After forming in the summer of 1998, If Hope Dies quickly came into their o… Read Full Bio ↴After forming in the summer of 1998, If Hope Dies quickly came into their own as young dedicated musicians. Hailing from Auburn, New York (also hometown to Heavy Metal Gods Manowar) If Hope Dies showed upstate New York that you can mix metal with hardcore.
In the years since their formation, IHD has progressed into a leader in the genre of metal based hardcore. A 2002 release on Diehard Records entitled "Siege Equipment for Spiritual Decline" has sold over 1200 copies to date with only regional touring. The release solidified the band as a metalcore force to be dealt with.

IHD also takes pride in the energetic and heartfelt approach to their live performance. If Hope Dies has brought their music and show to the big stage numerous times as they have performed with bands such as In Flames, Lamb Of God, Soilwork and many more. They also earned their way onto Syracuse NY's Hellfest 2001, 2002 and 2003 with some of the industries finest.

"The Ground is Rushing Up Top Meet Us" is the second latest release for If Hope Dies. They have a new label, Ironclad recordings, and a new commitment to tour full time.

The new record put out this year, is called "Life in Ruin", and contains 11 hardcore, straight-to-your-face songs. This might be their big break, and hopefully it will be, 'cause this is some of the best metalcore ever to have been released!

The band broke up and have done a few reunion shows for fun and for benefits for friends.

Let Freedom Ring
If Hope Dies Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

We must bend the bars
Of these cages around our hearts
Deconstruct the confines
Of a weary existence
Smash apart the stones
Piled high upon our chests
And take in our first breaths of freedom
There is no waiting for life to come strike us

We must seek it out if we are to feel it's touch
And I resolve to seize each day
And not let go until
My hands can't hold

We must not separate ourselves from life

Cherish and prize each breath taken upon this earth
This is our only chance
One life, and then it's over

You've just got to decide
If you'll live life on your knees
A clear choice
Between revolution and apathy
If the pain is too much,
You can look to me
I'll be there to help you up,
Up to your feet

We must forge a path
Straight through to the light
Raise ourselves up before we fade into the night

Sinking down
We are drowning in a pool of despair
Watching as our lives are wrenched away from our hands

This is the match held to the fuse
The spark that will ignite change

We'll sift through the wreckage left behind
And dance among the ruins of our prisons

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Let Freedom Ring by If Hope Dies are an anthem to the spirit of freedom and nonconformity. The song opens with the idea of breaking free from the confines of our own minds and hearts, which is symbolized by the image of bending the bars of the cages that trap us. This metaphor emphasizes the need to deconstruct the mental barriers that limit our perspectives and to eliminate the emotional burdens that hold us back.

The song promotes the idea of living life to the fullest and cherishing every moment that we have, for life is a fleeting and precious gift. The lyrics implore us to seize each day and to make the most out of our existence. The phrase "not let go until my hands can't hold" is particularly powerful, as it suggests a relentless pursuit of one's goals and dreams until we exhaust our physical potential.

The chorus of the song posits the ultimate question of whether we would choose to live life on our knees, as a passive spectator to the world, or to stand up and revolutionize our existence. The lyrics urge us to not drown in misery and to instead find hope and determination to fight back against the oppressive forces that seek to quell our spirit.

Line by Line Meaning

We must bend the bars
We must not separate ourselves from life

Of these cages around our hearts
Cherish and prize each breath taken upon this earth

Deconstruct the confines
This is our only chance

Of a weary existence
One life, and then it's over

Smash apart the stones
You've just got to decide

Piled high upon our chests
If you'll live life on your knees

And take in our first breaths of freedom
A clear choice

There is no waiting for life to come strike us
Between revolution and apathy

We must seek it out if we are to feel it's touch
If the pain is too much, you can look to me

And I resolve to seize each day
I'll be there to help you up, up to your feet

And not let go until
We must forge a path