Iced Earth › Lyrics › The Devil to Pay

In July 1863
A nation torn in tragedy
A trick of fate, two great armies merge
Gods of war at Gettysburg

Devastation lies ahead
Fifty thousand bodies litter the land
Hell rages three full days
The reaper sows, there's the devil to pay

The pressure's on and the rebs attack
The yanks must hold, they can't fall back
Just two brigades, two thousand strong
Against twenty thousand they can't hold long

General Reynolds makes his way
Expect no mercy from the iron brigade
Until he shows they're on their own
But Buford's men have a will of stone

Bayonets gleam in the morning sun
Smoke and fire belching from their guns
Another volley and again they strike
Thousands more coming down the Chambersburg Pike

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

South of town down the Emmitsburg road
The first corps are starting to show
For Buford's men, they're here just in time
The desperate need to strengthen the line

Bodies dropping the blue and the gray
Muskets fire and the cannon blaze
The union fights defending the town
But they're outnumbered and losing ground

From the north and the west more rebels arrive
Thousands more and the fight multiplies
McPherson's ridge and the black hats strike
A rebel sharpshooter takes Reynolds life

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

Attack, attack, general Lee gives command
They're overwhelmed, the situation demands
The federals retreat and rush out of town
But they have fortified and saved the high ground

The day ends, victory for the south
Lee's as convinced as God's will is profound
They are invincible and their cause is just
But long street is cautious and lacking in trust

Across the way the union digs in
The round tops, cemetery ridge and out to Culps Hill
Their lines are strong, no denying they'll stay
When the confederates strike there'll be the devil to pay

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)

This tragedy and what it brings all the devastation
(The reaper has his way)
Men will kill and blood will spill to preserve the nation
(There's the devil to pay)