Catley has started his musical career in band Magnum (founded in 1972). Following Magnum's demise in 1995 and the short-lived Hard Rain project, Catley joined up with Ten vocalist and songwriter Gary Hughes to release the album The Tower (1997), shortly followed by the supporting live album Live At The Gods (1997). Hughes again wrote the material for 1999's Legends release, and the critically acclaimed concept album Middle Earth (2001), which was inspired by J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings.
Despite rejoining Magnum following their reformation in 2002, Catley has continued his solo career with keyboardist Paul Hodson writing and producing 2003's When Empires Burn, his heaviest solo release to date. His latest solo album, Spirit Of Man (2006) saw yet another change in songwriting as Dave Thompson and Paul Uttley of Lost Weekend, and Vince O'Regan of Pulse did the honours.
As well as his career with Magnum and as a solo artist, Catley has lent his vocal talents to other projects by such artists as Clive Nolan and Oliver Wakeman, Gary Hughes, Ayreon and Tobias Sammett of Edguy (Avantasia).
Magnum's latest album, Princess Alice & The Broken Arrow was released in 2007 to excellent reviews and Catley has announced plans to record a new solo album towards the end of the year, set for release in 2008.
the light
Bob Catley Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The second coming of "you know who"
But still they doubt as they stare at the face to believe
Deep in the woods, long after dark
Falling through the stratosphere, shining like a star
They shoot to kill, for the questions come later, you see
Their god is logic in which nothing is divisible
Lying in the gutter with his life-blood spilling again
Oh, it's a world growing colder
Life is a twin bladed knife
Oh, every child born a soldier
Fights but is blind to see the light
Beneath the surface lurks a nightmare or two
So dies a whale that broke the golden rule
She trusted man, in return she is torn from the sea
Treasure the loch secretly keeps
Rises from its peaceful primeval depth sleep
Two thousand years to a circus cage tragedy
Are we laboratory torturers of innocence?
Or are we circumstantial victims of our own pretence?
Killers of a world, systematically eaten away
Oh, it's a world growing colder
Life is a twin bladed knife
Oh, every child born a soldier
Fights but is blind to see the light
Children of night are the dreamers
Carried away on a merciful sleep
Let them slumber on
For tomorrow comes the day
Unwanted life is the reason
Dawn and the gun finds them dead on the streets
Naked in the sun
Now the pain has gone away
But I don't understand
Why only man
Brings suffering of this kind
Are we so blind
We can't see the light?
It's not too late, we could break down the fear
But choose indifference as the end draws near
Not long to wait, the "piece de resistance" is here
Chemical bombs, ashes to dust
Every living creature dies, buildings ain't touched
It's not abuse, they were never developed to use
I said a pointless civil war, a terrorist without a cause
It's been so long that he's forgotten what he's fighting for
Everybody screams, only no one's listening again
Oh, it's a world growing colder
Life is a twin bladed knife
Oh, every child born a soldier
Fights but is blind to see
Oh, it's a world on his shoulders
Now better run for your life
Oh, it's a frightful disclosure
Search in your hearts to see the light
To see the light
"The Light" is a powerful song written and performed by Bob Catley. The lyrics depict the harsh reality of the world we live in, where people are quick to judge and slow to believe in something that seems too good to be true. The song opens with the reference of the famous biblical story of the second coming of Christ. Still, people doubt and stand skeptical, refusing to accept the miracle that's in front of them. The lyrics continue to talk about how the world is becoming colder, life is becoming harder, and every child is born into this world as a soldier. The song also touches upon the cruelty humans inflict upon animals and the environment, showing how we fail to care about the existence and well-being of others that share this world with us.
The song conveys a message of hopelessness and despair, but there is still a glimpse of light that could save us from the darkness. The lyrics urge us to search within our hearts to see the light, to break down the fear, and choose love, kindness, and empathy. However, we are reminded that we are running out of time, and indifference could lead to disastrous outcomes. The song concludes with a powerful line, "Are we so blind we can't see the light?" questioning humanity's blindness towards all the pain and suffering around us.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the streets, where the rumours flew
The people are spreading rumors out in the streets.
The second coming of "you know who"
The rumors were about the second coming of a well-known person.
But still they doubt as they stare at the face to believe
The people are hesitant and unsure despite the face they see.
