Page type: lyric reference
Artist: Marianne Faithfull
Canonical path: /marianne-faithfull/that-s-how-every-empire-falls
Related lyric paths: 6
Lyric guide
That's How Every Empire Falls
Read That's How Every Empire Falls lyrics by Marianne Faithfull on LyroVerse, with linked artist context and related song paths.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Reference snapshot
The page facts to cite before the commentary
Use this page for the lyric text, linked artist context, and any LyroVerse editor's note attached to the song. Listener comments remain user-generated and should not be treated as the primary source.
Lyrics
That's How Every Empire Falls
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Caught a train from alexandria
Just a broken man in flight
Running scared with his devils
Saying prayers all through the night
Oh but mercy can't find him
Not in the shadows where he calls
Forsaking all his better angels
That's how every empire falls
The bells ring out on sunday mornng
Like echoes from another time
All our innocence and yearning
And sense of wonder left behind
Oh gentle hearts remember
What was that story? is it lost?
For when religion loses vision
That's how every empire falls.
He toasts his wife and all his family
The providence he brought to bear
They raise their glasses in his honor
Although this union they don't share
A man who lives among them
Was still a stranger to them all
For when the heart is never open
That's how every empire falls
Padlock the door and board the windows
Put the people in the street
"it's just my job," he says "i'm sorry."
And draws a check, goes home to eat
But at night he tells his woman
"i know i hide behind the laws."
She says, "you're only taking orders."
That's how every empire falls.
A bitter wind blows through the country
A hard rain falls on the sea
If terror comes without a warning
There must be something we don't see
What fire begets this fire?
Like torches thrown into the straw
If no one asks, then no one answers
That's how every empire falls.
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
Who performs "That's How Every Empire Falls"?
Marianne Faithfull performs "That's How Every Empire Falls", and this lyric page sits inside the Marianne Faithfull catalog on LyroVerse.
Are there related songs to explore after "That's How Every Empire Falls"?
Yes. The related section below points to Alabama Song and Witches' Song with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Marianne Faithfull?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Marianne Faithfull's lyric pages.
Song Room
Open Song Room
Interpretations, questions, and corrections for this song
Interpretations, questions, memories, and correction notes live together here. The room stays noindex while the best insights are reviewed.
Listener comments
What people are saying
No listener comments on That's How Every Empire Falls yet.
A strong comment here is specific: the phrase you keep hearing, the mood you come back for, or the reason this song stays in rotation.
Sign in to post the first listener note. Reporting stays open to everyone.