Rise Against: Good Left Undone Meaning
Good Left Undone Lyrics
I found a flower at my feet,
Bending there in my direction,
I wrapped a hand around its stem,
I pulled until the roots gave in,
Finding there what I’ve been missing,
But I know…
So I tell myself, I...
-
1TOP RATED
#1 top rated interpretation:This song is about a girl that is incredibly special to him, so he takes her as his own. He falls in love with this girl, but his selfishness is harming her, so, because he loves her, he lets her go. However, he still thinks of her all the time, and if she were to call him, he'd come back to her.
"in fields where nothing grew but weeds, I found a flower at my feet" - she is better than everyone else. Unique
"inside my hands these petals browned,
dried up, fallen to the ground"
- his selfishness is hurting her, maybe even killing her.
"all because of you,
i haven’t slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,"
- he is still madly in love with her. He even dreams about herm and has nightmares because he they are separated.
"i’ll follow your voice,
all you have to do is shout it out."
- he will come back to her when she is ready.
I have some ideas about the last bit...
"all because of you,
i believe in angels.
Not the kind with wings,
no, not the kind with halos,
the kind that bring you home,
when home becomes a strange place.
I’ll follow your voice,
all you have to do is shout it out."
but I'm not very confident. What does this part mean? -
2TOP RATED
#2 top rated interpretation:I think this song is supposed to be personal to us
like some people may think it's about the environment
some may think it's about a relationship
it could just be written to make us think about what he's saying and really listen.
you all have good interpretations, though =) -
3TOP RATED
#3 top rated interpretation:I believe in angels.
Not the kind with wings,
No, not the kind with halos,
if this song is in fact about a break up I think tims using this part to describe the girls beauty, a lot of guys I know call girls angels. For the last part I think he's describing that she guided him in the right direction when they were together. Angels are said to give guidance to people. Has anyone noticed that tim uses angels a lot in his lyrics? -
"all because of you,
i believe in angels.
Not the kind with wings,
no, not the kind with halos,
the kind that bring you home,
when home becomes a strange place.
I’ll follow your voice,
all you have to do is shout it out."
i think this part is to do with him being hurt by people in the past but now he's seen that there are good people
"all because of you, i believe in angels"
this is him indicating that he has found someone that won't hurt him like his past ralationships.
"not the kind with wings, not the kind with halo's"
these angels being people that understand him and want him for who he is.
"the kind that bring you home, when home becomes a strange place"
this person made him feel welcome in there life and it feels like home, he feels like he belongs.
i'll fallow your voice, all you have to do is shout it out!"
he will take her back when ever she feels is best but he will have no hesitations. -
This song is about life on tour and being away from their familys and shit. Tim is coming from the feeling of being away from his daughters for so such long periods of time. The song is very similar to the dirt whispered in terms of subject matter.
-
See people say it is a love song and that could very well be true but i saw it differently.
I see it where a member of a gang is ordered to kill a person. He has done it before. So he "accidently" meets this person who is innocent and nice to him. So they become close snd he finishes his job. Now though she is haunting him though unlike any others. He truly feels like he's a monster. So he can't sleep. Now he just wants to die. But he goes on with life like nothing happens and tries to forget about. He knows it's wrong and he knows "there's a point we pass in which we can't return" but he feels he will be able to redeem himself. So he is told to do the same thing to another but he puts her in hiding and places an anonymous tip. He gets his boss to breach the doors. The boss gets shot and he is arrested. So he is in jail but now has a new sense of hope that someone will save him.
I know. Crazy right. This is my idea though so don't judge. -
Changing the concept a little bit after reading my own interpretation of the song above, I believe this song is ambiguous to be about a relationship, or environmental and political problems.
-
A person finds something: this could be a girl, or just something special to him. He takes this thing, and finds out what he has been missing. As he later realizes, his selfishness has hurted his special thing or whatever. In his caring for this object he leaves it for the better of it. I know I'm being a little vague, but please hang on. His guilt for hurting this object gives him nightmares, and he is reminded of his wrong-doing everyday. Assuming that this object is a person now, since it has a voice, (and a personification within a metaphor song is confusing enough) he waits for that person till they are ready. He is scarred from his wrong-doing, and waits for that person to be ready. This whole song is a metaphor, so look at it that way.
-
The central message is the idea that the women he loved was a flower amongst all the other "weeds " that grew around him. He loved her but knew he was only poisoning her and for that he was tortured in his sleep. Finally he let her go but even with the "burn" of the break up he was left with the feeling that there are angels among us just like her. I personally believe the last four lines imply that one these angels will drive him home when he's especially drunk even when she gone.
-
I think this song is about someone who has saved him. it might be a girl, or it could be someone he only met very briefly. regardless, this person changed his life. He saw the evil in the world he is living in, but no one else has. he knows the only way to find true meaning and happiness is to follow this person.
