Queensrÿche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, including over 6 million albums in the United States. They are considered one of the leaders of the progressive metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and often referred to as one of the "Big Three" of the genre, along with Dream Theater and Fates Warning. The band received worldwide acclaim after the release of their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime, which is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums of all time. Their follow-up release, Empire, released in 1990, was also very successful and included the hit single "Silent Lucidity". The band has received three Grammy Award nominations for songs from both albums. In 1998, drummer Rockenfield received an individual Grammy nomination.
Also in 1998, guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo left the band for personal reasons, returning briefly in 2003 to write and record the Tribe album. Over the years, his replacements have been Kelly Gray, Mike Stone, and Parker Lundgren. Following a highly publicized backstage altercation before a show in São Paulo, Brazil, in April 2012, Tate was fired from the band and replaced with then-Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre. In response to his dismissal, Tate and his wife Susan (who served as the band's manager from 2005 to 2012) filed a lawsuit in a Washington court, claiming that he was wrongfully terminated. The ruling in the preliminary injunction was that both parties were allowed to use the name Queensrÿche until a court ruling or a settlement decided who would get to use the name. A settlement was reached on April 17, 2014, in which founding members Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson were awarded the rights to the band trademark, continuing to play with the lineup that additionally includes singer La Torre and guitarist Lundgren.
During the time, both parties could use the name Queensrÿche, Tate created his own lineup featuring former guitarist Gray and musicians from bands including Blue Öyster Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Dio, AC/DC and Quiet Riot. This version of Queensrÿche with Geoff Tate released the album Frequency Unknown on April 23, 2013, while Queensrÿche (with La Torre replacing Tate) released their eponymous album on June 24 and 25, 2013 (European and American release date, respectively). Both bands toured in 2013 and 2014.
Full article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensrÿche
Studio albums
The Warning (1984)
Rage for Order (1986)
Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
Empire (1990)
Promised Land (1994)
Hear in the Now Frontier (1997)
Q2K (1999)
Tribe (2003)
Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)
Take Cover (2007)
American Soldier (2009)
Dedicated to Chaos (2011)
Queensrÿche (2013)
Condition Hüman (2015)
The Verdict (2019)
Digital Noise Alliance (2022)
Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche
Frequency Unknown (2013)
The Killer
Queensrÿche Lyrics
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She drops to her knees,
Her sacrifice complete.
The last of her line.
What's left of her name?
Nothing will ever be the same.
I'm not sorry for what I had to do.
You know G'd rewards the winner.
Now I'm on my knees again,
Give me strength to win.
If I stop to listen,
I hear "Voices" in the wind.
"Shoot him!" They say,
Who will be the killer?
Who will be the winner?
"Shoot him!"
Who will be the killer?
Can't give in!
You know you can't begin to
Imagine where I've been,
Until you've walked a while in my shoes.
Surrounded and outnumbered.
Children wearing bombs?
I'm crying.
Oh, now I can't stop to sympathize.
Would you trade your eyes for mine?
I'll give you more time to answer.
I'll give you some time to rethink.
But there's never time when
The bullets are flying.
You duck your head and hit the ground!
"Shoot him"! Yeah!
Who will be the killer?
Who will be the winner?
"Shoot him!" Yeah,
I've got to be the killer!
I've got to LIVE!
They say hit the ground hard
When you feel it.
Open your eyes so you can see it.
Don't try to think just believe it.
Then you'll know you're not dreaming!
"Shoot him!" Yeah,
Who will be the killer?
Am I dreaming?
The lyrics to Queensrÿche's song The Killer discuss the devastating effects of war on both innocent bystanders and combatants. The chorus repeats the phrase "Shoot him!", as if illustrating the senseless violence and chaos of war. The first verse of the song describes a woman who drops to her knees in defeat after losing everything she holds dear. The second verse features a soldier who is desperate to win and is willing to do whatever it takes, including killing, to achieve victory. He hears "Voices" in the wind, which can be interpreted as his conscience or the voices of the fallen soldiers around him. The third verse highlights the psychological toll of war on soldiers, as the singer speaks of being surrounded and outnumbered, and seeing young children wearing bombs. The phrase "I'm crying" emphasizes the emotional toll of war on those who experience it firsthand. The final chorus is rife with uncertainty, as the singer questions whether or not he is dreaming, and struggles with the decision to kill or be killed.
Overall, The Killer is a powerful commentary on the destructive nature of war and its impact on individuals on both sides of the conflict. It portrays the senselessness and tragedy of war, as well as the psychological toll it takes on those who participate. The repeated use of the phrase "Shoot him!" underscores the indiscriminate nature of violence and death in wartime, leaving the listener to ponder who exactly the killer is and what, if anything, is gained through such violence.
