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Rebel Of Babylon Lyrics
Rebel, grip your bottle tight
Just float away
Rebel, is it hard to leave?
What makes you stay?
Go take your poison ink
Sign life away
Then take your dirty spoon
And dig your grave
Rebel grips the bottle tight
Just floats away
Rebel finds it hard to leave
What makes you stay?
He takes the poison ink
Signing life away
Then takes the dirty spoon
And digs his grave
Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo-martyr
Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up, rebel of Babylon
Renegade fights the fight
That no one wins
He claims a crown of thorns
To pierce the skin
He climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
Thinks they'll remember him
After he's gone
Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo-martyr
Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up, rebel of Babylon
Rise up
Resurrection
This rebel fights the fight
That no one wins
To claim a crown of thorns
To pierce his skin
Climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
He loses consciousness
The myth lives on
Let this dark shine
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Kill me one more time
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo-martyr
Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up, rebel of Babylon
Rise up
Resurrection
Just float away
Rebel, is it hard to leave?
What makes you stay?
Go take your poison ink
Sign life away
Then take your dirty spoon
And dig your grave
Just floats away
Rebel finds it hard to leave
What makes you stay?
He takes the poison ink
Signing life away
Then takes the dirty spoon
And digs his grave
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo-martyr
Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up, rebel of Babylon
That no one wins
He claims a crown of thorns
To pierce the skin
He climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
Thinks they'll remember him
After he's gone
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo-martyr
Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up, rebel of Babylon
Resurrection
That no one wins
To claim a crown of thorns
To pierce his skin
Climbs his crucifix
And waits for dawn
He loses consciousness
The myth lives on
Let this dark shine
Let it shine bright
Don't let it burn out tonight
Stigmata
Kill me one more time
Neo-martyr
Gonna die young
Gonna live forever
Kill me one more time
Rise up, rebel of Babylon
Resurrection
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If this is supposed to be about Layne, it's definitely not a tribute. More of a spitting on his grave, for the way he threw his life away with drugs. The sarcastic line "Gonna die young, gonna live forever" and the last verse really laugh in the face of the grunge generation sympathizing with Kurt Cobain's misinterpretation of Neil Young and "it's better to burn out than to fade away".
This is NOT the song about Staley (Shine). At Night #2 of Metallicas San Francisco shows, they played Just A Bullet Away. Right before starting, James said that the working title for it has been "Shine". So Shine is in fact Just A Bullet Away. Rebel Of Babylon seems to be about religious martyrs..
@SwissWolv I was at all four shows and this is definitely touched on Layne. Get your shit in order.
@SwissWolv I was at all four shows and this is definitely touched on Layne. Get your shit in order.
you guys gotta check your facts, on night four (December 10th, 2011) of the Fillmore concerts, after the debut of this song, James stated "there was a lot of talk about lyrical inspiration on death magnetic, talking about falling brothers and sisters dying too young, specially in the rock n roll lifestyle, and that one was inspired by Layne Staley and his lifestyle and we miss him"
@caiowatanabe yes sir. Word for word
@caiowatanabe yes sir. Word for word
This song is based on Staley
Honestly I think this is about those who martyr themselves in the name of a religion. Doesn't seem to be about Layne at all.
Cool Song! Love it
This isn't the song about Layne Staley.
I believe this is a recovery song... Essentially, this song refers to selling your soul for rockn'roll (Sign life away) along with the alcohol and drugs that come with it (The bottle and the spoon)
Hetfield has refereed to himself as a rebel in other lyrics (Mama said, for example) He is the rebel selling his soul for a rock-star lifestyle. He submits himself to that crucifix of an addict lifestyle. He does this all in the sake of being immortalized thru his music (gonna die young, gonna live forever/ thinks they'll remember him)
The last line "resurrection" may signify his resurrection from that life, his recovery and release from addiction and/or possibly even being saved.
These lyrics seem to use imagery of the New Testament gospels in The Bible. Mr. Hetfield seems to be a Christian, tho I cannot confirm or deny this explicitly...
I remember reading an interview somewhere where James (I think) said that they wrote a song about Layne Staley called "Shine". I think this is it. Great song