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.
Mr. Mayor, the mission burns
The zombies are marching
They close on the square
Families are cold, look down at their souls
Huddled in camps on the old marble steps of city hall
Faith in their God is all that they've got
Across the room, beyond the pane
The whole world is churning,
Bleeding and burning, hailstorms and ash,
The moon is as blood over the soldiers who sag in the mud
Save our city
Keep our souls, Lord
Through the rapture of this world
Little boy, I'm just a man, a mere civil servant,
Against this tyrant God
I've allied with our king, salvation he brings,
Protecting the city against all the troops Heaven sent but the dead walk again
This is the end
"Oh I'm just a man, my time has come,
Long live King Simius!
May he deliver us
From this nightmare!"
And with a blast like the sun, his lips are unwrapped from the barrel of his gun.
Save our city
Keep our souls, Lord
Through the rapture of this world
Fought and fell for our great king
We burned alive and boiled
The dragon red and wrathful calls
We rise and march once more
Cursed in death, we starve for flesh
Our skin is cooked and curled
We'll eat our kin and smash them in
In Hell we'll grind their bones
Save our city
(Fought and fell for our great king)
Keep our souls, Lord God
(We burned alive and boiled)
Through [the mayor's ruined head, the boy steps through the window] the
rapture
(The dragon, red and wrathful calls)
of this world. [and cries out from the ledge to the people below.]
(We rise and march once more.)
Save our city [There's a time to pray and there's a time to fight]
(Cursed in death, we starve for flesh)
Keep our souls, Lord God [Anything can be a weapon if you're holding it
right]
(Our skin is cooked and curled)
Through the rapture [Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls]
(We'll eat our skin and smash them in)
and so we [it's time now to] rise and fight!
The zombies are marching
They close on the square
Families are cold, look down at their souls
Huddled in camps on the old marble steps of city hall
Faith in their God is all that they've got
Across the room, beyond the pane
The whole world is churning,
Bleeding and burning, hailstorms and ash,
The moon is as blood over the soldiers who sag in the mud
Save our city
Keep our souls, Lord
Through the rapture of this world
Little boy, I'm just a man, a mere civil servant,
Against this tyrant God
I've allied with our king, salvation he brings,
Protecting the city against all the troops Heaven sent but the dead walk again
This is the end
"Oh I'm just a man, my time has come,
Long live King Simius!
May he deliver us
From this nightmare!"
And with a blast like the sun, his lips are unwrapped from the barrel of his gun.
Save our city
Keep our souls, Lord
Through the rapture of this world
Fought and fell for our great king
We burned alive and boiled
The dragon red and wrathful calls
We rise and march once more
Cursed in death, we starve for flesh
Our skin is cooked and curled
We'll eat our kin and smash them in
In Hell we'll grind their bones
Save our city
(Fought and fell for our great king)
Keep our souls, Lord God
(We burned alive and boiled)
Through [the mayor's ruined head, the boy steps through the window] the
rapture
(The dragon, red and wrathful calls)
of this world. [and cries out from the ledge to the people below.]
(We rise and march once more.)
Save our city [There's a time to pray and there's a time to fight]
(Cursed in death, we starve for flesh)
Keep our souls, Lord God [Anything can be a weapon if you're holding it
right]
(Our skin is cooked and curled)
Through the rapture [Defend what is yours, they will not take our souls]
(We'll eat our skin and smash them in)
and so we [it's time now to] rise and fight!
Lyrics submitted by Ghost33
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