Motörhead released 23 studio albums, 10 live recordings, 12 compilation albums and five EPs over a career spanning 40 years. Usually a power trio, they had particular success in the early 1980s with several successful singles in the UK Top 40 chart. The albums Overkill, Bomber, Ace of Spades and, particularly, the live album No Sleep 'til Hammersmith cemented Motörhead's reputation as a top-tier rock band. The band are ranked number 26 on VH1's 100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock. As of 2016, they have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide.
Most often classified as heavy metal, Motörhead has been credited with being part of and influencing numerous musical scenes, thrash metal and speed metal especially. Lemmy, however, always insisted that they were a rock and roll band. He said that they had more in common with punk bands, but with their own unique sound, Motörhead is embraced in both punk and metal scenes. Their lyrics typically covered such topics as war, good versus evil, abuse of power, promiscuous sex, substance abuse and, most famously, gambling, the latter theme being the focus of their hit song "Ace of Spades".
Lemmy died on 28 December 2015 from cardiac arrhythmia and congestive heart failure, after being diagnosed with prostate cancer. The day after his death, drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell both confirmed that Motörhead had disbanded. By 2018, all three members of Motörhead's best-known line-up (Lemmy, Taylor and Clarke) had died.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Motörhead
Discography
Motörhead (1977)
Overkill (1979)
Bomber (1979)
On Parole (1979)
Ace of Spades (1980)
Iron Fist (1982)
Another Perfect Day (1983)
Orgasmatron (1986)
Rock 'n' Roll (1987)
1916 (1991)
March ör Die (1992)
Bastards (1993)
Sacrifice (1995)
Overnight Sensation (1996)
Snake Bite Love (1998)
We Are Motörhead (2000)
Hammered (2002)
Inferno (2004)
Kiss of Death (2006)
Motörizer (2008)
The Wörld Is Yours (2010)
Aftershock (2013)
Bad Magic (2015)
Victory or Die
Motörhead Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
What do you say? What I can ever do for you?
What are we gonna do to pass the time?
What do you care when you find that life's unfair
Equality is just a state of mind
Believe whatever's right, what's right for you tonight
You know where to draw the line
What have you done? What's on your mind? What do you need?
Where shall we go to let it out?
What have you seen? We don't know where you've been
Life so often blows your candle out
Believe whatever's right, what's right for you tonight
Who knows what the fuck it's all about
Look up and see the flying saucers cruising in the sky
I saw one myself, it ain't no lie
Look down and see the road you're on as if you are on a marathon
That's the spirit, victory or die
What did they say? What have we learned? What do we know?
What shall we do to even up the score?
What do you find, if you find that you've gone blind
Darkness is a thing we've seen before
Believing is your right alright, whatever lights your light
You always end up on the killing floor
Look around and see the soldiers, see them marching off to war
Take a careful look as the swing by
They're all heroes but they don't know what they're fighting for
That's the spirit, victory or die
Watch out for the monsters in the alleys of the night
They're always hungry, look 'em in the eye
They're looking at your daughters, they've seen the flying saucers
You have to tell them victory or die, or die
The song "Victory or Die" by Motörhead is a commentary on the human condition and the struggle for survival. The song is an appeal to humanity to take control of their own destiny and to choose between victory or death. The opening verse asks the listener what they want to do to pass the time, showing that life is temporary and precious. It then goes on to question the fairness of life, stating that equality is just a state of mind.
The second verse delves deeper into the human experience, asking what we have done, what's on our minds, and what we need. The line "Life so often blows your candle out" is a powerful metaphor for the fragility of life and how it can be snuffed out at any moment. The chorus repeats the idea that we should believe what's right for us, and that we should draw our own line.
The song then takes a turn and talks about flying saucers and monsters in the alleys of the night. This is a metaphor for the unknown, the mysterious, and the dangerous. The chorus again states that we should choose victory or death, a call to action and a statement of our power to control our own destiny.
Overall, "Victory or Die" is a powerful song that shows that life is a struggle, but we have the power to choose our own path and to fight for what we believe in.
Line by Line Meaning
Victory or die
We must succeed at all costs
What do you say? What I can ever do for you?
How can I assist you? What help do you need?
What are we gonna do to pass the time?
What activities could we participate in to entertain ourselves?
What do you care when you find that life's unfair?
Why should you bother when life doesn't treat you fairly?
Equality is just a state of mind
Equal opportunities depend on one’s mindset
Believe whatever's right, what's right for you tonight
Have faith in what you believe to be morally correct for the time being
You know where to draw the line
You understand the limits of decorum and when to exercise discretion
What have you done? What's on your mind? What do you need?
What activities have you pursued? What are your thoughts? What do you require?
Where shall we go to let it out?
Where should we release our frustrations
What have you seen? We don't know where you've been
What did you experience? We are unaware of your life history
Life so often blows your candle out
Life frequently extinguishes one's passions and dreams
Who knows what the fuck it's all about
No one knows the true meaning of existence
Look up and see the flying saucers cruising in the sky
Observe the extraterrestrial crafts flying in the atmosphere
I saw one myself, it ain't no lie
I witnessed one myself, it's the truth
Look down and see the road you're on as if you are on a marathon
Consider your path through life as if it's a long-distance race
That's the spirit, victory or die
Maintain a determined attitude and never give up
What did they say? What have we learned? What do we know?
What are people talking about? What have we gained knowledge-wise? What is the truth?
What shall we do to even up the score?
How may we balance out the situation?
What do you find, if you find that you've gone blind
If you realize you've lost your awareness, what do you do?
