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.
Dark is the light, the man you fight
With all your prayers, incantations
Running away, a trivial day
Of judgment and deliverance
To whom was sold, this bounty soul
A gentile or a priest?
Who victored over, the Seljuks
When the Holy Land was taken
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Was it the riches of the land
Powers of bright darkness
That lead the noble to the East
To fight the heathens?
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We must call upon our bright darkness
Beliefs, they're the bullets of the wicked
One was written on the sword
For you must enter a room to destroy, destroy, destroy
Now international security
No call of the righteous man
Needs a reason to kill man
History teaches us so
The reason he must attain
Must be approved by his God
His child, partisan brother of war
Of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
With all your prayers, incantations
Running away, a trivial day
Of judgment and deliverance
To whom was sold, this bounty soul
A gentile or a priest?
Who victored over, the Seljuks
When the Holy Land was taken
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Was it the riches of the land
Powers of bright darkness
That lead the noble to the East
To fight the heathens?
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We must call upon our bright darkness
Beliefs, they're the bullets of the wicked
One was written on the sword
For you must enter a room to destroy, destroy, destroy
Now international security
No call of the righteous man
Needs a reason to kill man
History teaches us so
The reason he must attain
Must be approved by his God
His child, partisan brother of war
Of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We don't speak anymore of war
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
Yeah, we will fight the heathens
We will fight the heathens
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
Fast Car
Tracy Chapman
Tracy Chapman
"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
Gentle Hour
Yo La Tengo
Yo La Tengo
This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
No Surprises
Radiohead
Radiohead
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.
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.
This was said by Serj before performing this song during a live concert:
When your lives depends upon American corporate profits in the Middle East, South East Asia, South America, all over the world. When the CIA has gone to bed with all your companies financial institutions and multinational corporations, your destiny has ended. Your government has sold you to the 5% of the population that controls 95% of the assets. Your lives are over in the next 15-20 years. Why? Why? WHY! Because you're envorinment is !&#ing dieing, there is not enough to support the human race and why? WHY! For !&#ing Profits! For !&#ing Dollars! Wake the !&# up! It is time to bring the truth back from the middle east, south east asia, eastern europe, south america. It is time for the United States Administration, Congress and the Pentagon to shut the !&*# up and listen to you, the american people. It's time!
This song was said by Serj Tankian to be a question towards reasoning of war. The reasons for wars to be started keep changing. First it was pride, then for religion, then for drugs and dominationism and now it's for patriotism.
@some1_named_no_1 or in other words as my wife so succinctly puts it "men measuring their dicks and arguing over whose is bigger!"<br /> <br /> Although now you have women pulling out theirs too!
As everyone has guessed, this is about wrongly using good causes for bad deeds, namely war. The Crusaders wrongly used God as an excuse to ransack the East for money, they even attacked churches in the East. When he says "Beliefs they're the bullets of the wicked", i think he means that beliefs are fine as long as you don't "shoot" them (force them) at people.
@Kingscallop <br /> False, the crusades were declared to take back the holy lands from the Muslims who had recently captured them and banished it's Christian civilians. Nice try lying though and putting the blame on the whites, yeah it's always our fault isn't it.
This song has 2 meanings.
1) Seljuk Turks that invaded the Caucasus and subjugated crusader Kingdoms like the Kingdom of Georgia, Armenia, and finally they conquered Byzantium.
2) At the same time the song is comparing USA to a Crusader state that pillages the holy lands (middle east) for it's riches and slays the heathens (Muslims).
There are some huge misconceptions about SOAD, many here are against Christianity... Such as the Iranian guy, and Ben. Shavo the drummer is a Christian. The others are Agnostic or Atheist.
System of a Down always reminds no to believe but to question everything. They are damn right!!!!
i meant not tot believe :0)
this was my first system song and i still love it to death. i was on vacation at the time, so i couldn't get my hands on any of their other material for several days and, needless to say, i damn near died waiting. it was love at first note. this song is (duh) about the causes of war... primarily religion. i can't stand idiots who think serj is saying he will fight the heathens... rofl... sigh you know.. music is not always from a first-person perspective... I'M GOING TO A SYSTEM CONCERT IN LATE FEBRUARY, HOLY SWEET GOD DAMN YES!!!!!!
This is still the best SOAD song. Anyway, on the live recording with Lynn Strait, he simply criticizes what we think of war. The US interferes with many wars around the world, so how can "we fuckers call it war" even if it isn't war?
i love this song, i totally agree with the message in it, and system does not say question everything, they themselves have beliefs, if you dont believe me(which obviously you dont since you dont believe in anything) than check out their song science
Didn't the Seljuks side with the Crusaders?
@fadel Nope lol. They took Constantinople from the Crusaders.