“#Rebel” by Extreme
“#Rebel” was released on 19 April 2023, as one of two songs to serve as the co-second single of Extreme’s album “Six” (with the other being “Banshee“).
This track was produced by the band’s guitarist, Nuno Bettencourt. And to note the other members of Extreme, all of whom have been down with the cause since at least 2007, are vocalist Gary Cherone, bassist Pat Badger and drummer Kevin Figueiredo.
The Lyrics of “#Rebel”
For starters, the ‘rebels’ being referred to in this song are armchair critics, i.e. the types who spread a lot of negativity about celebrities online (thus explaining the hashtag in the title) but never confront them directly.
Gary Cherone is someone who, it has been pointed out, has dealt with his fair share of what can be deemed unwarranted public criticism. So in this song he is airing out against such critics, i.e. those who attack celebrities they don’t personally like as if doing so is some type of a legitimate cause.
And as presented in the first verse, what makes such practices unjust is the way these people go about doing so. For example, it becomes obvious that they are extremely angry internally. And in lambasting the likes of Cherone, they take liberties in terms of the suppression of truth and propagation of falsehoods. Moreover, such efforts end up becoming “mob” activities rather than individual gripes, i.e. haters teaming up with each other.
And so on and so forth. It’s as if in this case, we have the artist turning on negatively-biased and persistent critics, even down to Gary challenging these armchair ‘rebels’ to a fair one. But more to the point is him exposing these people as what they actually are under his estimation, which is being akin to bullies who never actually face the object of their troublemaking.
“Rebel you rage
Without a cause
Fools on parade
Bearing your cross
Bury the truth
Repeat the lie
Mob is the rule
Fueling the fire”
Comments
KOJO (writer at SongMeaningsAndFacts.com) says:
“Extreme has consistently showcased their immense talent since their debut studio album, ‘Extreme’ of 1989 and ‘#Rebel’ serves as a testament to their musical prowess. I must commend Pat Badger for his extraordinary bass performance on this song. It truly stands out. Unfortunately he still remains an underrated bass player but it’s about time he receives the recognition he deserves. Gary’s vocals on ‘#Rebel’ are also worthy of attention.
His voice possesses a depth and soul that captivate the listener. It’s a breath of fresh air to hear a vocalist who can truly sing and convey emotions with such authenticity. The band as a whole also deserves to be in the spotlight alongside some of the greatest rock groups. In a time when we all yearn for genuine music, they bless us with this sound, a refreshing reminder that musicians are still in the business of playing real instruments.”
