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The Writing On The Wall Lyrics
Across a painted desert lies a train of vagabonds
All that’s left of what we were it’s what we have become
Once our empires glorious but now the empire’s gone
The dead gave us the time to live and now our time is done
Now we are victorious we’ve become our slaves
A land of hope and glory building graveyards for the brave
Have you seen the writing on the wall
Have you seen that writing
Can you see the riders on the storm
Can you see them riding ~ can you see them riding
Holding on to jury is that all we ever know
Ignorance our judge and jury all we’ve got to show
From Hollywood to Babylon ~ holy war to kingdom come
On a trail of dust and ashes ~ when the burning sky is done
A tide of change is coming and that is what you fear
The earthquake is a coming but you don’t want to hear
You’re just too blind to see
Have you seen the writing on the wall
Have you seen that writing
Can you see the riders on the storm
Can you see them riding
Can you see them riding. . . Riding next to you
All that’s left of what we were it’s what we have become
Once our empires glorious but now the empire’s gone
The dead gave us the time to live and now our time is done
A land of hope and glory building graveyards for the brave
Have you seen that writing
Can you see the riders on the storm
Can you see them riding ~ can you see them riding
Ignorance our judge and jury all we’ve got to show
From Hollywood to Babylon ~ holy war to kingdom come
On a trail of dust and ashes ~ when the burning sky is done
A tide of change is coming and that is what you fear
The earthquake is a coming but you don’t want to hear
You’re just too blind to see
Have you seen that writing
Can you see the riders on the storm
Can you see them riding
Can you see them riding. . . Riding next to you
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Here is the history surrounding the song title's meaning.
It all began with promotional flyers touting 'Belshazzar's Feast,' which is the story of the writing on the wall from chapter five in the Book of Daniel in the Bible. It is also the origin of the everyday phrase about seeing the writing on the wall, meaning a certain event is imminent and should be obvious to an observer.
In celebration of the destruction of the First Temple, Belshazzar, a Babylonian prince and son of King Nebuchadnezzar hosts an extravagant feast for a thousand of his lords. The festivities are disrupted when a hand appears and begins to write on a wall, which prompts Belshazzar to call upon his wise men to decipher the text. They are unable to do so, however.
Under the advice of the queen, Belshazzar then summons a captive, Daniel, a figure known for his wisdom, who offers a reminder that Nebuchadnezzar was humbled by god for his arrogance. He then informs Belshazzar, a known blasphemer, that the writing on the wall warns the prince that his life will soon be coming to an end and that his kingdom will be delivered to the Medes and Persians.
Four cloaked riders traverse the desert in an effort to vanquish a political adversary (painted as an American President, as evidenced by the 'Pres 1' license plate and upside down American flags devoid of its 50 stars). Still, the message remains the same, that if an individual fails to recognize the inevitable, it will only end poorly for them.
source: https://loudwire.com/
Have you seen the writing on the wall?
Everything must come to an end seems to be the message of the song. It's a bit reminiscent of The Book of Souls, both musically and lyrically. Empires come and go.
"The dead gave us the time to live, but now our time is done"
People before us worked hard to create a better future and better world, but we are leaving a mess for future generations.