If you take a life do you know what you'll give?
Odds are you won't like what it is
When the storm arrives would you be seen with me
By the merciless eyes of deceit?

I've seen angels fall from blinding heights
But you yourself are nothing so divine
Just next in line

[Chorus]
Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you
The odds will betray you
And I will replace you
You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you
It longs to kill you
Are you willing to die?

The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name

If you come inside things will not be the same
When you return to the night
And if you think you've won
You never saw me change
The game that we've all been playing

I've seen diamonds cut through harder men
Than you yourself
But if you must pretend
You may meet your end

[Chorus]

The coldest blood runs through my veins

Try to hide your hand
Forget how to feel
Forget how to feel

Life is gone with just a spin of the wheel
Spin of the wheel

[Chorus]

The coldest blood runs through my veins
You know my name [Repeat: x7]



Lyrics submitted by omgwut

Track duration: 04:02

"You Know My Name" as written by Chris/arnold Cornell

Lyrics © EMI Music Publishing, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC

Lyrics powered by LyricFind


You Know My Name song meanings
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  • 0
    Song Meaning:His name is Lucifer if you don't know his name

    "If you take a life you know what you'll give odds are you won't like what it is"

    it means if I kill i will give my soul to the Devil

    "When the storm arrives would you be seen with me"
    "By the merciless eyes I’ve deceived"

    when it comes to apocalypse it wouldn't be the right to be on the Devil's side
    Devil is the deceiver,and the ones who he deceived are hungry for revenge against the Devil

    "I've seen angels fall from blinding heights But you yourself are nothing so divine Just next in line"

    He tells me that he deceived even the higher angels than me and that i am nothing better then them just next in line

    "Arm yourself because no one else here will save you The odds will betray you and I will replace you"

    he tells me that is better to prepare myself because God gave up on me and that there is no one who will protect me and that i must count on my own strength to arm myself with weapons

    "I've seen diamonds cut through harder men Than you yourself but if you must pretend You may meet your end"

    he tells me that he seen even more powerful people than me failing but pretending to be strong can lead me also to ruin

    "Try to hide, your hand forget how to feel"

    this part is interestingly removed from the movie version of the song
    I have become antisocial living in the prison for a long time that even i forgot to feel someone's friendship,or to touch a woman with my hand i have become asexual the women don't attract me anymore

    "You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you It longs to kill you, are you willin' to die? The coldest blood runs through my veins You know my name"

    the prize that i've been waiting for is to abolish capitalism and to revenge my self against the humanity for neglecting me and keep me in this damn prison
    the coldest blood runs through his veins that means that Devil doesn't even care for me his only purpose is to destroy humanity and to collect as many souls as possible for a lake of fire where they will burn forever

    I told you the truth now you can except it or deny it it is up to you
    greetings from the beast of the apocalypse take care for the hard times are coming to you
    Flag FOX666on April 08, 2013   Link
  • 0
    My Interpretation:The first time I listened to this song I assumed the narrative to be from some sort of 'authority' over Bond straight away. Naturally I decided it was 'M' telling Bond that this is what it meant to be a '00' agent - your job is your life and your life is your job, look after yourself because no one else will, not even your own government, and I'm telling you this because most likely you will die and you need to be ready for it.
    Then I listened to it more. Even though M doesn't particularly like Bond at the beginning of the film because of his actions, I can't come to truly believe that she means everything that the lyrics are telling him. By the end of this film M respects Bond, and will do for many years to come, and the theme that runs through Casino Royale is the growth of Bond - it isn't the relationship he has with M that is the centre of the story.
    I now think the narrative is told from Bond himself - as in the concept of Bond, Bond the entity, the figure. The themantic Bond is telling himself (Whether it is aimed at Daniel Craig the new actor, or us the audience - who is now entering this world with him) that these are the rules he has to live by as this mythological figure. Bond is telling us (and 'himself') "You know who I am, you know what I can do, these are the sacrifices you will have to make". He has seen people come and go doing the same thing, his world is uncompromising and there are no second chances. To really be 'Bond' you have to live knowing this, with death being the only real way out, and the loss of feelings the only true way to cope with it.
    It is as if Bond is talking to himself, knowing what he knows after all the things he has seen in his life. Due to the events of Casino Royale Bond has learnt the axioms of what it means to be 'James Bond' and the song is his conclusion of what he has learnt and he is now telling us and himself who he will become.
    Flag Animalchanon August 14, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I have always thought it was M who was speaking. Remember the scene when he found out her name? The lyrics make perfect literal sense if you think of it as his boss singing.
    Flag mym4skon May 02, 2012   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I entirely agree with arthurjay1974. I think this song provides an excellent start to a narrative arc as we watch Bond "become" the classic hero. The chords for the intro and chorus even suggest the chromatic rising motif from the classic Bond theme. Re-orchestrations of parts of the song are used throughout the film before David Arnold begins to hint at the classic theme until it is played in full at the end.
    Flag electricuncledaveon February 19, 2012   Link
  • 0
    Song Meaning:With Casino Royale rebooting the Bond franchise, looking at Bond from the beginning before he was the heartless, womanising, death-evading, pun-ready man we know. He doesn't even know how he likes his martini just yet! We're looking at a fresh-faced bond, before he becomes corrupted by experience, and thus the song reflects that, I see it as being told from the devil's point of view, who is trying to taint Bond's heart. "You know my name" would back the up, considering how people don't like to speak the devil's name.

