And he saw that and said-"I will create my own standard--f*k you--i don't need you so called real punks. Now, I am 33 and I can totally see what gabel is saying because I too was once a skateboard riding, mohawk wearing punker. But I too, saw that the leadership in punk circles were nothing more than the yuppies I thought they were so opposite of. It was then, I turned to the word or phrase "personal independence" instead of labeling myself a punk. Just Like Tom Gabel. Now, Mcilrath from Rise Against apparently still feels very much apart of the "real" punk scene and he loves it and feels as tho it needs to be honored and stuck up for. He still believes in it. And these lyrics are his direct response to what Tom Gabel had to say about "punk culture". It is no accident or coincidence that Mcilrath uses Tom Gabels own words from that song--"Do you remember when you were young and you wanted to set the world on fire". That was his way of making sure Tom Gabel got the hint. Personally I am inspired by both viewpoints, because I totally relate with Tom Gabel at this point in my life, but have a shitload of admiration for Rise Against still fighting the fight. They at least seem sincere about it.

Then, he writes this song, basically saying punk is bullshit and he has grown up. He then says in the song---"I was a teenage anarchist, but then the scene got too rigid. It was a mob mentality, they set their rifle sights on me. Narrow visions of autonomy, you want me to surrender my identity. I was a teenage anarchist, the revolution was a lie. Which is to say what he said above---Punk leaders and the fans were trying to make him conform to them, to their standard.