Rules Of Play – English Lyrics

• By: Rise Against
• Album: NOWHERE GENERATION

Lyrics & Translation

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
pain /peɪn/ A2	noun - physical or emotional suffering or discomfort
rules /ruːlz/ A2	noun - regulations or principles governing conduct or procedure, especially in a game or activity
mistakes /mɪˈsteɪks/ A2	noun - an action or judgment that is misguided or wrong
game /ɡeɪm/ A1	noun - an activity providing entertainment or amusement; a competitive activity or sport
lies /laɪz/ A2	noun - false statements made with intent to deceive
disguises /dɪsˈɡaɪzɪz/ B2	noun - means of concealing one's true identity or nature
fake /feɪk/ B1	adjective - not genuine; bogus noun - a thing that is not genuine; a forgery or impostor
traffic /ˈtræfɪk/ B1	noun - the movement of vehicles, ships, persons, etc., in an area or along a route
tide /taɪd/ B1	noun - the alternate rising and falling of the sea, usually twice in each lunar day at a particular place, due to the attraction of the moon and sun; a powerful surge of feeling or trend
war /wɔːr/ A2	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or different groups within a country
clear /klɪər/ B1	verb - to free from accusation or suspicion; to prove innocence
free /friː/ A2	verb - to release from captivity, restraint, or burden
bend /bend/ B1	verb - to force or be forced into a curve or angle; to adapt or submit to pressure
break /breɪk/ A1	verb - to separate into pieces as a result of a blow, shock, or strain verb - to fail to observe (a law, rule, or agreement)
fight /faɪt/ A2	verb - to take part in a violent struggle involving physical force; to contend with (an opponent or difficulty) in order to overcome them
save /seɪv/ A2	verb - to keep safe or rescue (someone or something) from harm, injury, or destruction
helpless /ˈhelpləs/ B2	adjective - unable to defend oneself or to act without help
lost /lɒst/ A2	adjective - unable to find one's way; no longer knowing one's position or direction

Key Grammar Structures

• Now, sister, I have come to clear my name

  ➔ Present Perfect with Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ The "have come" indicates an action completed up to the present with a current relevance. The "to clear" is an infinitive used to express the purpose of coming.

• Is there something to free me from this pain?

  ➔ "Is there" with Infinitive of Purpose

  ➔ "Is there" is used to ask about the existence of something. The "to free" is an infinitive of purpose, indicating what the "something" is for.

• Oh, what did I do now?

  ➔ Past Simple (Interrogative)

  ➔ "did" is the auxiliary verb for the Past Simple tense, used here to form a question about an action completed in the past.

• Following so many rules

  ➔ Participle Clause (Present Participle)

  ➔ "Following" is a present participle used to introduce an adverbial phrase that describes the circumstances or cause of the main action (implied: "I am/was following rules and making mistakes").

• It keeps getting away from me

  ➔ Verb Pattern: "keep" + Gerund

  ➔ The verb "keeps" is followed by the "-ing" form of another verb ("getting") to express an action that continues or repeats persistently.

• Because this life is a game I don't know how to play

  ➔ Relative Clause (omitted pronoun) and "how to" + Infinitive

  ➔ An implied relative pronoun (like "that" or "which") connects "game" to "I don't know how to play." "how to play" is a common structure to talk about the method or skill for doing something.

• I can't tell what's fake

  ➔ Verb + Noun Clause (Indirect Question)

  ➔ The verb "tell" is followed by a noun clause introduced by an interrogative pronoun ("what"), functioning as the object of the verb. It's an indirect question.

• Like stepping into traffic

  ➔ Preposition + Gerund

  ➔ The preposition "Like" is followed by the "-ing" form of a verb ("stepping"), which functions as a noun (gerund) to describe an action similar to the previous statement.

• I'd save your life if you'd save mine

  ➔ Second Conditional (Type 2)

  ➔ This is a conditional sentence expressing a hypothetical situation in the present or future and its probable result. "I'd" is a contraction of "I would" and "you'd" is "you would."

• Under my breath, I've said your name a thousand times

  ➔ Present Perfect (Repeated Action/Experience)

  ➔ The "have said" (contracted to "I've said") indicates an action that has happened repeatedly up to the present moment, often with "a thousand times" emphasizing frequency.