Come the war
Come the avarice
Come the war
Come hell

Come attrition
Come the reek of bones
Come attrition
Come hell

This is why
Why we fight
Why we lie awake
And this is why
This is why we fight

When we die
We will die
With our arms unbound

And this is why
This is why
Why we fight
Come hell

Bride of quiet
Bride of all unquiet things
Bride of quiet
Bride of hell

Come the archers
Come the infantry
Come the archers
Of hell

This is why
Why we fight
Why we lie awake
This is why
This is why we fight
And when we die
We will die
With our arms unbound
And this is why
This is why we fight
Come hell
Come hell

This is why
Why we fight
Why we lie awake
This is why
This is why we fight
When we die
We will die with our arms unbound
And this is why
This is why we fight

So come to me
Come to me now
Lay your arms around me
And this is why
This is why
We fight

Come hell
Come hell
Come hell
Come hell


Lyrics submitted by GoochyLittlePig

This Is Why We Fight Lyrics as written by Colin Meloy

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management

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This Is Why We Fight song meanings
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  • +1
    My Interpretation

    "When we die We will die with our arms unbound"

    Created an account just to note that, though people are suggesting that this line is about love, it's clearly about the willingness to sacrifice in order to attain freedom. And commitment to one's freedom even in the face of danger and the likelihood of sustaining personal harm. And yearning for freedom.

    To me, it seems a little overwrought in the context of the US, though I suspect this is what he had in mind as well. Not that I'm unconcerned about the loss of some civil liberties in the US, but it doesn't resonate very much. But I can see this in the context of social movements--social movements happening now as well as historical social movements. Civil rights, LGBTQ rights, all of the liberation movements seen in US history... And people committed to living and dying as free and emancipated subjects.

    In another context, it was a very timely song given recent events in Egypt and Tunisia--and given other uprisings in the Middle East and Maghreb. It makes me think of the martyrs who died in those countries fighting to live and die with their "arms unbound."

    christinaleeon March 24, 2011   Link

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