Saxon is an English heavy metal band formed in 1977 in Barnsley. Originally… Read Full Bio ↴Saxon is an English heavy metal band formed in 1977 in Barnsley. Originally called Son of a Bitch. As leaders of the new wave of British heavy metal (NWOBHM), they had eight UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including four UK Top 10 albums and two Top 5 albums. They had numerous singles in the UK Singles Chart and chart success all over Europe and Japan, as well as success in the United States. During the 1980s, Saxon established themselves among Europe's most successful metal acts. The band tours regularly and have sold more than 15 million albums worldwide. They have also been cited as a major influence or inspiration by notable bands, including Mötley Crüe, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax, Pantera, Testament, Dokken, Skid Row, Dream Theater, Exodus, Overkill, King Diamond and Celtic Frost.

Studio albums
Saxon (1979)
Wheels of Steel (1980)
Strong Arm of the Law (1980)
Denim and Leather (1981)
Power & the Glory (1983)
Crusader (1984)
Innocence Is No Excuse (1985)
Rock the Nations (1986)
Destiny (1988)
Solid Ball of Rock (1991)
Forever Free (1992)
Dogs of War (1995)
Unleash the Beast (1997)
Metalhead (1999)
Killing Ground (2001)
Lionheart (2004)
The Inner Sanctum (2007)
Into the Labyrinth (2009)
Call to Arms (2011)
Sacrifice (2013)
Battering Ram (2015)
Thunderbolt (2018)
Inspirations (2021)
Carpe Diem (2022)

Battle Cry
Saxon Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Can you hear the sound
The sound of distant voices
Floating gently 'cross the glen
Can you see the people
The people gathered 'round
They're worshipping their king

They came to hear the story

They came to sing the song

There's talk of a rebellion
The highlands are aflame
From the mountains to the sea
A prince has come to Scotland
To claim his rightful throne
The seeds of war are sown

They came to hear the story
They came to sing the song

Let me hear
Let me hear
Let me hear your battlecry

Let me hear
Let me hear
Let me hear your battlecry

An army marches northwards
To meet the fearless clansmen
For England and St. George
The red coats face the tartan
The battle lines are drawn
The musket and the sword

They came to hear the story
They came to sing the song

Let me hear
Let me hear
Let me hear your battlecry

Let me hear
Let me hear
Let me hear your battlecry

Many men have fallen
The prince has had his day
Culloden was the name
Their battlecry can still be heard
To this very day
Floating gently 'cross the glen

They came to hear the story
They came to sing the song

Let me hear
Let me hear
Let me hear your battlecry

(Repeat to end)

Overall Meaning

The first verse of Saxon's Battle Cry describes a scene of a peaceful gathering of people in Scotland who are paying homage to their king. The second verse introduces the theme of rebellion as a prince has come to Scotland to claim his rightful throne, and the seeds of war are sown. The chorus then urges the listeners to raise their battlecry, as an army marches northwards to meet the fearless clansmen. The third verse describes the actual battle between the English red coats and the Scottish tartans, where many men have fallen, and the battlecry can still be heard to this day, floating gently across the glen.

Line by Line Meaning

Can you hear the sound
Do you perceive the noise

The sound of distant voices
The remote cries coming from a group of people

Floating gently 'cross the glen
Moving slowly over the valley

Can you see the people
Are you observing the individuals

The people gathered 'round
The crowd assembled together

They're worshipping their king
They are revering their monarch

They came to hear the story
They arrived to listen to the tale

They came to sing the song
They arrived to perform the melody

There's talk of a rebellion
There is discussion about an uprising

The highlands are aflame
The Scottish highlands are in turmoil

From the mountains to the sea
From the peaks to the ocean

A prince has come to Scotland
A monarch traveled to Scotland

To claim his rightful throne
To demand his lawful position as king

The seeds of war are sown
The conflict has begun

Let me hear
Allow me to listen

Let me hear your battlecry
Please deliver your war chant to me

An army marches northwards
A military force moves towards the north

To meet the fearless clansmen
To confront the courageous group from a Scottish clan

For England and St. George
For the nation of England and the patron saint, St. George

The red coats face the tartan
The British soldiers confront the Scottish kilts

The battle lines are drawn
The opposing forces are ready for combat

The musket and the sword
The firearms and the blade

Many men have fallen
Numerous individuals have perished

The prince has had his day
The monarch had a time of power

Culloden was the name
The location of the battle was Culloden

Their battlecry can still be heard
Their war chant can still be listened

To this very day
Until today

Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GRAHAM OLIVER, NIGEL IAN GLOCKLER, PAUL QUINN, PETERY ROONEY BYFORD

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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