Song # 3: "We're Not Gonna Take It" By Twisted Sister

 "We're Not Gonna Take It" by Twisted Sister is a famous rock and roll song that can be considered transcendental. This song's message is very similar to Henry David Thoreau's quote from Civil Disobedience, "Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them, or shall we endeavor to amend them, and obey them until we have succeeded, or shall we transgress them at once? Men generally, under such a government as this, think that they ought to wait until they have persuaded the majority to alter them. They think that, if they should resist, the remedy would be worse than the evil. But it is the fault of the government itself that the remedy is worse than the evil." Thoreau recognizes that a moral unjust law needs to be corrected and fighting is worth any punishment that you may receive for doing so. Transcendentalists believe that you can ultimately stand up to a larger force and accomplish many things because they believe in the power of the individual. “I learned this, at least, by my experiment: that if one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.” This quote from Walden explains that Thoreau wants people to trust their instincts and believe in what they are doing, so that they can realize their dreams. This song would fit under Thoreau's precept of non-conformity not only because of it's radical rebellious lyrics of standing up for yourself and defending what you believe in, but also in the loud rock and roll rhythm that makes you want to stand up and fight for your rights. The song's title explains how they will not conform to what society will tell them to do. The song's lyrics are intended to send a message to the youth that it is not justified to accept laws if you feel they are unjust. The song discusses the story of generations past and future that  unwilling to give up their rights and unwilling to accept being pushed down, much like transcendentalists, in the lines "We're not gonna take it anymore. We've got the right to choose and there ain't no way we'll lose it. This is our life, this is our song. We'll fight a 1000 legions, don't pick our destiny 'cause you don't know us, you don't belong." The hardcore guitar tone encourages the audience want to stand up out of their seats and fight for what they believe in, which is what transcendentalists believe in.