"Battle of the Dragon" Appreciation Thread

[The Tower]

What is the story behind why Stevie initially recorded this song with the intent of it being a duet with Tom Petty and then having it essentially shelved from Rock A Little into a soundtrack song???

I've never heard the true story and have always wondered....

Other than that- hello. This song is fantastic. It's all Stevie Imagery.

I would do a full lyrical interpretation, however- any thoughts from y'all?

If anyone out there is considering suicide, you need only listen to this song to regain your resolve to live- to battle- to survive.

"You're not listening to me- you're not listening to me-
It's a battle!!!"

I think this is Lori's crowing glory. Essentially, the whole song is an amalgam of Stevie's brilliant, incredibly insightful lyrics and Lori's intuitive, powerful vocals and vocal arrangements.

The end of this song takes my breath away....

[StreetAngel86]

sorry. i don't think this would have worked as a duet
i really like it how it is.........and LOUD
but maybe as an FM song.......... :cool:

"You're not listening to me- you're not listening to me-
It's a battle!!!"

that is an AWESOME line
i think it's kinda a very sad angry song
'I see myself remaining, when ALL of you are gone...'

HULLo

coz Stevie is IMMORTAL :D

[strandinthewind]

. . . "You're not listening to me- you're not listening to me-
It's a battle!!!"

I see something - I see a handsome soldier
I see myself remaining when all of you are gone


SHEEDBUS - that woman can be so white hot sexual when she wants and it is so subtle as opposed to Prince, etc.

I think this is Lori's crowing glory.

Amen!

It also is hands down one of La Nicks' best vocals ever and this is with her post Mirage voice.

The end of this song takes my breath away....

Yep!!!!

I remember being in law school at my friend's house and she had the movie CD. I was helping her unpack and saw that La Nicks had a song on it. Well, we played it on her CD player (like 1990) which was a huge deal because CD players were still rare. I was also crazy happy to discover a new song as there was no internet then to speak of. I then read the liner notes and the producer (I think) talks about his cosmic exprerience/friendship with La Nicks and how she is exactly what you'd think she'd be like - or something like that.

Cool thread!

[JazmenFlowers]

I agree that this has to be one of Stevie's best studio vocals ever. there is such a rawness and vulnerability hidden beneath the power of her voice. it's got the same edge that the Smile At You angry demo has. I love it. I also agree that the ending of the song slays me.

[skcin]

The end of this song takes my breath away....


Absolutely. :nod: I had never heard this tune before Enchanted, and at first I wasn't a huge fan. But now? Wow. It's an incredible song.

[JazmenFlowers]

Absolutely. :nod: I had never heard this tune before Enchanted, and at first I wasn't a huge fan. But now? Wow. It's an incredible song.
I know - I had never heard it either.

this song, along with Thousand Days and Sleeping Angel made Enchanted, to me.

[cliffdweller]

"the beautiful, and the sensitive and the oh so very young".... I LOVE that line and the way she sings it! :thumbsup:

yeah, this song kicks ass.

[TheBlueLamp]

Absolutely brilliant. This is the song that turned me from a "greatest hits' fan to a total Stevie fan.

The "I see myself remaining, when all of you are gone" line has always puzzled me somewhat. Does she mean "I will outlast you all" or "You're all gonna leave me". I always used to think it was the latter but now I'm not so sure.

The beginning and the end of the song are both among her best imo.

[JazmenFlowers]

The "I see myself remaining, when all of you are gone" line has always puzzled me somewhat. Does she mean "I will outlast you all" or "You're all gonna leave me". I always used to think it was the latter but now I'm not so sure.
I always see those lines as her describing loneliness...like she doesn't change. kind of like your second option, but maybe not quite exactly like that.

that makes absolutely no sense does it? :cool:

[StreetAngel86]

that line...i always thought that it meant she was the last remaining
and everyone else had left her.

in terms of rehab, maybe everyone else got sober
but she knew it wouldn't be so easy for herself?

[DavidMn]

This son is incredible! One of my favorites ever since it came out.

[wondergirl9847]

It's one of my favorite Stevie songs...as you can tell...from the lyrics in my sig. :)

This song is totally about Lindsey. ;)

:laugh: I have no idea.

[StreetAngel86]

It's one of my favorite Stevie songs...as you can tell...from the lyrics in my sig. :)

This song is totally about Lindsey. ;)

:laugh: I have no idea.

ooooh i like u!
of COURSE this is about Lindsey
like Eo17 which no1 will acknowledge

i reckon it's about Lindsey :rolleyes: {and drugz} coz that line in particular in you sig {one of ma faves} reminds me of Nothing Ever Changes with the "I can turn all your music on, I can make you feel alive. I am gone but I'm never gone from you."

paint you in my paintings is basically why do i write about you in my songs

because i can :lol:

[Sahara]

I heard that this was about Robin? :shrug:

It's an incredible song. Very raw, very powerful. :nod: One of my favourites.

[DWIG]

Battle of the Dragon has long been one of my fav Stevie songs. To me it sounds unlike anything she has ever done beofre or since (if that makes sense!)
I think she is undoubtedly singing about herself, and how lost and lonely she felt at the time. It is so atmospheric - Stevie's vocals are amazing! and yes, the backing vocals are spot on.

It also evokes images of the missing/lost

My fav bit is
'we are adapting to your silence, i could live here without you, but i cannot live without your song' I think Stevie is talking about herself here

.....'Stay among the living'!! I can and i will go on!

Oh that she would return to this sort of sound!!

[Johnny Stew]

If anyone out there is considering suicide, you need only listen to this song to regain your resolve to live- to battle- to survive.I always tell people that this song saved my life. And it really did.

"I can... and I will... go on...."

[ELIUD]

I thought this song was her homage to Viet Nam vets and their spouses. Wasn't it a Rock A Little outtake? Yes I love it. Love the overlaying of vocals eventhough it makes it hard to sing along with it.

[strandinthewind]

I thought this song was her homage to Viet Nam vets and their spouses. Wasn't it a Rock A Little outtake? Yes I love it. Love the overlaying of vocals eventhough it makes it hard to sing along with it.

Your banner and you rule!

Also - was that your own personal feathered hat on her head :p

[Miss Vicky]

Absolutely one of my favorite Stevie songs. Probably #2 behind the demo version of "Planets of the Universe."

[ELIUD]

Your banner and you rule!

Also - was that your own personal feathered hat on her head :p

I wish it was. It would go well with my glittery t-back thong that I wear when lounging.

[strandinthewind]

I wish it was. It would go well with my glittery t-back thong that I wear when lounging.

Please PM me a pic!!!!!!!!

Actully, if I remember correctly from Tracy's board, you are quite clever with a hot glue gun!

[vermicious knid]

As far as the interpretation of this song, I am just going to copy a portion of what someone wrote at buckinghamnicks.net (http://www.buckinghamnicks.net/sn/soundtracks/battleofthedragon.html). Reading this interpretation made all the pieces come together for me.

ED speculates:

I have always found this lost gem to be one of the most haunting, harrowing, tortuous songs Stevie has ever written, so I was surprised to read the speculations posted about this song. I am not saying those speculations are invalid, but I've had such a fixed concept in my mind all of these years.

The "Dragon" is her addiction to drugs.

I do recall that the song was released on the "American Anthem" Soundtrack in the summer of 1986 during the drug-addled "Rock a Little" tour. So obviously she was still in the thick of her problem
when she wrote and recorded this song. But I suspect she must have had some kind of a shock or reality check that made her confront her "dragon" with brutal honesty on this song. She seems to have written this song in the future-tense, with the voice of someone who has found some degree of closure with the "dragon."

"No one walks away from this battle... the power... so strong... keep that fury deep inside and wish it to end... and when your friends start asking you why, you just say nothing." Here she paints drug addiction as an extremely difficult, extremely personal battle that, despite all the best intentions of friends (or so-called friends??), she must kick alone, even if it means plastering on a smile despite the turmoil beneath the surface.

In kicking (or hoping to kick) her drug addiction, she has taken on an angry, yet somber, but bitter tone against her musical idols. She makes veiled references to her predecessors- Jimi, Jim, Janis- who all succumbed to the "Dragon" in lines like "The beautiful and the sensitive and the oh so very young... We are adapting to your silence, I can live
here without you... but I cannot live without your songs." She is strong in her resolve to not become yet another rock-n-roll statistic in brazen lines like "I see myself remaining when all of you are gone." and "When this battle is over... I will survive."

If I had my way, Battle of the Dragon not only would have been on Rock a Little, but it would have been the first single from the album.

[ELIUD]

Please PM me a pic!!!!!!!!
i was kidding dude, but I'm not opposed wearing such things if I had one. However, sending pics? Hmm, not so sure about that.

[sodascouts]

A magnificent song, one of the most powerful that she's ever done. My favorite part is the way she sings "And when your friends start asking you why, you just PRETEND, DON'T say NOTHING!" That song gives me chills. It's amazing.

[wheart]

This song is in my Top Ten Stevie Songs! Love it! The music, the lyrics, the vocal...all top form! I especially love the background and layered vocals with Sharon and Lori.

[wheart]

As far as the interpretation of this song, I am just going to copy a portion of what someone wrote at buckinghamnicks.net (http://www.buckinghamnicks.net/sn/soundtracks/battleofthedragon.html). Reading this interpretation made all the pieces come together for me.



If I had my way, Battle of the Dragon not only would have been on Rock a Little, but it would have been the first single from the album.


VERY INTERESTING!! I never knew exactly when BOTD was released. Every time I listened to that song I always assumed it was recorded AFTER she came out of Betty Ford due to the subject matter of the song...namely getting off drugs. It fascinates me that she did indeed write it in the future tense. I think Stevie has always had this ability to "see into the future" a little bit. Gold Dust Woman is a good example of this. She is ultimately wirting, in part, about the person she was going to become but hadn't yet. I also believe that she probably knew she had a major problem with coke a long time before she did anything about it. And that knowledge, with perhaps the inability to do anything about it, is at the core of this song and what makes this song so very powerful.

[jean-mariecowl]

that song is my favorite stevie song. cause i can totally relate to it. and all the anger and pain you feel is just shouted out in that song. feel the anger and you shout it and they you go HA! thats how i feel all the time.