The band All-American Rejects was formed in 1999 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The band dabbles in alternative rock, emo pop, power pop, pop-rock, pop-punk, and associated genres. The following are the band’s members: Tyson Ritter, Mike Kennerty, Nick Wheeler, and Chris Gaylor. Ritter handles the vocals and the bass. Kennerty takes care of the rhythm guitar and back-up vocals. Wheeler is the lead guitarist of the band and also chips in for backing vocals. Gaylor is the drummer of the lot. Most of their songs are written by Kennerty and Ritter. It was in 2003 when the band rose to mainstream popularity. Their self-titled debut album took the alternative rock world by storm. The album was certified platinum and with it, the band had established a place for themselves in the American music industry.
“Move Along” is the title track of their second studio album of the same name, “Move Along”. This album was released in 2005. Various songs from this album topped the charts around the world. For instance, the music video for “It ends tonight” debuted at no. 10 on the VH1 top 20 countdowns. It also got to number 2 on TRL. The whole album deals with themes like depression, giving up, motivation, and alienation in Western society.
What Does the Title Mean?
The song “Move Along” is about depression, a calamity that is global in nature. Each year, more than 700000 people commit suicide worldwide. Most of these people suffer from clinical depression or related mental illnesses. As mental illnesses are still considered taboo in a lot of societies, they go unaddressed and untreated. This song begs for people to not give up and keep moving along. The message of the song is that there might be better days ahead. But you’ll only know those days if you keep strong and keep moving along. If you give up very soon, you might not get to know what the future holds for you.
Verse 1 – What Does It Mean?
“Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking
When you fall, everyone stands
Another day and you’ve had your fill of sinking
With the life held in your
Hands are shaking cold
These hands are meant to hold (Speak to me)”
“Move Along” is a song about the hardships of life and depression. The first line of the song implies that depression is an inevitable part of modern life. The singer advises the listener to not get down on themselves, as they’re not the only ones struggling with depression. When someone is depressed, it might seem that they’re the only one who are facing such difficulty in their life. However, that is far from the truth. Almost one-third of the world’s population struggles with one or another mental illness. Depression is very common in the West as well as the East.
Western society tends to be very individualistic in nature, which isolates and alienates a person, leading to depression. On the other hand, due to poor quality of life, mental illnesses in underdeveloped and developing countries often go unchecked. The first line is a way of consoling the listener and telling them that they’re not alone. Moreover, they do not have to go through it alone. The middle part of the first verse describes the reality of many of us. No matter how hard it gets, most of us keep our heads high and just move along.
It’s important to remember that this song is not asking us to “man up” and just face the difficulties head on. It’s just describing the harsh reality of the world. In the last line, the singer says “Speak to me”, suggesting that the person doesn’t have to go through difficulties alone. To counter depression and loneliness, people often speak to their loved ones, therapists, priests, or even God. Our pain is only relieved when it is shared.
What Does the Chorus Mean?
“When all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know ya do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along just to make it through
Move along
Move along”
This is where the song takes a motivational turn. The singer advises everyone to move along. This is because that’s the only path forward. Moreover, when someone doesn’t give up, there is a chance that things might get better. That’s the best thing about the future – it delivers the possibility of hope. In the third line, the singer addresses the factor of hope. Even if you think that there is no hope, you should still keep moving forward. If you give up, there will definitely be no hope or a possibility of things becoming better. A better future is only possible if you keep moving along.
Verse 2 – What Does It Mean?
“So a day when you’ve lost yourself completely
Could be a night when your life ends
Such a heart that will lead you to deceiving
All the pain held in your
Hands are shaking cold
Your hands are mine to hold
Speak to me”
The second verse describes a scenario that a lot of us are familiar with. There are days when the going gets so tough that we want to end it all. To be blunt, the second verse addresses suicide – a touchy subject. All American Rejects don’t want their people to end their lives on a low. The only solution is to deceive the heart and move along. That way, when people are truly at their end, the worst days will seem very insignificant. In order to do this, one must deceive their heart and not acknowledge all the pain it feels. The last phrase “speak to me” suggests this song was written for a friend. Here, All American Rejects want to act as a friend to their listeners.
What Does the Bridge Mean?
“(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When everything is wrong, we move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
When everything is wrong, we move along
(Along) along (Along) along (Along) along (Along)”
The bridge again reinforces the idea of moving along. It is more dominated by music than words. Towards the end of the song, it’s the music that speaks to the listener and not the lyrics.
What Does the Break Mean?
“When all you got to keep is strong
Move along, move along like I know you do
And even when your hope is gone
Move along, move along
Just to make it through”
The break is very similar to the chorus. In the break, All American Rejects reinforce the idea of survival via any means. The only solution to facing difficulties is going through them. And you can only go through them if you keep yourself strong. Towards the end of the break, it’s as if the speaker himself is desperate to move along. Everyone just wants to make it through the difficult times and get to an ideal point in their lives. However, for most, that point doesn’t come until the end of their lives. Thus, the only thing that keeps them moving along is a teeny-tiny hope for a better future.
What Does the Outro Mean?
“(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Right back what is wrong
We move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Right back what is wrong
We move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Right back what is wrong
We move along
(Go on, go on, go on, go on)
Right back what is wrong
We move along”
Music-wise, the outro is very beautiful and it nicely wraps up the whole song. The phrase “move along” is repeated multiple times to nail the idea home. By the end of this song, the listener feels empowered and more importantly, not alone. If you listen to this song, it feels as if your friend is telling you to not give up in the most beautiful way possible.
Conclusion
If you’re feeling down and are in the mood for an introspective as well as uplifting tune, “Move Along” might just be the right pick for you. This song will make you think and move. In the end, you’ll find yourself motivated after listening to this song. That’s the magic of All-American Rejects. Chances are that you will end up listening to the whole album once you get the taste of their title track.
