Rock 'N' Roll Mercenaries
Meat Loaf Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Talking, horses, talking, fun, talking, self, talking, power
Talking, diamonds, talking, ego, talking, man, talking, wealth)
(And talking, power)
(And talking, power)
Money is power, power is fame
Talking about rock 'n' roll mercenaries
Soldiers of fortune by some other name
I'm talking about rock 'n' roll mercenaries
Money is power, 'n' power is fame
Everything you pay to hear, just listen
Everything to catch your ear, just listen
Whatever it takes, they're ready to sell
Anything and everything they do it themselves
[Chorus]
Young are the victims so easily (swayed, slain)
(As some given are poisoned, all continuous placed)
Our conscience is a load, so heavy to carry, for a rock 'n' roll mercenary
[Chorus]
It starts with a game, see how they play
Till all of the laughter is faded away
It's not for the song, it's not for the love
It's just for the gold and there's never enough, never enough
[Chorus]
It's not for the song, it's not for the love
It's just for the gold, there's never enough
[Chorus]
(Rock 'n' roll mercenaries)
(Talking, talking)
(Talking, talking)
(Talking, talking)
(Talking, talking)
Rock 'n' roll mercenaries, ooh, talkin' about
Rock 'n' roll mercenaries,
In the opening lines of Meat Loaf's song "Rock 'N' Roll Mercenaries", the singer emphasizes the different worldly possessions that people seek out in life. They talk about wealth, money, power, fun, self, diamonds, ego, and fame, placing these things on equal footing with one another. This is a criticism of the music industry, exemplified through the metaphor of the "rock 'n' roll mercenary". These are musicians who sell their talent and abilities to higher bidders, with no care for the art they produce or the audience they reach. The "mercenaries" are in it just for the money and fame, with no regard for the people they exploit, their impact on society or the deeper meaning and purpose of music.
The chorus of the song continues with this theme and describes the rock 'n' roll mercenaries as "soldiers of fortune by some other name" who are in the business only for the money and fame. The rest of the song then describes the consequences of this mercenary approach to music, including the exploitation of young listeners and the weight of a guilty conscience. The song ultimately speaks on the irony of the industry, where the pursuit of money never seems enough, perpetually leading towards degradation instead of satisfaction.
Line by Line Meaning
Talking, talking, wealth, talking, money, talking, power
Money is power and power is wealth
Talking, horses, talking, fun, talking, self, talking, power
Talking about having fun, being selfish, and using power
Talking, diamonds, talking, ego, talking, man, talking, wealth
Talking about being wealthy and having a big ego
(And talking, power)
Repeating that power is important
(And talking, power)
Repeating that power is important
Talking about rock 'n' roll mercenaries
Discussing the concept of rock 'n' roll mercenaries
Soldiers of fortune by some other name
Rock musicians who only care about money and power
I'm talking about rock 'n' roll mercenaries
Continuing to discuss rock 'n' roll mercenaries
Money is power, 'n' power is fame
Reiterating that money and power go hand in hand
Everything you pay to hear, just listen
Musicians will sell anything to make money
Everything to catch your ear, just listen
Musicians will do anything to get your attention
Whatever it takes, they're ready to sell
Music is just for sale, no matter the cost
Anything and everything they do it themselves
Musicians are self-centered and only care about themselves
Young are the victims so easily (swayed, slain)
Young people are easily influenced and hurt by these manipulative musicians
(As some given are poisoned, all continuous placed)
As some fans are hurt, the cycle of manipulation and exploitation continues
Our conscience is a load, so heavy to carry, for a rock 'n' roll mercenary
These musicians must carry the burden of their own conscience, but they continue to make music just for the money
It starts with a game, see how they play
They start with a manipulative game to see how fans will react
Till all of the laughter is faded away
Eventually, the fun and happiness fades away as the manipulation continues
It's not for the song, it's not for the love
Music is not about art or passion for these musicians
It's just for the gold and there's never enough, never enough
It's all about making money, and they will never be satisfied with how much they have
Rock 'n' roll mercenaries, ooh, talkin' about
Closing by referring to rock 'n' roll mercenaries once again
Rock 'n' roll mercenaries
Final statement about these money-hungry musicians
(Talking, talking)
Repeating previous lines about wealth and power
(Talking, talking)
Repeating previous lines about being selfish
(Talking, talking)
Repeating previous lines about diamonds and wealth
(Talking, talking)
Closing with a repetition of the phrases used throughout the song
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@themighty6
Such a great song
@user-yf2vn6pp7o
Супер композиция.
@irmadebarrios9533
Me encanta mi amor jhon parr😍
@dilltdog1158
Allegedly about Meats experience at the 1985 Knebworth Festival, particularly his treatment by Deep Purple.
@michelelaraia7358
Don't know about that,was he not treated good?Saw this on a videojukebox.500 italian lire.
@christopherpratt9079
It was written by John!
@theknightwhosaysni1356
@@christopherpratt9079 Errr no it wasn't, John said it wasn't. The song was written by Al Hodge (Cornish musician) and Michael Dan Ehmig,
@theknightwhosaysni1356
Nope - nothing of the sort. The song was written by Al Hodge (Cornish musician) and Michael Dan Ehmig. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rock_%27n%27_Roll_Mercenaries
@cloverfield911
Are those the girls from Robert Palmer's videos??
@bb-gc2tx
mtv prob never played this