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...
-
Well, the way I see this song, and yes, I'm going to borrow a bit because this was actually what I was planning on saying beforehand. This song to me is talking about a relationship. I think its sort of a story more then a set song. As he goes on the lyrics change in meaning.
"In fields where nothing grew but weeds, I found a flower at my feet" -He found a very special girl in a sea of fake ones.
"I wrapped a hand around its stem
and pulled until the roots gave in,
finding there what I've been missing" -He kept trying and trying until he was finally able to be with the girl and saw all the great things that he'd never felt before.
"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" -Here he is talking about him getting in to deep, but not wanting to let go of her, because he loves her so much. So he's having trouble trying to clear his mind.
"I'll follow your voice;
all you have to do is
shout it out!" -He's saying he needs some sort of sign or definitive answer for the choice he has to make.
"Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling 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" -Whats happening now is he's realizing that the relationship is having an effect on him, which in turn is making him hurt her, the one he loves, so he is forced to leave her, for her own good.
"Not a day goes by when 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..." -At this point he's saying that he misses her every day, and wishes that he could make it better, but its already over.
"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!" -Second chorus, he is saying that he can't sleep because he misses her, and every time he does, all he dreams about is her, and he just wants to be over her, but he can't. And he still wants some sort of guidance or answer.
The next chorus basically says the same thing, just he's getting incredibly upset over not having her, perhaps even suicidal.
"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!" -At this point he realizes that she was the best for him, and somehow fate had brought them back together, because her life wasn't working out, she tried to find him, and he gladly took her back, because he finally got that answer he'd been searching for. -
just because theyre a political band doesnt automatically lable every song they write as a political song,
they can write about a past relationship if he wants he has before a little song known as everchanging
But i agree with the person who got the top rated interpertation, it makes sense. its about a girl he loves that he lost for whatever reason, and now he wants her back because hes the angel that brings him back to the place or who he is and who she loved -
By wa4urneck
this is what I think, it may be true, may not, but it cannot be wrong
so.. I think it is about a young girl..by young I mean really young like 15 years I don't know.
"In fields where nothing grew but weeds,
I found a flower at my feet" - in a field where everyone is already like old, I mean not so young anymore , he finds a young, beautifull girs that he falls in love with.
"Bending there in my direction,
I wrapped a hand around its stem,
I pulled until the roots gave in,
Finding there what I’d been missing," - he started kinda "flirting with her" and understood that she was the think that he needed the most.
"But I know…
So I tell myself, I tell myself it’s wrong." - it is wrong to fall in love with younger ones ( I know it sounds pretty odd and gross but that's what I think about the song)
"There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return" - when you are getting older you cannot return to being younger
"I felt the cold rain of the coming storm" - he understood that this was going to make odd emotions and comments when other poeple understood and that this was going to be a hard relationsip
"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",
- well, this is kinda simple, he confesses his love..
"I’ll follow your voice,
All you have to do is shout it out." - although it is wrong, if she really loves him and calls for him he would come
"Inside my hands these petals browned,
Dried up, fallen to the ground
But it was already too late now" - when he was with her he was ruining her live.. what I meant is that he was disturbing her way of live and standing in the way of her having a fulfilled life.
"I pushed my fingers through the earth,
Returned this flower to the dirt,
So it could live. I walked away now" - therefore, he decides to leave her live her life peacefully so that she doesn't miss parts of her teenage??/younger life
"Not a day goes by that I don’t feel this burn." - obvious.. He feels bad that he has left her..
"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." - she is the angel, because she doesn't have wings, or a halo, but she is still an a pure creature like an angel to him. Moreover, the home is a strange place, because his wife/family/etc become strange because, lets take his wife-she becomes old and with the years he probably doesn't love her so much, therefore the home is "strange". So, because he had seen that "angel" and fell in love with her and understood that this is really wrong, she makes him return home. -
Just like every rise against song, there r 2 meanings(that I c, there may b more tho). I'm only going 2 comment on 1 meaning tho, which is the obvious 1, where th flower represents a near perfect girl who falls 4 him "I found a flower at my feet, bending there in my direction" the weeds may represent bad ppl, 4 example she may have lived in slums."I wrapped a hand around its stem and pulled until the roots gave in, finding there what I've been missing" this prbly means that she may have needed persuasion, but she completed him. The coming storm definitely means that he new something bad was on its way. also, the reason that the chorus comes b4 him actually letting her go it implys tht he begins to regret choosing her because he knows he's ruining her.