    The songs is spoken from first person, by a man (Or woman) describes the subject (Most likely James Bond)as nothing so divine as an angel, but simply the next in line (He was just instated as the newest double 0). The devil is playing a game to see how strong Bond's loyalty and morals are, and throughout this film and the next he loses his faith in love, his government, and justice, which is why the line "If you think you've won, you never saw me change the game we've been playing." applies.

    "The coldest blood runs through my veins, You know my name."
    Flag zdecenton February 04, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:Do you know my name?
    I am - The Killer - The Asassin - And that also means your killer instict, I guess...


    If you take a life do you know what you'll give?
    (you TAKE LIFE, so you give DEATH to your victim)

    Odds are, you won't like what it is
    (yes, we DON'T like it, neither does the Royale Bond after his second kill - "You feel it, don't you?" He shot the man and said, "Yes... considerably")

    When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me? By the merciless eyes of deceit?
    (when trouble comes, does your killer instict come out from within you? - sure it will!)

    I've seen angels fall from blinding heights
    But you yourself are nothing so divine
    Just next in line
    (no one's too innocent to resist it - it's just a normal way isn't it?)


    Arm yourself because no-one else here will save you
    The odds will betray you
    And I will replace you
    (without others' help, and with threats all around you, you're the the only one who's responsible to save yourself - the killer instinct will take over you, taking whatever it takes to survive)

    You can't deny the prize it may never fulfill you
    It longs to kill you
    Are you willing to die?
    (you might be glad that it drives you to win, but beware - that same impulse may kill your feelings too)

    The coldest blood runs through my veins
    You know my name
    (That instinct is so pure and cold - you know the name - it's 'the killer' within you)


    If you come inside things will not be the same
    When you return to the night
    And if you think you've won
    You never saw me change
    The game that we all been playing
    (so you may try to disguise it, or you may even try to subdue it... yet you'll NEVER win over it)

    I've seen diamonds cut through harder men
    Than you yourself
    (see, that instinct is so precious, you can even beat bigger enemies with that)

    But if you must pretend
    You may meet your end
    (and even if you deny it, well, you'll die anyway - what for?)


    chorus


    Try to hide your hand
    Forget how to feel
    Forget how to feel
    (let's kill - just do it smoothly and stay cool)


    Life is gone with just a spin of the wheel
    Spin of the wheel
    (it's about to kill or being killed, always be quick, always be on guard - it's a roullette of life and death...)

    chorus
    Flag xenodeon January 13, 2012   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:After hearing this again a year or so later, I realized who exactly is singing this song;

    Death.

    "When the storm arrives, would you be seen with me?
    By the merciless eyes of deceit?"

    "Arm yourself because no one else here will save you
    The odds will betray you
    And I will replace you"

    Death is issuing a challenge to Bond. "Life is gone wit just a spin of the wheel" genius lyrics tying it in to gambling.
    Flag Ironarmon December 06, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:I said this in a reply up above, but I'll repeat it in full view down here:

    One reading of this is James Bond, the character and icon, singing to the next actor to play him. 'Take a life' - take on the role of Bond. 'The merciless eyes' are the eyes of the audience, judging the latest actor, who's 'just next in line', etc, etc.
    Flag AlEwingon October 27, 2011   Link
  • 0
    General Comment:i think all of u have good ideas however this is how i take the song

    If you take a life, do you know what you'll give
    Odds are you won't like what it is
    *its a question towards a new agent. if he knows he will give up his morals and soul

    When the storm arrives
    Would you be seen with me
    By the merciless eyes of deceit
    *when trouble arises will u stand by the head agent even if he betrayed u or others

    I've seen angels fall from blinding heights
    But you yourself are nothing so divine
    Just next in line
    *he has seen even more than human people suffer and u r nothing but next

    Arm yourself because no one else here will save you
    The odds will betray you
    And I will replace you
    *u have to protect urself and eventually u will fail and die and just be replaced

    You can't deny the prize, it may never fulfill you
    It longs to kill you
    Are you willing to die
    *killing is the prize and u might not ever get enough of it. eventually u will feel terrible about killing and either kill urself or be killed

    The coldness burns through my veins
    You know my name
    *u dont mean anything to him and u know who he is

    If you come inside
    Things will not be the same
    When you return to my eyes
    *if u come to become an agent then things will never go back to how they were

    And if you think you've won
    You never saw me change
    The game that we have been playing
    Flag shinn315on August 31, 2011   Link
  • +1
    General Comment:I feel the song is actually a dig at Pierce Brosnan, the previous James Bond before Daniel Craig.

    "Arm yourself because no one else here will save you
    The odds will betray you
    And I will replace you"

    The song goes about the endless fights between EON Productions, MGM/UA and Brosnan about coming to terms for a new BOND movie, but the part finally goes to Daniel Craig. It's pure Martin Campbell input.

    Martin Campbell is the director of both GoldenEye and Casino Royale, the first being the initial movie of Brosnan and the latter being the kick starter movie of Craig.

    In the GoldenEye title song performed by Tina Turner, it was exactly the same thing with the lines like "you don't know how it feel to come so close and be denied" (ie 1986), "I watched you in the shadows as a child" (Brosnan watching Goldfinger with his dad).


    Flag valentinon August 08, 2011   Link

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