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.
A devil in a midnight mass,
He prayed behind stained glass
A memory of Sunday class
Resurrected from the past
Hold your breath and count to four
Pinky swears don't work no more
Footsteps down the hallway floor
Getting closer to my door
I was alive but now I'm singing
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent knight at the edge of your knife
(Forgive me father)
Won't make it right
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night at the edge of your knife
(You're guilty!)
A devil in a midnight mass
Killed the boy inside the man
The holy water in his hands
Can never wash away his sins
Hold your breath and count to four
Pinky swears don't work no more
Put my trust in god that day
Not the man that got his way
I was alive but now I'm singing
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night at the edge of your knife
(Forgive me father!)
Won't make it right
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent knight at the edge of your knife
(You're guilty!)
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made and it's in the ground
He prayed behind stained glass
A memory of Sunday class
Resurrected from the past
Hold your breath and count to four
Pinky swears don't work no more
Footsteps down the hallway floor
Getting closer to my door
I was alive but now I'm singing
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent knight at the edge of your knife
(Forgive me father)
Won't make it right
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night at the edge of your knife
(You're guilty!)
A devil in a midnight mass
Killed the boy inside the man
The holy water in his hands
Can never wash away his sins
Hold your breath and count to four
Pinky swears don't work no more
Put my trust in god that day
Not the man that got his way
I was alive but now I'm singing
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent night at the edge of your knife
(Forgive me father!)
Won't make it right
Silent night for the rest of my life
Silent knight at the edge of your knife
(You're guilty!)
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made it's in the ground
Whisper, whisper don't make a sound
Your bed is made and it's in the ground
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings, edited by neobahamut20
Devil in a Midnight Mass Lyrics as written by Ben Kowalewicz Aaron Solowoniuk
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
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I just wanted to point out the ingenious play on words they use in the first verse. When it says he "prayed behind stained glass" I believe they are actually using the alternate form of the word "prey" -as in how a rapist would prey on his victims.
:O Wow! Great Catch!
"It's from a story I read about Boston priest John Geoghan who had been arrested for child abuse and the church kept moving him from parish to parish. The Supreme Court tried and convicted him of molesting 150 kids over a 30-year span and while he was serving his sentence another inmate broke into his cell and murdered him. I stumble upon these stories, they don't necessarily have to be directly personal but it's things like this that move me. I'm a big advocate for children's rights and this song looks at sexual abuse. It's not against the church or anything, it's more about that individual betrayal between adult and child. I don't have the answers but hopefully if I sing about a certain issue it will get people talking about it." - Benjamin Kowalewicz stated in an interview...
I saw an interview on MuchMusic where Ben explained what the song was about. One day the rest of the band came to him with music that he thought sounded completely evil, so he tried to write a song that fit with the "evil-ness" of the music. Just the day before he had read a story in the paper about a little boy being molested by a priest, and so that stuck in his mind as one of the most evil things ever... men exploiting their power in the church and a child's faith in god in order to abuse a little child. So if after reading the lyrics and watching the video, you still don't believe it's about a preist molesting a little boy, there's your proof.
dirty catholic priests perhaps?
Yeah, this song is about a priest in Boston who molested 150 children over 30 years and then got murdered by an inmate while he was in prison.
"Fallen leaves" I'm sure most of us know that god forgives but I disagree with your disagreeing with "Forgive me father! Won't make it right." It makes alot of since. It's not right. just because you ask for forgiveness doesn't justify for what you did. ya know? I could never forgive that.
yeah, this song is about a rapist priest. billy talent said so in a interview when they were in germany. they read about priests being rapists in churches, and they decided to make a song of it.
I love Billy Talent so much for this reason! They don't sing about their girlfriends breaking up with them, boo-hoo, they sing about something REAL. Something that has meaning. Something that THey think people should know about. They use their popular immage for good. God bless them...(wow that sentence is placed in the wrong song XD)
woow by just listening to red flag and this song im not sure im gunna like bts new albumm even tho i like the band alot but u know i guess it deals on a much bigger more mature subject their new album that will be coming out soon but yeahh they mahbe should stuck to more like signing rather than alot more screaming lol but yeahh the songs good anyways hmmm well it sounds like mahbe a possesion kinda of thing like the beggining how a demon is getting close to you and yu can hear it and like the silent night chorus part could be like now that hes possesed himself is silent and like dead cuz the demon controls him now and the guilty part is mahbe people acussing him of like killing someone but it wasnt his fault and that no one belives him or anything they just think hes crazy and the end is liek his life just ending like a death bed and all u hear is the whispers of the demon like laughing or just mocking him so like yeahh haha mahbe its about that but there is like this movie or book called devil in a midnight mass i dunno if its related or not butt yeahh go ben
I have a feeling this song refers to the suicide of someone. This individual tries to find sanction within the church, feeling turned by the whole world around him. "A devil in a midnight mass, who preyed behind stained glass" I have a feeling the devil represents society and it's cruelty towards others. Right now this individual feels trapped remember the lessons taught in sunday school, unable to justify his existance he contiplates suicide. "I was alive, but now I'm singin' Silent night for the rest of my life." There's a passage following the suicide, how the individual was alive and is now forever caught in a silent night. "Silent night 'till they find the knife(Guilty! Guilty!) won't make it right." I think this refers again to society, being the devil, they can't convict a person of suicide, society can't make things right. Near the end of the song "Whisper, whisper, don't make a sound. Your bed is made and it's in the ground" The final closer of the song when society stands in silence as the casket is lowered into the ground. Funeral
mmadcat's explanation seems to make sense, but this is what I got out of the song: So I guess it starts off as maybe a priest (or could be anyone, but the line 'Put my trust in God that day, not the man that's taught his way.' makes me think so) raped a kid, and then told them basically, no one will believe you if you tattle, such and such "I was told that the world wouldn't believe me." Then it's just about how he's not going to be silent anymore, and have them found guilty and sentenced to death. A story along those lines anyways.
I think the new album is going to be great!
also, I think the line 'The temple he just passed' is supposed to be 'the temple he trespassed.' I had posted the wrong lyrics before somewhere else (BT boards-Go there!), and that's what other people thought it should be.