It was the perfect night
Then you had to go and ruin it with a kiss now
I'm trapped inside here
The innocence we held once so carelessly has been suffocated in this breathless moment

Believe in me and I will believe in you
You're asking of me everything
So I'll give it all to you

With arms raised to the stars begging them to listen
With legs littered with scars cut from these olive branches
Now, point of return now crossed and our hands left shaking
Tonight we give in to temptation

Believe in me and I will believe in you
You're asking of me everything
So I'll give it all to you

Someone stop my mind from screaming
It's so loud I can't hear myself think
Life, death, religion, survival
It makes no sense
Don't try to tell me that I'm a coincidence

Believe in me and I will believe in you
You're asking of me everything
So I'll give it all to you

Believe in me and I will believe in you
You're asking of me everything
So I'll give it all to you

If I never have you, then I can never lose you
Now, everything here is a lie
Where is the truth?
Where is the fucking truth?

Overall Meaning

The opening lines of Rise Against's "Gethsemane" describe a perfect night that has been ruined by a kiss. The singer is now trapped inside this breathless moment, suffocated by the loss of the innocence they once held so carelessly. The song then progresses into a plea of belief between the two people involved. The singer asks to be believed in exchange for their own belief in the other person. The imagery within the song is powerful, with the singer begging the stars to listen to them with their arms raised and their legs cut with scars from the olive branches. The point of return has now crossed, and there is no turning back.

The singer then pleads for someone to stop their mind from screaming, overwhelmed by the noise and the uncertainty of life, death, religion, and survival. They do not want to be told that they are just a coincidence. The final lines of the song ring out with desperation, as the singer declares that everything is a lie and questions where the truth is.

The song can be interpreted in many ways, from a plea for faith to an examination of the moment when someone chooses to give in to temptation. It is a song about the loss of innocence and the struggle to believe in something when everything else seems uncertain.

Line by Line Meaning

It was the perfect night
Everything was going perfectly until something happened to ruin it.

Then you had to go and ruin it with a kiss now
The singer sees a kiss as the event that ruined the perfect night.

I'm trapped inside here
The singer feels trapped in a situation they don't necessarily want to be in.

The innocence we held once so carelessly has been suffocated in this breathless moment
Something has happened to destroy the artist's innocent worldview and they feel suffocated by it.

Believe in me and I will believe in you
A reciprocal relationship is being proposed where the parties involved both have to believe in each other.

You're asking of me everything
The person being addressed is making a big request of the singer.

So I'll give it all to you
The singer is willing to give all they have to satisfy the request.

With arms raised to the stars begging them to listen
The artist is in a desperate situation and is imploring the universe for help.

With legs littered with scars cut from these olive branches
The artist has experienced some form of physical pain, possibly as a result of trying to achieve something.

Now, point of no return now crossed and our hands left shaking
The artist has gone too far to turn back and is now suffering the consequences of their actions.

Tonight we give in to temptation
The singer is going to succumb to something they know is wrong.

Someone stop my mind from screaming
The artist is struggling with their own thoughts and can't find a way to make them stop.

It's so loud I can't hear myself think
The mental noise is so overwhelming that the singer can't concentrate on anything else.

Life, death, religion, survival
The singer is contemplating some of the biggest questions of life.

It makes no sense
Despite their contemplation, the singer can't make sense of what's going on around them.

Don't try to tell me that I'm a coincidence
The artist wants to believe that their life has a greater purpose than just being random chance.

If I never have you, then I can never lose you
The artist is trying to protect themselves from future hurt by avoiding a particular person.

Now, everything here is a lie
The singer feels like nothing is as it seems, and everything they believed in was false.

Where is the truth?
The singer is searching for something genuine amidst all the falsehood they perceive.

Where is the fucking truth?
The artist is expressing frustration at their inability to find the truth.

Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: BARNES, MCILRATH, MOHNEY, PRINCIPE

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Comments from YouTube:

Zech Simpson

11y↑9

They will always be great. Sure, they started off as traditionalist punk, but they've evolved and matured as musicians and as people. It's not at all that they sold out in anyway, as they still stand for all the same things- and isn't that what really matters here? My favorite thing about these guys (and others) is that they're not just playing for a paycheck- they're trying to make a difference in this world.

FloodBungie

13y↑7

Gethsemane was the olive garden (these scars cut from olive branches line) in which Jesus and his deciphels were at the night before the crucifixion. Jesus told Peter and a few others to stay guard and not fall into temptation(tonight we fall into temptation) by praying they did fall into temptation and slept. Judas betrayed Jesus at Gethsemane the same night. He kissed him (ruined it all with a kiss) to show the guards which man to take away. He was then taken away (trapped inside here). this

Darrien Craven

14y↑2

Beginning of this song is pure amazingness. I fell in love with it the instant i heard the first 2 seconds.

