Army of Lovers featured
Alexander Bard (1987-2001, 2013), Jean-Pierre Barda (1987-2001, 2013), La Camilla (1987-1991, 1996, 2001, Jan-March 2013), Michaela Dornonville De La Cour (1991-1995),
Dominika Peczynski (1992-1996, 2001, March 2013).
Debut single 'When The Night Is Cold' was released in 1988. This song was not to be on debut album 'Disco Extravaganza' released in 1990 (re-named 'Army of Lovers when released in USA & UK in 1991). This was followed by the album 'Massive Luxury Overdose' (1991). La Camilla left the band and released a single 'I Am Not In The Mood For Lovers'. The Group replaced La Camilla with Michaela De La Cour, they re-released 'Massive Luxury Overdose' with extra tracks & with De La Cour on the new album artwork.
In 1992 the band came a four piece when Dominika joined the group and they recorded 'Hasta Manana' for the Abba tribute album.
Albums 'The Gods of Earth and Heaven' (1993) and 'Glory, Glamour & Gold'(1994) followed. The group dis-banded at the end of 1995. They re-formed to release 'Les Greatest Hits' in 1996, De La Cour did not want to be in the group anymore so original member La Camilla was asked back and she returned to record 4 new songs with the group. The Group split again in 1996.
In 2001 Army of Lovers reformed again (again with La Camilla) to release another Greatest Hits album (this time with 3 new tracks - all cover versions of other artist songs). The 2001 album was called 'Le Grand Docu-soap'.
Alexander Bard went on to be in BWO (Bodies Without Organs) and later in Gravitonas
In 2013 Army of Lovers was reformed once again in Melodifestivalen. The Swedish pre selection for Eurovision Song Contest 2013 with the song "Rockin’ the ride"
12 years after their last compilation album "Le Grand Docu-Soap", the reunited Swedish theatro-pop group releases a brand new greatest hits collection, plus 4 brand new songs ("Rockin' the ride", "Crashing down", "Signed on my tattoo" and "Tragedy"). Army of Lovers have always been special, controversial, colourful and creative, mainly due to their image and witty pop songs.
Their name alludes to a documentary Armee der Liebenden oder Revolte der Perversen (Army of Lovers or Revolution of the Perverts) about Rosa von Praunheim, which in turn alludes to the Theban Band.
Say Goodbye To Babylon
Army of Lovers Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Bitter tears for a city's fate
Raise your voice in an ancient song
Say goodbye to Babylon
Hanging gardens with falling leaves
Temples robbed by the Persian thieves
Once this empire was standing strong
Never say never
Never forever
Always and ever
Always forever
Kingdoms dancing in nebu's dream
Ask the prophets what kingdoms mean
Count the battles our lord has won
Say goodbye to Babylon
Sacred sighs written on the wall
From above holy angels fall
Paradise where we all come from
Say goodbye to Babylon
Never say never
Never forever
Always and ever
Always forever
Xerxes tore every wall apart
Let our home with a broken heart
Blood in euphrat but life goes on
Say goodbye to Babylon
Life was good in the site of life
All that's left is eternal strife
Baby's riding a neutron bomb
Say goodbye to Babylon
Never say never
Never forever
Always and ever
Always forever
The lyrics of Army of Lovers' "Say Goodbye to Babylon" confront the fall of a powerful empire - Babylon. The song begins by describing the singer walking under the lion's gate with tears in their eyes reflecting on the city's fate. However, the song follows a more philosophical approach as it acknowledges that nothing in life is permanent; kingdoms rise and fall, and we are all a part of a cycle.
The lyrics then talk about the hanging gardens becoming barren and the temples being robbed, signifying the loss of beauty and the decline of faith. Nevertheless, the lyrics encourage the listeners to raise their voice and sing an ancient song in response; a song of both mourning and accepting that Babylon will come to an end.
The following lyrics feature references to biblical figures like Nebu and angels falling from above, indicating that the fall of this powerful empire is part of a grand universal plan. All that is left is eternal strife as the lyrics end with a dark imagery of a baby riding on a neutron bomb, indicating that the future we inherit from the past carries its consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
Walking under the lion's gate
We are walking in the remains of an ancient civilization that was once powerful and great.
Bitter tears for a city's fate
We mourn for this lost, great city and the fate it fell to.
Raise your voice in an ancient song
Let us preserve the memory of this place with song and keep it alive.
Say goodbye to Babylon
It's time to move on and let this lost civilization rest in peace.
Hanging gardens with falling leaves
The once-great, beautiful gardens that adorned this city now lie deserted and neglected.
Temples robbed by the Persian thieves
Foreign invaders have looted and pillaged this city, destroying the precious temples and artifacts it held.
Once this empire was standing strong
This city was once a powerful empire, respected and feared by many.
Say goodbye to Babylon
It's time to let go of this lost civilization and move on to new things.
Never say never
Anything can happen, even the fall of mighty civilizations.
Never forever
All things end eventually, even empires that seem indestructible.
Always and ever
The memory of this city will always live on.
Always forever
We will continue to remember and honor this lost civilization.
Kingdoms dancing in nebu's dream
The dream of a powerful empire once danced in many people's minds, including Nebuchadnezzar's.
Ask the prophets what kingdoms mean
Prophets have foretold the rise and fall of many civilizations, including this one.
Count the battles our lord has won
This city has seen many battles and triumphs, and they should not be forgotten.
Say goodbye to Babylon
It's time to let this city rest in peace and remember it fondly.
Sacred sighs written on the wall
The walls of this city still bear the marks of its rich history and culture.
From above holy angels fall
The history of this city is watched over by angels and other divine beings.
Paradise where we all come from
Many believe that this city was once a paradise, the cradle of civilization.
Say goodbye to Babylon
It's time to bid farewell to this city and let it rest in peace.
Xerxes tore every wall apart
The walls that once protected this city were easily brought down by an invading army.
Let our home with a broken heart
We mourn the loss of our former home, now broken and destroyed.
Blood in euphrat but life goes on
The river Euphrates may run red with the blood of its people, but life goes on.
Say goodbye to Babylon
It's time to say goodbye to this city and move on to new things.
Life was good in the site of life
This city was once a beacon of hope and prosperity, but now it lies in ruins.
All that's left is eternal strife
The people who remain now must struggle to survive in a world of chaos and destruction.
Baby's riding a neutron bomb
The future is uncertain and fraught with danger, like a baby riding a neutron bomb.
Say goodbye to Babylon
It's time to move on from this city and focus on the future.
Never say never
We cannot predict what the future holds.
Never forever
All empires fall eventually.
Always and ever
The memory of this city will live on forever.
Always forever
We will always honor and remember this lost civilization.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: ALEXANDER BENGT MAGNUS BARD, ANDERS WILHELM WOLLBECK, JEAN-PIERRE MICHEL BARDA
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind