The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Undead feast, as they tear upon your weak flesh
Terror builds at the thought of being dead
Prophecy of the wise men of old
Now comes true, as the corpses break the soil
Ancient spell breaks the sleep of the dead
The dead a-wake; what the populace is fearing
Panic strikes as the nations run in fear
Oceans boil with blood of human victims
Suicide, the only way to avoid being eaten by the undead
Grave yards coming alive with zombies, hungry for living flesh
Psychotic, trans-mutated corpses, usurping the population
Sickening disaster of epidemic proportions, devouring us
Tables turn as a victim I've become now
State of death only waiting to return
Vital signs that show I'm dead
This can't happen; I'm rising from my own grave
Hunger grows not nutritional but instinctual
Flesh becomes my only crave of this live
Unthinking state, a state of metamorphosis
Seeking food to keep me dead
Degenerate, a product of man's frustration for his terror
Insatiable hunger for mankind, building with each kill
Seeking human victims to meet my fill
Cannibal I've become, what's happened to my brain?
Feast on the corpse, suck out his brain
As its fluids drip down the drain
Chew on the bones, drink from its bladder
The vile stench only makes me madder
In through the mouth, out the forehead
Brains fall out, skin turns red
Violent surge, a spear through the skull
Felt the urge, now my heart's full
I crave gore; I'll eat your guts
I love gore, blood drives me nuts
I drink blood; I don't like water
Intestines my cud, I feast in the slaughter
Twist its neck, make it crack
Suicide, the only way to avoid being eaten by the undead
Grave yards coming alive with zombies, hungry for living flesh
Psychotic, trans-mutated corpses, usurping the population
Sickening disaster of epidemic proportions, devouring us
Blood I want to drink, I want to suck
Brains I want to eat; the rest I'll chuck
Bones into a spear; I'll carve and kill
Hunger for the quest I'll never fill
I crave gore; I'll eat your guts
Terror builds at the thought of being dead
Prophecy of the wise men of old
Now comes true, as the corpses break the soil
Ancient spell breaks the sleep of the dead
The dead a-wake; what the populace is fearing
Panic strikes as the nations run in fear
Oceans boil with blood of human victims
Suicide, the only way to avoid being eaten by the undead
Grave yards coming alive with zombies, hungry for living flesh
Psychotic, trans-mutated corpses, usurping the population
Sickening disaster of epidemic proportions, devouring us
Tables turn as a victim I've become now
State of death only waiting to return
Vital signs that show I'm dead
This can't happen; I'm rising from my own grave
Hunger grows not nutritional but instinctual
Flesh becomes my only crave of this live
Unthinking state, a state of metamorphosis
Seeking food to keep me dead
Degenerate, a product of man's frustration for his terror
Insatiable hunger for mankind, building with each kill
Seeking human victims to meet my fill
Cannibal I've become, what's happened to my brain?
Feast on the corpse, suck out his brain
As its fluids drip down the drain
Chew on the bones, drink from its bladder
The vile stench only makes me madder
In through the mouth, out the forehead
Brains fall out, skin turns red
Violent surge, a spear through the skull
Felt the urge, now my heart's full
I crave gore; I'll eat your guts
I love gore, blood drives me nuts
I drink blood; I don't like water
Intestines my cud, I feast in the slaughter
Twist its neck, make it crack
Suicide, the only way to avoid being eaten by the undead
Grave yards coming alive with zombies, hungry for living flesh
Psychotic, trans-mutated corpses, usurping the population
Sickening disaster of epidemic proportions, devouring us
Blood I want to drink, I want to suck
Brains I want to eat; the rest I'll chuck
Bones into a spear; I'll carve and kill
Hunger for the quest I'll never fill
I crave gore; I'll eat your guts
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I think much like another song “Anti-Matter” (that's also on the same album as this song), this one is also is inspired by a horrifying van crash the band experienced on Nov 3, 2022. This, much like the other track, sounds like it's an extension what they shared while huddled in the wreckage, as they helped frontman Garrett Russell stem the bleeding from his head wound while he was under the temporary effects of a concussion. The track speaks of where the mind goes at the most desperate & desolate of times, when it just about slips away to all but disconnect itself, and the aftermath.
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Great version of a great song,
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This song is written as the perspective of the boys in the street, as a whole, and what path they are going to choose as they get older and grow into men. (This is why the music video takes place in an orphanage.) The seen, and unseen collective suffering is imbedded in the boys’ mind, consciously or subconsciously, and is haunting them. Which path will the boys choose? Issac Hayes is the voice of reason, maybe God, the angel on his shoulder, or the voice of his forefathers from beyond the grave who can see the big picture and are pleading with the boys not to continue the violence and pattern of killing their brothers, but to rise above. The most beautiful song and has so many levels. Racism towards African Americans in America would not exist if everyone sat down and listened to this song and understood the history behind the words. The power, fear, pleading in RZA and Ghostface voices are genuine and powerful. Issac Hayes’ strong voice makes the perfect strong father figure, who is possibly from beyond the grave.
No Surprises
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Same ideas expressed in Fitter, Happier are expressed in this song. We're told to strive for some sort of ideal life, which includes getting a good job, being kind to everyone, finding a partner, getting married, having a couple kids, living in a quiet neighborhood in a nice big house, etc. But in Fitter, Happier the narrator(?) realizes that it's incredibly robotic to live this life. People are being used by those in power "like a pig in a cage on antibiotics"--being pacified with things like new phones and cool gadgets and houses while being sucked dry. On No Surprises, the narrator is realizing how this life is killing him slowly. In the video, his helmet is slowly filling up with water, drowning him. But he's so complacent with it. This is a good summary of the song. This boring, "perfect" life foisted upon us by some higher powers (not spiritual, but political, economic, etc. politicians and businessmen, perhaps) is not the way to live. But there is seemingly no way out but death. He'd rather die peacefully right now than live in this cage. While our lives are often shielded, we're in our own protective bubbles, or protective helmets like the one Thom wears, if we look a little harder we can see all the corruption, lies, manipulation, etc. that is going on in the world, often run by huge yet nearly invisible organizations, corporations, and 'leaders'. It's a very hopeless song because it reflects real life.
well it`s a lot of cannibal corpse in this song, because the song talks about a reckoning day when the corpses walk, then you becomne a cannibal corpse, drinking blood instead of water, yeah this song should have be called cannibal corpse, death metal classic¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