Lyrks
Lyrks
Sign In
Cover Art

1916 Lyrics by Motörhead

The Essential Motörhead

1991

[Verse 1]
16 years old when I went to the war
To fight for a land fit for heroes
God on my side, and a gun in my hand
Chasing my days down to zero
And I marched and I fought and I bled
And I died & I never did get any older
But I knew at the time, That a year in the line
Was a long enough life for a soldier

[Verse 2]
We all volunteered
And we wrote down our names
And we added two years to our ages
Eager for life and ahead of the game
Ready for history's pages
And we brawled and we fought
And we whored 'til we stood
Ten thousand shoulder to shoulder
A thirst for the Hun
We were food for the gun
And that's what you are when you're soldiers

[Verse 3]
I heard my friend cry
And he sank to his knees, coughing blood
As he screamed for his mother
And I fell by his side
And that's how he died
Clinging like kids to each other
And I lay in the mud
And the guts and the blood
And I wept as his body grew colder
And I called for my mother
And she never came
Though it wasn't my fault
And I wasn't to blame
The day not half over
And ten thousand slain, and now
There's nobody remembers our names
And that's how it is for a soldier
Credits

About “1916” by Motörhead

Read the complete lyrics to "1916" by Motörhead from the album "The Essential Motörhead" in 1991. On Lyrks you can follow along with the full text, explore the artist's discography, and discover related songs. The track is often categorized under UK, Orchestral, Ballad.

"1916" is performed by Motörhead. from the album "The Essential Motörhead" in 1991 This page provides the full lyric text for fans who want to sing along, study the songwriting, or compare versions across releases. Lyrks organizes lyrics by artist and song slug so you can bookmark and share a stable URL. Music lyrics help listeners connect with emotion, narrative, and rhythm in a track. Whether you are learning English, researching a favorite chorus, or preparing for karaoke, having accurate line breaks and section labels (verse, chorus, bridge) makes the experience easier. We link to the official artist profile on Lyrks where available, including biography snippets, top songs, and chart placements when we have that data. If you enjoy "1916", explore more songs by Motörhead using the links below. Chart and trending pages on Lyrks highlight what listeners are searching for this week. For copyright or correction requests, see our DMCA and contact pages.

View all songs and biography for Motörhead · Trending lyrics · Billboard Hot 100

Frequently asked questions

"1916" is credited to Motörhead. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"1916" appears on "The Essential Motörhead" in 1991.

Visit the Motörhead artist page at /artist/motorhead for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.


Lyrks
Lyrks

Your gateway to the world of music lyrics.

Product

Features


© 2026 Lyrks. All rights reserved.