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)
Death Comes Out To Play
Overkill Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
All has gone array no more bargains
Death comes out to play
With a loss of vision control
All has gone away no more compromise
Death comes out to play
In the darkened boneyard
Ain't no other way
When death comes out to play
When the hand of fate will drop you
You have gone astray no more worries
Death came out to play
Dear departed he was so damn good
That the angels knew his name
He was a giving man a light in the dark
He was sunshine in the rain
Smokin', Here we go on one last ride
Burnin', I will be your captain
When you're alone and you're chilled to the bone
The revolution knows your name
When you're alone and you feel so at home
Death comes out to play
Dear departed he was so damn bad
That the demons ruled his game
He was a selfish man the devils spark
The hatred and the pain
Smokin', When he goes on one last ride
Burnin', I will be his captain
When you're alone and you're chilled to the bone
The revolution knows your name
When you're alone and you feel so at home
Death comes out to play
Dear departed he was so damn bad
That the demons ruled his game
He was a selfish man the devils spark
The hatred and the pain
Smokin', When he goes on one last ride
Burnin', I will be his captain
Walk through the valley naked
Be not afraid
Be not afraid
The hand of fate has dropped you
Be not afraid
The lyrics of "Death Comes Out To Play" by Overkill refer to the inevitability of death and its role in our lives. The song starts with the idea that when fate catches up with us, there is no bargaining, compromise, or worries left. Death comes out to play, taking control and leaving us no other way but to accept it. The chorus repeats this sentiment and introduces the idea of the singer as the captain who will guide the listener through their final ride, regardless of their life's path or whether they were a giving man or a selfish one, loved or despised.
The lyric "Dear departed he was so damn good that the angels knew his name" is a reference to a common idiom "he/she was too good for this world", meaning someone who was exceptionally virtuous and pure, and it is also a nod to the famous song "Stairway to Heaven" by Led Zeppelin. On the other hand, "Dear departed he was so damn bad that the demons ruled his game" suggests that the person being referred to was evil, selfish, and hateful. The lyric "smokin'" and "burnin'" both connote excitement, showing that the singer sees death as an experience rather than something to be feared. Lastly, the final line "walk through the valley naked, be not afraid" refers to walking through the valley of death with nothing to hide, suggesting that we should face death with courage and without regrets.
Line by Line Meaning
When the hand of fate will slap you
When unexpected events hit you hard and disrupt your life
All has gone array no more bargains
Everything has fallen apart, and there's no room left for negotiation
Death comes out to play
Death is inevitable and ever present
With a loss of vision control
When you lose sight of what's important and can't handle things anymore
All has gone away no more compromise
All hope has vanished, and there's no more room for concessions
In the darkened boneyard
In the place where the dead are laid to rest
Ain't no other way
There's no avoiding death
I will be your captain
I will take charge and guide you through tough times
When the hand of fate will drop you
When sudden misfortune leaves you feeling helpless and alone
You have gone astray no more worries
You've lost your way, but there's no point in fretting about it
Death came out to play
Death has come for you
Dear departed he was so damn good
The deceased was a kind and generous person
That the angels knew his name
The deceased was well-liked and respected by those in heaven
He was a giving man a light in the dark
The deceased was selfless and provided hope for others
He was sunshine in the rain
The deceased was a beacon of happiness during dark times
Smokin', Here we go on one last ride
The deceased's journey to the afterlife
Burnin', I will be your captain
The artist will guide the deceased through their final journey
When you're alone and you're chilled to the bone
When you're isolated and scared
The revolution knows your name
In difficult times, everyone struggles in their own way
Dear departed he was so damn bad
The deceased was a selfish and cruel person
That the demons ruled his game
The deceased was influenced by evil forces in life
He was a selfish man the devils spark
The deceased's actions were influenced by malice and greed
The hatred and the pain
The grief and suffering caused by the deceased's actions
Smokin', When he goes on one last ride
The deceased's journey to the afterlife
Burnin', I will be his captain
The singer will guide the deceased through their final journey
Walk through the valley naked
Face difficult situations with honesty and vulnerability
Be not afraid
Don't let fear control you in difficult times
The hand of fate has dropped you
Unexpected events have left you feeling lost and exposed
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: CARLO VERNI, ROBERT ELLSWORTH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Scrub Plant
One of their best!!!!!!!
rawkit rawn
fukme runnin, did my soul just get saved...watching a thrash video ? GOOD KILL !!!
Ángel Oyola
Grooverkill !!!! lml
Sawyer Barnes
BE NO AFRAID. Fucking scream that shit everytime! Don’t give a fuck who hears