What does Sooner or Later mean?

Breaking Benjamin: Sooner or Later Meaning

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Album cover for Sooner or Later album cover

Song Released: 2004


Sooner or Later Lyrics

I want a normal life
just like a new born child
I am a lover hater
I am an instigator
You are an oversight
Don't try to compromise
I'll learn to love to hate it
I am not integrated

[Pre-Chorus]
Just call my name
You'll be okay
Your...

  1. 1TOP RATED

    #1 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Feb 14th 2010 !⃝

    Like others have said, this song may be about a relationship, someone you hate, but love to keep around. Those are all good, but what I think it's about is probably his past addiction with alcohol.

    He says he wants a "normal life", and he also says, "I learn to love to hate it." It sounds confusing, but say it slowly, understanding each word. I learn... To love... To hate it. He learns to love the fact that he hates it.

    "Just call my name", has a lot to do with personification with addictions. A lot of addicts say, "It calls my name." That could be what Ben felt like with alcohol. "Your scream is burning through my veins." Maybe meaning, that the intensity of alcohol and the effect it has on you when your intoxicated, is like screaming in Ben's words, and the alcohol is running through his veins. When he says "Sooner or later, you're gonna hate it, go ahead and throw your life away" it sounds like a 'note to self' kind of thing. His conscience is telling him it's a bad idea, you're gonna hate it, but go ahead, throw your life away. Kind reverse psychology.

    He says, "Why am I so pathetic" possibly meaning his negative feelings are making him feel this way, causing him to turn to alcohol.

    Towards the end, he says, "Go ahead and throw our life away" our life, meaning his and his conscience, or maybe the alcoholism is personified, using reverse psychology. Addictions are demons that attach to you, making themselves at home, and always make you feel like it's "us". Not a "you" and "I" situation. Ben said what the song was about, being in a relationship you don't want to be in, but keep it because it has is perks. That's what addictions feel like.

  2. 2TOP RATED

    #2 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Aug 26th 2007 !⃝

    This song is basically expressing a relationship where the person that the song is referring to has certain problems that they have created themselves, and are trying to drag people down with them. The other person is trying to remain somewhat distant so as not to get hurt because they know that "sooner or later" the main person will realize what they're doing and if they're selfish enough not to change, then they can continue to throw their life away

  3. 3TOP RATED

    #3 top rated interpretation:
    anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Dec 2nd 2008 !⃝

    I believe this song is a about a guy who's gone through some tough relationships in the past, and he doesn't want to fall in love, yet this girl has got him head over heels. Due to his apparently doubting nature (as seen throughout the song), he's convinced that this one will eventually end painfully ("sooner or later, you're gonna hate it") and so he's in a way giving up on the relationship before it begins to seriously advance ("go ahead and throw my life away"), but deep down still wants something to cling to, which is why he isn't directly breaking it off himself (notice he tells *her* to leave him, not that he's leaving her). He also tells the girl that she doesn't notice his insecurity about relationships ("you are an oversight"), and she shouldn't try to make up for it ("don't try to compromise"), because he feels it is too late.

    In the first verse of the song, he states that he pushes others away through his own actions ("I am an instigator") and that he has an aversion to relationships ("I am a lover hater"), but he wishes he wasn't that way ("I want a normal life"). The line, "just like a new born child" indicates he wants to have a more innocent view of love, but his cursed by his inability to put trust in others ("I am not integrated").

    Although he does not clearly state why, I believe he comes to realize the girl is only leading him on ("you sit and try to play me") and that he's a fool for not listening to the little voice in his head ("I knew it all the while"; "Why am I so pathetic"). He tells her that her behavior is childish ("you're like an infantile") and to leave him in spite of his love for her.

  4. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 22nd 2021 !⃝

    It's about Twin Flame rejection.Recognizing and not acknowledging the connection. Running instead of embracing.
    Choosing the false one over the real one due to blockage.Not obtaining togetherness due to selfish reasons.

  5. anonymous
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    May 17th 2019 !⃝

    He says he wants a normal life just like a newborn child that means he wants to go back before he was addicted to where he can live without his drug.

  6. anonymous
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    Apr 3rd 2017 !⃝

    Ok I just read everyone's interpretation I jus wanna say for the longest I thought it was about a guy taking a girl away from him bcuz I heard you're gonna hate her but it says it and I think he's referring to a drug taking her away not another guy and for some to say that responses on here that ppl think that bcuz their life is about drugs is just wrong.... However people can relate to songs in different ways that's what makes a really good song but I think if we had Been himself on here I'm willing to bet he would say this song is about a girl who he had to let go bcuz she wouldn't give up her addiction. It's a sad thing that's getting worse in this world and more people need to see and understand that and what better way than thru music of s great band.

  7. anonymous
    click a star to vote
    Apr 3rd 2017 !⃝

    I think this song is about him being in love with a girl who is addicted to a bad drug if I had to guess it would be heroin since he refers to "your scream is burning through my veins" but throughout the song he goes from throwing her life to his life to their life away and being someone who sadly has went through this horrible journey with someone I really love that's how addiction works you just start throwing your own life away but in the end you throw everyone who cares and loves you lives away. I think this is about a girl he loved whi couldn't get away from her addiction and possibly it took her life.

  8. anonymous
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    Jul 25th 2011 !⃝

    I thought it was about marriage. Lol

  9. anonymous
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    May 3rd 2011 !⃝

    ok, so having seen the top one I believe it's about what that one says, but having read about them I do know that benjamin burnely was an alcoholic, and thought at first that was what he was referring to, frankly,i believe he maui have put elements about both aspects into the song, but hey, that's one of the glories of music, you get from it what you get from it. The first time I heard the song I had my mind on a tv afia I'm trying out for soon, and heard the lyrics as "same sucks," so whatever. :)

  10. anonymous
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    Nov 12th 2010 !⃝

    i think its about being in love but u been with them so long that ur getting sick of them, and now that there broke up hes telling the next guy that sooner or later he is going to hate it but right now he cant see that so go ahead and throw his life away and go for it.

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
  11. anonymous
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    Jul 27th 2010 !⃝

    This song is how she broke up with him and he keeps seeing her. He's saying sooner or later she's gonna ever regret breaking up with him because her life is ruined without him as is his. She made him feel good and then when she broke up with him she dragged him down to the worst he could get. He's saying that it was a mistake to ever go out with her and she made a mistake going out with him because now he's going to ruin her life because she ruined his or so he thinks.

  12. anonymous
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    Jul 30th 2007 !⃝

    Its not about drugs you retards, it's about the singer being in love with someone who's dating or in love with someone else. And she's just forgetting about him and throwing him aside. And he's trying to tell her she's making a bad decision.

  13. anonymous
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    Jul 16th 2007 !⃝

    You only think it's about drugs because that's what your life is about. Get drugs off your mind and you will be able to see it differently... maybe not; the drugs probably already fried your brain. Dip Shit

  14. Felcon
    click a star to vote
    Mar 31st 2007 !⃝

    I know exactly what this song is about because I saw breaking Benjamin live and Benjamin Burley said the answer.

    The song, believe it or not, is about having someone around that you don't want. and I quote from him "But it's convenient, if you know what I mean"

    Couldn't believe it.

  15. anonymous
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    Mar 10th 2007 !⃝

    I know this song is about drugs because it says you learn to love to hate it "just throw your life away

    "Sooner or later you're gonna hate it
    Go ahead and throw my life away
    Driving me under, leaving me out there
    Go ahead and throw my life away yea it's about drugs"

    This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway

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