All Roads Lead To Rome
Stranglers · Original Album Classics [2011]
The streets of tarmac are straight as a die
With steel fingers clawing at the sky
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants' smells
Hungry enough to touch your face.
The beasts from the end of the century
Adorn themselves with jewellery
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants' smells
Hungry enough to touch your face.
Their eyes they change colour from grey to green
And when they're blue they weigh the scene
The endless games played in the timeless zone
Remind me all roads lead to Rome.
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants' smells
Hungry to touch your frightened face.
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
With steel fingers clawing at the sky
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants' smells
Hungry enough to touch your face.
The beasts from the end of the century
Adorn themselves with jewellery
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants' smells
Hungry enough to touch your face.
Their eyes they change colour from grey to green
And when they're blue they weigh the scene
The endless games played in the timeless zone
Remind me all roads lead to Rome.
Inside the wall of the citadel
Yellow chariots race
Peasants and their peasants' smells
Hungry to touch your frightened face.
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
All roads lead to Rome
All Roads Lead To Rome
Released on the Stranglers' 2011 compilation Original Album Classics, this track exemplifies the band's signature blend of punk energy and melodic sophistication. The song features the group's characteristic driving rhythm section and vocal interplay, characteristic of their work during the late 1970s and early 1980s. While the specific lyrical themes remain open to interpretation, the recording captures the raw intensity and theatrical flair that defined the Stranglers' contribution to the new wave and post-punk movements. It stands as a testament to their ability to fuse aggressive instrumentation with catchy hooks, creating a sound that remains influential in alternative rock history.