"I believe in angels,
not the kind with wings,
no not the kind with halos,
the kind that bring you hope,
when hope becomes a strange place"
i think this part is about how anybody can be a hero to you. you can find happiness and true meaning in whatever you do. you just have go find what you want and what you need. -
"In fields where nothing grew but weeds,
I found a flower at my feet,
Bending there in my direction,"
The flower in the field represents hope when there is none. "Bending there in my direction" means that there is an opportunity to get that hope.
"I wrapped a hand around its stem,
I pulled until the roots gave in,
Finding there what I'd been missing,"
Taking that hope, and believing in it.
"But I know...
So I tell myself, I tell myself it's wrong.
There's a point we pass from which we can't return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm."
Even with that hope, believing that all is lost, and there is no hope for yourself. "I felt the cold rain of the coming storm" means preparing yourself for the worst.
"All because of you,
I haven't slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,
I'll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out."
Dreaming of someone to love; wanting someone to be able to look forward to being with; wanting that person.
"Inside my hands these petals browned,
Dried up, fallen to the ground
But it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
Returned this flower to the dirt,
So it could live. I walked away now."
Basically ruining the relationship, trying to salvage what's left of it, then walking away.
"But I know...
Not a day goes by that I don't feel this burn.
There's a point we pass from which we can't return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm."
Regretting losing the person, preparing self for worst again.
-chorus-
"All because of you,
I haven't slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,
Inside these arms of yours."
Wanting that person back.
"All because of you,
I believe in angels.
Not the kind with wings,
No, not the kind with halos,
The kind that bring you home,
When home becomes a strange place.
I'll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out."
Because of you i believe in love, and being saved. -
In fields where nothing grew but weeds,
I found a flower at my feet,
Bending there in my direction,
I wrapped a hand around its stem,
I pulled until the roots gave in,
Finding there what I’ve been missing,
(I believe this means that this means he has met someone who he is very drawn to. Everyone else in his life are nothing but weeds, but this person is the one flower in this field of weeds. She sticks out to him and he makes her his and she is the one thing that makes his life complete)
But I know…
So I tell myself, I tell myself it’s wrong.
There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.
(once he has her he feels like its wrong to keep her from her dreams and he realizes her needs to let her go. He knew a storm was going to come between them and it would be for the best that he let her go, but he cannot do it)
All because of you,
I haven’t slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out.
(Without her he is lost, he ruined their relationship by not letting her go when he should have. He has nightmares of drowning in the ocean because he feels as though he could have done something to prevent the mess between them, but he didn't know what it was. He is longing to be beside her. If he hears her voice he will follow it, because if she comes back her will go back to her.)
Inside my hands these petals browned,
Dried up, fallen to the ground
But it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
Returned this flower to the dirt,
So it could live.
I walked away now.
But I know…
Not a day goes by that I don’t feel it’s burn.
(Holding onto her so tight was hurting more than helping. It was too late to save what was between them,so he let her go. He walked away because too much damage had already been done. He still feels the hurt of what has happened between them.)
There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.
All because of you,
I haven’t slept in so long,
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can let my head down,
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out.
(same as last chorus)
All because of you…
All because of you…
All because of you,
I haven’t slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can let my head down,
Inside these arms of yours.
(same as last chorus, but he also says that he wants to be in her arms)
All because of you,
I believe in angels.
Not the kind with wings,
No, not the kind with halos,
The kind that bring you home,
When home becomes a strange place.
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out.
(All because of her, he believes in angels. she was an angel to him, no she didnt have a halo or wings, but she came out of no where and she gave him and place to call home with her.Home was where she was. Now that she is gone,home is strange and foreign and doesnt feel like home. If she calls him back he will come.) -
"in fields were nothing grew but weeds, i found a flower at my feet, bending there in my direction"
He found a girl that he liked
"I wrapped a hand around its stem, and pulled until the roots gave in, finding out what ive been missing"
He thinks that they will live in peace
"but know,so i tell myself its wrong"
we find out that he was only trying to make himself beleive that it will turn out great, but he knows that the girl isnt happy, and he cant denie it, and he has to force giving up somthing good so she can live happy, even though he doesnt want to.
"theres a point we pass from which we cant return"
If this continues it will only get worse for the girl.
all because of you, i believe in angels, no not the kind with wings, no not the kind with halos. the kind that bring you home when home becomes a strange place, i thought of your voice, all you have to do is shout it out"
he now believes that angels are telloing him that this is the right choice, because they are telling him basically to bring her home, because this home is a strange place to her. now hes thinking about if she wants to go home, because all she has to do is shout it out.
"inside these hands these peddles browned, dried up fallen to the ground, but it was already to late now"
He now KNOWS that she doesnt want to stay when she shouts it out that she cant. he now completely sees her pain and he nees to let her go NOW if she can live happy because its too late. theres no more time. she nees to go now.
"returned this flower to the dirt, so it could live i walked away now"
he set her free
"but i know. so i tell myself its wrong"
hes thinking about if it was the right desicion
"theres a point we pas from wich we cant return. i felt the cold rain of the comming storm"
he sees that if he didnt let her go, the storm would come.
