End of the Road
Murder By Death Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

At the end of the road,
He calls everyone home.
And the fire will consume us, striking through to the bone.
At the end of the road,
You will soon hear him call.
As the congregations crumble,
And the chapels will fall.
and the taste on your tongue-
Well it comes, yeah it comes
With the bittersweet pang of remorse and pain.
Till the judgment is made
The prosecution's won.
The gavel has fallen
And justice is done.
The courtroom clears
I'm left alone on the bench.
My wife and children gone,
Along with the defense.
The bailiff leads me back to my cell,
Like the riverman ferry's me to hell.
I can't blame him to hate me for what I've done
I hear them whispering in the hall:
"you'll live and die by the gun"
All I can do is sit here and pray,
That I'll be forgiven on judgment day.

tell my wife in the yard
Buried underneath the pine,
There's a shoebox full of money,
Of which I never earned a dime.
Use it to start over, the way things should've been..
Live honest,
Love again.
Tell my wife, tell my kids;
I never meant for this to happen!

when the flipped the switch,
Please do not stay,




I couldn't bear for you-
To remember me this way.

Overall Meaning

The song "At The End Of The Road" by Murder by Death is a powerful and emotional piece that captures the feelings of regret and longing for redemption. The lyrics describe the inevitability of death and the consequences of one's actions in life. The first verse sets the tone for the song, with the singer describing the end of life as a fiery and all-consuming force that ultimately calls everyone home. The repetition of the line "at the end of the road" emphasizes the finality of death and the idea that we are all equal in the face of this ultimate reality.


The second verse takes on a more personal tone, with the singer acknowledging his own guilt and the shame he feels for his actions in life. The line "the bittersweet pang of remorse and pain" captures the internal struggle of someone who knows they have done wrong but is unable to change the past. The idea of a court trial and judgment adds to the sense of accountability and consequences, as the singer is led away to face punishment for his crimes.


The final verse brings the song full circle, returning to the theme of death and regret. The mention of a buried shoebox full of money that the singer never earned suggests a life of crime or corruption, and the desire to make amends for this in death by helping his family start over "the way things should've been". The final lines are haunting, as the singer begs his loved ones not to stay to witness his execution and to remember him as he was in life, rather than as a criminal.


Line by Line Meaning

At the end of the road,
Death is waiting for everyone at the end of their journey


He calls everyone home.
Death claims everyone and brings them to their final destination


And the fire will consume us, striking through to the bone.
Death is a consuming force that brings pain to the soul


You will soon hear him call.
Death will come for you when your time has come


As the congregations crumble,
Religious institutions will fade away in the face of death


And the chapels will fall.
Religious structures will not stand the test of time


and the taste on your tongue-
The emotions that come with death are intense and bitter


Well it comes, yeah it comes
Death is inevitable and will happen to everyone


With the bittersweet pang of remorse and pain.
Death brings a mix of sorrow and regret


Till the judgment is made
The fate of the person who has died is being determined


The prosecution's won.
The legal system has determined the person's guilt


The gavel has fallen
The judge has made their final verdict


And justice is done.
The punishment for the person's crime has been served


The courtroom clears
Everyone else has left the courtroom


I'm left alone on the bench.
The person who has died is left to face their punishment alone


My wife and children gone,
The person who has died has left loved ones behind


Along with the defense.
The person who has died is no longer defending themselves


The bailiff leads me back to my cell,
The person who has died is led away to their punishment


Like the riverman ferry's me to hell.
The person who has died is being taken to a dark and dreadful place


I can't blame him to hate me for what I've done
The person who has died knows that they are rightfully being punished


I hear them whispering in the hall:
The people left behind are talking about the person who has died


"you'll live and die by the gun"
The person who has died was known for their violent behavior


All I can do is sit here and pray,
The person who has died has nothing left to do but hope for forgiveness


That I'll be forgiven on judgment day.
The person who has died hopes that they will be granted clemency in the afterlife


tell my wife in the yard
The person who has died has a message for their wife


Buried underneath the pine,
The person who has died has buried something of value next to a tree


There's a shoebox full of money,
The person who has died has left behind a box of money


Of which I never earned a dime.
The money was obtained through illegal means


Use it to start over, the way things should've been..
The person who has died hopes that the money will be used to make things right


Live honest,
The person who has died wants their loved ones to live an honest life


Love again.
The person who has died wants their loved ones to find love once more


Tell my wife, tell my kids;
The person who has died wants their message to be conveyed to their family


I never meant for this to happen!
The person who has died did not intend for their actions to lead to their punishment


when the flipped the switch,
The method of execution for the person who has died is by electric chair


Please do not stay,
The person who has died does not want their loved ones to see their execution


I couldn't bear for you-
The person who has died cannot bear the thought of their loved ones seeing them in such a state


To remember me this way.
The person who has died wants to be remembered in a better way




Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ADAM MICHAEL TURLA, ALEXANDER RANDOLPH SCHRODT, MATTHEW TAYLOR ARMSTRONG, SARAH JACKSON BALLIET

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Comments from YouTube:

RRPBJJ

this soundtrack turned me on to MBD..... incredible band. seen them a ton over the last 12 years or so.

BostonDLHobbies

Awesome, it’s so hard to find this recording!

Travis Flores

I used to have this album back in the day, wish I still did. This was the song that made me a MBD fan. Crazy that it’s a demo version, I like it more than The Big Sleep. Thanks for sharing!

TheSaddestDad

Its what im here for, my man!

Ricky C

God bless you, I wasn't able to find this cover of the song anywhere. Thanks a ton man :)

TheSaddestDad

Trust me I know how rare it is to find this recording, its no problem man!

TOMMY Engels

​@TheSaddestDad❤

sparkpenguin

best recording of this. i had both for a bit, when i hadda save space (oh the aughts) i kept this one no contest. the low adam falsetto threw me when red came out; so i’m glad this transitional version still sees the lighta day.

TOMMY Engels

Thank you so much. This was and is my favorite on this cd. You are a kind person for doing this 🖤

Valheriano

Not on Spotify, not on Apple Music or Google Music. Finally founded here! Thanks a lot dude.

I have to say a couple years ago I tried to find the song here but it wasn’t so again thanks a lot! 💪🏼

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