Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manowar
Studio albums
Battle Hymns (1982)
Into Glory Ride (1983)
Hail to England (1984)
Sign of the Hammer (1984)
Fighting the World (1987)
Kings of Metal (1988)
The Triumph of Steel (1992)
Louder Than Hell (1996)
Warriors of the World (2002)
Gods of War (2007)
Battle Hymns MMXI (2010)
The Lord of Steel (2012)
Kings of Metal MMXIV (2014)
Gates of Valhalla
Manowar Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Open wide thy gates embrace me.
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand.
All those who stand on shore
Raise high your hands to bid a last
farewell to the Viking land.
I'm now immortal, I am there
I take my place by Odin's side
Eternal army in the sky.
I point my hatchet to the wind
I guard the gates and all within
Hear my sword sing as I ride across the sky
Sworn by the sacred blood of Odin onward ride.
Valhalla the gods await me
Open wide thy gates embrace me
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand.
Behold the kingdom of the kings
Books of spells and magic rings
Endless knowledge, endless time
I scream the final battle cry.
The song "Gates of Valhalla" by the heavy metal band Manowar talks about the end of life and the afterlife in Norse mythology. The lyrics start with the singer approaching the gates of Valhalla, the hall of the slain in Asgard, the realm of the gods. He is asking for the gates to open and for him to be accepted into the hall. Once inside, he sees the great hall of the battle slain, an immense hall filled with warriors who died in battle. The singer takes his place by Odin's side, one of the most significant gods in Viking mythology. He is now immortal, part of the eternal army in the sky.
The singer then declares his unbreakable bond with Odin and the sacredness of his duty. He describes himself as a guardian who points his hatchet to the wind and rides across the sky, defending the sacred realm of the gods. At this point, the narration shifts its focus to the kingdom of the kings themselves. The singer beholds the books of spells and magic rings, representing the endless knowledge and time held in the realm of the gods. The singer screams his battle cry, signaling his readiness to fight by Odin's side in the final battle.
Line by Line Meaning
Valhalla the gods await me
I am a warrior who has died in battle and am now headed to the great hall of the gods in Valhalla.
Open wide thy gates embrace me.
I am approaching the gates of Valhalla and asking for them to be opened so I may enter.
Great hall of the battle slain / With sword in hand.
Valhalla is the home of those who died in battle, and I arrive there with my sword still in hand.
All those who stand on shore / Raise high your hands to bid a last / farewell to the Viking land.
Those who are not coming to Valhalla bid me farewell and may be raising their hands in salute.
Death's chilling wind blows through my hair / I'm now immortal, I am there
I have died and am now in Valhalla, which makes me immortal.
I take my place by Odin's side / Eternal army in the sky.
I am now with the god Odin and the other warriors who have gone to Valhalla, forming an army in the sky.
I point my hatchet to the wind / I guard the gates and all within / Hear my sword sing as I ride across the sky / Sworn by the sacred blood of Odin onward ride.
I am on guard duty at the gates of Valhalla, wielding my hatchet and sword to keep watch. As I ride through the skies, I seek to honor my oath to Odin.
Behold the kingdom of the kings / Books of spells and magic rings / Endless knowledge, endless time / I scream the final battle cry.
Valhalla is full of wonders, including books of spells and magic rings. The warriors there have endless time to learn and explore, but we are also constantly preparing for the final battle of Ragnarok.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: JOEY DEMAIO, JOSEPH DE MAIO
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
God
Valhalla, the Gods await me
Open wide thy gates
Embrace me
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand
All those who stand on shore
Raise high your hands to bid a last farewell
To the Viking land
Death's chilling wind blows through my hair
I'm now immortal, I am there
I take my place by Odin's side
Eternal army in the sky
I point my hatchet to the wind
I guard the gates and all within
Hear my sword sing as I ride across the sky
Sworn by the sacred blood of Odin onward ride
Valhalla, the Gods await me
Open wide thy gates
Embrace me
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand
Behold the kingdom of the kings
Books of spells and magic rings
Endless knowledge, endless time
I scream the final battle cry
Weslley Borges
Valhalla the gods await me
Open wide thy gates embrace me.
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand.
All those who stand on shore
Raise high your hands to bid a last
farewell to the Viking land.
Death's chilling wind blows through my hair
I'm now immortal, I am there
I take my place by Odin's side
Eternal army in the sky.
I point my hatchet to the wind
I guard the gates and all within
Hear my sword sing as I ride across the sky
Sworn by the sacred blood of Odin onward ride.
Valhalla the gods await me
Open wide thy gates embrace me
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand.
Behold the kingdom of the kings
Books of spells and magic rings
Endless knowledge, endless time
I scream the final battle cry.
eecaredit
A friend of mine, who introduced me to Manowar and metal in general, just passed away.
This song's for you Paolo,RIP 😢
jonathan hudon
At his prime, Eric Adams was the ultimate heavy-metal singer.
Frieza the Tyrant
I saw Manowar in 22/7 in Athens, he still is the greatest heavy metal singer ever.
WarrioRAbsolutE
Still is the best metal singer, just back then he was better than he is now.
Geralt Of Rivia
He is kinda in his prime still. I saw him four days ago and he still sounds the same. No one else has preserved his voice at this level. He is seventy years old for fuck's sake
Mr. About
Second to none
grimlund
You may be right there. Maybe bether then Dio. Think about Ronnie James singing this song. It would have been interesting to compare them.
God
Valhalla, the Gods await me
Open wide thy gates
Embrace me
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand
All those who stand on shore
Raise high your hands to bid a last farewell
To the Viking land
Death's chilling wind blows through my hair
I'm now immortal, I am there
I take my place by Odin's side
Eternal army in the sky
I point my hatchet to the wind
I guard the gates and all within
Hear my sword sing as I ride across the sky
Sworn by the sacred blood of Odin onward ride
Valhalla, the Gods await me
Open wide thy gates
Embrace me
Great hall of the battle slain
With sword in hand
Behold the kingdom of the kings
Books of spells and magic rings
Endless knowledge, endless time
I scream the final battle cry
Jordan Kowalski
Eric Adams is criminally under rated as a metal singer. Just listen to this or the end of "Secret of Steel". Fucking powerful. Such a big voice.
Made of Metal
Absolutely Jordan! There isn't and there never will be anyone like Eric Adams! He always gives me goosebumps. Hail the king of kings: https://youtu.be/Q0pywgpT4Mk