The Glorious Burden Lyrics Album by Iced Earth
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Album Lyrics
1. Declaration Day
A desperate situation
Forced to retaliation
The task ahead a burden
Men will suffer, that’s for certain
We’ll charge into the fire
The cause, we must inspire
We raise our fists to tyranny
A high price, freedom is not free
The odds are stacked against us
But with our resolve relentless
And arrogance their weakness
Our cause is just, we won’t be beaten
Upon this declaration
Will come a brand new nation
Where men are seen as equal
Governed by and for the people
(So we make our stand and pray)
(On this declaration day)
For independence I will fight
With liberty I will defy
(So we make our stand and pray)
(On this declaration day)
Give me liberty or give me death
I’ll fight till my last breath
With virtue as our beacon
Our cause is charged as treason
Battle worn and starving
Through the hell of war we’ll keep marching
The birth of our new nation
An act of desperation
We’ll force King George down to his knees
Capitulation
(So we make our stand and pray)
(On this declaration day)
For independence I will fight
With liberty I will defy
(So we make our stand and pray)
(On this declaration day)
Give me liberty or give me death
I’ll fight till my last breath
(So we make our stand and pray)
(On this declaration day)
For independence I will fight
With liberty I will defy
(So we make our stand and pray)
(On this declaration day)
Give me liberty or give me death
I’ll fight till my last breath…
2. When the Eagle Cries
Another day just like any other
Out of the blue it turned to horror
How could they?
Why would they?
The innocent suffered hell’s inferno
A senseless act that goes unforgotten
How could they?
They will pay
When the eagle cries – blood will fall
When the eagle cries – for freedom’s fight
When the eagle cries – we love her so
When the eagle cries – we will sacrifice
When the eagle cries
Out of the ashes came a tempting vengeance
But we are focused, we seek redemption
We are free
We’ll stay free
All they’ve done is make us stronger
The sleeping giant is asleep no longer
If need be
We’ll die free
When the eagle cries – blood will fall
When the eagle cries – for freedom’s fight
When the eagle cries – we love her so
When the eagle cries – we will sacrifice
When the eagle cries
When the eagle cries – blood will fall
When the eagle cries – for freedom’s fight
When the eagle cries – we love her so
When the eagle cries – we will sacrifice
When the eagle cries – the fall that made us stronger
When the eagle cries – we will sacrifice
Freedom’s fight
When the eagle cries – we love her so
When the eagle cries – we will sacrifice
When the eagle cries
3. The Reckoning (Don’t Tread on Me)
(Destiny spawned us, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, don’t tread on me)
(Revenge is not justice, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, yeah don’t tread on me)
You went too far this time, for this heinous crime
You will know defeat, begging on your knees
One by one you’ll fall, your back against the wall
Nowhere to turn, you’re sure to burn
(Destiny spawned us, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, don’t tread on me)
The hours close at hand, I’ll make my final stand
Justice shall be done, nowhere to run
True evil grows in you, you’re just a brainwashed fool
The coward close that hides, spewing forth his lies
(Revenge is not justice, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, yeah don’t tread on me)
Born of destruction, bred in agony
Is this my salvation?
From these ashes of your devastation!
If it was up to me, eye for an eye I say
With a hammer we will take, Lady Justice is asleep
The Judgment has been made, in blood it shall be paid
Death knows what to do, the horseman comes for you.
