‘We're Not Gonna Take It’ is a song by American rock band Twisted Sister from their album Stay Hungry. It was first released as a single (with ‘You Can't Stop Rock & Roll’ as the B-side) on April 27, 1984. The Stay Hungry album was released two weeks later, on May 10, 1984.
The single reached No. 21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, making it Twisted Sister's only Top 40 single. In addition, it is also the band's highest-selling single in the United States, having been certified Gold on June 3, 2009, for sales of over 500,000 units. The song was ranked No. 47 on 100 Greatest 80's Songs and No. 21 on VH1's 100 Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s. It also received criticism when the Parents Music Resource Center included the song on its "Filthy Fifteen" list for alleged violent lyrical content, allegations that were repudiated by lead singer Dee Snider.
‘We're Not Gonna Take It’ was written by vocalist Dee Snider. As influences for the song, he cites the glam rock band Slade and the Christmas carol "O Come, All Ye Faithful". The end of the song uses lines from character Douglas C. Niedermeyer in the film Animal House (e.g., "You're all worthless and weak!"). Mark Metcalf, who played Niedermeyer, stars in the video.
VH-1's series True Spin explains the song as simply an anthem of teen rebellion, but Snider appeared saying that he was happy that long after he is gone, "any time that the team is down by two, or somebody had a bad day at the office, they're gonna stand up and sing We're Not Gonna Take It". In March 2023, Rolling Stone ranked the song at number 81 on their "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time" list.
Label – AtlanticSongwriter – Dee Snider
Producer – Tom Werman
SONG LYRICS
[Chorus]Oh, we're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
Oh, we're not gonna take it anymore
[Verse 1]
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 the powers that be, just
Don't pick our destiny, 'cause
You don't know us, you don't belong
[Chorus]
Oh, we're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
Oh, we're not gonna take it anymore
[Verse 2]
Oh, you're so condescending
Your gall is never ending
We don't want anything, not a thing from you
Your life is trite and jaded
Boring and confiscated
If that's your best, your best won't do
[Refrain]
Woah-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh
We're right! (Yeah!)
We're free! (Yeah!)
We'll fight! (Yeah!)
You'll see! (Yeah!)
[Chorus]
Oh, we're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
Oh, we're not gonna take it anymore
Oh, we're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
Oh, we're not gonna take it anymore
No way!
[Guitar Solo]
[Refrain]
Woah-oh-oh
Woah-oh-oh
We're right! (Yeah!)
We're free! (Yeah!)
We'll fight! (Yeah!)
You'll see! (Yeah!)
[Chorus]
We're not gonna take it
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
We're not gonna take it (No!)
No, we ain't gonna take it
We're not gonna take it anymore
(Just you try and make us!)
Oh, we're not gonna take it (Come on!)
No, we ain't gonna take it
(You're all worthless and weak!)
We're not gonna take it anymore
(Now drop and give me twenty!)
Oh, we're not gonna take it (A pledge pin?!)
No, we ain't gonna take it (On your uniform!)
We're not gonna take it anymore