"Inside my hands these petals browned;
dried up falling to the ground,
but it was already too late now" is the most obvious quote. as most people already realized, he ruins he nd it was2late2save her. Her petals browned. when he returned her 2 the dirt
so she cud live he walks away. "Not a day goes by when I don't feel this burn" may not mean he regrets it, I think it means he wishes they cud still b 2gether, but, deep down, he knows they cant. He doesn't regret what he did, he simply longs4her.
after he releases her, the chorus has a completly different meaning. The first time, it meant that he was scared and knew that he wud hav2release her. but now, it is a message of agony. He is depressed nd lonely w/o her, but he knows it was 4 the best.
the third chorus, he doesn't want to lay his hed down on the shore, but inside her arms. "inside these arms of yours" is the first time he refers to her as a human (arms)or directley to her(yours)(besides "all because of you"). The chouruses are the only parts that are directed at her and, most likely, the only part she hears.
the final chorus (even though the words r different, I still consider it a chorus because, musically, it is) he drastically changes the words. "All because of you I believe in angels. Not the kind with wings, no, not the kind with halos" THIS IS NOT A RELIGION REFERENCE. I can't recall any religion reference in a rise against song. also, there arent any wings or halos, these r what make angels any different from you or me in religion. when he calls her an angel, he is calling her perfect. "the kind that bring you home when home becomes a strange place." I'm not sure if this is good or bad and seeing as the good meaning and the bad meaning r polar opposites, I've decided not 2 comment and let you decifer it 4 urself.
the final line is repeated several times throughout the song "I'll follow your voice; all you have to do is shout it out!" this line has 2 meanings 2 it. The 1st one means that if she asks, he'll come back 2 her in a love type thing. I dnt think tht this is the right 1 because the entire song is about seperation 2 improve her life. It would completely contradict the rest of the song. I think that it means that he still longs 4 her, but if she asked, he would come back as a friend.
sry about the IM codes, it's a habit. This is also on sing365.com so don't think I copied it, I submitted it there too. -
That whole part with the angels and stuff....
Its a metaphor saying that she is basically perfect and whenever he is with her he is home... Sooooo yeah -
"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."
To me this part says that the girl was too good with him sometime that she was like an angel, and that angels not necesary have to be as people say they are, he refers to the kindness or amability that she showed him. -
The part about angels the: "all because of you I believe in angels... That part, it mean someone saved him form suicide after he gave her up and the: "when home becomes a strange place..." that has do do with not being able to live with himself after leaving her.
-
I agree that every song is up to the interpretation to the individual which is why Rise Against is so powerful, because their lyrics touch everyone differently.
I will admit that I didn't really see the relationship part of the song but at parts it does fit.
My feeling is this is a political song written from "soldiers" point of view. Say what you will but being a part of the Navy and having friends over in the shit, that's the message I got.
The first verse I saw as being that he had been a place of hell and saw this one flower (good) and realized that he'd been away from that element for too long.
He realizes that by pulling it he's removed the only one good thing from this field and it reminds him of the bad that he has done.
The chorus I believe is a metaphor for being at war. Not been able to sleep, and only having nightmares is a common trait among soliders on the front lines. "Long for the shore where I can lay my head down" = I just want to rest/ be safe. "I'll follow your voice all you have to do is shout it out." = I must push on.
The next verse about returning the flower to the earth symbolizes that he sees by pulling this one beautiful thing from this field he's being selfish and taking the beauty from the earth.
The next verse is why I feel it's a political statement from a soliders point of view. Because it talks about feeling the burn every day and "There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return", meaning that the destruction that's happened can not be fixed and whatever it is that he's done will always be there to haunt him.
The last verse of "I believe in angels" really drives in the message that I got, because the "angels" are not these mythical or religious creatures that are there to protect him, but more mere humans who have come and rescued him from this hell. A perfect example of this is in Tim O' Brien's "The Things they carried" the soldiers when they weren't having nightmares dreamed of "silver birds" that flew them out of vietnam, much the way the "angels" brought this speaker home when home had been forgotten.