(Destiny spawned us, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, don’t tread on me)
(Revenge is not justice, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, yeah don’t tread on me)
(Destiny spawned us, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, don’t tread on me)
(Revenge is not justice, it’s the reckoning)
(This time it’s our blood, yeah don’t tread on me)
4. Attila
He’s ruled them for twenty years and ravaged as their king
Conquest burns in his eyes
And ice shoots through his veins
The leader’s new ambitions lie further to the west
The empire that he seeks
The father to the rest
Attila wants to take his place like an impetuous son
To make the entire world bow to the kingdom of the Huns
Alliance has been made
With many other clans
Frank and Vandal forces
Held within his hand
And by Attila’s hand it’s said
His brother met with death
To make his rule his legacy
He did his awful best
Ethele and Etzell – by many names he’s known
But Scourge of God is the one that rings the darkest tone
Hell awaits behind Gaul’s gates
The Romans stand only to fall
They will die by his sword
The barbarian lord
Attila, his victory call
Path of fire and plunder
Cities burn and crumble
Attila’s fate beckons
He will come to conquer
(Archers stand at ready)
(Centurions all together)
(Keep to your lines)
(And the Mongol’s sure to falter)
We will surely break them
We will overtake them
Fight till our deaths
Or the Christian’s devastation
(They won’t overthrow us)
(God will stand before us)
(Show us the path)
(To the Hun’s destruction)
Sing to the sky, the battle cries to propagate their fear
As terror is the weapon drawn
When battle has drawn near
And so the conflict is at hand
The gauntlet has been thrown
Contempt for the Christian reign
This poison seed has sown
And if by chance all is lost
Cut down by Roman steel
We’ll suffer not, as others have
Broken mind nor broken will
Hell awaits behind Gaul’s gates
The Romans stand only to fall
They will die by his sword
The barbarian lord
Attila, his victory call
Hell awaits behind Gaul’s gates
The Romans stand only to fall
They will die by his sword
The barbarian lord
Attila, his victory call
5. Red Baron / Blue Max
The son of a major, Prussian nobleman
His name bestowed by a holy Roman
The war broke out, and looked to the air
24 hours of training he was there
100 miles an hour
Top speed his plane would fly
And if he flew behind you
You know you’re sure to die
80 kills and all confirmed
While other pilots had so much more to learn
Red baron, blue max
The albatross flies high
Red baron, blue max
He’s got you in his sights!
The red battle flyer, red like fire
He sees no faces, the ace of aces!
His British quarry flew a reckless flight
A shot from the ground took the Red Baron’s life
He flew with honor, he flew with pride
In 1918 the battle flyer died
Red Baron, blue max
The albatross flies high
Red Baron, blue max
He’s got you in his sights!
6. Hollow Man
Emptiness, consuming me
Head in hands, I can hardly speak
Looking for solitude
Lost in humanity
True knowledge leads to suffering
A constant quest, an endless dream
Searching for inner peace
Hidden so deep in me
Don’t wanna be a hollow man
Ain’t gonna be the hollow man
Don’t wanna be a hollow man
Ain’t gonna be the hollow man
Sadness comes knocking constantly
Filling up my eyes for all to see
Peace will come some day
I pray that it finds a way
Darkness caressing my mind and soul
My spirit’s rejecting, I’m feeling whole
Emptiness goes away
Fills with the light of day
Don’t wanna be a hollow man
Ain’t gonna be the hollow man
Don’t wanna be a hollow man
Ain’t gonna be the hollow man
I rise up like the phoenix
From the ashes of an older way
With wisdom gained, I sail away, I turn away
Hollow man find yourself some other prey
Don’t wanna be a hollow man
Ain’t gonna be the hollow man
Don’t wanna be a hollow man
Ain’t gonna be the hollow man
7. Waterloo
Usher in the rally cries
Revolution’s here again
The emperor’s bonds are broken
As free he shall remain
Escape, through narrow, was demand
While his reign remained in view
This fight for France, ‘till bitter end
He must see it through
Coalition forms of many lands
Against Napoleon, west to east
The dogs of war will take to arms
And soon will be unleashed
Prussian, Russian and Austrian
All follow British lead
At allies’ helm is Wellington
Who must make his foe concede?
