The song lyrics were written by the band Van Halen, as they were asked to write a song for the 1979 movie "Over the Edge" starring Matt Dillon. The movie (and the lyrics, although more obliquely) are about bored, rebellious youth with nothing better to do than get into trouble. If you see the movie, these lyrics will make more sense. It's a great movie if you grew up in the 70s/80s you'll definitely remember some of these characters from your own life. Fun fact, after writing the song, Van Halen decided not to let the movie use it.
Shepherd is chased by the wolves
Wolves who live by intolerance and hate
For what they couldn't understand
Blinded and vicious are the beasts
Needing and ripping at a beautiful human
He did nothing more than be himself
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
Scarecrow is left crucified
Left freezing, bleeding, tired and wondering why
The wolves just couldn't understand
It's the preachers and the teachers
Government's close-minded creatures
Trying to teach us to hate that which is different
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
It's 12:53 AM, October 12th
When the scarecrow died
A victim of society's cruelty
It's 12:53 AM, October 12th
When the shepherd died
The candle's light will alight your departure
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
Wolves who live by intolerance and hate
For what they couldn't understand
Blinded and vicious are the beasts
Needing and ripping at a beautiful human
He did nothing more than be himself
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
Scarecrow is left crucified
Left freezing, bleeding, tired and wondering why
The wolves just couldn't understand
It's the preachers and the teachers
Government's close-minded creatures
Trying to teach us to hate that which is different
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
It's 12:53 AM, October 12th
When the scarecrow died
A victim of society's cruelty
It's 12:53 AM, October 12th
When the shepherd died
The candle's light will alight your departure
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
Tied to the fences they break you
And sadness will sear
Cold is the wind that will freeze you
And sadness will sear
Lyrics submitted by EvilWraith
And Sadness Will Sear Lyrics as written by Jason Suecof Corey Beaulieu
Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Lyrics powered by LyricFind
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This song is about Matthew Shepard who was tied to a fence and beaten to death in Wyoming. He is beaten because he was gay. The 12:53 AM Oct. 12th in the song was his recorded time of death. The first section of lyrics that uses that date is supposed to say "When the scarecrow died" on the second line. The "scarecrow" being Matthew Shepard, because he was tied to a fence and people passing by thought it looked like a scarecrow tied to a fence. Musically this song is one of the less complex songs on the album, but it does use a 7-string.
check out the story here: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matthew_Shepard
trying to teach us to hate that which is different*
As for the title, 'And Sadness Will Sear,' it refers to when they found, Matthew. When they found him, his entire face was caked with dried blood, except for two tear tracks that had cut through the blood, one through each eye. The tears 'seared' through the blood.
Horrible what happened and I'm glad everyone has an understanding of the meaning of this song because it sends such a strong message about how society has moulded us.
Trivium, and in particular, Matthew Kiichi Heafy, who wrote the lyrics for the song and chose to write a song about the incident, are legends for doing this.
Well done bpcrshooter 15! That is the exact meaning of the song. Beat me to the meaning of the lyrics for the song I'd posted, lol.
hey...I'm new here and my English isn't the very best, so please excuse my grammar and stuff like that. I have a question concerning this song. What does the title mean? Does is mean that sadness will be beaten or that sadness will beat everything? I hope you can help me...thx
@session13 I think it refers to the "sadness" of a society that raised people to commit such an act ... Trivium hope that it will "sear" through people's apathy to allow hate to rule so many in society.
THIS IS A FUCKING AWESOME SONG BPRC SHOOTER U R SPOT ON WITH THE MEANING
Hey, in the third line of the second verse, i think it goes:
'the wolves just couldn't understand' The rest of the song is perfect, though. Well done.
Ruaraidh.
This is a very good and strong song
I somewhat get an idea of this song being about the nazis. Like jews being stuck in camps, "tied to the fences they break you". And like the scarecrow imagery for the defenceless Jew. And a shepard kills for survial = allied forces. And wolves imagery for the nazis.
I know I'm wrong, but before I knew what the song was really about.. that's what it made me think of.
@Caphon I can sort of see where you are coming from. Shepard to me would normally evoke thoughts of religion more so though, that is the Lord is our Shepard etc. Also tied to the fence like a scarecrow ... think crucifixion. However, given the context of the song if it was of a religious matter, it would be the religion that was to "blame" ... as you'd argue their religion bred the hatred.