The Approaching Curve
Rise Against Lyrics


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The music played with a calming frequency
The speakers gently seeped the sound of ambient keyboards and light percussion
Creating a seductive soundtrack to our midnight drive through curtains of blackness
The windows were cold to the touch, reflecting the icy conditions in our immediate extremity
Salt stains and fingerprints littered the glass
And streets with melted snow cascaded down it's length

The music pulsed louder, yet gentle, like the far away squeal of a pot of boiling water
The skylight was glowing faintly with a vague hints of an impending dawn
The car raced along a painfully straight stretch of road
And she hadn't so much as turned the steering wheel two degrees in the past twenty minutes
Nor hardly spoken

As we were, so perfect, so happy
I'll remember, only our smiles because that's all they've seen
Long since dried, when we are found, are the tears in which we had drowned
As we were, so perfect, so happy

Why are you doing this' she spoke without expecting a response
Her voice penetrated the still air of our speechless drive, so silent my heart had jumped
I'm not doing anything, I said, but I didn't even believe that myself
This is what's best, for me, for you, for us, or maybe just for me,? I thought
As a tear formed in the pit of her eye
The music poured through the speakers
And we were losing ourselves in the cadence
She looked down momentarily and closed her eyes
For a bit longer than a standard blink
Then she was crying
Then she was shouting
Then I was shouting, now pouring confessions, having no answers, or solutions
And we barely could even hear the questions

As we were, so perfect, so happy
They'll remember, only our smiles because that's all they've seen
Long since dried, when we are found, are the tears in which we had drowned
As we were, so perfect, so happy

Don't put me underground, I was meant for a life somewhere else
Please Lord give me the way out before both of us haunt you
We'll steal tonight (we'll steal tonight)

As we were, so perfect, so happy
Don't remember, only your smiles because that's all they've seen
Long since dried, when we are found, are the tears in which we had drowned
As we were, so perfect, so happy

Our cracking voices became part of the music
The car pressed on faster through he night
As our voices lowered
The cadence again overtook the air




Up ahead there was a curve approaching
She made no indications of slowing

Overall Meaning

down
Our hearts raced as we approached the unknown
The music reached a climax
Then silence
Then impact


The lyrics to "The Approaching Curve" by Rise Against capture the moment of a heated argument and an impending tragic accident. The music plays in the background with a calming frequency as the singers gently seep the sound of ambient keyboards and light percussion, creating a seductive soundtrack to their midnight drive through curtains of blackness. The windows were cold to the touch, reflecting the icy conditions in their immediate vicinity. Salt stains and fingerprints littered the glass, while streets with melted snow cascaded down its length.


As the music pulsed louder, yet gentle, like the faraway squeal of a pot of boiling water, the skylight was glowing faintly with vague hints of an impending dawn. The car raced along a painfully straight stretch of road, and she hadn't so much as turned the steering wheel two degrees in the past twenty minutes nor hardly spoken. The tension builds until the driver slams on the brakes at the last second, but it's too late, and they crash on a sharp curve.


Throughout the song, the lyrics reflect on the fleeting moments of happiness and perfection shared by the couple before their relationship descends into chaos. It ends with a haunting plea for mercy and forgiveness as they both face an uncertain future after the crash.


Line by Line Meaning

The music played with a calming frequency
The soothing tones of ambient keyboards and light percussion emanated from the car speakers.


The speakers gently seeped the sound of ambient keyboards and light percussion
The music was delicately emitted from the car's sound system, providing a peaceful ambiance.


Creating a seductive soundtrack to our midnight drive through curtains of blackness
The music served as a captivating accompaniment to the late-night drive through the dimly lit streets.


The windows were cold to the touch, reflecting the icy conditions in our immediate extremity
The car windows were frigid, hinting at the icy, winter environment we were driving through.


Salt stains and fingerprints littered the glass
The outside of the windows remained speckled with salt stains and smudges from previous snowfalls.


And streets with melted snow cascaded down it's length
The streets glistened with melted snow, running down its length in a cascading manner.


The music pulsed louder, yet gentle, like the far away squeal of a pot of boiling water
The music gradually increased in volume, but retained its serene undertones, much like the distant sound of boiling water.


The skylight was glowing faintly with a vague hints of an impending dawn
The skylight overhead emitted a dim light, suggesting that morning was quickly approaching.


The car raced along a painfully straight stretch of road
The car sped along an unbearably dull, straight segment of road.


And she hadn't so much as turned the steering wheel two degrees in the past twenty minutes
The driver remained motionless, barely changing the direction of the vehicle for an extended period of time.


Nor hardly spoken
She had not spoken much, if at all, during the ride.


As we were, so perfect, so happy
We were once content and happy with each other.


I'll remember, only our smiles because that's all they've seen
The memories retained of our time together will only recall our cheerful expressions.


Long since dried, when we are found, are the tears in which we had drowned
Our sorrowful tears will no longer exist, but the emotions they carried with them will remain.


Why are you doing this' she spoke without expecting a response
She inquired about the reason for our current situation, but she did not expect an answer.


Her voice penetrated the still air of our speechless drive, so silent my heart had jumped
Her voice broke through the silent tension of the car, startling me.


I'm not doing anything, I said, but I didn't even believe that myself
I denied any involvement, but I did not believe the words myself.


This is what's best, for me, for you, for us, or maybe just for me,? I thought
I thought that this was the best decision for all of us, but I was uncertain if it was only for my benefit.


As a tear formed in the pit of her eye
She began to cry, and a single tear was shed from her eye.


The music poured through the speakers
The music continued to play, filling the vehicle with its sound.


And we were losing ourselves in the cadence
We became enwrapped in the rhythm of the music, becoming lost in its beat.


She looked down momentarily and closed her eyes
She bowed her head for a moment, concealing her eyes beneath her lids.


For a bit longer than a standard blink
Her eyes remained shut for a longer moment than a normal blink.


Then she was crying
She began to cry profusely.


Then she was shouting
After her crying, she began to yell.


Then I was shouting, now pouring confessions, having no answers, or solutions
I also began to shout back, confessing my thoughts and feelings but having no answers to provide for the situation.


And we barely could even hear the questions
Our shouting was so loud that we could barely even hear the questions we were asking each other.


Don't put me underground, I was meant for a life somewhere else
I pleaded not to be buried and trapped somewhere that I did not belong or want to be.


Please Lord give me the way out before both of us haunt you
I prayed for a way out before both of our souls became troubled and we haunted ourselves and others.


We'll steal tonight (we'll steal tonight)
We resolved to make the most of the night in the limited time that we had left.


Don't remember, only your smiles because that's all they've seen
I asked to be remembered just for our happy moments, rather than the turmoil that we were currently experiencing.


Our cracking voices became part of the music
Our voices, hoarse from shouting, blended into the music that was still playing.


The car pressed on faster through he night
The vehicle continued to speed down the road, picking up momentum as the night wore on.


As our voices lowered
Our shouting gradually died down, becoming softer.


The cadence again overtook the air
The beat of the music once again became the dominant sound in the car.


Up ahead there was a curve approaching
We were quickly approaching a sharp turn ahead.


She made no indications of slowing
The driver gave no indication of slowing down before the upcoming curve.




Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: BRANDON BARNES, CHRISTOPHER CHASSE, JOSEPH PRINCIPE, TIMOTHY MCILRATH

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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