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
(And you will see your hundred days come to an end)
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
(It lies before you, fate shall befall you)
Quickly, the allies gather force
Near the Franco-Belgian line
While 124,000 French
March there in double time
As the battle begins
Napoleon springs his audacious plan
He’ll attack them on two fronts
Splitting up his warring band
As the Prussians sound retreat
Behind they leave 12,000 slain
Most of their force is still intact
And will live to fight again
Wellington, who felt the loss of 5,000 men
Would feel more under cannon fire
Bombardment from the French
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
(And you will see your hundred days come to an end)
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
(It lies before you, fate shall befall you)
Of all the wars I have waged
To propel my nations might
For this I’ll be remembered
From now ‘till the end of time
If to the victor go the spoils
I may die an impoverished man
For in the end, irony
Has dealt the cruelest hand
The French force was swift and sure
But their attack would be repelled
And though their center battered
The Anglo-Dutch line would be held
As fate or skill would have it
An army moves from the east
The Prussians who slipped through his hands
Would soon spell his defeat
French lines now all broken
And being open to attack
The emperor has no choice
And the old guard pulls him back
45,000 wounded or dead
When the fight was finally through
On a three mile square of battlefield
Near a town named Waterloo
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see (of destiny!)
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
(And you will see your hundred days come to an end)
Foreshadowed man of destiny
Soon you will be forced to see (the tragedy!)
Nations aligning against you
Marking the time your reign is through
(It lies before you, fate shall befall you)
8. Valley Forge
Close your eyes and imagine
The soldier, at Valley Forge
The suffering that he endured was real
Starvation, total war
Yet in his eyes, the iron will to win
And for the cause he won’t relent
(Would he look upon us now in anger and disgust?)
(His providence, our birthright and our creed)
(Will we let ignorance and laziness bring our demise?)
(Complacency, we’re blinded by our greed)
Standing barefoot, frozen bloody hands
His musket clutched in iron grip
But for the cause he has but one regret
He’s only got one life to give
(Would he look upon us now in anger and disgust?)
(His providence, our birthright and our creed)
(Will we let ignorance and laziness bring our demise?)
(Complacency, we’re blinded by our greed)
It’s time for us to open up our eyes
And cherish the lives we all can have
And to the ones who kept our freedom free
Words can’t express all that you’ve done
(Would he look upon us now in anger and disgust?)
(His providence, our birthright and our creed)
(Will we let ignorance and laziness bring our demise?)
(Complacency, we’re blinded by our greed)
(Would he look upon us now in anger and disgust?)
Will open your eyes…
(His providence, our birthright and our creed)
And look at my last breath
(Will we let ignorance and laziness bring our demise?)
Will open your eyes!
(Complacency, we’re blinded by our greed)
9. The Devil to Pay
[July 1st, 1863]
In July, eighteen sixty-three
A nation torn in tragedy
A trick of fate, two great armies merge
Gods of war at Gettysburg
Devastation lies ahead
Fifty thousand bodies litter the land
Hell rages three full days
The Reaper sows
And there’s a devil to pay!
The pressure’s on and the Reb’s attack
The yanks must hold, they can’t fall back
Just two brigades, two thousand strong
Against twenty thousand they can’t hold long
General Reynolds makes his way
Expect no mercy from the iron brigade
Until he shows they’re on their own
But Buford’s men have a will of stone
Bayonets gleam in the morning sun
Smoke and fire belching from their guns
Another volley and again they strike
Thousands more coming down Chambersburg Pike
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
South of town down the Emmitsburg Road
The first corps are starting to show
For Buford’s men they’re here just in time
The desperate need to strengthen their line
Bodies dropping, the blue and the grey
Muskets fire and cannons blaze
The Union fights, defending the town
But they’re outnumbered and losing ground
From the north and the west more rebels arrive
Thousands more and the fight multiplies
McPherson Ridge and the black hats strike
A rebel sharpshooter takes Reynolds’s life
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
Attack, attack! General Lee gives command
They’re overwhelmed, the situation demands
The federals retreat and rush out of town
But they are fortified and saved the high ground
Day ends in victory for the south
Lee’s as convinced as God’s will is profound