Take my view of this song as you will, and remember that no one is right and no one is wrong with their interpretations, because the artist (Rise Against) wrote it so that there isn't just one right answer to this. -
Base on my experience this is what the song means to me.
>In fields where nothing grew but weeds,
>I found a flower at my feet,
After being around many women he finds a girl he likes
>Bending there in my direction,
She is near him, around him or open towards him.
> I wrapped a hand around its stem,
> I pulled until the roots gave in,
> Finding now what I’ve been missing,
He meets her, takes her and enjoys her.
> But I know…
> So I tell myself, I tell myself it’s wrong.
Realizing he has done something wrong (unintentionally)
> There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
he can't undo what he did, it has happened.
> I felt the cold rain of the coming storm.
He feels terrible. Bad things are happening.
> All because of you,
> I haven’t slept in so long.
He is sorry.
> When I do I dream of drowning in the ocean,
> Longing for the shore where I can let my head down,
dealing with his sorrow. He wants forgiveness, he wants to recover from his sorrow.
> I’ll follow your voice,
> All you have to do is shout it out.
(I am not sure of this part)
He wants to go back to her? He wants to listen and do what he can to make it better? all she has to do is allow him?
> Inside my hands these petals browned,
> Dried up, fallen to the ground
> But it was already too late now.
He sees the damage he has done. The effect it had on her. Its to late to undo it the fault has been done.
> I pushed my fingers through the earth,
> Returned this flower to the dirt,
He does tries to put her back to her previous state.
> So it can live.
> I walked away now.
Takes time away from her so he will not do more damage.
> But I know…
> Not a day goes by that I don’t feel it’s burn.
Every day he feels the sorrow
> There’s a point we pass from which we can’t return.
He knows he can't undo 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 let my head down,
(interpretation above)
> Inside these arms of yours.
He wants her to forgive him, to be back on her good side?
> 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,
He believes in love.
> When home becomes a strange place.
> I’ll follow your voice,
> All you have to do is shout it out.
No matter where he is, he will go to be with her who he enjoys (could be like a best friend?). All she has to do is allow him. -
First off to anyone who says Rise Against isn't Emo is right but that doesn't mean that the lyrics can't mean that to someone else I Mean we all Interpret things our own way, based on what we've gone through.
Heres mine:
"In the fields were nothing grew but weeds I found a flower at my feet bending there in my direction"
- I believe it's about finding someone to Love inall the Hate and Indifference, and said person is waiting with open arms.
"I wrapped a hand around its stem and pulled until the roots gave in finding now what I've been missing."
- I believe this part is about grabbing that Love and holding on tight and taking it for yourself and finding what you've been missing.
"But I know So I tell myself tell my self its wrong Theres a point we pass from which we can't return I felt the cold rain of the coming storm. All because of you I havnt slept in so long when I do I dream of drowning in the ocean where I can let my head down all you have to do is shout it out."
-I believe this part is about telling yourself that your not falling in Love when you are and then you go to the point where things can't turn around where if you lose it you can't live without it, and eventually you feel the problems that are going to come and then its over, but your still in Love and it hurts to dream about the person and it drowns you and all you want is to be with them again so you wait for them to take you back because they left you and you would go back to them on a whim. And I'll post the rest later. -
Why do people always take the literal she/woman in lyrics and automatically assume that it is a female love eros? I think in literature woman has always been referenced to many things such as the earth, boats, cars, babylon, wisdom, pagan gods, Rome, who knows...haha
-
This song is vague enough to fit in a lot of places, but the lesson is true. It takes into account deep truths that apply not only to our relationships but also to the world politics, whatever.
Something that is beautiful, that you want, you take it thereby destroying it. the song is about sacrificing something of yourself for something that is good. -
Jdennis has the best interpretation, he says it exactly how it is.
Actually, my best friend sent me this song to me to show how much he loved me. It's obviously about love... what political evidence do you all have besides rise against is a "political band"... I read through the messages... I personally haven't heard any other song besides this one but I can understand how love plays a role... There's nothing political about this song... -
This interpretation has been marked as poor. view anyway
-
"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."
There was some confusion in this interpretation, I believe that it means that he is not really at home unless he is with her, and no matter where he is, as long as he is with her, he is at home, and that her voice with bring her to a comforting place.
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