Neon Knights

Album: Heaven and Hell (1980)
Charted: 22
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  • Oh no, here it comes again
    Can't remember when we came so close to love before
    Hold on, good things never last
    Nothing's in the past, it always seems to come again
    Again and again, again and again, again

    Cry out to legions of the brave
    Time again to save us from the jackals of the street
    Ride out, protectors of the realm
    Captain's at the helm, sail across the sea of light

    Circles and rings, dragons and kings
    Weaving a charm and a spell
    Blessed by the night, holy and bright
    Called by the toll of the bell

    Bloodied angels fast descending
    Moving on a never-bending light
    Phantom figures free forever
    Out of shadows, shining ever-bright

    Neon knights
    Neon knights
    Alright

    Cry out to legions of the brave
    Time again to save us from the jackals of the street
    Ride out, protectors of the realm
    Capatin's at the helm, sail across the sea of light
    Again and again, again and again and again

    Neon knights
    Neon knights
    Neon knights
    Alright Writer/s: Ronnie James Dio, Terrence Butler, Tony Iommi, William T Ward
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 10

  • Maxhunter from FloridaI'm convinced most people missed the meaning of this song. In researching this song I can't find (yet) RJD explaining the meaning which makes sense because I believe the meaning isn't as "cool" as people initially believe.

    This song is an ode to first responders - the Neon Knights. Who respond night after night to "bloodied angels," and "Called by the toll of the bell." Everything about this song relates to (probably) ambulance drivers, but also other first responderrs as they make their way out of the shadows of the night.
  • Mike from AnyrealmYou ever thought Neon Knights lyrics could be a metafore for Neon Nights? If you interpret that way, for me it's quite clear. Big city with bright lights. Has its king and queens, beautiful angels who are descending fast as they let themselves to dark alleys. It's a horrid scene, but you got to love it, the Big City. Despite its agony. But you know you hate yourself for doing it because somewhere, deep inside your consciousness (for some even conscience), you know and feel the misery.

    Now, for a songwriter and/or a poet, a text often start with a meaning very clear for the writer. After that starts the poetry. You go deep inside the feeling, unable really to realize it even to yourself. But nevertheless, there you go. And the greater the talent, the more people you can reach, since the insight of a feeling, experience, knowledge or a condition is more universal the deeper it goes and reaches. Which is up to the lyricists or artists talent, capacity and ability to plummet and probe what ever she/he is dealing with at the moment of writing. If you think when the lyrics were written, at the end of seventies/beginning of the eighties when as the synth neon era really blossomed up, and when the hard rock and heavy metal bands alike felt the need to "poodle" them selves, going clubbing and such, where someone like RJD might have felt one of his first bursts of coming of certain age.
  • Joni from SuomiI think neon knights somehow relates to the Paranoid album's cover art.
  • Ricky from Killie, United KingdomSabbath were never trendy. Ronnie Dio was writing lyrics like that years before when he started with Rainbow. If there was any 'trend' then he started it. Indeed he got a lot of stick for only writing about kings/wizards/rainbows etc for the rest of his career !
    Kiss don't come close to Sabbath or Dio in any way - unless your interested in cereal boxes or trading cards.
  • Jason from Aurora, CoKISS is not an ACRONYM for anything.
  • Harry from Sunnyvale, CaI understand the song to be all about love, and the medieval references are metaphors about love. I think the lyricist chose this medieval theme to relate to kids who play the knights and castle games during that time, and it was also popular then because of groups like KISS whose name's anachronem meant "Knights in Service of Satan." Black Sabbath was just being trendy and keeping up with the culture, as any artistic group does.

  • Jim from Long Beach, CaThis song put Sabbath is a higher realm. Dio was the perfect fit at the time!..RIP Ronnie.
  • Mark from Grafton, United StatesThe music is great, but the lyrics make no sense at all.
  • Laurent from Manama, BahrainBrilliant song! Brilliant album. Dio at his finest.
  • Jeff from Austin, TxYou've gotta be kidding me!! No comments here yet?
    This song rocks so hard!! Especially 1:08-1:58. Definitely one of the greatest minutes in hard rock history.
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