They subsequently signed to WEA for their full-length debut, Young, Wild and Free, in 1986, adding Johnny Rogers on keyboards replacing Martin Victor. That album spawned the Canadian hit singles "We Came to Rock" and "Can't Wait for the Night". The band followed up with Take a Deep Breath in 1988 which sold 70,000 copies in Canada. While writing for 1991's Love Machine, Rogers left the band. Gerry McGhee stated, "We didn't really feel that keyboards were part of us anymore. There's really no place for them in our musical direction now." Rogers was replaced for touring purposes by a second guitar player, Greg Bioleau, who previously played with McGhee in his first band, The Rockers. The band broke up after the tour to support Love Machine. The band regrouped for a reunion tour in 2001, releasing the live album A Room for Five Live in 2002.
Nightstalker
Brighton Rock Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
At night he comes a criminal insane
Shadows move from the tomb
The hands of evil around you
Screams from the night
No one is safe
Pre-chorus
Stalking down the prey by moonlight
A Madman in a rage
Hell isn't far away
Chorus
Nightstalker
Nightstalker
Justice from his gun
He's ust a bad dream on the run
Tonight high in the hills
A twisted mind will play
An the law hunts down the demon to try and put him in a
Cage
Headlines say, nightstalker strikes again
Pre-chorus
Chorus
Bridge
Terror rains, chasing the madman
Blackness fades well into his eyes
Vicious game all are invited but
No one is left alive
Lead break
Pre-chorus
Chorus
Bridge
Chorus
The lyrics of "Nightstalker" by Brighton Rock depict a sinister figure who brings terror and chaos wherever he goes. The "Hells messenger" has arrived, a criminal who is insane and brings shadows and hands of evil upon his victims. The song is an ominous warning of the danger that lurks in the night, as there is no escape from the screams of the night and nobody is safe from the Nightstalker's wrath.
The pre-chorus describes the Nightstalker's relentless pursuit of his prey, a madman on a rage who is always in search of his next victim. The chorus reiterates the song's title and signals the arrival of the Nightstalker once again. However, the bridge introduces a twist in the Nightstalker's story, depicting him as a hunted man who is on the run. The law is after him, and the headlines describe his latest crimes as he continues to elude capture.
The lead break is an instrumental break that underscores the tension and danger of the Nightstalker's story. The song comes to an end with a final chorus, which leaves the listener with the sense that the Nightstalker is a force to be reckoned with.
Line by Line Meaning
Hells messenger He has come to call on you
The personification of evil is coming for the listener
At night he comes a criminal insane
The evil being comes at night and is criminally insane
Shadows move from the tomb
The shadows are moving and coming alive from the tomb
The hands of evil around you
The evil presence is surrounding the listener
Screams from the night
The night is filled with screams
No one is safe
Everyone is in danger
Pre-chorus
The section before the chorus
Stalking down the prey by moonlight
The evil being is hunting its prey under the moonlight
A Madman in a rage
The evil being is in a frenzied and violent state
Hell isn't far away
The presence of evil is very near
Chorus
The main section of the song
Nightstalker
The evil being is a Nightstalker
Nightstalker
The evil being is a Nightstalker
Justice from his gun
The Nightstalker uses his gun to deliver his twisted form of justice
He's ust a bad dream on the run
The Nightstalker is like a nightmare that is on the run
Tonight high in the hills
Tonight, the Nightstalker is lurking in the hills
A twisted mind will play
The Nightstalker has a twisted mind and enjoys playing mind games
An the law hunts down the demon to try and put him in a Cage
The authorities are hunting the Nightstalker and trying to capture him
Headlines say, nightstalker strikes again
The media is reporting that the Nightstalker has struck again
Bridge
The section of the song that connects two main parts
Terror rains, chasing the madman
The feeling of terror is overwhelming as the Nightstalker is being chased
Blackness fades well into his eyes
The darkness is reflected in the Nightstalker's eyes
Vicious game all are invited but
The Nightstalker is playing a vicious game and inviting everyone to join him
No one is left alive
Nobody survives the Nightstalker's twisted game
Lead break
The section of the song where the lead guitar plays a solo
Contributed by Peyton A. Suggest a correction in the comments below.