Volbeat was formed in 2001 after frontman Michael Poulsen split up his former band, Dominus. Volbeat plays a fusion of heavy metal and rockabilly. They are inspired by the rock n' roll legends Elvis Presley and Johnny Cash. No other Danish heavy rock band Volbeat has been able to get to position 18 at the Danish Top 100 for CD sales in over 10 years. This milestone was reached after their concert at the Roskilde Festival 2006.
Critics have generally been positive towards The Strength / The Sound / The Songs. The German hard rock magazine RockHard gave it 10/10 in a review.
Volbeat is also praised for its live performances. Their concert at Roskilde Festival 2006 received a 6/6 stars review in the Danish newspaper BT.
In week 8 of 2007, the record Rock The Rebel / Metal The Devil debuted as #1 in the Danish Top 40 for CD-sales and at the same time The Strength / The Sound / The Songs re-entered the chart at #21. Recently, the album achieved gold status for sales in Denmark.
Volbeat opened the Roskilde Festival in 2007. Volbeat also supported Metallica together with Mnemic at their concert on Denmark July 13 of that year.
More recently, Volbeat was announced to do a seven-date European spring tour and to support legendary speed metal act Megadeth in Finland and in their home town, Copenhagen. They have also already announced a few festival appearances for the summer 2008.
Volbeat has a large range of influences, which can be clearly heard in their music. On their official MySpace site Volbeat lists their influences in their own recognizable way:
"Everything from Elvis Presley to Napalm Death .. hail: Johnny Cash, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis, Chuck Berry, Fats Domino, Ramones, Social Distortion, Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Dio, Megadeth, Metallica, Manic Street Preachers, Iron Maiden and bla bla bla bla..."
Volbeat's lyrics usually revolve around love, failed love or the power of a twisted mind. They thereby distance themselves from stereotypical heavy metal lyrics, although many of their most popular songs have very dark or sincere themes and plots.
Their first single was the cover version of Dusty Springfield's evergreen "I Only Wanna Be With You". The song doesn't differ much from the original with regard to the lyrics, but the accompanying music video is quite typical of Volbeat. In it, the band is seen with a classic microphone on top of a city roof.
Another popular feature of the band's lyrics are the returning "series" of songs. This is best represented with the songs "Danny & Lucy (11 pm)" and "Fire Song" from The Strength/The Sound/The Songs followed by "Mr. & Mrs. Ness" on Rock the Rebel/Metal the Devil. The story is about the two desperate lovers, Danny and Lucy, who are killed in a car crash after Lucy runs away from her family.
"Dear Mr. and Mrs. Ness, I'm so sorry to bring you this - We believe we found your girl in an old burning car way up the hill"
In the successor, "Mr. & Mrs. Ness", Lucy's mother commits suicide and the father is suspected for the murder:
"The old man is crying and he's lying - The blood on his hands' from his wife yeah"
The story is followed further by "Mary Ann's Place" from Guitar Gangsters & Cadillac Blood, and was concluded with "You Will Know" off 2016's Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie.
Lineup
Michael Poulsen - Vocals, guitar (ex-Dominus)
Rob Caggiano - Guitar (ex-Anthrax)
Kaspar Boye Larsen - Bass
Jon Larsen - Drums
Former members:
Teddy Vang - Guitar
Franz Gottschalk - Guitar
Thomas Bredahl - Guitar
Anders Kjølholm - Bass
Official homepage : www.volbeat.dk
A Broken Man and the Dawn
Volbeat Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Older, colder and mumbling
Looking over his shoulder
Until the break of dawn
His eyes will not close
All the days are the same getting down
At the bar and he's mumbling
Until the break of dawn
And where are his loved ones
Oh baby it's oh so cold in this place
Oh maybe it's all so close to the bitter end
Oh maybe it all just burns like a living hell
I'm all alone, and here comes the dawn
Hearing boots walking into the bar
Four men dragging their boxes
People stare and smell trouble
Until the break of dawn, the four men will go
Oh baby it's oh so cold in this place
Oh maybe it's all so close to the bitter end
Oh maybe it all just burns like a living hell
I'm all alone, and here comes the dawn
And the four men starts to open every case
And people wonder
When they pull out their instruments and play
Dear people we are the guitar gangsters
And we are here to join you
And ease the pain you're in
Now listen
Hearing boots walking into the bar
Four men dragging their boxes
People smile and they're roaring
Until the break of dawn, a new day is born
Oh baby it's oh so cold in this place
Oh maybe it's all so close to the bitter end
Oh maybe it all just burns like a living hell
I'm all alone, and here comes the dawn
Dear people we are the guitar gangsters
And we are here to join you
And ease the pain you're in
Now listen
Dear ladies and gentlemen
We thank you for your kindness
We're on the road again, forever
The song A Broken Man and the Dawn by Volbeat tells the story of a veteran who is suffering from PTSD as a result of his experience of war. The opening lines of the song depict a man who is alienated from the world, withdrawn, and suffering in his own thoughts. He is haunted by his memories and his eyes will not close, as if he is unable to sleep due to the trauma he has experienced. He spends his days at the bar, talking to himself about the war and his lost loved ones.