Deep in the woods, long after dark
Something is happening secretly in the woods late at night.
Falling through the stratosphere, shining like a star
Something or someone is falling from the sky and is noticeable.
They shoot to kill, for the questions come later, you see
People react violently and with no remorse, without considering the consequences.
Their god is logic in which nothing is divisible
Logic is their guiding belief, which allows no room for division.
They stone the fake as he performs another miracle
People criticize and hate those who are perceived as false or insincere, even when these people perform miracles.
Lying in the gutter with his life-blood spilling again
Someone is dying on the street with no one willing or able to help.
Oh, it's a world growing colder
The world is becoming colder and less welcoming.
Life is a twin bladed knife
Life is dangerous and can hurt people in two ways.
Oh, every child born a soldier
Everyone is born ready to fight and face challenges.
Fights but is blind to see the light
People struggle and fight without realizing what is really important in life.
Beneath the surface lurks a nightmare or two
There are hidden problems or secrets that are scary or dangerous.
So dies a whale that broke the golden rule
A whale died because it did something it was forbidden to do.
She trusted man, in return she is torn from the sea
A whale trusted humans, but they took it away from its natural habitat.
Treasure the loch secretly keeps
A secret treasure is kept in the loch (lake) unknown to most people.
Rises from its peaceful primeval depth sleep
Something ancient and mysterious is waking up from the deep parts of the lake.
Two thousand years to a circus cage tragedy
A sad and tragic event took place in a circus two thousand years ago.
Are we laboratory torturers of innocence?
Are we the ones who harm and kill innocent beings in laboratories?
Or are we circumstantial victims of our own pretence?
Are we victims of our own lies and false beliefs?
Killers of a world, systematically eaten away
We are destroying the world and everything in it bit by bit.
Children of night are the dreamers
People who are active at night are more likely to have dreams and fantasies.
Carried away on a merciful sleep
These dreamers are taken away by their dreams and can rest mercifully.
Let them slumber on
Let the dreamers sleep and rest.
For tomorrow comes the day
They will have to wake up eventually.
Unwanted life is the reason
Life that was not intended or planned is the cause of many problems.
Dawn and the gun finds them dead on the streets
People are killed on the street in the early morning.
Naked in the sun
The dead bodies are exposed to the sun bare.
Now the pain has gone away
The dead people are no longer in pain.
But I don't understand
The singer is confused and doesn't understand something.
Why only man
Why do humans seem to be the only ones causing harm?
Brings suffering of this kind
Why do humans bring so much pain and misery?
Are we so blind
Are we oblivious to the consequences of our actions?
We can't see the light?
Are we unable to see what we are doing wrong?
It's not too late, we could break down the fear
It is still possible to overcome our fears and make positive changes.
But choose indifference as the end draws near
But we often choose to be indifferent and not care as the end approaches.
Not long to wait, the "piece de resistance" is here
The most important or impressive thing is about to happen soon.
Chemical bombs, ashes to dust
Something destructive and deadly is happening with chemical bombs.
Every living creature dies, buildings ain't touched
Everything living is killed, but buildings and objects are spared.
It's not abuse, they were never developed to use
The destruction was not intentional, as these things were never meant to be used that way.
I said a pointless civil war, a terrorist without a cause
A useless and destructive conflict with someone who has no clear motives or goals.
It's been so long that he's forgotten what he's fighting for
The terrorist has been at it for so long that he doesn't even remember why he started in the first place.
Everybody screams, only no one's listening again
Everyone is screaming and shouting, but no one is really paying attention to what anyone else is saying.
Oh, it's a world growing colder
The world is becoming even colder and more unwelcoming.
Life is a twin bladed knife
Life is still dangerous and can harm people in two ways.
Oh, every child born a soldier
Every person is born ready to face challenges and difficulties.
Fights but is blind to see the light
People still struggle and fight without realizing what is truly important.
Oh, it's a world on his shoulders
The weight of the world is on someone's shoulders.
Now better run for your life
People need to run away or escape for their own safety.
Oh, it's a frightful disclosure
Something terrible is being revealed or discovered.
Search in your hearts to see the light
People need to look deep within themselves to realize what is truly important in life and to find happiness.
To see the light
People need to understand and embrace what is truly meaningful in life.
Contributed by Penelope S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.