I have to go, so i cant tell the rest of my interpretation, but thats a good 3/4 of it -
I think everybody is entitled to their own interpretation of the song, and I'm not saying that the other interpretations are wrong, but I personally believe this song is about the environment, and how we have wronged nature. Along the lines of "Ready to Fall" really, just about the environment.
"In fields where nothing grew but weeds,
I found a flower at my feet,
Bending there in my direction,
I wrapped a hand around its stem,
I pulled until the roots gave in,
Finding there what I’ve been missing,
But I know…
So I tell myself, I tell myself it’s wrong."
Man found something unique, something he could rely upon for his survival, nature's bounty, and he used it - Infact he exploited it to a large extent ("Pulled until the roots gave in"). He knows he has wronged nature, and he will have to pay for his greed, and hence "So I tell myself, I tell myself it's wrong"
"There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.
All because of you,
I haven’t slept in so long.
When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
Longing for the shore where I can lay my head down,
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out."
Man realizes that he WILL someday have to pay for his greed, and he knows the time isn't too far away ("There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return. I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.")
The CHORUS: This, I believe, is man's guilt. He has not been able to "sleep", that is, be at peace for a long time due to his scarred conscience. And whenever he is able to "sleep" (metaphorically of course) he is even then laden with guilt of his own wrongdoings. Not only guilt, this can be referring to the actual realization of man, after he had to pay for his damage to the environment. He longs for happiness again, where he can be at peace (the "shore").
He knows he has made a mistake and is ready to correct his ways, and begs for forgiveness, some sort of a Nature's Call.
And hence, the shout it out part.
"Inside my hands these petals browned,
Dried up, fallen to the ground
But it was already too late now.
I pushed my fingers through the earth,
Returned this flower to the dirt,
So it could live.
I walked away now.
But I know…
Not a day goes by that I don’t feel it’s burn."
Now after man has wronged nature, he searches for redemption, but it was too late. He tends to nature again, tries to save it, but the damage had been done. However he still feels the guilt for what he has done, and pays for it day after day.
"All because of you,
I haven’t slept...
...Inside these arms of yours."
Man begs for forgiveness, and for a second chance, and wants to be in the safe and secure arms of mother nature again.
"All because of you,
I believe in angels.
Not the kind with wings,
No, not the kind with halos,
The kind that bring you home,
When home becomes a strange place.
I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out."
After wronging nature, the way mankind did, he says he believes in "angels", not the literal angels with wings and halos, but angels that "bring you home, when home becomes a strange place"
This, actually, is referring to man's metaphorical HOPE.
Hope for redemption, hope to go back to the good old days, if only he had realized earlier. Angels that will bring him "home", home being the time in history when man lived with nature in complete harmony, bereft of exploitation. But that home is now a strange place, as man himself has brought this upon himself and due to over exploitation has ruined his Haven, his Home, and it is now, a strange place to him. He again begs for forgiveness, and has hope for a better future.
And thats what I think the song is about, first time I heard it, thats the view I got, and well, I guess you can say the music video fits too - A little girl (mankind) playing around finds a beautiful flower and in her greed rips it of its beauty and regrets it later etc etc.
By the way, "man" "he" all of them mean mankind as a whole - the human civilization.
Thanks, Jay. -
What, isn't tim and erin together anymore?
-
What i believe the last section is trying to say where
"All because of you i believe in angels, not the kind with wings no not the kind with halos the kind that bring you home when home becomes a strange place"
I think he is trying to say is because of her being in his life he has new hope in people, that not all people are as bad as they believe, but that's just my opinion -
I think Tim McIllrath (lead singer of Rise Against and writer of this song) is talking about how we as humans need to change our ways, or we will ruin the world we live in.
-------------------------------------------
"I wrapped a hand around its stem,
I pulled until the roots gave in,
Finding there what I’ve been missing,
But I know…
So I tell myself, I tell myself it’s wrong.
There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
I felt the cold rain of the coming storm"
-------------------------------------------
This part from the first verse of the song
is a metaphor meaning that we as humans are polluting and slowly destroying our world-"There's a point we pass from which we can't return." which relates to many issues in the world right now such as pollution, war and other environmental issues. -
It's about a guy who is madly in love with a girl. She's a flower in the weeds.He then does something terrible, I'm guessing he cheated on her, but I dunno. Whatever it is, it's the point he passed from which he can't return. He then knew that she would break up with him for it, feeling the cold rain of the coming storm, so he did it first because staying with her was causing her to be sad, her petals to brown. So he broke up with her, put her back in the dirt.
From here on I'm unsure but this is my thought.
He feels afraid of staying this terrible person that drove her away, drowning in the ocean. This motivates him to change for the better to maybe get her back, to reach the shore where he can rest his head. This eventually is successful and he becomes a better person, he returns home, because home, being a better person, was strange earlier. He now anxiously awaits her voice so they can get back together because he still loves her. She is the angel, she has no wings or a halo, but she's an angel.
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