The Good Left Undone by Rise Against, Essay Example

The Good Left Undone is a song about how it rains on the just as well as the unjust. It’s a song that emphasizes the hopelessness that comes from doing the right things and receiving none of the rewards. It’s relatable because at some point in life everyone has been in that situation. Many of the songs by Rise Against speak about the struggle that comes from being a good-natured person in a world that rewards evil.

Lyrics

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’d been missing,
This verse speaks about finding oneself. Amidst all of the chaos, there is hidden beauty. That one flower symbolizes the beauty and meaning of life.
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 verse is speaking about denial or a conflict between heart and mind. He understands the problem of waiting too long or being indecisive which is what he means when he mentions that a storm is coming.
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.
This verse is the chorus. He expresses the feeling of being ignored and chasing someone who is out of reach. He longs for peace but that sense of peace seems illusive.
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.
The second verse continues to tell the narrative of what happened to him after he picked up the flower. It’s a sad realization that even something beautiful cannot last forever. He wants desperately for the beauty to live on.
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.
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.
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 lay my head down,
Inside these arms of yours.
In this version of the chorus, he expresses his need for the person he is chasing. His longing for peace and acknowledgement from that person is expressed in the last two stanzas. The shore is a metaphor for somewhere that feels like home and he can only feel at home with that one person.
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.     

This last verse suggests that he has a sense of longing. He wants to feel as though he is home but everywhere he goes, he feels like an outcast. He wants to feel needed and wanted by the person he is chasing.

Music is important because it allows us to explore how we feel in many different ways. For example, there are several love songs but they all express love differently. They each give us a new perspective on certain thoughts and feelings. The singer has a way of transporting the listener to a new realm, one where one is free to explore their feelings.