Album: When Heroes Fall (1991)

Black Rose

[Longobardi, VanWar]

Somehow I always knew
It would end up this way
I tried to warn them
But they just turned their heads the other way

When greed and power take control
One man cannot speak his piece
Yet it only takes one hand
To bring all to a blackened halt.

In the filth and despair far beneath
Where I have only to answer myself
No longer is there any beauty
My memories slowly decay.

Above I hear the screams of those
Who're slowly dying but they chose
To remain and give up the teachings
Their fathers burdened for years.

When I sleep I see a dream
The shadow of a rose burned to the earth
For I grow old and the lines on my face
Bare the history of this hell.

My breath grows short as I return
And pray that someone will remember
My flesh and bones turn to dust
And sacrifice myself to the world

To belong to the world.

Here come the mob
Riding out of the sunset in their horses of steel
Terrorizing the cities
And bringing torture to those who still feel
Raping and Stealing
Taking it out on the old and weak
Blame it on blasphemy and foolish bigotry
When man contradicts his own sorry lies.

Living in the shadows
Of the nuclear dawn the punks begin to fight
With chains and armor
They attack the streets to live another night
They kill for drink
The tomorrow's gold is scarce among this barren wasteland.
Even the tears
Are scarce among the atomic generation.

These are the laws of the children in fear
And a scarred memory of those who picked
The petals of the Black Rose
A condemned confirmation
For the fool a revelation
In the end I will see Heaven's gate
Open for me.