Life Burns feat. Lauri Ylönen
Apocalyptica Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

We break our enemies with fear, and
We've seen how the tears come around
We built our confidence on wasteland
We've seen how the walls come down

Life burns

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Life burns

We have no sympathy for the lost souls
We've chosen the path of disgrace
We give this life to our children
And teach them to hate this place

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil

Man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Life burns




Life burns
Life burns

Overall Meaning

In "Life Burns," Apocalyptica and Lauri Ylцnen paint a picture of a world that has lost hope and has embraced a vision of destruction. The song paints lyrics that describe how we as people have grown increasingly desensitized to destruction and violence over time. Even more, the song seems to suggest that we have built our systems and society on a foundation of entropy and chaos.


The lyrics "We break our enemies with fear and We've seen how the tears come around" highlight this desensitization to violence and the idea that those who are weaker are often subject to hatred and cruelty. The next two lines, "We built our confidence on wasteland, and We've seen how the walls come down," famously refer to how we often build our institutions on the idea of scarcity, rather than abundance. This mentality ultimately leads to a society in which people fail to care for one another.


However, the song speaks to something deeper than just the political climate or a dystopian reality. The lyrics also suggest an existential struggle, stating that "Life burns from the touch of the reaper, and all things must pass." Ultimately, the song confronts mortality and the idea that our time on earth is fleeting. It encourages listeners to embrace life and live it with purpose, even in the face of sadness, cruelty, and suffering.


Line by Line Meaning

We break our enemies with fear, and
Our strategy in defeating our opponents is to instill fear in them,


We've seen how the tears come around
We have witnessed firsthand the pain and suffering that war can cause,


We built our confidence on wasteland
Our sense of security is based on the destruction and devastation that surrounds us,


We've seen how the walls come down
We have witnessed the collapse of barriers and boundaries that once defined our world,


Life burns
Life is fleeting and fragile, and can be snuffed out at any moment,


A man dies like a butterfly
The fragility of life is similar to the delicate nature of a butterfly,


Life burns from the touch of the reaper
Death can come suddenly and unexpectedly, like a flame that destroys everything in its path,


All things must pass
Nothing lasts forever and everything eventually comes to an end,


One love is a crooked lie
The idea of love is often distorted and manipulated, leading to disillusionment and disappointment,


The world lies in the hands of evil
Those in power often use their influence to serve their own selfish interests, causing harm and suffering to others,


We pray it would last
Despite the impermanence of life and the world around us, we hope for its continuation and preservation,




Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: LAURI YLOENEN, EICCA TOPPINEN

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@juancarloscoralruano803

We break our enemies with fear, and
We've seen how the tears come around
We built our confidence on wasteland
We've seen how the walls come down

Life burns

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Life burns

We have no sympathy for the lost souls
We've chosen the path of disgrace
We give this life to our children
And teach them to hate this place

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil

Man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Life burns
Life burns
Life burns



@juancarloscoralruano803

We break our enemies with fear, and
We've seen how the tears come around
We built our confidence on wasteland
We've seen how the walls come down

Life burns

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Life burns

We have no sympathy for the lost souls
We've chosen the path of disgrace
We give this life to our children
And teach them to hate this place

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

A man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil
The world lies in the hands of evil

Man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Man dies like a butterfly
Life burns from the touch of the reaper
All things must pass
One love is a crooked lie
The world lies in the hands of evil
We pray it would last

Life burns
Life burns
Life burns



All comments from YouTube:

@MarioGarcia-rs8fi

I'm watching this in 2024 and it feels great to remember when I was younger

@dianacastaneda7928

Same, I watched this the first time when I was 13 now I'm 32

@MarioGarcia-rs8fi

@@dianacastaneda7928 now, let's a conocernos. 34 🙋🏻

@lecherepanova9030

Same here)

@Yunafan2963

I can’t believe Lauri Ylonen is only 26 in this

@andreabraham8491

BURNOUUUTTT REVENGE!!!!
NOSTALGIA NOSTALGIA NOSTALGIA.
Gotta enjoy every moment man cause you don't know how much you'll miss em.

@daddy_rogers

Filmed in Tallinn so many years ago! I'm Estonian and so proud of this.

@Grumpyseabee

I was in Tallinn for several months, Loved it!

@deywtv

Burnout: Revenge anyone?😌😅 I am very suprised there is no comment about this game, because it slaps like Will Smith when you crash your oponents on highway

@burninbitesdownunder

Bahahahahaha well said

More Comments

More Versions