JU2TIC3 F0R A11

11y↑5

i love rise against so much, both old and new music, its all good. Can this band release one bad song? NO!!!!

Nicholas Flood

There music gets better when a Republican President gets elected, Tim's more angry and I'd be too.

Will Creary

13y↑14

@Stickman1496 this song actually tricks you into thinking it's a love song, but it's about religion. the "kiss" that ruined the night is the kiss that Judas gave to Jesus before he betrayed him in the garden of Gethsemane. that's also what's with "believe in me..." etc. and "never try to tell me that i'm a coincidence."

PunkxCherub

14y

this could be my favorite song from them. Amazing band, ive listened to them forever and they never get old

Omar Pani

14y↑2

1:17 Someone stop my mind from screaming It's so loud I can't hear myself think! Tim McIlrath's screams are awesome!

bakonfreek

10y↑14

This is a fun song to play on guitar.

Moses Blanco

+Master Bait it's fun to sing....

Chris Graham

10y↑3

@***** Or you're just bad.

TKTRiseAgainst

14y

My favorite song by Rise :)

Ruben100200

12y

My favorite song of this album.

1996acdcfan

12y↑1

love this song and just to clarify- the unraveling is from 2001, when r.a. had lead guitarist mr. precision. they re-released it in 2005 with two bonus tracks- another 2001 song with mr. precision that was originally on the transistor revolt demo from 2000 and this song which was recorded in 2004 with lead guitarist todd mohney. so yeah all the tracks except this one are from 2000/2001

NarutoFreak47

14y

This and Everchanging are the best songs on Unraveling, hands down.

Romain C

9y↑4

I must say, tim have an incredible sharped voice and i love when he uses it, but I'm not a big fan of the scream in the miffle of the song and at the end. I have the impression that his nose said "f*ck this it's 5 PM I go home"

John V

6y↑1

they worked 100+hr weeks trying to get this album sounding the way it did. The last couple weeks they'd be in the studio for 20-22 hrs straight. People do not appreciate the blood sweat and tears that go into making music of this caliber

elegastaanval

11y

my favorite RA song. i REALLY hope their next album returns to their hardcore roots, or at least back to something like the sufferer and the witness.

Sander van Otterdijk

7y↑2

i dont think they will ever go back to their old stuff...

Blackarm

13y

tim's screams are amazing

gavin gundlach

Best album by far

Pouring Salt

Still great, all these years later.

LikePhantomsForever8

11y↑2

i miss the screaming on their albums... :(

elliott carroll

11y

The moment where Tim turns into a freaking panther!!!

RobynnIsobelle

15y

damn, I love this song

Matija Burmazovic

11y

I just like the guitars. The drawback of old RA songs is that it takes a while to understand the words, and longer still to understand their meaning.

Uakari

12y

Bands evolve, get over it they're still great!

soup

5y↑1

i know about this album probably like two days but fuck i miss the old rise against

Larry Pham

14y

I actually thought, entertainment, had a a demonstration of Tim's screams at the end of the song. Which showed that he can still do the old screams.

Owl Ramos

12y

THIS IS STILL AWESOME!

Chorizus

12y

mr precision had a badass solo there

RiseAgainst90

14y

I miss the old Rise Against so much :( i used to be such a dedicated fan, went to 6 of their concerts, got 4 shirts and all their cd's.. but now they are so damn big and the last album just does not sound like Rise Against..

DrunkenLeprechaunPro

15y

Ah! It takes more meaning, now... thanks!

Nate Woods

12y

Also, maybe I'm imagining things, but some of their recent non-Geffen releases have shown some venture back to the "old sound". Not much, but it's better than nothing. If you haven't already, check out "Death Blossoms", "Grammatizator", and "Voice of Dissent".

Randy Flake

15y

I dissagree SiN3MATIC Rise Against, though have gone through different lead guitarists have always maintained thier sound, it only seems like they've built upon it not changed.

vegetation1

11y

That could be right, but as all RA songs, it's the listener's own interpretation that makes it special.

Goninon

12y

The album was originally released with no bonus content, the later versions depending on your country contained 1 or 2 bonus songs. I have 3 copys of this one cd for that reason.

dave

12y

what? oh cmon , Endgame is awesome. I can understand it if you like the old ones better but I love EVERY SINGLE song they made. and wow, 6 concerts? I'm jealous, ive only been on one yet.

