is best which governs least.” In
this line, Thoreau is saying that the
government can slow down progress. In
addition they can make laws restricting the
individual’s actions. In the verse, “We don’t
want nothing, not a thing from you,” the
singer is stating similar thoughts. He is
saying that in life, he doesn’t want “handouts” and want to earn his well being. This
verse shows the ideas of self reliance.
