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You Know My Name Lyrics

If you take a life, do you know what you'll give?
Odds are you won't like what it is
When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me
By the merciless eyes I've deceived?

I've seen angels fall from blinding heights,
But you yourself are nothing so divine,
Just next in line

Arm yourself, because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you,
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize, it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name

If you come inside, things will not be the same
When you return to the night
And if you think you've won, You never saw me change
The game that we have been playing

I've seen diamonds cut through harder men
than you yourself, but if you must pretend
You may meet your end

Arm yourself, because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you,
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize, it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins

Try to hide your hand, forget how to feel
Forget how to feel
Life is gone, with just a spin of the wheel
Spin of the wheel

Arm yourself, because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you,
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize, it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name [Repeat: x7]
57 Meanings

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Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

This song either makes me want to be Chris Cornell or be James Bond, I really can't decide. Either way this song and this movie are both fucking incredible!! Best Bond movie I've ever seen for sure, or at least since Connery, and goes on my list for best action movies of all time.

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

I feel the song is actually a dig at Pierce Brosnan, the previous James Bond before Daniel Craig.

"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you The odds will betray you And I will replace you"

The song goes about the endless fights between EON Productions, MGM/UA and Brosnan about coming to terms for a new BOND movie, but the part finally goes to Daniel Craig. It's pure Martin Campbell input.

Martin Campbell is the director of both GoldenEye and Casino Royale, the first being the initial movie of Brosnan and the latter being the kick starter movie of Craig.

In the GoldenEye title song performed by Tina Turner, it was exactly the same thing with the lines like "you don't know how it feel to come so close and be denied" (ie 1986), "I watched you in the shadows as a child" (Brosnan watching Goldfinger with his dad).

I'd go further - I've always read this as being sung by James Bond, the character and icon, to the next actor due to play him.

'Take a life' is taking on the life of Bond, the 'merciless eyes' are the viewers waiting to judge, and at the end of the day Daniel Craig is 'just next in line'. It actually all fits pretty well.

@valentin I don't know, Cornell wrote the lyrics and I don't see him as that much of a Bond fanatic to write it like that, but I could be wrong, maybe he is the biggest James bond fan (or Bond himself), Rest in Piece and POWER Chris Cornell

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

I think it ties in with what we know about Casino Royale; it's about Bond's first assignments as a double-oh agent, about how he needs to start being the man he has to be in order to get the job done:

"If you take a life, do you know what you'll give Odds are you won't like what it is" He's got a Licence to Kill, but when he exercises it, he's going to have to live with it.

"When the storm arrives Would you be seen with me By the merciless eyes of deceit" When push comes to shove, you have to be able to face it.

"I've seen angels fall from blinding heights But you yourself are nothing so divine Just next in line" Even the best - the angels - are not infallible, and Bond is nothing special, simply a man with a number attached to his name.

"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you The odds will betray you And I will replace you" You're on your own and you're going to have to deal with everything that comes your way because there's no-one else to help you, but there is someone who will take over from you if you fail.

"You can't deny the prize, it may never fulfill you It longs to kill you Are you willing to die" You might never achieve your goal; you're willing to kill for it, but are you willing to die for it?

"If you come inside Things will not be the same When you return to my eyes " Once you start, you can never go back.

"And if you think you've won You never saw me change The game that we have been playing" The game never ends, it simply keeps going with new players.

"I've seen diamonds cut through harder men Than you yourself, but if you must pretend You may meet your end" Stronger and harder men have fallen in the face of a danger stronger and harder than themselves, but if you think you're invincible, it will chew you up and spit you back out.

"Try to hide your hand Forget how to feel (forget how to feel)" If you do nothing else, don't give anything away: what you're planning, what you're feeling.

"Life is gone, with just a spin of the wheel (Spin of the wheel)" One small slip and it's game over

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

Correct Lyrics:

If you take a life do you know what you'll give? Odds are, you won't like what it is When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me? By the merciless eyes of deceit?

