Gods Of War
Def-Leppard Lyrics
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Feelin' like it's not easy, breathin' life in the dust
On a countdown to zero, take a ride on the nightmare machine
There ain't gonna be heroes
There ain't gonna be anything
Oh, here it comes, here comes the night
Here it comes, hell in the night
When we all fall down
When we walk into silence
When we shadow the sun
When we surrender to violence
Oh, then the damage is done, put away that gun
I don't want to be there
I don't want to be anywhere
Oh, here it comes, here comes the night
Here it comes, hell in the night
Here it comes, here comes the night
That's right
We're fightin' for the gods of war but what the hell we fightin' for?
We're fightin' with the gods of war but I'm a rebel
And I ain't gonna fight no more no way
On a countdown to zero
Take a ride on the nightmare machine
There ain't gonna be heroes
Whoa, there ain't gonna be anything
No
Here it comes, here comes the night
Here it comes, hell in the night
Here it comes, here comes the night
That's right
We're fightin' for the gods of war but what the hell we fightin' for?
We're fightin' with the gods of war but I'm a rebel
We're fightin' for the gods of war but what the hell we fightin' for?
We're fightin' with the gods of war
Heavy
The lyrics of Def-Leppard's "Gods of War" describe the feeling of hopelessness and despair during a war. The first verse describes the aftermath of a battle, where there is no love, no heroes, and nothing left. The second verse talks about the inevitability of destruction when violence starts. The chorus, "here comes the night," shows the darkness of war, where even the sun is shadowed. The third verse is a rebellion against this war, where the singer refuses to fight anymore, and the last chorus repeats the idea that they are fighting for the gods of war, but they do not even know what they are fighting for.
The song is named after an ancient concept of the god of war, which is present in almost all religions. It is usually associated with the destructive powers of war that can bring devastation to civilizations. The lyrics of the song try to capture these feelings of chaos and destruction, which are often the reality of war. The song questions the purpose of war in a world where there are no heroes or love, and the only outcome of war is destruction.
* "Gods of War" is the first track of Def Leppard's 1987 album "Hysteria."
* The song was written by Joe Elliott, Rick Allen, Phil Collen, Steve Clark, and Rick Savage
* It was the first time the band had used a drum machine on a track
* The music video was directed by Jean Pellerin and Doug Freel and features footage of actual wars
* This song was part of a trilogy of songs on the album "Hysteria" that included "Run Riot" and "Excitable."
* Def Leppard dedicated the album to Steve Clark who died in 1991 from drug and alcohol abuse.
* The album was nominated for the Album of the Year award at the Grammy Awards in 1989 along with Best Rock Performance by a Duo or Group
* The song was released as a single in the US but didn't reach the Billboard Hot 100
* It is often cited as one of the best tracks on the album in retrospectives of Def Leppard's music
* The band has played the song live on tours since the album's release.
Chords (as played by Def-Leppard):
Intro: D5 A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 C5 D5
Verse: D5 A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 D5 A5 C5 D5
Chorus: G5 D5 A5 C5 G5 D5 A5 C5 G5 D5 A5 C5
Bridge: G5 D5 A5 C5 G5 D5 A5 C5 G5 D5 A5 C5
Outro: G5 D5 A5 C5 G5 D5 A5 C5 G5 D5 A5 C5
Line by Line Meaning
Feelin' like it's over, feelin' like there's no love
Feeling hopeless and without love
Feelin' like it's not easy, breathin' life in the dust
Struggling to find meaning and purpose in life
On a countdown to zero, take a ride on the nightmare machine
Running out of time and feeling trapped in a terrifying situation
There ain't gonna be heroes
There will be no one to save us
There ain't gonna be anything
Everything will be destroyed
Oh, here it comes, here comes the night
A sense of impending doom and darkness
Here it comes, hell in the night
An intense and terrifying experience
When we all fall down
When everything collapses
When we walk into silence
When there is no sound or communication
When we shadow the sun
When darkness overshadows everything else
When we surrender to violence
When we give in to aggression and conflict
Oh, then the damage is done, put away that gun
Once violence has been unleashed, it cannot be undone and it's time to end it
I don't want to be there
I don't want to experience the destruction and violence
I don't want to be anywhere
I don't want to be involved or associated with it
That's right
Affirming the reality and truth of the situation
We're fightin' for the gods of war but what the hell we fightin' for?
Questioning the reasons and motivations for going to war
We're fightin' with the gods of war but I'm a rebel
Even though others are fighting, I refuse to participate and resist the call to violence
And I ain't gonna fight no more no way
I will not engage in conflict anymore
No
Emphasizing the negative implications of war and destruction
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLEN, CLARK, COLLEN, ELLIOTT, LANGE, SAVAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind