White Flags

White Flags

Artist	Blue Öyster Cult
Album	Club Ninja
Released	December 10, 1985
Length	4:41 (album) 4:55 (UK album version) 3:55 (7" single) 5:10 (12" single)
Writers	Hugh Leggat Gordon Leggat
Lead vocals	Eric Bloom

White Flags is the first track from Blue Öyster Cult's tenth studio album, Club Ninja. This song was originally recorded by Canadian hard rock band Leggat for their 1982 album Illuminations. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom in both 7" and 12" format, with "Make Rock Not War" as its B-side.

Lyrics

Hold me close, don't fear my body
Your flesh is weak, in need of touching
Your hands are hungry from want of knowing
Your eyes are closed, but still they're showing
Like the white flags of surrender
The war is over, the battle's ended
Like the snowflake in my hand that's melting
Can't you feel my love?

Can't, can't you feel my love?
Waiting to be touched
Can't you feel my love?
Like the sky touches the sea
The horizon we will be
Can't you feel my love?

In my arms, no fear of falling
We can share my gravity
See how time will stop forever
The moment that our eyes do meet
Like the white flags of surrender
The war is over, the battle's ended
Like the snowflake in my hand that's melting
Can't you feel my love?

Can't, can't you feel my love?
Waiting to be touched
Can't you feel my love?
Like the moon touches the sun
An eclipse we will become
Can't you feel my love?

Capture my senses
Ravage my perception
Take me, take me away
Away, yeah!

Hold me close, don't fear my body
Your flesh is weak, in need of touching
Your hands are hungry from want of knowing
Your eyes are closed, but still they're showing
Like the white flags of surrender
The war is over, the battle's ended
Like the snowflake in my hand that's melting
Can't you feel my love?

Can't, can't you feel my love?
Waiting to be touched
Can't you feel my love?
Like the sky touches the sea
The horizon we will be
Can't you feel my love?

(Can't you feel my love?) Oh, yeah!
(Can't you feel my love?) Oh, yeah!
Can't you feel my love?
(Love, love, can't you feel my love?) Oh, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Can't you feel my love?) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Can't you feel my love?) Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah
(Love, love, can't you feel my love?)
(Can't you feel my love?) Can't you? Can't you feel my love?
(Love, love)
(Can't you feel my love?)
(Love, love...)

Trivia

• The version of this song on most versions of Club Ninja, at 4:41, is significantly shorter than the original's runtime of 7:49. This is mainly due to the absence of part of the original version's bridge, the following guitar solo, and the second bridge. The original version's outro is also slightly longer and does not fade out.
• The lyrics cut from the bridge of Blue Öyster Cult's version of the song are:
  • Desert your defenses
    Liberate your inhibitions
    Let me, let me take you away
    Away, yeah!
• The version of this song on the UK release of Club Ninja, at 4:55, does not fade out.
• On all releases of Club Ninja, "White Flags" singles, and even on the Blue Öyster Cult website, the Leggat brothers' last name is erroneously spelled with two Ts.