This Is War – English Lyrics

• By: Thirty Seconds To Mars

Lyrics & Translation

The song "This Is War" by Thirty Seconds To Mars is not just a powerful rock anthem, but a vivid narrative steeped in themes of conflict, survival, and the human spirit's resilience. Exploring its lyrics and context offers a deep dive into English expressions related to struggle, defiance, and hope, making it a compelling piece for language learners seeking to grasp emotionally charged vocabulary and understanding how personal adversity can fuel powerful artistic statements.

[English]

A warning to the people

The good and the evil

This is war

To the soldier, the civilian

The martyr, the victim

This is war

It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie

The moment to live and the moment to die

The moment to fight, the moment to fight

To fight, to fight, to fight

To the right, to the left

We will fight to the death

To the edge of the earth

It's a brave new world

From the last to the first

To the right, to the left

We will fight to the death

To the edge of the earth

It's a brave new world

It's a brave new world

...

A warning to the prophet

The liar, the honest

This is war

To the leader, the pariah

The victor, the messiah

This is war

It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie

The moment to live and the moment to die

The moment to fight, the moment to fight

To fight, to fight, to fight

To the right, to the left

We will fight to the death

To the edge of the earth

It's a brave new world

From the last to the first

To the right, to the left

We will fight to the death

To the edge of the earth

It's a brave new world

It's a brave new world

It's a brave new world

...

I do believe in the light

Raise your hands into the sky

The fight is done, the war is won

Lift your hands toward the sun

Toward the sun (It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie)

Toward the sun (It's the moment of truth and the moment to lie)

Toward the sun (It's the moment to fight, the moment to fight)

The war is won

...

To the right, to the left

We will fight to the death

To the edge of the earth

It's a brave new world

From the last to the first

To the right, to the left

We will fight to the death

To the edge of the earth

It's a brave new world

It's a brave new world

It's a brave new world

...

A brave new world

The war is won

...

The war is won

...

A brave new world

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fight /faɪt/ A1	verb - to take part in a physical conflict noun - a violent confrontation or battle
war /wɔːr/ A1	noun - a state of armed conflict between different countries or groups
brave /breɪv/ A2	adjective - ready to face and endure danger or pain; showing courage
moment /ˈmoʊmənt/ A1	noun - a very brief period of time
truth /truːθ/ A1	noun - the quality or state of being true
lie /laɪ/ A1	verb - to say something that is not true noun - a statement that is not true
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - to have life; be alive
die /daɪ/ A1	verb - to stop living; end one's life
right /raɪt/ A1	adjective - morally good or justified noun - a moral or legal entitlement to have or obtain something
left /lɛft/ A1	adjective - on or toward the side of a person or thing that is to the west when that person or thing is facing north
death /dɛθ/ A1	noun - the end of life
edge /ɛdʒ/ A2	noun - the outside limit of an object, area, or surface
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries, peoples, and natural features
light /laɪt/ A1	noun - the natural agent that stimulates sight and makes things visible
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to the earth
believe /bɪˈliːv/ A2	verb - to accept that something is true, especially without proof

Key Grammar Structures

• This is war

  ➔ Present simple tense

  ➔ The phrase "This is war" uses the present simple tense to make a bold, timeless statement, emphasizing the ongoing or universal nature of the conflict.

• It's the moment of truth, and the moment to lie

  ➔ Present simple tense with contrastive conjunction

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with the contrastive conjunction "and" to highlight the duality of moments: truth vs. lie.

• To the right, to the left

  ➔ Infinitive of direction

  ➔ The phrase uses the infinitive form to indicate direction, emphasizing the scope of the fight in all directions.

• We will fight to the death

  ➔ Future simple tense with infinitive

  ➔ The sentence uses the future simple tense with the infinitive "fight" to express a strong determination to continue the struggle until the end.

• It's a brave new world

  ➔ Present simple tense with adjective

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with the adjective "brave" to describe the new world as a bold and courageous place.

• I do believe in the light

  ➔ Present simple tense with emphatic do

  ➔ The sentence uses the emphatic "do" in the present simple tense to strongly affirm belief in the light, adding emphasis to the statement.

• The fight is done, the war is won

  ➔ Present simple tense with passive voice

  ➔ The sentence uses the present simple tense with passive voice to declare the completion of the fight and the victory in the war, emphasizing the finality of the actions.

• Lift your hands toward the sun

  ➔ Imperative mood with prepositional phrase

  ➔ The sentence uses the imperative mood with the prepositional phrase "toward the sun" to give a direct command, directing action towards a specific goal.