Roots Before Branches
Glee Cast Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Rachel:
Hey, hey
So many things to do and say
But I can't seem to find the way
But I wanna know how
I know I'm meant for something else
But first I gotta find myself
But I don't know how

Rachel with Finn:
Oh, why do I reach for the stars
When I don't have wings to carry me that far?

I gotta have roots before branches
To know who I am
Before I know who I wanna be
And faith to take chances
To live like I see
A place in this world for me
Ohh, hey

Rachel (Finn):
Sometimes I don't wanna feel (Sometimes I don't wanna feel)
And forget the pain is real (And forget the pain is real)
Put my head in the clouds (Ohh, ooh)
Oh, I start to run and then I fall (Start to run and then I fall)
Thinking I can't get it all (Thinking I can't get it all)
Without my feet on the ground (Ohh, ooh)

Rachel with Finn:
There's always a seed before there's a rose
The more that it rains, the more I will grow

I gotta have roots before branches
To know who I am
Before I know who I wanna be
And faith to take chances
To live like I see
A place in this world for me
Ohh, ohh

Rachel:
Whatever comes, I know how to take it
Learn to be strong, I won't have to fake it
Oh, you're understandin'
Oh, but we can come and do what's best
There won't be north and south, east and west
But I'll still be standing
I'm standing

Rachel with New Directions:
If I have roots before branches
To know who I am (To know who I am)
Before I know who I'm gonna be
And faith, ooh, to take chances
To live like I see
A place in this world

I gotta have roots before branches
To know who I am
Before I know who I wanna be
And faith to take chances
And live like I see
A place in this world for me

Rachel:




I gotta have
Roots before branches

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Roots Before Branches" by Glee Cast are about finding one's true self and purpose in life. Rachel expresses her desire to do and say so many things, but she feels lost and unsure of the path to take. She knows that she is meant for something else, but she needs to find herself first. Rachel wonders why she reaches for the stars when she does not have the means to get there.


However, she realizes that she needs to have roots before branches, meaning she needs to know her identity and values before she can pursue her dreams. She also needs faith to take chances and live like she sees before finding her place in the world. She acknowledges that she may fall and make mistakes but understands that it is essential to have a strong foundation to withstand the obstacles of life.


The song preaches the importance of self-discovery and faith, underscoring the message that true success comes from knowing oneself and having faith in oneself before pursuing one's dreams.


Line by Line Meaning

Hey, hey
Just a filler to attract attention


So many things to do and say
There are many things I want to do and say


But I can't seem to find the way
But I don't know how to get there


But I wanna know how
But I really want to know how to get there


I know I'm meant for something else
I know I am destined for something different


But first I gotta find myself
But first, I need to find myself


But I don't know how
But I don't know how to do that


Oh, why do I reach for the stars
Why do I aim so high for impossible things?


When I don't have wings to carry me that far?
When I'm not even capable of doing it?


I gotta have roots before branches
I need to have a strong foundation before I can build something on top of it


To know who I am
I need to understand my true self


Before I know who I wanna be
Before I can figure out who I want to become


And faith to take chances
And the courage to take risks


To live like I see
To live according to my own vision


A place in this world for me
A place where I truly belong


Sometimes I don't wanna feel
Sometimes I want to avoid feeling emotionally drained


And forget the pain is real
And pretend that my pain doesn't exist


Put my head in the clouds
Dreaming about unattainable fantasies


Oh, I start to run and then I fall
I start to take action, only to fail


Thinking I can't get it all
Believing I'm incapable of achieving everything I want


Without my feet on the ground
Without being grounded in reality


There's always a seed before there's a rose
Everything needs to start small before becoming great


The more that it rains, the more I will grow
Obstacles and challenges make me stronger


Whatever comes, I know how to take it
I'm ready to handle anything that comes my way


Learn to be strong, I won't have to fake it
I will learn how to be strong without pretending to be someone else


Oh, you're understandin'
You understand what I'm going through


Oh, but we can come and do what's best
We can work together to find the best solution


There won't be north and south, east and west
We won't be divided or limited


But I'll still be standing
I will still be strong and standing


If I have roots before branches
If I have a solid foundation before building on top


And faith, ooh, to take chances
And the courage to take risks


And live like I see
And live according to my own vision


A place in this world for me
A place where I truly belong




Contributed by Stella R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions