Give It All – English Lyrics

• By: Rise Against
• Album: Geffen Records

Lyrics & Translation

Dive into the raw energy and profound message of "Give It All" by Rise Against, a quintessential punk rock track that serves as a powerful testament to perseverance and standing up for what you believe in. This song is an excellent entry point for understanding the band's ethos of DIY attitude and fighting against the current. Its direct, impactful lyrics and high-energy delivery offer a clear window into the spirit of punk rock activism, making it a compelling piece to explore if you're looking to grasp the essence of English punk rock vocabulary and its socially conscious themes.

[English]

energetic punk rock music

♪ Break through the undertow ♪

♪ Your hands I can't seem to find ♪

♪ Pollution burns my tongue ♪

♪ Cough words I can't speak, so I stop my struggling ♪

♪ Then I float to the surface ♪

♪ Fill my lungs with air ♪

♪ Then let it out, I give it all ♪

♪ Now there's a reason why I sing ♪

♪ So give it all ♪

♪ And it's these reasons that belong to me ♪

♪ Rock bottom's where we live ♪

♪ And still we dig these trenches ♪

♪ To bury ourselves in them ♪

♪ Backs breaking under tension ♪

♪ For far too long, these voices ♪

♪ Muffled by distances ♪

♪ It's time to come to our senses ♪

♪ Up from the dirt, we give it all ♪

♪ Now there's a reason why I sing ♪

♪ So give it all ♪

♪ And it's these reasons that belong to me ♪

♪ Breathe ♪ ♪ Breathe ♪

♪ The air we give ♪

♪ Give ♪ ♪ The life we live ♪

♪ Live ♪ ♪ Our pulses racing distances ♪

♪ Breathe ♪ ♪ So wet my tongue ♪

♪ Give ♪ ♪ Break into song ♪

♪ Live ♪ ♪ Through seas of competition ♪

♪ So please believe your eyes ♪

♪ A sacrifice ♪

♪ Is not what we had in our minds ♪

♪ I'm comin' home tonight ♪

♪ Home tonight ♪

♪ We give it all ♪

♪ Now there's a reason why I sing ♪

♪ So give it all ♪

♪ And it's these reasons that belong to me ♪

♪ Today I offer up myself to this ♪

♪ I'm living for my dying wish ♪

♪ I give it all ♪

♪ Now there's a reason ♪

♪ There's a reason to give it all ♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
break /breɪk/ B1	verb - to separate into pieces
give /ɡɪv/ A1	verb - to provide or hand over
reason /ˈriː.zən/ B1	noun - a cause or explanation for something
live /lɪv/ A1	verb - to be alive
breathe /briːð/ B1	verb - to take air into the lungs
pollution /pəˈluː.ʃən/ B2	noun - the presence of harmful substances in the environment
struggle /ˈstrʌɡ.əl/ B2	verb - to make a great effort to do something
surface /ˈsɜːr.fɪs/ B2	noun - the outer or topmost boundary of an object
tension /ˈtɛn.ʃən/ B2	noun - mental or emotional strain
sacrifice /ˈsækrɪfaɪs/ B2	noun - the act of giving up something valued for the sake of something else
voice /vɔɪs/ A2	noun - the sound produced by humans when speaking or singing
distance /ˈdɪs.təns/ B1	noun - the amount of space between two points
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - the place where one lives
belong /bɪˈlɔːŋ/ B1	verb - to be the property of
offer /ˈɔː.fər/ B1	verb - to present or propose something for acceptance

Key Grammar Structures

• Then I float to the surface

  ➔ Use of the simple present tense with 'I float' to describe a habitual or immediate action.

  ➔ 'I float' indicates the subject is performing the action of floating, in the present.

• Breathe

  ➔ Imperative mood used to give commands or make requests.

  ➔ 'Breathe' is in the imperative form, commanding the listener to breathe or focus on breathing.

• And still we dig these trenches

  ➔ Use of the simple present tense with 'we dig' to describe ongoing or habitual actions.

  ➔ 'We dig' is in the present tense, indicating an ongoing action shared by the speaker and others.

• It's time to come to our senses

  ➔ Use of the phrase 'It's time to' + infinitive to indicate the appropriate or urgent moment to do something.

  ➔ 'It's time to' introduces a suggestion or call to action indicating that a specific moment has arrived for an action.

• For far too long, these voices muffled by distances

  ➔ Use of the adverbial phrase 'for far too long' to indicate an excessive duration of time.

  ➔ 'For far too long' emphasizes that something has been happening for an excessively long period.

• Today I offer up myself to this

  ➔ Use of the simple present tense 'I offer' to express a personal action or declaration in the present.

  ➔ 'I offer' is in the simple present, indicating a personal declaration or action in the current moment.