Rise Against – Ready To Fall

• 0
  General Comment:I like the acoustic version from the AOL sessions the best. The prechorus/chorus is sung with such a muted resignation, it's chillingly beautiful.

  Flag Tig45on April 17, 2013   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:The chorus of this song is actually one of my favorite things about these guys. I like a good amount of punk rock, but most of it is older... Rise Against is the only real 21st century modern rock band I like, and they are completely different from anything else I listen to. Anyway yeah, the chorus... this song has such a contrasting dynamic... the verses, chorus, and prechorus are all so different, they could be different songs. Love their ability to put together a song like that.

  Flag Tig45on June 05, 2012   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  Song Meaning:RC: "Ready To Fall" is an interesting song. What's it about?
  
  TM: It's about getting to the top and having nowhere to go but down. It's about the price you pay to follow your dreams.
  
  punkmusic.about.com/od/interviews/a/…

  Flag Deguon October 30, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  Song Meaning:firstly i know with a lot of bands they let the song speak for itself and use the videos as another message entirely so i think that explains why the lyrics have nothing to do with animal cruelty. as for the meaning. i think the song describes the issues of daring to dream and reach the heights you dream of or whatever it is you hope for and seek but also that with gaining those heights, dreams, hopes etc comes responsibility and those who abuse or have abused it are a step away from oblivion, so basically dare to dream but be careful what you do when you get those dreams realised.

  Flag resist360on October 18, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Opinion:In my opinion this song is about the environmental situation.
  
  Hold on - slow down again from the top now and tell me everything
  I know I've been gone for what seems like forever
  But I'm here now waiting
  To convince you that I'm not a ghost or a stranger
  But closer than you think
  
  - first he's getting an overview of the situation
  then he says, that he hasn't been acting for a long time, but now wants to show that he's not average, but someone who goes into action
  
  She said "just go on to what you
  Pretend is your life but
  Please don't die on me"
  
  - here I agree with some others: I think that "she" is mother nature and says, that no one actually cares about her
  
  - now this next part is interesting. probably the most important message of the song.
  
  Wings wont take me
  Heights don't phase me - he won't change his mind
  So take a step
  But don't look down take a step - he's calling for us to start acting, even if theres something holding us back
  
  
  Now I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
  I'm think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
  I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
  
  - i think he uses "I" for our population.
  we're right at the tipping point, really close to downfall of society.
  
  Perpetual motion the image wont focus
  A blur is all that's seen
  But here in this moment like the eye of a storm
  It all came clear to me
  
  - probably referring to never-ending, always-the-same kind of work as it is so widely known on our planet. and seeing no clear result.
  and then comes a point he realises that he needs to change. kinda act of rebellion :)
  
  I found a shoulder to lean on
  An infallible reason to live all by itself
  I took one last look from
  The heights that I once loved
  And then I ran like hell
  
  - that one's hard to point out... I'd say he found a strong reason to do something. and then after one last glance at his old, convenient life, he started to take action.
  
  I count the times that I've been sorry
  (I know, I know)
  While my compassion slowly drowns
  (I know, I know)
  If there's a time these walls could guard you
  (I know, I know)
  Then let that time be right now
  
  - again I'd say "I" is used for population.
  we always say we're sorry. we say it so many times, but we don't change things.
  and our compassion with mother nature starts to shrink.
  and then he asks for change, to start realising what we're doing to our planet.

  Flag Gimzoon June 29, 2011   Link

  • 1 Reply Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
    0

    OMG... the environment? AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Now I KNOW you didn't say it's about the freakin' envirnoment!!! Not every song is about environmental issues; capitalism; religion; government; wars; or sex!!! The vast majority are written about the most popular topic known to mankind....LOVE. You and your verbose cousin below wrote entire books on this song yet neither of you know what you're talking about :D

    Flag FatBottomedGurlon October 30, 2011  
• 0
  My Interpretation: I know this isnt the intended meaning of the lyrics, but I know that almost every song out there that is beautiful, it holds many different meanings for every one that hears it and this is mine. Everytime I hear this, especially the accoustic version, I think of the experience of a Soldier coming home for R&R in the middle of their deployment. my resoning is in the ( ) after the lyric. As if I have to defend the way I hear a song's meaning....
  
