Are You Ready

Album: Evolution (2018)
Play Video

Songfacts®:

  • Speaking in an interview with Patrick Tish and Brandon "4orty" Kessel of the radio station 96.7 KCAL-FM, guitarist Dan Donegan said that he originally wrote the music for "Are You Ready" back in 2004. However, he didn't get round to completing it and filed his demo away. When Disturbed were looking for new ideas for their Evolution record Donegan looked back at his archives of uncompleted material, and brought it back into the mix.

    Donegan added that vocalist David Draiman "gravitated towards it right away" and said he'd "got something great for this." Draiman then "started just kind of scatting a melody on top of it."
  • The song reached #1 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart in just its sixth week on the tally. Disturbed's eighth single to reach the summit, "Are You Ready" was the fastest climber of their eight chart-toppers.
  • Lyrically, the song is a call to arms, encouraging people not to give in to the powers that be who thrive on division and weakness. David Draiman explained to Louder Sound:

    "It's encouraging people to not allow themselves to be prey. That when you're strong – even just projecting strong feelings, conveying strength – it discourages the predator. You wanna scare a bear away, you stand your ground."

    Draiman added that he is encouraging "a revolution in thought" rather than taking up arms. "A revolution in how you perceive yourself," he explained. "People are glued to the next headline because they're scared to death, and to have the world live in fear makes life easier for those who are looking to control you. It's anything. It's family, it's government; it doesn't have to be any one entity in particular. You yourself as the individual have been subjugated for too long and you do not need to feel that way."
  • Debuting (and peaking) at #4, Evolution broke Disturbed's five-album streak of chart-topping debuts in the US. The last time they missed the apex was with their debut album, The Sickness, which went to #29 in 2000.
  • In the music video, directed by Robert Schober ("Asylum"), the band is rocking out in a basement club for an enthusiastic crowd. Meanwhile, the protagonist tries to dodge futuristic spy drones in the streets. David Draiman explained in a behind-the-scenes clip: "The concept of the video is set in a futuristic world where the government has become quite oppressive and you have a little bit of a rebellion happening and our main character is trying to avoid the powers that be and get to where we are having a performance."

Comments

Be the first to comment...

Editor's Picks

James Bond Theme Songs

James Bond Theme SongsMusic Quiz

How well do you know the 007 theme songs?

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)

Dexys (Kevin Rowland and Jim Paterson)Songwriter Interviews

"Come On Eileen" was a colossal '80s hit, but the band - far more appreciated in their native UK than stateside - released just three albums before their split. Now, Dexys is back.

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")

Director Wes Edwards ("Drunk on a Plane")Song Writing

Wes Edwards takes us behind the scenes of videos he shot for Jason Aldean, Dierks Bentley and Chase Bryant. The train was real - the airplane was not.

Metallica

MetallicaFact or Fiction

Beef with Bon Jovi? An unfortunate Spandex period? See if you can spot the true stories in this Metallica version of Fact or Fiction.

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," Kiss

Director Paul Rachman on "Hunger Strike," "Man in the Box," KissSong Writing

After cutting his teeth on hardcore punk videos, Paul defined the grunge look with his work on "Hunger Strike" and "Man in the Box."

Spooner Oldham

Spooner OldhamSongwriter Interviews

His keyboard work helped define the Muscle Shoals sound and make him an integral part of many Neil Young recordings. Spooner is also an accomplished songwriter, whose hits include "I'm Your Puppet" and "Cry Like A Baby."