The late-'80s side project of Queen's drummer Roger Taylor, the Cross were … Read Full Bio ↴The late-'80s side project of Queen's drummer Roger Taylor, the Cross were originally a classic rock band with dance influences, then abandoned the dance aspect of their sound and produced two straight forward rock albums. Although Taylor stated when the band formed in 1987, that the group would be a force to be reckoned with within six months, the group never took off in any market, except Germany, and broke up in 1993. With the conclusion of Queen's Magic Tour in 1986, Roger Taylor took the opportunity of a lack of activity on the Queen front to form his own band, which he named the Cross. Leaving his drum kit behind, Taylor assumed the duties of rhythm guitarist and lead vocalist for the group. Outside of recruiting Queen's tour keyboardist, Spike Edney, the rest of Taylor's new band were found through an ad placed in the music press. They were a group of unknowns, consisting of Clayton Moss (guitar), Peter Noone (bass guitar), and Josh Macrae (drums). With a group of songs already written, Taylor decided to record the first Cross album, Shove It, largely by himself and then tour with his new band. A hybrid of classic rock and dance influences, the album received some praise in the British music press but failed to get higher than the bottom of the album charts, as did it's three singles. In America, the album failed to chart and the group would not release another album there. The band resumed operations after the next Queen album with Mad, Bad and Dangerous to Know, which was written by all the members in the band and embraced a classic rock sound. The lead single, "Power to Love," only dented the bottom of the British charts, while the album failed to chart at all. However, the band did continue to do well in Germany, and, with no record support in England, released their third album, Blue Rock, in that country only. After a final gig in 1993, the band called it a day. Taylor went on to record solo albums a
nd work with Queen, while Edney later helped found the S. A. S. Band, and Peter Noone joined Miss World.
Biography by Geoff Orens

2)
The Cross (더 크로스) is a korean rock band formed in 2003.

Members:

- Lee Si-Ha (이시하), 29/10/1982 - Composition, back vocals, piano, guitar, leader
- Kim Kyeong-Hyeon (김경현), 02/08/1982 - Main vocals

Former members:

- Kim Hyeok-Keon (김혁건), 12/04/1982 – Main vocals

3)
The Cross is also a Traditional Metal/Progressive Metal band with one Demo called Metal From Above. It was reissued through Steel Legacy(333 LP and 1000 CD)in 2007.

4)
the CROSS is also a Japanese duo, which consists of Daisuke and ショーガ (Syo-ga).
Website: http://thecross.web.fc2.com/index.html (in Japanese)

5)
The Cross is doom metal band with black metal influences from Brazil

Man On Fire
The Cross Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

I walk these streets each and every day
Trying to find some work just to earn my pay
Just to make some plans for you some day.
But plans don't work and it's not that fine,

When you got no money all you got is time;
Don't it make you stop and wonder why?
Sometimes I feel like a man on fire,

Sometimes I feel like a man possessed,
Sometimes I want to burn down this crazy town.

I walk these streets each and every night,
Feel like I'm playing my role but it fits too tight.
Watch my life go by in black and white.
When times are hard and times are rough
Then you better be made of sterner stuff.

You'll find it's time to stop and wonder why.
I'm smokin', I'm burnin',
I'm twisting and turning
But one thing I'm learning.

It's the power of your love keeps me under their thumb
'cause the beat of your heart is the beat of my drum;
Don't it make you stop and wonder why?

Sometimes I feel like a man on fire,
Sometimes I feel like a man possessed,
Sometimes I want to burn down this crazy town.
Sometimes I feel like a man on fire,

Sometimes I feel like a man possessed,
Sometimes I want to burn down this crazy town.
Sometimes I feel like a man on fire,
Sometimes I feel like a man possessed,

Sometimes I want to burn down this crazy town.
Sometimes I feel like a man on fire,

Sometimes I feel like a man possessed,
Sometimes I want to burn down this crazy town

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of "Man On Fire" by The Cross express the frustration and desperation that many people feel when trying to make ends meet in a tough economic environment. The singer describes walking the streets both day and night, trying to find work to earn money and make plans for a better future. However, these plans often fall apart and the reality of having no money and plenty of time to dwell on it sets in. The repeated line "Sometimes I feel like a man on fire" conveys the intensity of the emotions the singer is experiencing, and the desire to burn down the crazy town suggests an almost destructive impulse borne out of desperation.

Despite the grim tone of the lyrics, there is a glimmer of hope in the lines "It's the power of your love keeps me under their thumb, 'cause the beat of your heart is the beat of my drum." The singer finds solace in the love of another person, and realizes that this love is what gives him the strength to keep going even when times are tough. However, the final line "Don't it make you stop and wonder why?" suggests that even this love can't fully answer the question of why life is so difficult for some people.

Overall, "Man On Fire" captures the struggle of everyday people to make it in a world that often seems stacked against them. While the lyrics are dark and intense, the underlying message is one of perseverance and the power of love to sustain us through difficult times.

Man On FireThe Cross Lyrics

Man On Fire
The Cross Lyrics