I've seen angels fall from blinding heights But you yourself are nothing so divine Just next in line

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you The odds will betray you And I will replace you You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you It longs to kill you Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins You know my name

If you come inside things will not be the same When you return to the night And if you think you've won You never saw me change The game that we all been playing

I've seen diamonds cut through harder men Than you yourself But if you must pretend You may meet your end

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you The odds will betray you And I will replace you You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you It longs to kill you Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins

Try to hide your hand Forget how to feel Forget how to feel

Life is gone with just a spin of the wheel Spin of the wheel

Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you The odds will betray you And I will replace you You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you It longs to kill you Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins You know my name

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

I entirely agree with arthurjay1974. I think this song provides an excellent start to a narrative arc as we watch Bond "become" the classic hero. The chords for the intro and chorus even suggest the chromatic rising motif from the classic Bond theme. Re-orchestrations of parts of the song are used throughout the film before David Arnold begins to hint at the classic theme until it is played in full at the end.

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

Nicely firsh comment. Not really sure what this means althought its a great tune, Probally one of the best bond tune in a long long time. Brilliant to get Chris Cornell to do it.

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

fucking fantastic song

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

"Probally one of the best bond tune in a long long time"

Defaintely better than Madonna's efforts with 'Die Another Day' ... but Garbage's 'The World Is Not Enough' is almost as good as this, if only for the 100-piece orchestra accompanying them.

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

personally, i think this song perfectly fits the anime death note. "If you take a life, do you know what you'll give Odds are you won't like what it is" when light starts to kill criminals and eventually L, he doesnt realize the consequences.

"When the storm arrives Would you be seen with me By the merciless eyes of deceit?" L is asking that when the time to confront kira comes, will you openly support me?

"I've seen angels fall from blinding heights But you yourself are nothing so divine Just next in line" L is talking about how hes seen everything, and kira isnt so great as he thinks, just another madman

"Arm yourself because no one else here will save you. The odds will betray you And I will replace you" light is saying how hes planned everything out, that L has no chance of catching him, and light will replace him as the force of justice

"You can't deny the prize, it may never fulfill you It longs to kill you Are you willing to die?" light is talking about how L is going after a hollow prize. everything is against him, and is he willing to forfiet his life in the attempt?

"The coldness burns through my veins You know my name"

light now knows L's name, and he feels death closing in on him.

"If you come inside Things will not be the same When you return to my eyes"

light is saying that anyone who apposes him will be brought down

"And if you think you've won You never saw me change The game that we have been playing" near is saying that light thinks hes won, but the game has changed, and near knows how to play

"I've seen this diamond cut through harder men Than you yourself, but if you must pretend You may meet your end" near is talking about how light isnt as great as he thouught he was (just like L) and that his end is near

"Try to hide your hand Forget how to feel (forget how to feel) Life is gone, with just a spin of the wheel (Spin of the wheel)"

Near is talking about how light has always played his hand in secrecy and collusion, and that he has been able to make it this far because of his lack of compassion. but now because of one slip up(mikami's fault) his whole operation has been blown open, and so he has lost

Wow I have thought the exact same thing. I could have written this post in July of 2008

Cover art for You Know My Name lyrics by Chris Cornell

Isn't it "the merciless eyes I've deceived"?

No

Actually I think it is. To me, there's a very distinct "-ved" sound at the end of that phrase. It doesn't really sound like "deceiT", and more like "deceiVED". Doesn't really help either that I've and of sound similar in the right context.

@Twelvie

It 100% is. Every site has the same two mistakes in it, and it's driving me nuts. You can hear it really obviously if you listen closely, plus the song makes way more sense this way.

First line is "If you take a life, do you know what YOU'LL GAIN? Odds are you won't like what it is."

As in, having the courage to kill is only the start, you have to live with the guilt for the rest of your life, a burden that most don't handle well. What is 'you give' supposed to mean here?

"When...

 
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