Veteran Of The Psychic Wars

Blue Öyster Cult

You're seeing now a veteran of a thousand psychic wars,
I've been living on the edge so long, where the winds of Limbo roar.
And I'm young enough to look at,
And far old to see, all the stars are on the inside.
I'm not sure that's there's anything left to me

Don't let these shakes go on!
It's time we had a break from it,
It's time we had some leave.
We've been living in a place,
We've been eating up our brains.
Oh please don't let these shakes go on!

You ask me why I'm willing, why I can't speak to you,
You blame me for my silence, saying it's time I changed and grew.
But the wars still going on dear,
And there's no one that I know.
And I can't stand forever.

I can't say if were ever gonna be free,
Don't let these shakes go on!
It's time we had a break from it,
It's time we had some leave.
We've been living in a place,
We've been eating up our brains,
Oh please don't let these shakes go on!

You're seeing now a veteran of a thousand psychic wars,
My energy is spent at last, and my armor is destroyed,
I have used up all my weapons, and I'm helpless and bereaved.

Wounds are all I'm made of!
Did I hear you say that this is victory?
Don't let these shakes go on!
It's time we had a break from it,Send me to the rear!
Where the title madness swell,
And been sliding into Hell.

Oh please don't let these shakes go on!
Don't let these shakes go on
Don't let these shakes go on!


Lyrics submitted by shut, edited by Tasaar, JohnDaker, Civanfan, LyricHippo, Curt84328

Veteran of the Psychic Wars Lyrics as written by Michael Moorcock

Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

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Veteran Of The Psychic Wars song meanings
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14 Comments

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  • +8
    General CommentIt's about Michael Moorcock's Eternal Champion, you tits.
    LoboParamilitaryon August 24, 2006   Link
  • +5
    General CommentYup, written by Moorcock.
    It is of course about the Eternal Champion in general, but it seems it would best fit Erekosë as he's the one who can remember all his previous incarnations.
    beichanon November 23, 2006   Link
  • +1
    Song MeaningThe literal phrase "Veterans of the Psychic Wars" is mentioned in the Eternal Champion trilogy. If I remember correctly, they are incarnations of the Eternal Champion who fought for so long that they forgot about everything except fighting. The current Eternal Champion calls on them for help in a battle. Those of them that die on the battefield are set free, while the rest have to wait another era (or whatever it's called; been a while) for the next battle. There's also a Hawkwind song about it called Warriors.
    Noilenon March 15, 2013   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationTo me, this song is about mental illness. Maybe a survivor of severe abuse. Even if you can get away from the abusive situation, the psychic scares run deep and the mind can be severely injured.
    Susinkoon April 04, 2014   Link
  • +1
    My InterpretationWhile this song by Moorcock is obviously about the Eternal Champion, I do not find any validation for assuming it is about any one of those whose journeys have been written of.

    What is more likely, is that this song, written for a sci-fi film, gave Moorcock an opportunity to express that the Eternal Champion, even in some futuristic world of psionic intergalactic warriors, continues as the Avatar of the Balance.
    TitusPrimeon January 09, 2016   Link
  • 0
    General CommentWhat a wonderful alusion to extreme withdrawl from psychadellic drugs. A battleground where the mind is destroyed as much from the use of the drugs and the abstinence from them. I have ALWAYS loved the visions produced by this song, but in studying the meaning, there is so much more depth as to make this an incredible literary feat.

    By the way, it should read "But the war's still going on, Dear, and there's no END that I know."
    Arcadyon March 11, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General CommentActually I think it's about battles within another entity's mind.BOC are notorius for science-fiction elements in their music.This one's one of my favorites,it was used in the movie Heavy Metal.It fits the type of story too.
    tyranny_soulson May 14, 2009   Link
  • 0
    Song MeaningThe song is based on Elric of Melniboné (probably the most famous of the Eternal Champions, wikipedia has a good overview of him), a character written by Michael Moorecock. This isn't just my interpretation, its what the writers intended. He wrote at least some of the lyrics. But if I didn't know better, I would think it was about drug addiction too. I just found out about this song recently (I vaguely remembered it from the movie Heavy Metal). Awesome song.
    SadisticSavioron October 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentAlso, the lyric in the line "But the war's still going on, dear, and there's nowhen that I know" is wrong...it is "no end" not "nowhen".
    SadisticSavioron October 26, 2009   Link
  • 0
    General CommentMicheal Moorcock did cowrite this song (along with Black Blade and the Great Sun Jester).
    He says the song is an allusion to a soldier's post traumatic stress syndrome. They keep living the horror in their heads.
    Tonyd101on March 25, 2010   Link

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