  
  Hold on - slow down again from the top now and tell me everything
  I know I've been gone for what seems like forever
  But I'm here now waiting ( I have been away for at least 6 months and you want nothing more than to tell me everything I had to miss while I have been gone.)
  To convince you that I'm not a ghost or a stranger
  But closer than you think. (Through that time I have been gone, I've been away, but I never left you)
  She said �just go on to what you
  Pretend is your life but ( I know you have to go back. I dont understand your reasoning, and I don't have to. If you look at those Soldiers as part of your life, your "family"...I dont understand it, but I wont dispute it)
  Please don't die on me�
  
  But these Wings wont take me
  Heights don't phase me
  So take a step
  But don't look down take a step (MLK once said that he didn't need to know the whole path, he just had to have faith in his next step. This is paraphrasing at best, but the leap of faith that a Soldier and their family at home have to make on a day to day badsis is very real. A soldier just has to have faith that what they are doing is right and their family just has to have faith that their loved one is doing right and will come home soon.)
  
  Now I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall
  I'm think I'm at the edge now but I could be wrong
  I'm standing on the rooftop ready to fall (This is that leap of faith)
  
  Perpetual motion the image wont focus (It's so hard to find a focus in combat)
  A blur is all that's seen
  But here in this moment like the eye of a storm
  It all came clear to me
  I found a shoulder to lean on (wife...family..loved one)
  An infallible reason to live all by itself ( I have to survive if for no other reason than to come back home to you)
  I took one last look from
  The heights that I once loved
  And then I ran like hell ( A former "Pro war" guy who realized the diiference between what his idealogies told him was right compared to what he now realizes is the truth)
  
  I count the times that I've been sorry
  (I know, I know)
  While my compassion slowly drowns
  (I know, I know)
  If there's a time these walls could guard you ( Most families of deployed Active Duty Soldiers, live on base. The walls of the base gaurd the families from so much of the outside...even news of what their loved ones are going through)
  (I know, I know)
  Then let that time be right now
  
  
  I know this is not the Band's intent of the song, but as a Soldier who had to make so many explanations to his family...this is and always will be the meaning it has for me.

  Flag damnitface77on March 19, 2011   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Interpretation:You know what I see in this? Not based off the video, at all. As in, I'm not thinking of the video when I interpret this, but instead look at the lyrics as poetry.
  
  It starts off (Hold on - slow down) with someone contemplating suicide, and a friend begging them not to. The next verse (Wings won't take me) would be the one who wants to commit suicide saying "You can stop me, I'm going to do this." The chorus (Standing on the rooftop) is describing the over-coming need for him to kill himself, convincing himself that its what he wants to do. The next verse though (Perpetual motion), is him realizing that its not the right option, that it's a stupid move, and that he shouldn't do it, and he doesn't.

  Flag Drasheron November 15, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  My Interpretation:I think this song has the same meaning as the video.
  
  Hold on, slow down, again from the top, now, and tell me everything - Not believing what he's hearing
  
  I know I've been gone for what seems like forever, but I'm here now, waiting - Humanity finally seeing what they're doing, maybe?
  
  To convince you that I'm not a ghost or a stranger, but closer than you think - I think this line is basically saying we're animals, too
  
  She said just go on, do what you pretend is your life - Humanity destroying the world
  
  But please don't die on me! - We're all in this world together, so might as well help each other
  
  Wings won't take me! Heights don't phase me! So take a step! But don't look down, take a step! - Taking action?
  
  Now I'm standing on the rooftop, ready to fall! I think I'm at the edge now, but I could be wrong! Now I'm standing on the rooftop, ready to fall! - I think this line is about how animals were quite fine until humans came, and they were sort of knocked aside
  
  Perpetual motion - Treating animals as slaves
  
  The image won't focus, a blur is all that's seen - Trying to get proof of animals being treated badly
  
  But here in this moment, like the eye of the storm, it all came clear to me - Finally realizing the damage we've done
  
  I found a shoulder to lean on, an infallible reason to live all by itself - Animals needing help and animals trying to get away from humans
  
  I took one last look from the heights that I once loved, and then I ran like hell! - Humanity arrives
  
  chorus
  
  I count the times that I've been sorry - Feeling sorry for animals that have been killed, abused, etc.
  
  (I know, I know) - Knowing what's actually going on
  
  While my compassion slowly drowns - Others trying to convince him that it's alright
  
  If there's a time these walls could guard you, then let that time be right now - Maybe defending animals?
  
  Repeated lines

  Flag d3bateson August 20, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:At firt I thought this was about a relationship, but then i saw the video on Fuse. I think that it was abotu something different at first then was changed for the video. if im wrong sorry.
  
  Really great song though. Love Rise Against, one of my fav. bands.

  Flag UnDevelopedStOryon March 03, 2010   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.
• 0
  General Comment:As the quote says in the music video, "Every action has a reaction. We've got one planet, one chance."

  Flag Gardengnomeson November 09, 2009   Link

  • No Replies Log in to reply
    
      There was an error.

Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.

Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!