As the night wears on, the man is approached by a group of four men who enter the bar with their instruments. There is a moment of tension as people in the bar are unsure whether the men have come to cause trouble or not. However, when the group, known as the "guitar gangsters", starts playing, the atmosphere in the bar changes. The music becomes a soothing balm for the broken man and the other people in the bar. The song ends with the guitar gangsters thanking the people for their kindness and setting off on the road again.
The song is a powerful commentary on the effects of war on individuals and society. It highlights the loneliness, isolation, and pain that veterans can experience, often long after they have returned from active duty. The interaction between the broken man and the guitar gangsters shows how compassion and human connection can have a healing effect on individuals who are struggling with mental health issues.
Line by Line Meaning
There's a man looking blank to the wall
There's a man lost in thought, staring at the wall with a blank expression
Older, colder and mumbling
He's older, colder, and muttering to himself
Looking over his shoulder
He's worried and paranoid, often turning to check behind him
Until the break of dawn
He stays out all night until the morning
His eyes will not close
He can't sleep, tormented by his thoughts
All the days are the same getting down
His life is monotonous and dull, spent drinking at the bar
At the bar and he's mumbling
He's at the bar, muttering to himself again
About the war and lost ones
He talks about war and those he has lost, haunted by their memory
And where are his loved ones
He wonders where his loved ones are, feeling abandoned
Oh baby it's oh so cold in this place
He's lonely and depressed, the bar feels cold and unwelcoming
Oh maybe it's all so close to the bitter end
He feels like he's approaching the end of his life, bitter and regretful
Oh maybe it all just burns like a living hell
His life feels like a never-ending nightmare, a living hell he can't escape from
I'm all alone, and here comes the dawn
He's alone and the new day is beginning, reminding him of his loneliness
Hearing boots walking into the bar
He hears people entering the bar, possibly troublemakers
Four men dragging their boxes
Four shady men come in carrying boxes
People stare and smell trouble
The other people in the bar are scared and anticipate danger
Until the break of dawn, the four men will go
The shady men will leave when the sun comes up
And the four men starts to open every case
The four men start opening their boxes, which people assume contain weapons
And people wonder
The people in the bar are curious and nervous about what's happening
When they pull out their instruments and play
The men surprise everyone by pulling out musical instruments and playing music
Dear people we are the guitar gangsters
The men are introducing themselves as the 'guitar gangsters'
And we are here to join you
They want to join the bar patrons and entertain them with their music
And ease the pain you're in
They hope to make the patrons feel better and forget their problems through music
Now listen
They ask the people in the bar to listen to their music
People smile and they're roaring
The patrons enjoy the music and cheer loudly
Until the break of dawn, a new day is born
They play until the sun comes up and a new day begins
Dear ladies and gentlemen
They address the patrons politely
We thank you for your kindness
They thank the people in the bar for their generosity and attention
We're on the road again, forever
They are traveling musicians and have to leave to continue their journey
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: JON LARSEN, MICHAEL POULSEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@MarcusAsenlund
I directed a 40 minute movie dedicated to this album.
But the movie have nothing to do with the plot of the album.
Plot: A kid named Martin loses his father and he lives alone with his mom until she meets a new one. This new "boyfriend" is a psychiatrist and a real psycho. He mentally tortures Martin and soon the mother becomes pregnant with the spawn of satan.
Martin lives out a life with torture and abuse for like 7 years until he ends up running away.
A fight between Martin and his step father occurs but Martin escapes him and turns into his alter ego called Läraren.
The movie is a swedish comedy drama with an emotional story.
Sorry to hear about your loss, hope you are better. 😊
@OfficialAuraStarlight
Anyone in 2024? Maybe it's just me... the broken man and the dawn.
@saschafox
Nope, you’re not alone
@ryedogg2602
hell yea 🙂
@Sarfiaholic
This song kept me together during my depression. Volbeat is seriously golden <3
@craigjameson1671
Keep busy my friend it works
@MarcusAsenlund
I directed a 40 minute movie dedicated to this album.
But the movie have nothing to do with the plot of the album.
Plot: A kid named Martin loses his father and he lives alone with his mom until she meets a new one. This new "boyfriend" is a psychiatrist and a real psycho. He mentally tortures Martin and soon the mother becomes pregnant with the spawn of satan.
Martin lives out a life with torture and abuse for like 7 years until he ends up running away.
A fight between Martin and his step father occurs but Martin escapes him and turns into his alter ego called Läraren.
The movie is a swedish comedy drama with an emotional story.
Sorry to hear about your loss, hope you are better. 😊
@Fideli-88
Helped me, Nomy "a dream for the Weaker" my fav song
@ack495
This might be one of favorites by them for sure. Love this song
@mirokic
Best Volbeat tune. They should perform this song live very often!!!
@bouc12619
after each song i listen from volbeat, they get better and better this is crazy