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 hidden passageway
To evil worlds beyond man
Was written long ago
When seas ran red with blood
Hell's blood wicked and demised
Was used to ink their dark book
In thirteen hundred A.D.
The opus lost for centuries
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal life
And dance in the darkness
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal soul
And take you to dwell in hell
This book is said to speak
Of a spiritual presence that reaps
Evil that roams in vain
In the forest and dark, bowers of man's domain
Recital of passages
They possess the living, to feed their dead
Evil confrontate
The things that were shall be again
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal life
And dance in the darkness
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal soul
And take you to dwell in hell
Evil dead decapitate
Bodies bleed reincarnate
Demons scream abominate
Witches hang in levitate
The chant you speak controls your fate
Dead by dawn, they laugh and wait
Evil dead will take you now
Evil dead will take you down
An open passageway
To evil worlds beyond man
Swallow your soul they say
To the world it came and death began
Final passage never spoke
Dark spirits and souls now ascend
Your life is twisted sucked away
Swallow your soul end your fate
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal life
And dance in the darkness
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal soul
And take you to dwell in hell
They take you down to
To evil worlds beyond man
Was written long ago
When seas ran red with blood
Hell's blood wicked and demised
Was used to ink their dark book
In thirteen hundred A.D.
The opus lost for centuries
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal life
And dance in the darkness
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal soul
And take you to dwell in hell
This book is said to speak
Of a spiritual presence that reaps
Evil that roams in vain
In the forest and dark, bowers of man's domain
Recital of passages
They possess the living, to feed their dead
Evil confrontate
The things that were shall be again
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal life
And dance in the darkness
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal soul
And take you to dwell in hell
Evil dead decapitate
Bodies bleed reincarnate
Demons scream abominate
Witches hang in levitate
The chant you speak controls your fate
Dead by dawn, they laugh and wait
Evil dead will take you now
Evil dead will take you down
An open passageway
To evil worlds beyond man
Swallow your soul they say
To the world it came and death began
Final passage never spoke
Dark spirits and souls now ascend
Your life is twisted sucked away
Swallow your soul end your fate
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal life
And dance in the darkness
Conjuring demons
From the book of the dead
They prey on your mortal soul
And take you to dwell in hell
They take you down to
Lyrics submitted by SongMeanings
Swallow Your Soul Lyrics as written by Jesse James Johnson James W. Koury
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
More Featured Meanings
Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
When We Were Young
Blink-182
Blink-182
This is a sequel to 2001's "Reckless Abandon", and features the band looking back on their clumsy youth fondly.
Punchline
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran sings about missing his former partner and learning important life lessons in the process on “Punchline.” This track tells a story of battling to get rid of emotions for a former lover, whom he now realized might not have loved him the same way. He’s now caught between accepting that fact and learning life lessons from it and going back to beg her for another chance.
Amazing
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
American Town
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran
Ed Sheeran shares a short story of reconnecting with an old flame on “American Town.” The track is about a holiday Ed Sheeran spends with his countrywoman who resides in America. The two are back together after a long period apart, and get around to enjoying a bunch of fun activities while rekindling the flames of their romance.