"Battle of the Dragon" lyrics
 

This version is a different mix that I've never heard. I can hear things like the front vocal a lot better than the cd. Am also hearing subtle differences in the music instrumentation as well.

Anyway, wanted to post because at 4:47 she says "it's a battle" and then what I think is "now comes the battle"??? It's hard to tell with the other backing vocals going on.

"Battle of The Dragon" was remixed by Chris Lord-Alge for TimeSpace, and this remix was a b-side in 1991 on several releases, like the UK "Sometimes It's A Bitch" and the Japanese CD-EP A Hard Game To Play. That's why it sounds so much better than the 1986 release.

I always thought Stevie said at that part: "It's a battle of a fury..." or "It's a battle, it's a fury..."

It's interesting that you've come up with the questioning of the lyrics. I've been thinking about starting a thread on this song lately. There has been a few changes in the lyrics that have been spoken about in another thread as well. The song takes on a whole new meaning to me now.

In the 1980's when this song was new I related it to being written about Stevie and her relationship to the other members of Fleetwood Mac. Nowadays I realize that the song has another meaning. That of her drug addiction.

I always thought she said, "this is not preplanned, but after some cause, I decided to go to the other side of the world"

I always thought she said, "and the reason that I paint you in my paintings, and the reasons I record the sounds of your voices"

I always thought she said, "straight among the living"

she actually said, "but after some calls"

she actually said, "the reasons I recall the sounds"

she actually says," stay among the living"


In my original interpretation, she had a cause to go to Australia to be onstage with Bob Dylan and Tom Petty, but then I recently was informed this song was written pre-1986.
She writes so many songs about Lindsey, Christine and Mick so I figured she was recording the "sounds" of their voices. In other words, the actual words they have spoken.
And then her saying she got the message straight among the living really had no special meaning. It simply was a misheard lyric.

All I know is that I love this song ... its such a great song!!!!!!!!!!!!! In my top 5 for sure!!!!:thumbsup:

I always heard it as " the reason I record the sound of your voices ".
I always thought she meant Lori, and Sharon, because she records their voices on her demos and albums.

Awesome tune.
I hear the lyrics as " it's a battle, now this is a battle ". :wavey:

She does say "the reason I record the sound of your voices" not "recall".

I just go by the lyrics posted on Nicksfix to some of her more complicated songs. And they're usually what I've been singing along to.

I think Stevie should recommend to Fleetwood Mac that Chris Lord-Alge be the engineer for their next record. Just on General Principle. And so that we can watch THEM fight it ouuuut! :nod: ......... ;)


By the way, not to detract from the Stevieness, but there actually was a co-writer on this song. So maybe not all of the lyrics are hers.

The lyrics, all of them and more, come from Stevie's journals, dated 1984.

Interesting, thanks for sharing! I always love hearing new/different mixes of my fave songs :D. I have to say, I prefer the original... the more echoey/distant sounding vocal was so much more spooky sounding.

Which version of "Battle Of The Dragon" is on the "Enchanted" box set - the American Anthem original or the 1991 remixed version from the b-side of "Sometimes It's A Bitch"?

The CLA remix is on Enchanted, although it's not labeled as such for some reason.

And more? Do you have these???

Yes. No one's posted them before? I will have to dig through my Book of Miracles to find them. Oh, the tortuous task of spending a day off of work going through Stevie Stuff... ;)

Nothing better! :)