747
Tyrant Lyrics


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We got a 747 coming down in the night
There′s no power, there's no runway lights
Radio operator try to get a message through
Tell the flight deck New York has no lights
There′s no power, what do we do
A 747 coming down in the night
Try to get a message through
We were strangers in the night
Both on separate flights
Stangers in the night
Going nowhere
We were strangers in the night
Both on separate flights
Stangers in the night
Going nowhere

This is Scandinavian 101
Flight from Hawaii coming out of the sun
Kennedy, you should be in sight
We can't see a thing here in the night
Navigator says we're on the flight path
There′s no radio, no sign of life
This is Sandinavian 101
For Gods sake get the ground lights on
′Cause we were strangers in the night
Both on separate flights
Strangers in the night
Going nowhere
We were strangers in the night
Both on separate flights
Strangers in the night
Going nowhere

There's a 747 goin′ into the night
There's no power they don′t know why
They've no fuel they gotta land soon
They can′t land by the light of the moon
They're overshooting there's no guiding lights
Set a course into the night
Scandanavian 101
For Gods sake get your ground lights on
We were strangers in the night
Lost on separate flights
Strangers in the night
Going nowhere
We were strangers in the night
Lost on separate flights
Strangers in the night
Going nowhere
Strangers in the night
We were strangers in the night
Strangers in the night
We were strangers in the night
Strangers in the night
Both on separate flights
Strangers in the night
Going nowhere
We were strangers in the night




Flight 101
Strangers in the night going nowhere

Overall Meaning

The lyrics describe a tense situation of a 747 aircraft losing power and visibility in the night sky. The radio operator is desperately trying to get a message through, but there seems to be no solution to the crisis. The pilots realize that there are no guiding lights in New York and they don't know what to do. In the midst of this chaos, the singer reflects on the absurdity of the situation, how both the passengers of this flight and other flights on different paths are just strangers in the night, going nowhere.


The song speaks to themes of powerlessness, uncertainty, and the ways in which people can be united in crisis even when they are strangers. The lyrics provide intensity, with the escalating situation of the airplane in danger, as well as a reflection on the ways in which people can feel lost and disconnected from each other.


Line by Line Meaning

We got a 747 coming down in the night
A Boeing 747 airplane is descending during nighttime


There's no power, there's no runway lights
The airport runway does not have any electricity, which makes it unsafe for landing


Radio operator try to get a message through
The people on board the airplane are trying to communicate with someone on the ground


Tell the flight deck New York has no lights
The person on the ground is trying to tell the pilots that the lights in New York are not working


There's no power, what do we do
The people on board the airplane are questioning what their next move should be, given the lack of power and visibility


Try to get a message through
The people on the airplane are trying to make contact with someone on the ground for assistance


We were strangers in the night
The people on the airplane do not know anyone on the ground and are in unfamiliar territory


Both on separate flights
The people on the airplane are not traveling with anyone else and are flying solo


Going nowhere
The people on the airplane are in a state of stagnation and are not making progress


This is Scandinavian 101
The airplane is a part of Scandinavian Airlines Flight 101


Flight from Hawaii coming out of the sun
The airplane originated in Hawaii and is now flying out of a bright sunrise


Kennedy, you should be in sight
The JFK airport should be visible to them by now


We can't see a thing here in the night
Due to poor visibility and lack of runway lights, the pilots cannot see where they are going


Navigator says we're on the flight path
The navigator is informing the pilots that they are still following the intended route


There's no radio, no sign of life
There is no communication from the ground and no signs of other aircraft or activity


For Gods sake get the ground lights on
The people on the airplane are imploring the ground crew to turn on the runway lights for emergency landing purposes


There's a 747 goin′ into the night
Another Boeing 747 airplane is flying in the darkness


There's no power they don′t know why
The other airplane has lost its power source and the cause is unknown


They've no fuel they gotta land soon
The other airplane is running out of fuel and needs to land as soon as possible


They can′t land by the light of the moon
The moon is not providing enough light for a safe landing


They're overshooting there's no guiding lights
The other airplane is missing its landing spot due to the lack of proper lighting


Set a course into the night
The people on the airplane are setting a direction to fly into the darkness in search of a safe place to land


Lost on separate flights
The people on the airplane are unsure of where they are and are separated from others like them


Flight 101
Referring to Scandinavian Airlines Flight 101




Writer(s): Paul Quinn, Graham Oliver, Stephen Dawson, Peter Francis Gill, Petery Rooney Byford

Contributed by Sydney T. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
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