Lee

14y

hell yes, good taste. i also like parts of 'alive and well'

Lelouch Lamperouge

11y

Well, he says dont try to tell me Im a coincidence. I think its clear Tim does not believe in coincidences, especially his own existence. But trying to make sense of these topics is very difficult, especially when you try to make sense of certain organized churches teachings. He just wants the truth... My interpretation, it could be completely off.

1996acdcfan

12y

its on the unraveling reissue but it was recorded around 2004 with lead guitarist todd mohney

Mateset

12y

@RiseAgainst90 Exactly ive never missed single concert in Czech Republic and now.. i just hope they will play songs from Unraveling :D

randomxhero08

12y↑1

It's called growing. Bands do it to keep thing fresh and come up with new music. If bands didn't do it every band would be like shitty bands like Nickleback and Three Days Grace were every last one of their song sounds exactly the same.

Lifeseberr

15y

its very much true i wish they would return to this style

elegastaanval

11y

oh yeah, and thanks for uploading this :)

Will Creary

13y

it wasn't originally on the unraveling, it just became a bonus track on it after 2005. i have the original version of the album and it's not there.

Zech Simpson

11y

I think a lot of people read too far into this song. I mean, while Rise Against certainly does have songs which contain lyrics with fantastically written underlying messages, I don't think this is one of them. It doesn't seem (to me) to be about Christianity or the like. This song's rather straightforward, and removed from politics. That said, I fucking love this song with a burning passion. I cannot listen to it enough times. I can't.

Kutter Webb

14y

if u download the unraveling from coda it has this as the last song

LostTranslation85

11y

"tim is agnostic, which means he is trapped between believing and not believing in god." Uhh, he's not "trapped" as you put it. Agnostics just don't believe that there is any proof for the existance or non-existance of a god. Most atheists are agnostic as well. "the song is basically about sex" How did you get that from this song?

Sora1925

15y

doesnt he say Gethsemane at the beginning of the song and i love this song, it kicks ass

Stan_N.Flying_Cowards

13y

Isn't that the place where Jesus was cruxcified? My fav song!

LostTranslation85

11y

Okay, I get what you're saying. "and isnt the same as not being sure when you cant clam god exist or not?" What?

BoredomK1lls

12y

That's Todd on guitar, not Dan.

DR Edouard

12y

the best song.

Isaid Fugoff

14y

Hey avocadoes are you sure this is on the unraveling? because I have the unraveling but im pretty sure there is only one bonus track and you have two posted?

Syto Adema

16y

why is guardianlinks message marked as spam ? <.< thanks for uploading avocadoes ^^

chockingDany

7y↑4

1:16 BEAST MODE!!! 2:00 dammit he just turns himself into a fucking panther

GuaranteedBroken

11y

Is it a trick when the title is Gethsemane? I mean, any Christian worth their salt knows about Gethsemane. Maybe it's tricky for people who aren't well-versed in the ideology.

B SP.

12y

Got this on vynil.. Almost forgot that;o

Nate Woods

12y

I usually get really pissed off when people whine about a band's "new stuff". But that's usually because all they know to say is "idk man, their new stuff is shit". This comment is not part of that category. Props to you for not being a douchebag about it, as it seems so many are. I started with Siren Song of the Counter Culture when I was about 14, too o.O

RiseAgainst90

12y

Well maybe you discovered them a little later then i did :P i went to rise against concerts since i was 14. To me, they just don't sound quite like they used to. Wether it has to do with the band, or with me getting older, i don't know.

xDSlimz

13y

@RiseAgainst90 even tho you may like their new songs better, still realize they're not selling out. Be happy for them, through getting bigger, theyre able to do something more important; get their views out and change peoples lives

last chance blueprint

13y

@MrPsyKOlogical Doubt it. Too many whiny Savior mainstream fans. I've lost hope. Revolutions is the best fucking album in this planet,too. It's very depressing!

Timski123

12y

I think that you can still be a fan if you want, I personally disagree. I enjoy all of RA's albums but I respect your opinion and I hate to see Rise Against lose a fan :[

Dysfunctional_Daisy

12y

i dont get why people are debating between the old and new rise against? its all kick ass music! the first song i heard by them was make it stop and i fell in love with them, and i like the new and the old!

vegetation1

12y

This is, of course, my own opinion.

RiseAgainst90

12y

@tolerance775 You're right, that is why i don't call myself a fan anymore.

