Holy Wars...The Punishment Due – English Lyrics

• By: Megadeth
• Album: Rust In Peace

Lyrics & Translation

Embark on a linguistic journey with Megadeth's "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due," a dynamic thrash metal epic that's more than just music; it's a powerful narrative on global conflicts and justice. Learn vocabulary related to politics, religion, and human struggle while immersing yourself in its complex lyrical themes and varied musical structures. This song offers a compelling way to engage with English through its intense storytelling and diverse expressions of frustration and commentary on the world's 'holy wars' and their 'punishment due'.

[English]

( heavy metal music )

♪♪ BROTHER WILL KILL BROTHER ♪♪

♪♪ SPILLING BLOOD ACROSS THE LAND ♪♪

♪♪ KILLING FOR RELIGION ♪♪

♪♪ SOMETHING I DON'T UNDERSTAND ♪♪

♪♪ FOOLS LIKE ME WHO CROSS THE SEA ♪♪

♪♪ AND COME TO FOREIGN LANDS ♪♪

♪♪ ASK THE SHEEP FOR THEIR BELIEFS ♪♪

♪♪ DO YOU KILL ON GOD'S COMMAND? ♪♪

♪♪ A COUNTRY THAT'S DIVIDED ♪♪

♪♪ SURELY WILL NOT STAND ♪♪

♪♪ MY PAST ERASED, NO MORE DISGRACE ♪♪

♪♪ NO FOOLISH, NAIVE STAND ♪♪

♪♪ THE END IS NEAR ♪♪

♪♪ IT'S CRYSTAL CLEAR ♪♪

♪♪ PART OF THE MASTER PLAN ♪♪

♪♪ DON'T LOOK NOW TO ISRAEL ♪♪

♪♪ IT MIGHT BE YOUR HOMELAND ♪♪

♪♪ HOLY WARS... ♪♪

♪♪ UPON MY PODIUM AS THE KNOW-IT-ALL SCHOLAR ♪♪

♪♪ DOWN IN MY SEAT OF JUDGMENT ♪♪

♪♪ GAVELS BANG, UPHOLD THE LAW ♪♪

♪♪ UP ON MY SOAPBOX ♪♪

♪♪ A LEADER OUT TO CHANGE THE WORLD ♪♪

♪♪ DOWN IN MY PULPIT ♪♪

♪♪ AS THE HOLIER-THAN-THOU- COULD-BE MESSENGER OF GOD ♪♪

♪♪ WAGE THE WAR ON ORGANIZED CRIME ♪♪

♪♪ SNEAK ATTACKS, RAPPEL DOWN THE ROCKS ♪♪

♪♪ BEHIND THE LINES ♪♪

♪♪ SOME PEOPLE RISK TO EMPLOY ME ♪♪

♪♪ SOME PEOPLE LIVE TO DESTROY ME ♪♪

♪♪ EITHER WAY, THEY DIE ♪♪

♪♪ THEY DIE ♪♪

♪♪ THEY KILLED MY WIFE AND MY BABY ♪♪

♪♪ WITH HOPES TO ENSLAVE ME ♪♪

♪♪ FIRST MISTAKE ♪♪

♪♪ LAST MISTAKE ♪♪

♪♪ PAID BY THE ALLIANCE TO SLAY ALL THE GIANTS ♪♪

♪♪ NEXT MISTAKE ♪♪

♪♪ NO MORE MISTAKES ♪♪

♪♪ FILL THE CRACKS IN WITH JUDICIAL GRANITE ♪♪

♪♪ BECAUSE I DON'T SAY IT DON'T MEAN I AIN'T THINKING IT ♪♪

♪♪ NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'LL TAKE MY THOUGHTS AWAY ♪♪

♪♪ I KNOW WHAT I SAID ♪♪

♪♪ NOW I MUST SCREAM OF THE OVERDOSE ♪♪

♪♪ AND THE LACK OF MERCY KILLINGS ♪♪

♪♪ MERCY KILLINGS ♪♪

♪♪ MERCY KILLINGS ♪♪

♪♪ KILLINGS ♪♪

♪♪ KILLINGS ♪♪

♪♪ KILLINGS ♪♪

♪♪ NEXT THING YOU KNOW, THEY'LL TAKE MY THOUGHTS AWAY. ♪♪

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
kill /kɪl/ B1	verb - to cause the death of a person or animal verb - to bring something to an end completely
blood /blʌd/ A2	noun - the red liquid that circulates in the bodies of humans and animals
war /wɔːr/ B1	noun - armed conflict between different countries or groups
religion /rɪˈlɪdʒən/ B2	noun - a system of faith and worship
god /ɡɒd/ A2	noun - a supreme being worshiped in religions
law /lɔː/ B2	noun - a system of rules that a society or government develops
leader /ˈliːdər/ B2	noun - a person who guides or directs a group
world /wɜːrld/ A1	noun - the earth, together with all of its countries and peoples
messenger /ˈmesɪndʒər/ B2	noun - a person who carries a message
crime /kraɪm/ B2	noun - an act that violates the law
enslave /ɪnˈsleɪv/ C1	verb - to make someone a slave; to dominate completely
mistake /mɪˈsteɪk/ A2	noun - an error or wrong decision verb - to be mistaken; to make an error
giant /ˈdʒaɪənt/ A2	noun - a very large or powerful person or thing
granite /ˈɡrænɪt/ C1	noun - a hard, granular rock consisting mainly of quartz, feldspar and mica
judgment /ˈdʒʌdʒmənt/ C1	noun - the ability to make considered decisions or come to sensible conclusions
scholar /ˈskɒlər/ C1	noun - a specialist in a particular branch of study, especially the humanities
holy /ˈhoʊli/ B2	adjective - dedicated or consecrated to God or a religious purpose; sacred
naive /naɪˈiːv/ B2	adjective - showing a lack of experience, wisdom, or judgment

Key Grammar Structures

• Brother will kill brother

  ➔ Simple future tense (will + base verb)

  ➔ "Will kill" shows an action expected or predicted to happen in the future.

• Killing for religion

  ➔ Gerund phrase (verb + -ing used as a noun)

  ➔ "Killing" acts as a noun meaning the act of killing, not the action itself.

• Do you kill on God's command?

  ➔ Question form using auxiliary verb 'do'

  ➔ "Do you kill" is a present simple question asking about regular or voluntary action.

• A country that's divided surely will not stand

  ➔ Relative clause using 'that' to describe 'country'

  ➔ The phrase "that's divided" gives more information about the noun 'country'.

• The end is near

  ➔ Present simple to express certainty or a state

  ➔ "Is" indicates an existing condition — that the end already feels close.

• Down in my pulpit as the holier-than-thou...

  ➔ Comparative phrase using 'holier-than-thou'

  ➔ The phrase "holier-than-thou" means acting morally superior to others.

• Some people live to destroy me

  ➔ Infinitive of purpose (to + verb)

  ➔ The infinitive "to destroy" explains why they live — their purpose.

• They killed my wife and my baby

  ➔ Simple past tense (verb + -ed)

  ➔ "Killed" shows a completed action that happened in the past.

• Because I don't say it don't mean I ain't thinking it

  ➔ Conditional-like structure using double negatives and informal style

  ➔ The phrase means 'Just because I don’t say it doesn’t mean I don’t think it.' It uses multiple negations for emphasis.

• Next thing you know, they'll take my thoughts away

  ➔ Future with 'will' after a time expression ('Next thing you know')

  ➔ The future tense 'they’ll take' describes a sudden change that will happen soon after another event.