The Evil That Men Do Lyrics
Love is a razor, and I walked the line
On that silver blade
Slept in the dust with his daughter
Eyes red with
The slaughter of innocence
And I will pray for her
I will call her name out loud
I would bleed for her
If I could only see her now
[Pre-Chorus]
Living on a razor's edge
Balancing on a ledge
Living on a razor's edge, and
Balancing on a ledge, and
Balancing on a ledge, and
Living on a razor's edge
Balancing on a ledge, you know, you know
[Chorus]
The evil that men do lives on and on...
The evil that men do lives on and on...
The evil that men do lives on and on...
The evil that men do lives on and on...
Circle of fire, my baptism of joy
At an end, it seems
The seventh lamb slain
The book of life opens before me
And I will pray for you
Someday, I may return
Don't you cry for me
Beyond is where I learn
[Pre-Chorus]
Living on a razor's edge
Balancing on a ledge
Living on a razor's edge
You know, you know
[Chorus]
The evil that men do lives on and on...
The evil that men do lives on and on...
The evil that men do lives on and on...
The evil that men do lives on and on...
[Instrumental Break]
[Guitar Solo]
[Pre-Chorus]
Living on a razor's edge
Balancing on a ledge
Living on a razor's edge
You know, you know
About
The title of this song is from William Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar. Specifically, it is the lines spoken by Marcus Antonius (Mark Anthony) as he addresses a crowd of Romans after Julius Caesar’s murder in Act III, Scene 2:
Friends, Romans, country men, lend me your ears; I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones; so let it be with Caesar.
Bruce Dickinson has often quoted the lines from Shakespeare during live performances, before the song starts.
The actual theme of the song doesn’t have anything to do with the play however. The lyrics continue the album’s story about the seventh son of a seventh son, who is about to be born. Both God (the good) and Satan (the bad) want to have control over the child, who will one day possess great powers.
Q&A
Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning
This is about our protagonist losing his virginity. Unfortunately he loses it to Lucifer who comes to him in the guise of a temptress woman. He basically gets date raped by Lucifer. What’s that going to do to your average adolescent brain?
—Bruce Dickinson
- 1.Moonchild
- 4.The Evil That Men Do
- 6.The Prophecy
