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)
Bring Me The Night
Overkill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I let my reputation speak just for itself
I never liked the rules that came 'long with the game
Take me back where the whisper knows my name
Ready to fly; and I'm ready to die
Scare the angel, fly away
Tie your tongue into a knot
Pray to God it never stops
Ready to fly; and I'm ready to die
Fuel me up, let me go
Shut your mouth, going to blow
Hold your ears and shield your eyes
Just a word to the wise
Bring me the night
Electric hammered-run over - knocked around
I won't stay lying on the ground
Take the action it's no good for me
Let's go addiction, call it what you please
Bring me the night
The lyrics of Overkill’s “Bring Me The Night” convey a sense of being fed up with societal expectations, especially those related to mental health. The opening lines, “I never cared too much, acquired mental health; I let my reputation speak just for itself” show a disregard for fitting into societal norms and a preference for being judged on personal achievements. The singer seems to reject the limitations of the conventional game, “I never liked the rules that came 'long with the game; Take me back where the whisper knows my name.” There is a sense of being lost and longing for a place where one’s identity and purpose can be found. The singer is ready to take flight, to die, and face the devil, “Scare the angel, fly away; Let the devil have his way; Tie your tongue into a knot; Pray to God it never stops.” “Bring me the night” seems to be a call for an escape from the norms and to let oneself go.
In the later part of the lyrics, the singer expresses a desire for change and action towards addiction. The lines, “Electric hammered-run over - knocked around; I won't stay lying on the ground; Take the action it's no good for me; Let's go addiction, call it what you please” imply a need for change and movement towards recovery. “Bring me the night” is repeated again, conveying a sense of desperation for a solution.
Overall, the song seems to be about rejecting society’s expectations and finding one’s identity and purpose as an individual. It also touches upon the struggle of addiction and the need for change. The repetition of the phrase “Bring me the night” seems to encapsulate the desire for a shift and a new beginning.
Line by Line Meaning
I never cared too much, acquired mental health
I didn't prioritize my own mental wellbeing, instead focusing on my reputation and success
I let my reputation speak just for itself
I relied on my reputation to convey who I was and what I was capable of
I never liked the rules that came 'long with the game
I was never fond of the expectations and limitations that came with playing the 'game' or pursuing success
Take me back where the whisper knows my name
Bring me back to a place where I feel comfortable and recognized
Ready to fly; and I'm ready to die
I am ready to take risks and push myself to the brink, even if it means putting myself in danger
Scare the angel, fly away
I am willing to defy convention and societal norms, even if it means going against what is considered 'right' or 'good'
Let the devil have his way
I am willing to embrace my more dangerous and impulsive side, even if it means acting in ways that are not considered morally 'right'
Tie your tongue into a knot
Don't speak out or protest, even if you disagree with what's happening
Pray to God it never stops
Desperately hope that this dangerous lifestyle never ends or comes crashing down on me
Fuel me up, let me go
Give me the energy and resources I need to keep living dangerously
Shut your mouth, going to blow
Don't try to stop me, I will act on my impulses and cause destruction if I have to
Hold your ears and shield your eyes
Warning to others to protect themselves from the chaos I could potentially cause
Just a word to the wise
Advice to others to be cautious and aware of the danger I pose
Bring me the night
I am drawn to darkness and danger, and I want to embrace it fully
Electric hammered-run over - knocked around
I have been through a lot of rough experiences, and I am still standing and fighting
I won't stay lying on the ground
I refuse to give up or let myself be defeated by the challenges I face
Take the action it's no good for me
I know that my dangerous and impulsive behavior is not good for me, but I can't help myself
Let's go addiction, call it what you please
I am addicted to the rush of danger and chaos, and I can't help but seek it out
Contributed by Kaylee E. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
@mydecember8786
I never cared too much, acquired mental health
I let my reputation speak just for itself, for itself
I never liked the rules that came 'long with the game
Take me back to where the whisper knows my name
Ready to fly and I'm ready to die
Scare the angel, fly away
Let the devil have his way
Tie your tongue into a knot
And pray to God it never stops
Ready to fly and I'm ready to die
Fuel me up and let me go
Shut your mouth, I'm going to blow
Hold your ears and shield your eyes
Just a word out to the wise
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Electric hammer run over, knocked around
I won't stay lying on the ground, on the ground
Take the action, it's no good for me
Call it addiction, call it what you please
Ready to fly and I'm ready to die
Scare the angel, fly away
Let the devil have his way
Tie your tongue into a knot
And pray to God it never stops
Ready to fly and I'm ready to die
Fuel me up and let me go
Shut your mouth, I'm going to blow
Hold your ears and shield your eyes
Just a word out to the wise
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Can you see me flying freely?
Can you see me flying freely?
Can you see me? Can you see me?
Can you see me flying freely?
Can you see me?
Ready to fly and I'm ready to die
Scare the angel, fly away
Let the devil have his way
Tie your tongue into a knot
And pray to God it never stops
Ready to fly and I'm ready to die
Fuel me up and let me go
Shut your mouth, I'm going to blow
Hold your ears and shield your eyes
Just a word out to the wise
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
Bring me the night
@Krimson5pride
Unpopular opinion: this is THE best thrash metal band
@hoesmaditdobelikethat2166
You meant popular opinion
@dylanrus8117
Correct opinion
@KoreoBace
@Meh Sugaaar
The perfect opinion
@musiquecreativity4375
I agree!!!
@jima6545
STILL THE BEST
@tobiasboston5663
I remember when I first heard this song I said "I can't believe how much energy this song has!" and now six years later I still can't believe how much energy this song has!
@seba5837
Now on 2022 still got it!
@u.s.m.c.fewproudthemarines2987
@Seba yes it does friend OverKill never disappoint
@balckandgold
Amen brother! Bobby and this band just scream energy since the 80s, it's really amazing they have stood the test of time. Still blows my mind Bobby is 64yrs old and still has they're music slamming you in the face! Great to see!