Album: City Of Evil (2005)

License This Song 

Songfacts®:

• Running 9:14, this song is influenced by the music of Ennio Morricone, who wrote the themes to classic Westerns like The Good, The Bad And The Ugly and A Fistful Of Dollars. The lyric has a plotline you'd likely find in one of these films, with a man seeking revenge after a band of outlaws kill his family.
• Lead singer M. Shadows talked about this song on the TRAX podcast. "'Strength Of the World' is not an angry song," he said. "It's about great vengeance and not furious anger, because that ultimately is the theme of this song. The concept behind vengeance as a central theme without anger also feels very the Old West. Revenge without anger, cold-blooded."
  
  "I see a saloon," he added. "I see a dirt road. I see horses. Men in black that are armed to the teeth with pistols and I see rifles on horses. I see women in beautiful gowns ballroom dancing, a whorehouse down the street. I see these little pockets of life in the middle of the wilderness. I see danger outside of the town. Bad actors... I just see this really interesting time in American history."
• This is one of the A7X songs that uses gang vocals, with everyone chanting the title line. They tend to crack each other up when they record them, because their voices aren't all that metal, except for M. Shadows.
• This song is a musical departure on the City Of Evil album, which is the point. They wanted to vary their sound so they wouldn't be predictable, and they succeeded.

Comments: 19

• Nolan Dorian JonesHe's right but the song in the final says "so she wrote"
• Jimmy from CanadaI think it's loosely based on True Grit.
• Tyler from Windsor, OnAlan, the Acoustic Solo in Sidewinder was done by Brian Haner, but it wasn't Synyster Gates. It was Brian Haner Sr., also known as "guitar guy" from the comedian, Jeff Dunham.
• Alexander Buckley from Butte Montana, KsWhen i hear this song, i think of 9/11 because he says "shot down by the outlaws" and "ice in my veins for those who've died".
• Crash from La, CaI take the song as it starting out with a woman finding out her immediate family was murdered...then as the song continues its all her suicide note, including confessing what she did to the killers, at the end - Thats all that she wrote (suicide note)
• Anthony from Cp, NjI definitely have to agree with Alex. I think the only band out there as a whole that is more musically talented than a7x is Rush. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of great musicians playing with bands now, but not all of them can come together and make music quite as good as Rush and a7x. Each guy in each band is EXCELLENT at whatever instrument they play.
• Alan from The Meadow Of Rainbows, United KingdomYup, it is Brian Haner.
  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Synyster_Gates
  Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn or "Gates", is an American musician. He is the lead guitarist and backup vocalist for American hard rock/heavy metal band Avenged Sevenfold.
• Alan from The Meadow Of Rainbows, United KingdomSorry for the double post, I read the comments about Syn's real name, I think it could be Brian Haner, it refers to him with that name in the City of Evil booklet when it says "Acoustic Solo Left on Sidewinder by Brian Haner"
• Alan from The Meadow Of Rainbows, United KingdomI think this could be classed as a "Chapter Four Part 2", both songs are about revenge.
• Clayton from Slc, UtAlex i agree with you on not hating a single song by Avenged Sevenfold
• Clayton from Slc, UtYo Matthew his name is BRIAN!!!! AND HE IS FREAKING AMAZING!!!!
• Chauncey from Omha, NeIt's Brian Haner. If you don't know who he is, then look him up.
• Nick from Chesterfield, MiHis name is Brian, if not, everything, on and off the web, is wrong!
• Matthew from Childress, TxHey Alex, Synyster's name is Ryan not Brian
• Alex from Sterling, VaI am about as big a sevenfold fan as they come and they are next to Neil Peart (who does all of Rush's lyrics) the most talented lyrical and musical band ever. Brian (Synyster) harmonizes with matt so well.
  I have yet to find a song i hate by them
• Joe from Gallipolis, Ohi agree also
• Airk from Skagway, AkI agree with Marc they can tell a story pretty damn well!
• Marc from Riverside, CaDoes anybody agree that they do a damn good job at storytelling?
• Jon from Belpre, OhI think this is set in the west in the 1800s.
  He has to find the person who killed his family to allow his life's end. He often mentions "Stength of the world" because he has so much on himself to carry.

More Songfacts:

Uptown FunkMark Ronson

The actress Michelle Pfeiffer gets namechecked in the 2014 megahit "Uptown Funk" ("Michelle Pfeiffer, that white gold"). When it was released, "Riptide" by Vance Joy was on the charts; that song also mentions her ("Closest thing to Michelle Pfeiffer that you've ever seen").

Talkin' Hawkin'Pink Floyd

Pink Floyd's "Talkin' Hawkin'" uses a sample of Stephen Hawking's synthesized voice taken from a speech he made for a 1994 British Telecom commercial.

Auld Lang SyneTraditional

The New Year's Eve favorite "Auld Lang Syne" is a Scottish song that roughly translates to "Days Of Long Ago."

Fallin'Alicia Keys

Alicia Keys got a huge break when Oprah had her perform her debut single "Fallin'" on her show.

At This MomentBilly Vera & the Beaters

"At This Moment" was first released by Billy Vera & the Beaters in 1981, and hit #79. After it was used in two episodes of Family Ties in 1985-1986, it went to #1.

Rock The CasbahThe Clash

Barry Sonnenfeld, who would later direct the movies Get Shorty and Men in Black, was the director of photography on the "Rock the Casbah" video for The Clash.

Editor's Picks

Edie BrickellSongwriter Interviews

Edie Brickell on her collaborations with Paul Simon, Steve Martin and Willie Nelson, and her 2021 album with the New Bohemians.

Rick SpringfieldSongwriter Interviews

Rick has a surprising dark side, a strong feminine side and, in a certain TV show, a naked backside. But he still hasn't found Jessie's Girl.

Pam TillisSongwriter Interviews

The country sweetheart opines about the demands of touring and talks about writing songs with her famous father.

90s Music Quiz 1Music Quiz

First question: Michael Jordan and Magic Johnson appeared in videos for what artist?

Colin HaySongwriter Interviews

Established as a redoubtable singer-songwriter, the Men At Work frontman explains how religion, sobriety and Jack Nicholson play into his songwriting.

They Might Be GiantsSongwriter Interviews

Who writes a song about a name they found in a phone book? That's just one of the everyday things these guys find to sing about. Anything in their field of vision or general scope of knowledge is fair game. If you cross paths with them, so are you.