Line by Line Meaning
Mother hides her face.
The mother is ashamed and cannot bear to look at her child who is going to commit an act of violence.
She drops to her knees,
The mother falls to the ground in despair at the violent act her child is about to commit.
Her sacrifice complete.
The mother has given everything to her child, and now he will go and do what he believes must be done.
The last of her line.
The child is the last of his family, and his violent act will bring an end to his bloodline.
What's left of her name?
The child's violent act will bring shame upon his family name, if there is anything left of it.
Nothing will ever be the same.
The violent act will change everything, and there is no going back.
I'm not sorry for what I had to do.
The killer feels no remorse for his actions.
It must be done.
The act of violence is necessary in the eyes of the killer.
You know G'd rewards the winner.
The killer believes that God will reward him for committing the violent act.
Now I'm on my knees again,
The killer is on his knees, perhaps praying or seeking strength to carry out his act of violence.
Give me strength to win.
The killer seeks divine intervention to help him succeed in his violent act.
If I stop to listen,
If the killer takes time to pause and reflect, he hears the voices of doubt.
I hear "Voices" in the wind.
The killer hears voices in his head, perhaps urging him to reconsider his actions.
"Shoot him!" They say,
The voices in the killer's head are urging him to take action and commit his violent act.
Who will be the killer?
The killer wonders if he will ultimately succeed or if someone else will take his place.
Who will be the winner?
The biggest question is who will ultimately come out on top: the killer or his victim.
"Shoot him!"
The voices in the killer's head are growing louder and more insistent.
Who will be the killer?
The killer wonders again who will ultimately commit the act of violence.
Can't give in!
The killer cannot back down from his violent intentions.
You know you can't begin to
The killer believes that unless you have lived a life like his, you cannot understand his mindset.
Imagine where I've been,
The killer has led a life of violence and danger, and it's impossible to truly comprehend what he's experienced.
Until you've walked a while in my shoes.
Unless you've experienced what I have, you cannot judge me or understand my actions.
Surrounded and outnumbered.
The killer is in a dangerous and vulnerable position, with little hope of escape.
Children wearing bombs?
The killer is witnessing terrible acts of violence against innocent children.
I'm crying.
The killer is racked with emotion, perhaps realizing the gravity of what he is doing.
Oh, now I can't stop to sympathize.
The killer is so focused on his violent intentions that he cannot allow himself to feel empathy for his victims.
Would you trade your eyes for mine?
The killer challenges the listener to try to understand his perspective.
I'll give you more time to answer.
The killer will wait for the listener's response and hopes they will come to understand him.
I'll give you some time to rethink.
The killer will allow the listener to reconsider their initial judgment of him.
But there's never time when
However, there is never enough time to really understand someone else's perspective.
The bullets are flying.
Once the act of violence has begun, it's too late to turn back or try to understand.
You duck your head and hit the ground!
The listener is urged to imagine the terror of being in the middle of a violent conflict.
"Shoot him"! Yeah!
The killer is urging himself to commit the violent act and ignore any voices of reason or morality.
Who will be the killer?
The question still remains as to who will truly win.
Who will be the winner?
The act of violence will have lasting consequences for both the killer and the victim, and there are no clear winners in such a situation.
"Shoot him!" Yeah,
The killer is once again urging himself to carry out the violent act with no hesitation.
I've got to be the killer!
The killer is determined to be the one who succeeds in committing the act of violence, no matter the cost.
I've got to LIVE!
The killer believes that by committing the violent act he will make his mark on the world and truly be alive in a way that he hasn't been before.
They say hit the ground hard
The killer is hearing others giving advice, but he has tuned them out in order to fully embrace his violent intentions.
When you feel it.
The killer believes that he will feel a sense of satisfaction and power once he has committed the act of violence.
Open your eyes so you can see it.
The killer is urging the listener to wake up and see the world for what it truly is, even if that means accepting the violent aspects of it.
Don't try to think just believe it.
The killer believes that logic and reason must be disregarded in this violent world, and that blindly following one's impulses is the only way to achieve success.
Then you'll know you're not dreaming!
By giving in to violent impulses, the killer believes that he is truly living and not just asleep or dreaming.
"Shoot him!" Yeah,
The killer is once again stoking his own violent impulses and trying to convince himself to commit the act of violence.
Who will be the killer?
The question of who will ultimately succeed in committing an act of violence hangs heavy over the entire song, as the killer seeks to establish himself as the ultimate victor.
Am I dreaming?
The killer is grappling with the dark reality of his actions and the morality of his decision to commit an act of violence.
Lyrics © TRI-RYCHE CORPORATION DBA QUEENSRYCHE PUBLISHING COMPANY, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: JASON C. SLATER, GEOFFERY WAYNE TATE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind