| “Operation Ground and Pound” | |||||
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| Single by DragonForce from the album Inhuman Rampage | |||||
| Released | January 6, 2006 | ||||
| Format | CD | ||||
| Genre | Power Metal | ||||
| Length | 7:45 (Album Version) 5:02 (Radio/Music Video Version) | ||||
| Label | Sanctuary, Roadrunner | ||||
| Writer(s) | Sam Totman, ZP Theart | ||||
| Producer | Sam Totman, Herman Li, Vadim Pruzhanov | ||||
| DragonForce singles chronology | |||||
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Operation Ground and Pound is the fourth track of Dragonforce's Inhuman Rampage album. The song was the second music video to be released by Dragonforce, although as with their previous single, Through the Fire and Flames (TTFAF), the song is edited to reduce the running time to around 5 minutes compared to the album version of nearly 8 minutes.
On August 21, 2008 it was made available as a download to play on Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock alongside, Revolution Deathsquad and Heroes of Our Time. Operation Ground and Pound's lyrics were written by Sam Totman ZP Theart and its music was written by Sam Totman.
Music Video
The music video of Operation Ground and Pound shows Dragonforce playing on an alien world as large space battleships fly overhead pounding the ground with lightning bolts (some shots are reminiscent of the cover of the previous album, Sonic Firestorm). It starts with the microphone flying towards Theart when the guitar starts. Similar to the music video of TTFAF), his eyes do not open until the song starts. During the duet, Sam Totman and Herman Li are shown playing a guitar game on a PC Engine while they duel on the screen (Herman being the winner). In one shot during the duet, ZP Theart can be seen drinking what appears to be coffee from a styrofoam cup in front of a green screen, looking bored and shrugging. At the end, it goes back to the entire band playing, during which special effects continue, with the battleships crashing to the ground. Just before the end, some portions are shown backwards and the planet's sky changes from being orange to blue and the scene becomes more peaceful.
Lyrics
(*Note: The lyrics for both the album version and music video of the song are exactly the same)
Smashing through the boundaries
Storming through the burning fields
Stand before the Evil One, on towards the morning sun
Falling under skies of pain
Soldiers searching endlessly
Crashing over seven seas
Torture in the winter skies, riding over plains of ice
Shadows in the fields of the slain
Crashing steel and raging fury
Smash the cross, destroy the army
Crush the legions of the twilight
Templars of steel will burn
Cry far away, as we reach for the day
Passing our way through the punishment and the pain
Reach for the world, as the sky begins to fall
Rising through the darkened ashes praying that I'll see you all
Far away, will our eyes now see the day
For today, the everlasting eternal sun
Washed away the dreams of a brighter day
Forever hold the dream inside
The chance to fight another fight
The breaking hearts that stand for all our lives
Live tonight
Woh-oh-oh-oh!
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Watch you die, I watch you die inside
While fear controls your life
Then reject this animosity
That kills so many minds
We feel the power deep within
The fear you hold inside
Just to find the reason for the treason
Now you will be mine
Screams of pain and death descending
Rise again from hell defending
Burn their hearts within the fire
Warriors of light will be slain
Rise through the pain, like the sun will rise again
Day after day but the memories never change
Stand before the storm, as the last horizon falls
Blinded by the vision and the innocence of our souls
Far away, will our eyes now see the day
For today, the everlasting eternal sun
Washed away the dreams of a brighter day
Forever hold the dream inside
The chance to fight another fight
The breaking hearts that stand for all our lives
Live tonight
Woh-oh-oh-oh!
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Far away, will our eyes now see the day
For today the everlasting eternal sun
Washed away the dreams of a brighter day
Forever hold the dream inside
The chance to fight another fight
The breaking hearts that stand for all our lives
Live tonight
Woh-oh-oh-oh!
Woh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh!
Woh! Woh!
Trivia
- Lindsay Dawson is featured in this song as guest backing vocals, but cannot be seen in the music video or live perfomances. Although one of the band members performs Lindsay's vocals (i.e; In a live performance of Revolution Deathsquad, Frédéric Leclercq performs Dawson's vocals.