To date, Overkill has released nineteen studio albums, an album of cover songs, two EPs, one demo tape and three live albums. They were one of the first thrash metal bands to sign to a major label (having signed to Atlantic Records in 1986), and rose to fame as part of the genre's movement of the mid-to-late 1980s, along with the "Big Four" (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax) as well as Exodus and Testament. Overkill achieved their first mainstream success with its second studio album and Atlantic debut, Taking Over (1987), which peaked at number 191 on the Billboard 200. The band's next five studio albums—Under the Influence (1988), The Years of Decay (1989), Horrorscope (1991), I Hear Black (1993) and W.F.O. (1994)—were also successful on the Billboard charts, with the latter two cracking the top ten on the Top Heatseekers chart. Following their split from Atlantic in 1995, Overkill went through some label changes, but continued to enjoy moderate underground success, particularly in Europe and Japan. The band experienced a resurgence of popularity in the U.S. during the 2010s, with three of their studio albums released that decade—The Electric Age (2012), White Devil Armory (2014) and The Grinding Wheel (2017)—reaching the top 100 on the charts. Overkill has sold over 16 million records worldwide; they are also estimated to have sold more than 625,000 records in the United States since the beginning of the SoundScan era.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Overkill_(band)
Studio albums
Feel the Fire (1985)
Taking Over (1987)
Under the Influence (1988)
The Years of Decay (1989)
Horrorscope (1991)
I Hear Black (1993)
W.F.O. (1994)
The Killing Kind (1996)
From the Underground and Below (1997)
Necroshine (1999)
Bloodletting (2000)
Killbox 13 (2003)
ReliXIV (2005)
Immortalis (2007)
Ironbound (2010)
The Electric Age (2012)
White Devil Armory (2014)
The Grinding Wheel (2017)
The Wings of War (2019)
Scorched (2023)
Bats In the Belfry
Overkill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Armies of crazy crawling' all over me
Shaky at best is the ground where I stand
A frozen moment I just don't understand
Bats, in the belfry
Bats, in the belfry
C'mon now, let me feel you get on it
C'mon now, when you can't really stop it
Open up the window got bats in the belfry
Bats, in the belfry
Bats, in the belfry
Pasted and wasted, taller than God
Burning my churches and blowing my wad
Quakin' beneath me, the ground that I own
A frozen moment that I'll always call home
Bats, in the belfry
Bats, in the belfry
C'mon got bats in the belfry
Hold on rats on the way
C'mon got bats in the belfry
Open up the window
Bats in the belfry
The lyrics of Overkill's Bats in the Belfry reflect the chaotic and overwhelming experience of feeling sick and unstable. The singer describes himself as being sick in the most extreme way possible, with armies of craziness crawling all over him. He is unable to find solid ground to stand on, as he feels shaky at best. The frozen moment that he cannot understand represents the feeling of being trapped in this state of chaos and instability.
The repeated phrase "Bats in the belfry" serves as a metaphor for the singer's mental state. The image of bats flying wildly around in a belfry represents the chaos and confusion that he is feeling inside his mind. He urges the listener to join him in embracing this madness, telling them to "let me have it my way" and "open up the window" to let the bats in.
The final lines of the song suggest that the singer has accepted this state of chaos and has even found a twisted sense of comfort in it. He describes himself as being "pasted and wasted, taller than God," and seems to take pleasure in the destruction that he is causing. The frozen moment that he calls home represents the fact that this state of chaos has become a permanent part of his life.
Line by Line Meaning
Sick as the sickest only can be
I am extremely sick
Armies of crazy crawling' all over me
I feel overwhelmed and attacked by my problems
Shaky at best is the ground where I stand
I feel unstable and uncertain about my situation
A frozen moment I just don't understand
I feel stuck and confused
Bats, in the belfry
I feel like there are chaotic and crazy things happening inside my head
Bats, in the belfry
I feel like there are chaotic and crazy things happening inside my head
C'mon now, let me feel you get on it
I want to feel empowered and in control of my situation
C'mon now, let me have it my way
I want to take charge and make things happen the way I want them to
C'mon now, when you can't really stop it
I am aware that my problems are beyond my control
Open up the window got bats in the belfry
I need to release the chaos and craziness that's inside me
Bats, in the belfry
I feel like there are chaotic and crazy things happening inside my head
Bats, in the belfry
I feel like there are chaotic and crazy things happening inside my head
Pasted and wasted, taller than God
I am intoxicated and feel invincible
Burning my churches and blowing my wad
I am doing reckless things that are harming me and my surroundings
Quakin' beneath me, the ground that I own
I am realizing the instability and fragility of my own situation
A frozen moment that I'll always call home
I am stuck in this moment of chaos and confusion
Bats, in the belfry
I feel like there are chaotic and crazy things happening inside my head
Bats, in the belfry
I feel like there are chaotic and crazy things happening inside my head
C'mon got bats in the belfry
I need to confront and deal with the craziness within me
Hold on rats on the way
I am bracing myself for more problems coming my way
C'mon got bats in the belfry
I need to confront and deal with the craziness within me
Open up the window
I need to let go of the chaos and let some fresh air in
Bats in the belfry
I feel like there are chaotic and crazy things happening inside my head
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CARLO VERNI, ROBERT JOSEPH ELLSWORTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Anti90
thrash old school!! muy buena banda compa!
Marc Marti
jeeez pal I just checkt the date of your comment and...
it is "vintage" :P
Rafael "Cila" Aguiar
overkill no bad recording impressive!!!!
TheMetalButt
A few 90's era albums weren't very good, but that's it
György Hirschléger
Relix14 and immortalis are bad.
Powerage1986
@TheMetalButt Nope. None of them were bad imo.
Powerage1986
@György Hirschléger Disagree
Marc Marti
"BATSSSSS!!"
Rickinator
disfruten?
Vlad Vampirelord
Enjoy.