The Official Artch Website @ http://www.artch.net/
Shoot To Kill
Artch Lyrics
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Is the heat and the rain
The soldiers ran for cover. Down the drain.
Ambush on the left, Battle-roars on their right
The moon was bright in the dead of the night
Looking' down at their final fight ...
"Open fire! - Shoot to kill!"
Young Jim lay dead - shot in the head
His eyes looking nowhere
A small-town-hero, at 18 a zero ...
no turnin' back
Never had the will to shoot to kill
Dead on the first attack
"Open fire! - Shoot to kill!"
RULE 1: "Shoot first, then ask questions!
RULE 2: "The winner hails!
RULE 3: Remember, Total destruction!
RULE 4: "Dead men tell no tales!
You man of war! Well you live to see tomorrow!
Be wiser than your father was
Don't fall as a hero
DIE! If you want to but man you can count me out
'Cause I've been there before ...
It's a cold - bloody war
And I know what's it all about ...
"Open fire! - Shoot to kill!"
- Dead men tales no tales -
"Shoot to kill" ... - You're all gonna die!
The lyrics of Artch's song "Shoot to Kill" describe a war scene in the dead of the night, where soldiers ran for cover, amidst smoke, fire, and rain. The soldiers faced an ambush on their left and battle-roars on their right. The moon that shone down on their final battle added to the intensity of the situation. The lyrics emphasize the brutal reality of war through lines like "young Jim lay dead - shot in the head," "total destruction," and "dead men tell no tales." "Shoot to Kill" is a call to arms, a reflection of the harsh and violent nature of wars, where soldiers follow rules of engagement like "shoot first, then ask questions."
The lyrics also make an argument against war, asking soldiers to "be wiser than your father was" and "don't fall as a hero." The singer of the song seems to have previously experienced war and is disillusioned by it upon realizing that "it's a cold - bloody war/ And I know what's it all about." The lyrics question the logic of combat and imply that once war begins, there is no turning back.
Line by Line Meaning
Through the smoke, through the fire
Amidst the chaos and danger of war, soldiers move forward
Is the heat and the rain
Enduring extreme conditions, both weather and heat from battle
The soldiers ran for cover. Down the drain.
Taking cover from the enemy and the danger/battle, ultimately feeling defeated
Ambush on the left, Battle-roars on their right
Being attacked from all sides, trapped in the middle
The moon was bright in the dead of the night
Despite the darkness and danger, the moon illuminated everything
Looking' down at their final fight ...
Observing their last battle and obstacles in their path
"Open fire! - Shoot to kill!"
Giving the command to attack and be merciless
At sunrise the fires died the bloodshed was over
The battle eventually ended, bodies were left behind and the aftermath was seen in daylight
Young Jim lay dead - shot in the head
One of the soldiers died from gunshot and the effect is irreversible
His eyes looking nowhere
The soldier is dead, eyes looking straight ahead, lifeless
A small-town-hero, at 18 a zero ...
A young soldier who came from a small town died at the age of 18, becoming just a number
no turnin' back
Once they entered the war, there was no option to come back
Never had the will to shoot to kill
The soldier never had the desire to inflict fatal wounds on anyone
Dead on the first attack
The soldier was killed in the initial attack
RULE 1: "Shoot first, then ask questions!
One rule of war is to attack immediately, without need for deliberation
RULE 2: "The winner hails!
Victory belongs to those who survive and prove stronger
RULE 3: Remember, Total destruction!
In war, the goal is to completely defeat the enemy and leave nothing standing
RULE 4: "Dead men tell no tales!
Dead men keep secrets, so eliminating them ensures that information remains hidden
You man of war! Well you live to see tomorrow!
Addressing the soldier, reminding them that survival is key and continuing to live is important
Be wiser than your father was
Don't make the same mistakes as before, learn from past battles and experiences
Don't fall as a hero
Don't put yourself in dangerous situations to show off bravery and die unnecessarily
DIE! If you want to but man you can count me out
Challenging the idea of dying for the cause and suggesting that it's not worth it
'Cause I've been there before ...
Having already gone through the horrors of war, the person speaking knows the reality of it
It's a cold - bloody war
War is brutal, unforgiving and ruthless
And I know what's it all about ...
Understanding the purpose and effects of war
"Open fire! - Shoot to kill!"
Repeat of the command to attack, be lethal and show no mercy
- Dead men tales no tales -
Repeating the fourth rule of war, that dead soldiers keep their secrets
"Shoot to kill" ... - You're all gonna die!
The harsh reality of war where being killed is imminent, and weapons and attacks are lethal
Contributed by Ian N. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Violet
This band SHOULD have been bigger, it really should.
erenxbjk
Great song!
Benjamin Blake Mitchner
Scary heavy metal and really good too. Make that brilliant! Norway's best metal band from what I've heard. Who else would someone recommend from there? Also great band is Return, but they technically are not metal. Popol Vuh/Ace before them are my favourite Norwegian band. Hail Thor God Of Thunder! Love from America.
arise212
Sounds like the music style of 80's King Diamond, with the vocals of Iron Maiden.
Benjamin Blake Mitchner
We need more bands like Artch. We need more bands who actually are BANDS in the true sense of the word. If I ever get my shit together I'm going to be pretty much a solo artist like King Diamond is where it's a guy with a vision, but in order to do that I need good musicians. Have you ever noticed how few anti war songs are written now!? APATHY. I want to terrify people with the realities of war and the cold hard truth that maybe witchcraft is the way out. Very dark. However, finding ample musicians for a progressive oriented band is not an easy task as to play like Artch it requires skill, but a progressive Artch would require the addition of keyboards and shock effects. You'd need some seriously good players like Artch and a few extra things thrown in. You can't contrive to be scary either you are or you aren't. I have a dark side to me and I want my music to reflect that.
LRN_News
Wow this band is fucking killer.
JoeWinchesterOlvera
i remenber my days in da high skool !! hell yeah!!
Lew Garner
@erenxbjk I agree, Artch are full on awesome
slammerheadGR
🤘🤘🤘🤘
Benjamin Blake Mitchner
Would love to hear from you and him. Have just recently completed the texts (or if you prefer lyrics) for a really dark rock opera and I'm envisioning some of it like this band with keyboards, but my instruments are guitar (21 years of playing it) and vocals (11 years). This is a great anti war song and a great band. Much love to Norwegians and you and your dad. I'm Ben Blake Mitchner @ benjamin.mitchner@yahoo.com