They are invincible and their cause is just
But Longstreet is cautious and lacking in trust
Across the way the Union digs in
The round tops, Cemetery Ridge and out to Culp’s Hill
The lines are strong, no denying they’ll stay
When the confederates strike there’ll be the devil to pay
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
(This tragedy and what it brings)
(All the devastation)
The Reaper has his way
(Men will kill, blood will spill)
(To preserve the nation)
There’s the devil to pay
10. Hold at All Costs
[July 2nd, 1863]
Just a mile or so away
Lives my dearest friend in this world
He wears the blue and I the grey
And God, it hurts me so
Last time we were together
I grabbed his hand and I pledged
If I ever draw my sword on you
May the good Lord strike me dead
The Union flank’s in trouble
To the round top on the double
A bad decision, insubordination
Exposed our line in a dangerous way
The burden lies upon us
Surrender is not an option
We are the flank and if we break
The Union crumbles, we could lose the war
Down below the carnage
The rebels charging onward
Push the slaughter forward
The Peach Orchard
Through the wheat field and Devil’s Den
The valor of the Texans and Alabama’s best men
They’re unrelenting and devastating
The last full measure of devotion’s clear
(We know what we’re made of)
(When up against all odds, we hold our line)
(For the cause that we so love)
(We must hold at all cost)
(We know what we’re made of)
(When our nation needs us)
(We’ll stay the course for the Union we so love)
(We must hold at all cost)
Wave after wave they’re coming
Their power must be waning
We’re out of ammo, we can’t fall back, no
One desperate measure, a means to end
On their next wave we charge them
There is no other option
Disconcert them, force submission
On my command, fix bayonets
(We know what we’re made of)
(When up against all odds, we hold our line)
(For the cause that we so love)
(We must hold at all cost)
(We know what we’re made of)
(When our nation needs us)
(We’ll stay the course for the Union we so love)
(We must hold at all cost)
(We know what we’re made of) the burden lies with us
(When up against all odds, we hold our line) we can’t fail
(For the cause that we so love)
(We must hold at all cost)
(We know what we’re made of) with courage in our hearts
(When our nation needs us) we won’t fail
(We’ll stay the course for the Union we so love)
(We must hold at all cost)
11. High Water Mark
[July 3rd, 1863]
[1. Cannonade/Intro]
[Instrumental]
[2. The Burden of Command]
[Lee:]
It was very close, yesterday
I thought for sure, they would break
But this attack, that I have planned
A massive strike across open land
In the center, they will break (will they break?)
But plan it well, everything’s at stake
We’ll hit ‘em hard, not a silent gun
Before the infantry’s begun
Execute it well, we risk everything
It’s in God’s hands now
[Longstreet:]
General Lee, I must tell you straight
I believe this attack will fail
No fifteen thousand men ever made
Will overtake that ridge today
A mile charge over open ground
With Yankee cannon gunning us down
[Lee:]
We do our duty, we do what we must
And in my plan, you will trust (thousands die)
Execute it well, we risk everything (on this day)
It’s in God’s hands now
[3. The Last Full Measure]
The rebel cannon break the silence
One hundred fifty guns make up their cannonade
They must destroy the Union Center
Before the infantry can launch their grand assault
The Yankees are returning fire
(The Earth shakes violently)
In Washington D.C. Lincoln feels the earth shake
What happens here this day
The fate of this nation
In the balance it will hang
Consumed with the pain
The courage of the blue
The valor of the grey
So very sad but true
Consumed with the pain
The Virginians are the chosen
In wait behind the trees on Seminary Ridge
Longstreet’s slow to give the orders
The lines emerged a mile, fifteen thousand men
The charge begins in all its grandeur
(To the copse of trees)
For many of these men they know it is their last
The slaughter now ensues
Bodies fall like rain
They valiantly pursue
Yet doomed to remain
At the double quick they charge
The canister rips through them
To the mouth of hell they march
Glory, the only gain
[4. Charge!]
[Armistead:]
We’re almost there my boys
I’ve never served with finer
We must push forward boys
And bayonet the Yankee tyrants
To the copse of trees we charge
To crush the Union Center
And when they turn and run
An open road leads us to freedom
[5. The Melee]
[Lee:]
It’s over now we are retreating
I never thought that we’d be beaten
All this blood is on my hands
The thousands dead due to my plan
I am responsible, all of it is my fault
I thought us invincible
Is this God’s will, after all?
I look across this blood soaked land
All this blood is on my hands
God forgive me, please forgive me
It’s all my fault!
The blood is on my hands!
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