Up The Gates
PHARAOH Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

When the banners were called
We had raised a mighty cheer
Our forces had seemed so strong
In the time that's passed
We have seen what we lost
Our lives have been hard so long

Now the conquerors have come tonight
Do we fold or do we fight?
Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Up the gates! and let them in!

So the siege is on
We hunger and we quake in fear
Not just soldiers fight the war
Will we die in here?
We're all afraid and can't recall
The cause that we're starving for

Now the conquerors have come tonight-
Do we fold or do we fight?
Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Up the gates! and let them in!

Though we pray to be relieved
Our prayers are never heard
Prayers are never heard
Though we're promised that we're safe
They lie with every word
Lie with every word

When the banners were called,
No one thought to doubt the cause
Our leaders had seemed so strong
Now we wait and hope and wonder
Were we right or wrong?
We'll only survive so long

Now the conquerors have come tonight-
Do we fold or do we fight?
Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Up the gates! and let them in!





Up the gates!

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Pharaoh's song “Up The Gates” describe the dilemma faced by a nation under siege. At the start of the song, the nation's forces are confident and poised for battle. However, as time passes, the reality of their situation becomes apparent as supplies run low and the prospect of defeat looms large. The chorus of the song presents the central question of the piece - should the nation's forces stand and fight or surrender to the conquerors?


As the siege wears on, the lyrics describe the palpable fear and desperation felt by the people inside the gates. They question the original cause they were fighting for, and in their weakened state, they are unsure whether the kingdom is worth defending any longer. Despite prayers for relief, the people inside the gates feel abandoned and betrayed as their leaders' promises of safety prove false.


In conclusion, the song "Up the Gates" is a powerful depiction of the emotional and psychological toll of warfare. It offers a nuanced exploration of the complexities of war, as the nation's forces grapple with the decision of whether to keep fighting or surrender.


Line by Line Meaning

When the banners were called
At the beginning of the battle, we were enthusiastic and ready to fight.


We had raised a mighty cheer
We shouted with excitement because we believed that our army was strong and capable of winning the battle.


Our forces had seemed so strong
We thought we had overwhelming strength in numbers and skill, but it proved to be insufficient.


In the time that's passed
As time went by and the battle progressed, our chances of winning dwindled.


We have seen what we lost
We realized that the initial confidence we had was ill-founded and we've lost many of our forces.


Our lives have been hard so long
We've been struggling for a long time before this battle, and it's taking a toll on our morale.


Now the conquerors have come tonight
The enemy has started attacking us and we need to decide whether to surrender or fight.


Do we fold or do we fight?
Are we going to give up easily or put up a good fight?


Is the kingdom still worth fighting for?
Is the cause we're fighting for still important enough to risk our lives and continue fighting?


Up the gates! and let them in!
Open the gates so the enemy can come in and we can either surrender or fight back.


So the siege is on
The enemy has set up a blockade around us and we're trapped inside the castle.


We hunger and we quake in fear
We're scared and we don't know how long we can survive without food or water.


Not just soldiers fight the war
Even the civilians trapped in the castle have to contribute and do their part in fighting the war.


Will we die in here?
We're unsure if we'll make it out alive.


We're all afraid and can't recall
We're too scared to remember what we're fighting for.


The cause that we're starving for
The reason we're fighting this battle has become irrelevant to our immediate need for food and water.


Though we pray to be relieved
We pray for help or relief from our current situation.


Our prayers are never heard
We feel like no one is listening to our pleas for help.


Though we're promised that we're safe
Our leaders give us false assurance that we'll be safe, even though we're clearly not.


They lie with every word
Our leaders are dishonest and they've lost our trust.


No one thought to doubt the cause
At the beginning of the battle, we blindly followed our leaders and didn't question the reason for the fight.


Our leaders had seemed so strong
Our leaders appeared to be confident and capable, but that facade has since been broken.


Now we wait and hope and wonder
We're left with uncertainty and doubt, hoping that something will change our situation.


Were we right or wrong?
We question the validity and morality of the cause we're fighting for.


We'll only survive so long
Our resources are limited and our chances of survival grow slimmer each day.




Contributed by Eli S. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found

More Versions