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.
In this dark night we stand or fall
We are kings now, or nothing at all
Check your armor; Light up your torch
Touch the flame to the sail before you head for shore
And we will burn the fleet
We can never go home
It's on to victory or under ground
Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts
But we won't be turned around
The old flag will burn with the sail
And a new one won't fly if we fail
But the fire continues to rise
And it shows not a hint of any fear in our eyes
Burn the fleet, we can never go home
It's on to victory or under ground
Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts
But we won't be turned around
We are kings now, or nothing at all
Check your armor; Light up your torch
Touch the flame to the sail before you head for shore
And we will burn the fleet
We can never go home
It's on to victory or under ground
Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts
But we won't be turned around
The old flag will burn with the sail
And a new one won't fly if we fail
But the fire continues to rise
And it shows not a hint of any fear in our eyes
Burn the fleet, we can never go home
It's on to victory or under ground
Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts
But we won't be turned around
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Light Up The Sky
Van Halen
Van Halen
The Night We Met
Lord Huron
Lord Huron
This is a hauntingly beautiful song about introspection, specifically about looking back at a relationship that started bad and ended so poorly, that the narrator wants to go back to the very beginning and tell himself to not even travel down that road. I believe that the relationship started poorly because of the lines:
"Take me back to the night we met:When the night was full of terrors: And your eyes were filled with tears: When you had not touched me yet"
So, the first night was not a great start, but the narrator pursued the relationship and eventually both overcame the rough start to fall in love with each other:
"I had all and then most of you"
Like many relationships that turn sour, it was not a quick decline, but a gradual one where the narrator and their partner fall out of love and gradually grow apart
"Some and now none of you"
Losing someone who was once everything in your world, who you could confide in, tell your secrets to, share all the most intimate parts of your life, to being strangers with that person is probably one of the most painful experiences a person can go through. So Painful, the narrator wants to go back in time and tell himself to not even pursue the relationship.
This was the perfect song for "13 Reasons Why"
Mountain Song
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction
Jane's Addiction vocalist Perry Farrell gives Adam Reader some heartfelt insight into Jane’s Addiction's hard rock manifesto "Mountain Song", which was the second single from their revolutionary album Nothing's Shocking. Mountain song was first recorded in 1986 and appeared on the soundtrack to the film Dudes starring Jon Cryer. The version on Nothing's Shocking was re-recorded in 1988.
"'Mountain Song' was actually about... I hate to say it but... drugs. Climbing this mountain and getting as high as you can, and then coming down that mountain," reveals Farrell. "What it feels to descend from the mountain top... not easy at all. The ascension is tough but exhilarating. Getting down is... it's a real bummer. Drugs is not for everybody obviously. For me, I wanted to experience the heights, and the lows come along with it."
"There's a part - 'Cash in now honey, cash in Miss Smith.' Miss Smith is my Mother; our last name was Smith. Cashing in when she cashed in her life. So... she decided that, to her... at that time, she was desperate. Life wasn't worth it for her, that was her opinion. Some people think, never take your life, and some people find that their life isn't worth living. She was in love with my Dad, and my Dad was not faithful to her, and it broke her heart. She was very desperate and she did something that I know she regrets."
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,
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.
This always reminds of the the Warcraft 3 campaign, when Arthas decides to burn the ships, so they can't go back. Maybe I'm just a huge nerd, though. Great song and lyrics whatsoever.
From lyric book with some spacing.
In this dark night we STAND OR WE FALL. We are kings now, or nothing at all. Check your armor; light up your torch. Touch the flame to sail before you head for the shore.
And we will burn the fleet, we can never go home; it's on to victory or under ground. Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts, but we won't be turned around.
The old flag will burn with the sail, and a new one won't fly if we fail. But the fire continues to rise, and it shows not a hint of any fear in our eyes.
And we will burn the fleet, we can never go home; it's on to victory or under ground. Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts, but we won't be turned around.
And we will burn the fleet, we can never go home; it's on to victory or under ground. Burn the fleet, we'll be heroes or ghosts, but we won't be turned around.
perhaps its about fighting for what you believe in no matter what the odds are. really like these lyrics, so abstract. although, i wonder what cave in thinks about this.. it seriously sounds as if cave in wrote it.
It's about a Captain that arrives to land, and tells his crew to burn their boats, this way they can not escape and the only option left is to conquer
@saocore Like Achilles did to the Mirmidons in the Troy battle... You can fin the information reading the Illiad...
yeah definately saocore thats cool does anyone think some of the fire stuff, this song and the arsonist, sound familiar to some deftones stuff?
I think mellodara has it nailed. I love this song, but does anyone else think it sounds a bit like Oasis? ^-^ I'm loving these new songs, I'd though I would be more of a Fire person but now I just don't know what to think.
Upon arriving at the New World, Hernan Cortes destroyed his ships, not by fire, but later myth had him destroying them by fire.
jstor.org/view/00182133/ap020195/02a00030/0
There might be other historical precedence as well
Good call Sojourneyman, I knew there was at least one historical example of burning the ships like that. There may be literary examples that this is meant to reference, as well. I'm pretty sure it's not what they were going for, but Warcraft III's storyline has a similar plot device, where one of the main characters secretly destroys his own army's ships, to prevent them from deserting and to rally them against the enemy.
Anyway, the song is about committing fully and completely to a cause. The speaker is ordering the ships burned, forcing himself (and his men) to commit to his task until the very end - either he'll be a ghost or a king, but he won't turn around and run.
dubbaeww dont be so sure you are not right. Dustin is know to play a shitload of WOW and Warcraft. He might just have been inspired by that story.
My view on the meaning of songs are normally very unique but will tell you what this song meant to me anyway. I felt this the first time i heard this song. It is about how Thrice as a band have evolved, and alot of fans criticise them for not playing hard rock songs like Deadbolt and Paper tigers anymore, and this song is about how they are not going back to their old style, and will continue to make music how they want even if it makes them lose a few fans.
We are kings now, Or nothing at all.
Although some may be dissapointed this is the way that they are going and there is no going back.