Sooner Or Later – English Lyrics

• By: Rise Against
• Album: NOWHERE GENERATION

Lyrics & Translation

Learning a language through music is a powerful tool, and Rise Against's 'Sooner Or Later' offers a compelling entry point. The song's clear, impassioned vocals and direct, metaphorical lyrics about cause and effect provide an excellent opportunity to explore themes of responsibility and consequence in English. The contrast between the somber verses and the anthemic chorus makes the lyrical message both memorable and impactful, allowing learners to connect with a vital contemporary issue while expanding their vocabulary.

[English]

Here, we've burned the boats to ashes

After beaching on the shore

Looked back across the ocean

And said, "We're never going home"

But our shadows killed the flowers

Our footsteps spoiled the land

It seems we're always in the way

No matter where we choose to stand

Can we just wait 'til this is over

If we know that our precious time is running out?

Sooner or later comes a time when we will reap what we have sown

Sooner or later, we all have to go home

Sooner or later, there's a time to face the music, face the sound

Sooner or later, we will have to go home

...

Now, from the gods we all seek favor

With every sacrificial lamb

But the bodies all pile higher

And the blood just stains our hands

And soon you'll feel the panic

In your breath and in your veins

When you know there's no tomorrow

And you've realized too late

And still, we wait

While our precious time is running out

Sooner or later comes a time when we will reap what we have sown

Sooner or later, we all have to go home

Sooner or later, there's a time to face the music, face the sound

Sooner or later we will have to go

Our precious time is running out

...

Are we just passengers so sick of waiting

For this final destination?

And where we all will end up, I would die to know

Die to know that place

Sooner or later comes a time when we will reap what we have sown

Sooner or later, we all have to go home

Sooner or later comes a time when we'll have nowhere left to run

Sooner or later, we will have to go home

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
home /hoʊm/ A1	noun - The place where one lives permanently, especially as a member of a family or household.
time /taɪm/ A1	noun - The indefinite continued progress of existence and events in the past, present, and future regarded as a whole.
reap /riːp/ B2	verb - To cut or gather a crop or harvest; metaphorically, to receive a reward or benefit as a consequence of one's own or another's actions.
sown /soʊn/ B2	verb - Past participle of 'sow': To plant (seed) by scattering it on or in the earth; metaphorically, to initiate or start (an action, idea, etc.) that will have consequences.
face /feɪs/ B1	verb - To confront and deal with (a difficult situation or person).
ocean /ˈoʊʃən/ A2	noun - A very large expanse of sea.
shore /ʃɔːr/ B1	noun - The land along the edge of a sea, lake, or wide river.
ashes /ˈæʃɪz/ B1	noun - The powdery residue left after the burning of a substance.
shadows /ˈʃædoʊz/ A2	noun - Dark areas or shapes produced by an object coming between rays of light and a surface; metaphorically, a pervading influence.
spoiled /spɔɪld/ B1	verb - Past participle of 'spoil': To damage or ruin; to harm the character of (a person, especially a child) by being too lenient or indulgent.
precious /ˈprɛʃəs/ B1	adjective - Of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly.
favor /ˈfeɪvər/ B1	noun - An act of kindness beyond what is due or usual; approval, support, or liking for someone or something.
sacrificial /ˌsækrɪˈfɪʃəl/ B2	adjective - Relating to or constituting a sacrifice.
panic /ˈpænɪk/ B1	noun - Sudden uncontrollable fear or anxiety, often causing unthinking behavior.
veins /veɪnz/ B1	noun - Any of the tubes forming part of the blood circulation system of the body, carrying in most cases oxygen-depleted blood toward the heart.
destination /ˌdɛstɪˈneɪʃən/ B1	noun - The place to which someone or something is going or being sent.
die /daɪ/ A2	verb - To stop living; suffer the death of.
lamb /læm/ B1	noun - A young sheep; metaphorically, an innocent or vulnerable person.
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - The red liquid that circulates in the arteries and veins of humans and other vertebrate animals.
run /rʌn/ A1	verb - To move quickly on foot; to escape (from a situation or person).