SuburbanProperty

14y

Im pretty sure Rise Agaisnt should be a lot bigger then they are now...and they are pretty big

vegetation1

12y

by religion. In this song, he explains how religion is shit, hence the: "life, death, religion, survival, it makes no sense". More importantly, he accused the leaders of the religions to abuse the blind followers, which is what the last paragraph explains.

Jack Gem

12y

Hero of war has the strongest message going..?

DrunkenLeprechaunPro

15y

What does Gethsemane mean?

Lifeseberr

15y

i dunno if im right but at the end you have: "then i can never loose now" isint it: "then i can never loose you"? thats what it sounds like anyways

MinefieldMike

14y

@PhoeFira Gethseme translates into "Place of the Skull" if ur christian, its where jesus was crucified

Phoenix •

14y

Wot is a "Gethsemane" anyway? xD RISE AGAINST! THE UNRAVELING! frikken too awesome for ears.

RiseAgainst90

14y

@fermerwuvu Their new album sounds good, but their older albums sound omFG LIKE THISS SO AWSUM GODLIIKEE.. if you know what i mean :P

Eoin Farow

13y

@WillCrearyRA The name gives it away but thanks for clearing it up for others :P

1996acdcfan

12y

btw the other song was join the ranks

NarutoFreak47

14y

@elatedxpuppy Definitely :D

evilalcohol

15y

its a garden thatn jesus went to, i it was where he got like arreseted and betrayed by one of his deciples, so it was like that last place of freedom he had before he died

RiseAgainst90

14y

@GeneratePfT No actually they only had their first 2 albums when i started listening, so i started out with those.

DrunkenLeprechaunPro

15y

Thanks.

trevor steranko

12y

@RiseAgainst90 their still great but times have changed

Finder Man

12y

How are the messages not strong?

Parneideron Studios

11y

What is this about anyway? Are they saying they're atheists? Or is this about like religious persecution when in reality who gives a f*** about what someone believes in... Good song anyways :-)

LostTranslation85

11y

Lol it's not that they aren't sure if they believe or not, they just don't make any claims to know wether or not a god exists, be it the Chrsitian God, Allah, Buddha, Zues, or anything like that. Saying that they're "Trapped" implies that it's bad, and that they want to believe, which they don't. The song is called Gethsemane which is a garden in Jerusalem believed to be the place where Jesus and his disciples prayed the night before the crucifixion.

bob smith

12y

@47YearOldNamedSteve i thought it was two i looked on the track listings on wikipedia n it said rpm had 13 soungs and i have 17 rpm songs on my ipod my friend told me rpm was re released but wiki said nothing bout re release rise against album are confusing

Elia Viaene

life, death, religion, survival, it makes no sense
but don't try to tell me that I'm a coincidence

where's the fucking Truth?

CarlomanTheGr8

12y

ILLUMINATI

potts1410

13y

@TheCmworld haha yea he was crucified in golgatha

Stan_N.Flying_Cowards

13y

@TheCmworld Sorry that was the place Jesus was taken to be tortured... I'm an idiot

tolerance775

12y

@RiseAgainst90 If u can't accept the band didn't want to sound the same every album then you are not a real fan.....

RiseAgainst90

14y

@GeneratePfT To each his own i guess :P

Jarred Wood

13y

@RiseAgainst90 I dont understand what the problem is with them being big is at all..... I wont argue that they sound different after 10 years of writting and playing. I would like to put it out there that if they'd played the exact same sound for 10 years people would be bitching about that.

riseagainstisawsome

13y

Patatzonder; hate to break this to you but this song bashes religion. "Life religion survival it doesn't make sense don't tell me im just a coincidence" basically just questioning his own religious feelings

Amminidab

13y↑2

@Stickman1496 Not to be a jerk, but being the child of a pastor, I know for a fact that Gethsemane was the garden where Jesus prayed the night before he was crucified. Golgatha, the "place of the skull", is where he was crucified. Nice try though.

Daniel Christensen

12y

I prefer their newer songs, mostly because the very first song I heard from them was savior ( random clicked the wrong video ) But that doesn't mean that I don't like their old songs tho, but in my opinion, Appeal To Reason and Endgame is their best albums!

rory f

12y

1 person likes justin beiber

vegetation1

12y

I think this is about religion. Gethsemane is garden in Jerusalem where Jesus is said to have prayed at night before he got crucified, There are actually olive trees in this garden. This explains the third paragraph. He says, "believe in me and I will believe in you", which can be translated by the way disciples of a religion follow blindly the leader. Next is "Your asking of me everything, so I will give it all to you", which refers (imo) to the crusades, involving millions of deaths caused