Darkness is a thing we've seen before
We are accustomed to experiencing darkness
Believing is your right alright, whatever lights your light
Having faith is your prerogative, whatever that may be
You always end up on the killing floor
You will ultimately be defeated
Look around and see the soldiers, see them marching off to war
Observe the troops heading to battle
Take a careful look as the swing by
Observe them carefully as they pass through
They're all heroes but they don't know what they're fighting for
They may be courageous, but they lack purpose as to why they are battling.
Watch out for the monsters in the alleys of the night
Beware of danger lurking in the dark passageways
They're always hungry, look 'em in the eye
They have insatiable hunger, confront them
They're looking at your daughters, they've seen the flying saucers
They have ill intentions towards your daughters, they are also aware of extraterrestrial activity
You have to tell them victory or die, or die
Stand your ground, asserting them to your will if necessary, because it's either victory or total defeat
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Ian Fraser Kilmister, Micael Kiriakos Delaoglou, Philip Anthony Campbell
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@TRAYANOVA
LYRICS:
Victory or die
What do you say, what can I ever do for you?
What are we gonna do to pass the time?
What do you care when you find that life's unfair?
Equality is just a state of mind
Believe in whatever is right, what's right for you tonight
You know where to draw the line
What have you done, what's in your mind, what do you need?
Where shall we go to let it out?
What have you seen?
We don't know where you've been
Life so often blows your candle out
Believe in what is right, what's right for you tonight
Who knows what the fuck it's all about
Look up and see the flying saucers cruising in the sky
I saw one myself, it ain't no lie
Look down and see the road you're on as if you're on a marathon
That's the spirit, victory, or die
What did they say, what have we learned, what do we know?
What shall we do to even up the score?
What do you find if you find that you've gone blind?
Darkness is a thing we've seen before
Believing is your right, alright, whatever right your right
You always end up on the killing floor
Look 'round and see the soldiers, see them marching off to war
Take a careful look as they swing by
They're all heroes, but they don't know what they're fighting for
That's the spirit, victory, or die
Watch out for the monsters in the alleys of the night
They're always hungry, look 'em in the eye
They're looking at your daughters, they've seen the flying saucers
You have to tell them victory or die
Or die!
@constantin3097
What do you say what I can ever do for you
What are we gonna do to pass the time
What do you care when you find that life's unfair
Equality is just a state of mind
Believe whatever is right what's right for you tonight
You know where to draw the line
What have you done what's in your mind what do you need
Where shall we go to let it out
What have you seen, we don't know where you've been
Life so often blows your candle out
Believe in what is right, what's right for you tonight
Who knows what the fuck it's all about
Look up and see the flying saucers cruising in the sky
I saw one myself it ain't no lie
Look down and see the road you're on as if you are on a marathon
That's the spirit victory or die
What did they say what have we learned, what do we know
What shall we do to even up the score
What do you find, if you find that you've gone blind
Darkness is a thing we've seen before
Believing is your right all right, whatever lights your light
You always end up on the killing floor
Look around and see the soldiers, see them marching off to war
Take a careful look as the swing by
They're all heroes but they don't know what they're fighting for
That's the spirit victory or die
Watch out for the monsters in the alleys of the night
They're always hungry look 'em in the eye
They're looking at your daughters, they've seen the flying saucers
You have to tell them victory or die... or die
@tunahantok5446
Victory or die!
What do you say, what can I ever do for you?
What are we gonna to do to pass the time?
What do you care when you find that life's unfair?
Equality is just a state of mind
Believe whatever is right
What's right for you tonight
You know where to draw the line
What have you done, what's in your mind, what do you need?
Where shall we go to let it out?
What have you seen, we don't know where you've been
Life so often blows your candle out
Believe in what is right, what's right for you tonight
Who knows what the fuck it's all about?
Look up and see the flying saucers cruising in the sky
I saw one myself, it ain't no lie
Look down and see the road you're on
As if you run a marathon
That's the spirit, victory or die
What did they say, what have we learned, what do we know?
What shall we do to even up the score?
What do you find, if you find that you've got blind?
Darkness is a thing we've seen before
Believing is your right, all right
Whatever makes you right
You always end up on the killing floor
'Cause now they see the soldiers, see them marching off to war
Taking care for [?]
Never hears what they don't know, what they fucking do
That's the spirit, victory or die
Watch out for the monsters, and the eyes of the night
They're always hungry, look them in the eye
They are looking at your daughters
They've seen the flying saucers
You have to tell them victory or die
Or die
@mark_beastpriest5539
Their last album was one of their best! No better way to go out than on top. We'll always remember you, Lem. Thanks for the years, the music and your stories that never failed to entertain, inspire and in some cases, even educate.
@otrutniy--otruiniy
Smert moZzkaliam!
@WaldorfStatler
Agree! Loved Motorhead since -79, just raw energy. And this last one is really on top🤟🏻😎
@ScottKillswitch
This is such a great album. I love how Lemmy is 70 now and he still gives the middle finger to age and keeps on playing.
@chriscoul4506
He never could learn from the 70s.
@WaldorfStatler
Mikkey is a machine here, powerful song. Perfect albumopener😎
@metalicus77
Descanse en paz maestro. tu música siempre recorrerá mis venas.
@sanjitdaniel4588
The music will never die.
@elenabrinchi5034
It's only Rock & Roll but we love it!!! R.I.P. Lemmy!!!
@MauricioEspinoza1985
Agradecido que motorhead comparta su disco de forma oficial!!! Un gran album, potente con mucho sonido clasico!