Heaven Shall Burn's musical style has been described as metalcore, melodic death metal, and deathcore. Their lyrics express strong support for anti-racism and anti-fascism, as well as political resistance and animal rights. All members are vegans or vegetarians and most follow a straight edge philosophy.
53 Nations
Heaven Shall Burn Lyrics
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Born in distant fatherlands
Marching under the heavens of Spain
And without fear go to the barricades
Brothers and sisters in arms
This is the reckoning
Now only hatred fills our hearts
In ruthless fights, I saw my best friends die
Now buried far away, so far away from home,
Lionhearted soldiers, no one shall forget their names
Understanding what the world still had to learn
No mercy to the villains,
Defending the republic infected by a fascist pestilence
This righteous fight reveals your shame,
Delivered to oblivion, those who fought a horrid beast
Homecoming held no glory and silence covers ours tombs,
Scorned and despised, left and denied, but still do I defy,
I still resist and fight your apathy,
And still I fight
53 Nations is a song by Heaven Shall Burn that reflects on the brave soldiers who fought and died during the Spanish Civil War (1936-1939). The first stanza describes how many soldiers from different nationalities were ready to fight for their chosen country. They marched to the battlefield under the highest sky of Spain with a fearless and determined spirit. The chorus goes on to describe how the soldiers, regardless of nationality, had become brothers and sisters in arms who had come to terms with the struggle's impending outcome. Hatred filled their hearts as they raised the flag of freedom.
The second verse speaks about some of the soldiers who did not come back to their respective homelands, the soldiers who died far away from home. The soldiers who fought and died with a lion-hearted spirit will never be forgotten, and their names will remain forever etched in history. Heaven Shall Burn notes that these soldiers understood what the world still had to learn. They stood up against the villainous, fascist powers that were trying to infect the land of Spain with their pestilence. The righteous fighters ended up being forgotten and delivered to oblivion, but the band urges the listeners to remember the heroism and sacrifice of these soldiers.
The song conveys a strong message of resistance and defiance, despite the fact that those who fought during the Spanish Civil War were scorned and rejected in their home society, leading to silence being their only reward. The song ends with the band stating that despite the silence, it will not bow to apathy and will continue to fight in defiance.
Line by Line Meaning
So many sons and daughters, poised to attack,
There are countless young people prepared to go to battle.
Born in distant fatherlands
These soldiers come from places far away from where they will fight.
Marching under the heavens of Spain
The troops move forward under the vast skies of Spain.
And without fear go to the barricades
There is no hesitation or apprehension as they approach the barriers.
Brothers and sisters in arms
The soldiers fighting together have a familial bond.
This is the reckoning
The moment of decision or judgement has arrived.
Now only hatred fills our hearts
Feelings of anger are the only emotion left inside.
Raising the colours of freedom
The flag of freedom is raised as a symbol of their cause.
In ruthless fights, I saw my best friends die
The battles were merciless, and resulted in the death of close friends.
Now buried far away, so far away from home,
Their fallen comrades were laid to rest in locations far removed from their birthplace.
Lionhearted soldiers, no one shall forget their names
The brave warriors will always be remembered for their heroism.
Understanding what the world still had to learn
By fighting in these conflicts, they gained a greater understanding of what the world still needed to discover.
No mercy to the villains,
Those who represent evil and injustice will be shown no mercy.
Defending the republic infected by a fascist pestilence
The soldiers are fighting to protect their democratic government from the harmful influence of fascist beliefs.
This righteous fight reveals your shame,
By opposing their cause, one should be ashamed of their beliefs and actions.
Delivered to oblivion, those who fought a horrid beast
Those who bravely fought against the oppressive forces of fascism were often forgotten.
Homecoming held no glory and silence covers ours tombs,
Returning home from war did not bring the sense of pride or honor one may expect, and many graves go unattended.
Scorned and despised, left and denied, but still do I defy,
Even in the face of rejection and mistreatment, the soldiers continue to resist.
I still resist and fight your apathy,
The troops continue to oppose indifference and inaction towards the threats to their way of life.
And still I fight
The battle persists.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MAIK WEICHERT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind