When people talk about punk rock anthems, they usually think about the high-energy tracks that are defined by rebellion.
These songs feature themes of the punk rock genre such as anti-establishment and the punk subculture as a whole with the ability to unite people with shared frustration, political defiance or alienation.
Though the genre has produced many iconic well-known punk anthems, there are tracks that often remain sidelined and don’t get the proper appreciation it deserves. One such song is the song “Give It All” by American punk rock band Rise Against.
Formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1999, Rise Against is one of the most commercially successful and politically outspoken punk rock bands of the 21st century. The band’s initial years were mostly spent in the underground punk scene of Chicago, where they received local success early on with their first two albums though they were still looking for a breakthrough to the mainstream.
That breakthrough came with their third album Siren Songs of the Counter Culture (2004), more specifically with the song “Give It All”. The song has been credited as the band’s breakthrough into the mainstream and is considered the most widely recognised track within the punk rock community.
The song was written collectively by all the members of the band. While bassist Joe Principe, drummer Brandon Barnes and then guitarist Chris Chasse composed the music, lead singer Tim McIlrath wrote the lyrics and melodies entirely.
It was written during a stressful, high pressure transition period for the band as they jumped from their original independent label to a major corporate record.
This move at the time caused backlash from the local punk scene who accused the band of selling out and going against what the band stands for.
To prove that their political and musical edge hadn’t changed, the band originally recorded and released the song through their old record label before re-recording and re-releasing for their new label.
According to Tim McIlrath, the songs serve as a personal and musical manifesto, a survival anthem for anyone feeling trapped by the walls and gates of the standard society. By promoting perseverance and personal autonomy it encourages listeners to reclaim their identity from a conformist society.
The lyrics challenge the listeners to break the metaphorical wall and gates and discover their own unique passion and pursue it with absolute and uncompromising dedication.
“‘Give It All’ is a Rise Against anthem. It is about overcoming obstacles in a way that punk rock and hardcore taught us to. It was nods to the punk rock and the DIY (Do It Yourself) attitude. And then this sort of push to the listener to keep fighting to put their head down and keep on moving forward”, said Tim McIlrath during an interview with Songfacts.
The song is often defined as a relentless onslaught of rapid- fire melodic hardcore, which is driven by blistering drumbeats, guitar and heavy group style vocal hooks. Tim McIlrath delivers his vocals with an incredibly raw, throat shredding rasp often shifting between melodic singing and full-throated screaming.
Though this high-octane style of singing defined the band’s early signature sound, years of singing took a severe toll on his vocal cords which caused a natural decline of his voice.
To avoid permanent damage, the singer had to change his style in his later career by pulling back on the harsh raspy screaming and shifting towards a smoother, sustainable and melodic approach.
The song had a music video shot on low budget in Chicago. In the video, the band performed the song in the middle of the night in a moving “L” train with real life fans.
The video altered between the performance and the late-night vandalising of corporate advertisements and a zoo by activists. The vandalising scenes were shot illegally without any permits. The video’s intention was to send a profound message about the people fighting the system are everyday working-class citizens trying to live their lives.
Ultimately, this raw production set a lasting visual message, proving that a punk band could use corporate major-label funding to broadcast anti-corporate messages, environmental activism, and underground aesthetics to mainstream MTV audiences without losing its political soul.
Upon its release in October 2004, Give It All faced a highly polarised and slow reception. Mainstream critics were indifferent and harshly dismissed the music as generic and forgettable.
The major label debut backlash also became a contributing factor as many in the punk community termed the being a “sell out”.
Though it had a rocky start, the song slowly started receiving positive feedback ultimately climbing to #37 on the Billboard Modern Rock Tracks. It received wider coverage through inclusion in video games such as Need For Speed Underground 2.
Slowly as time went on the song started forming bonds with new generations of listeners ultimately accumulating a cult following.
Today it is recognised as a definitive, high-energy blueprint for 2000s hardcore punk, distinguished from the bands later, more radio-friendly mainstream hits.
