Breathe deep and easy, swallow this pride.
Stare at my shaking hands though bone dry, blood shot eyes.
Clock strip the hours, I count the miles.
Will you be there waiting, awake until sunrise.

I have traveled in darkness, for what seems like days,
I crawl from these sinkholes collapsed under this weight
I know not your sorrow, but I know mine,
So say you'll stay and dance with me tonight.

In the glow of twilight, our world is finally calm.
I felt it complete me, when the stars give way to dawn.
A language universal, but I speak not his tongue.
Is this a night that spans forever, or a dawn that never comes.

I have traveled in darkness, for what seems like days,
I, come from the same house, collapsed under this wing.
I know not your sorrow, but I know mine,
So say you'll stay and dance with me tonight.

Tomorrow we might wake in servitude and service?
I will give you everything if you would only have me!
Tomorrow we will sweat and toil,
Our hands will quiver caked with soil,
Tomorrow we'll give it one last chance,
But tonight we dance,
But tonight we dance!

And for this, I travel in darkness, for what seems like days,
I, come from the same house, collapsed under this wing.
I know not your sorrow, but I know mine,
Just say you'll stay and dance with me tonight.



Lyrics submitted by 1000goodintentions

Track duration: 02:48

"But Tonight We Dance" as written by Joseph Principe, Timothy Mcilrath, Brandon Barnes, Christopher Chasse

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


But Tonight We Dance song meanings
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21 Comments

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  • 0
    My Interpretation:"A language universal,
    But I speak not its tongue."

    This part reminds me of a book called The Alchemist. A large plot device of the book was about the main character using the universal language of the world to communicate with everything around him. Tim could have read it, him being an English major and all. Not sure if the book has any other effect on the meaning of the rest of the song though, I just the lyric might have had something to do with the book.
    Flag LoganRon September 14, 2010   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:So, then. What's it about, you pretentious little prick? Anarchy only exists when it's a concept, not an agenda. Regardless, it's a great song. You shun the conversation when you join it. Yet, you offer NOTHING to the topic. Please elaborate, and let us all know what your take is.
    Flag Scottboy79on March 28, 2010   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:jesus...fucking...christ! this song doesnt have to be about a girl. people always want to assume RA songs are...... incredible by the way:) Tomorrow we'll give it one last chance but tonight we dance, but tonight we dance
    Flag MommysLittleAnarchiston March 22, 2010   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Rise against is amazing.(L

    "I know not your sorrow,
    But I know mine.
    So say you'll stay
    And dance with me tonight."

    They blow my mind with every song xD
    Flag ElectiveAmnesiaon December 30, 2009   Link
  • +3
    Song Meaning:The meaning of this song is not just carpe diem, it is much more angelic than that.

    Throughout the whole song he is talking about the work he goes through he is describing the pain and anguish he goes trough, "but tonight we dance". So yes it would seem like a seize the moment type song until the very end.

    "And for this I will travel in darkness
    For what seems like days.
    I crawled from the sinkholes,
    Collapsed under this weight.
    I know not your sorrow,
    But I know mine.
    So say you'll stay
    And dance with me tonight."

    He is describing his own personal anguish and just wants to dance, "and for this i travel in darkness" "and for this... i crawled from the sinkholes", "and for this... i collapsed under this weight" so for this one thing, this one dance just tonight he is willing to go through this hell of his. At the end he is pleading with this person to "say you'll stay And dance with me tonight."

    I think this is about finding that one thing that makes your own personal troubles worth living, your one "dance."
    Flag sharpcasperon September 06, 2009   Link
  • -1
    General Comment:yep...
    carpe diem definatley....
    just enjoy the time you have....

    i heard this one night and then wrote the name down,
    didnt find it again till one of my friends gave it to me....
    its soooo great.....

    good ol' rise against....
    theyr just sooooo fucking amazing
    Flag ilovehoratioon October 18, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:well this song like people have already said is about enjoying the moments you have with the person you love cuz you never kno what mite happen tomorrow
    Flag couldntcareless07on July 17, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think this song is about a soldier fighting a war overseas and is on his last day of his visit home and is spending it with his wife/girlfriend. the first verse is where he's on the plane going home. he's staring at his hands that are shaking from everything he's been through, his eyes are bloodshot because he can't sleep much on the battlefield, and he's worried that his girlfriend didn't wait for him and ran off with someone else, so he's asking himnself if she'll be there waiting for him.
    chorus: he travelled in etaphoric darkness, probably meaning the battlefield for what seemed like forever and felt began to collapse under the pressure of constant war. he doesn't know what's been going on with his girlfriend overseas, but he knows what he's been through himself.
    2nd verse: he's telling her stories of the war, how he felt at ease when day broke, maybe he got off and was aloud to rest at his own base. the language universal is war because everyone fights, but he forgets how to speak it because he's with her. and then he asks her to stay with him until he has to leave for war again.
    3rd verse: he's talking about how they might wake up the next day and have lost the war, and he would do everything to prevent that from happening to her. then he says that he and his countries army will work hard, and get dirty for the people who live in the country.
    Flag refugees_prayeron July 02, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:forget everything tonight is all that matters now
    what i say all of you should use daily as a guidlijne to your life..its the meaing of the song in my opinion too lol
    Flag xpunkxilykatiexon May 10, 2008   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:This song is an inspiration for me, the biting lyrics and energetic riffs just kinda wakes me up. Not to mention the guitar solo, if you can call it that. Totally gives me the chills ^^
    Flag bubbson August 11, 2007   Link

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