Caesar
Iggy Pop Lyrics


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People of America
I bring you a great army
To preserve peace
In our empire
Throw them to the lions
Darling, let us go to the banquet hall

There will be a great feast tonight!
Who are these Christians?
What is this strange religion?
I've heard it said they turn the other cheek
Ha ha ha ha
Throw them to the lions
Throw them to the lions
Throw them to the lions
Thumbs down

10 pieces of gold for every man
Hail Caesar hail Caesar
Grapes from Sicily
Silks from Asia minor
All the tea in china
Throw them to the lions
Throw them to the lions
Throw them to the lions
Who are these Christians?

Turn the other cheek
Ha ha ha ha ha
Two thumbs down
The Christians are restless
Why not let them worship their god?

No one believes in the old gods
How tiresome, attending the rituals
Paying lip service to the portents
Burning incense at their shrine
No one believes in the old gods
Throw them to the lions
Throw them to the lions
Throw them to the lions

The roman empire the glory of Rome
Hail all hail
Caesar, Caesar, beware beware the ides of march
Who is this man?

Caesar, he is but a soothsayer, he is old
And his brain is addled, pay him no mind!
Throw him to the lions! ha ha ha ha ha ha
Hail Caesar! emperor of Rome hail Caesar!
Caesar, Caesar, beware the ides of march
Eh?! who is this man?

Caesar, he is but an old soothsayer, addled in his brain
Pay him no mind
Throw him to the lions! ha ha ha ha
Throw him to the lions!
No one believes in the old gods,
The empire is tired, Caesar will rest now.

We depart for my chambers
Come darling
"yes Caesar"
Caesar will rest now
Hail Rome hail Caesar hail




Put him in the fiery pit
Ha ha ha ha!

Overall Meaning

Iggy Pop's song "Caesar" depicts the story of a powerful Roman emperor who brings a mighty army to America in a bid to enforce peace in his empire. However, his real motive is to amass more wealth and enjoy life's pleasures. In the first verse, Caesar addresses the American people and promises them a great feast as he contemplates throwing the Christians to the lions. He mocks their religion that requires them to turn the other cheek when slapped, revealing his disdain for their beliefs.


In the second verse, Caesar laments the people's lack of faith in the old gods and orders the Christians to be thrown to the lions. He offers a reward of ten pieces of gold for every Christian caught, reflecting his greed and his lack of respect for human life. As the song progresses, a soothsayer warns Caesar to beware of the ides of March, but he dismisses it and continues to enjoy his life of extravagance. The song ends with Caesar ordering someone to be put in the fiery pit, suggesting his cruel and ruthless nature.


Overall, "Caesar" is a reflection of the excesses and corruption of those in power and their disregard for the lives of others. It highlights the dangers of unbridled greed and the consequences of abusing power.


Line by Line Meaning

People of America
I am addressing the citizens of Rome


I bring you a great army
I have an army to conquer anything that threatens our empire


To preserve peace
We will use the army to maintain peace


In our empire
Within the boundaries of Rome


Throw them to the lions
Execute those who oppose Rome in the gladiator's arena


Darling, let us go to the banquet hall
Let's go to the party celebrating our triumph over our enemies


There will be a great feast tonight!
We will have a grand celebration with food and drinks


Who are these Christians?
Who are these people who follow a different religion?


What is this strange religion?
What is this unfamiliar belief system?


I've heard it said they turn the other cheek
They don't believe in retaliating when someone harms them


Ha ha ha ha
I find it funny


Thumbs down
A sign of disapproval to sentence someone to death


10 pieces of gold for every man
A reward for those who help bring down our enemies


Hail Caesar hail Caesar
Praise and honor to Caesar


Grapes from Sicily
Food from the conquered lands


Silks from Asia minor
Goods from the exotic East


All the tea in china
An expression meaning we have everything we could ever want


Turn the other cheek
Belief in not retaliating against your enemies


Two thumbs down
Unanimous decision to put someone to death


The Christians are restless
The Christians are unhappy with Rome's oppression


Why not let them worship their god?
Why not allow them to have religious freedom?


No one believes in the old gods
The people are no longer interested in the traditional gods of Rome


How tiresome, attending the rituals
The old Roman religions are becoming obsolete


Paying lip service to the portents
Performing religious rituals without any true belief


Burning incense at their shrine
Offering prayers to the gods without any real belief


The roman empire the glory of Rome
The empire is proud of its achievements


Hail all hail
Praise to the empire


Caesar, Caesar, beware beware the ides of march
A warning to Caesar about a possible assassination plot in March


Caesar, he is but a soothsayer, he is old
The person warning Caesar is just an old man who predicts the future


And his brain is addled, pay him no mind!
His mind is not clear enough to be taken seriously


No one believes in the old gods,
The people of Rome no longer have faith in the traditional gods


The empire is tired, Caesar will rest now.
The empire needs a break from conquering and war


We depart for my chambers
Let's go to my private quarters


Come darling
Come with me


"yes Caesar"
Agreeing to do what Caesar asks


Put him in the fiery pit
Execute the man who warned about the ides of March


Throw him to the lions! ha ha ha ha ha ha
Execute the man who warned about the ides of March in a gruesome and painful way


Hail Rome hail Caesar hail
Praise to Rome and Caesar


Eh?! who is this man?
Who is this person warning me about something?


Caesar, he is but an old soothsayer, addled in his brain
The person warning Caesar is just an old man who predicts the future and is mentally unwell


Throw them to the lions!
Execute those who oppose Rome in the gladiator's arena


No one believes in the old gods,
The people of Rome no longer have faith in the traditional gods


Caesar will rest now
Time for Caesar to take a break


Hail Rome hail Caesar hail
Praise to Rome and Caesar




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC
Written by: ERIC SCHERMERHORN, IGGY POP

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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R Robinson


on Livin' On The Edge Of The Night (edit)

Here are corrections to incorrect lyrics - outrageously, stupidly incorrect: The first line is, "ILL WIND off the river". (And that's ill, not I'll.) The second line is, "smoke stacks fade to BLACK". Second verse: "I've made my bed but I can't REST my head". And "so much COULD be misunderstood". Bridge: "WELL maybe it's just my life". An artist crafts his work meticulously , then this is what happens to it. Disgusting.

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