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Ballot or the Bullet Lyrics by Van Halen

Van Halen III

1998

[Verse 1]
Give me liberty or give me death
No truer words have ever been said
Well are you prepared for your very last breath?
Don't you dare start what you cannot finish
[Pre-Chorus 1]
So when we face, face the adversary
No longer are we the minority
[Verse 2]
And when history repeats her hour
The pendulum will swing, swing into power
Though not in vain like our forefathers
Freedom never had no room for cowards
[Pre-Chorus 2]
For in the end, there will be equality
By any means necessary
[Chorus]
The ballot or the bullet
The choice is up to you
The ballot or the bullet
Tell me what you gonna do
The sword or the pen
Can be held by the same hand
[Verse 3]
What's it gonna take to liberate?
An emancipation, a false proclamation?
All these token words that you legislate
Sound a little bit absurd and a little too late
[Pre-Chorus 3]
When a house is divided, it just will not stand
Once it's decided, a line drawn in the sand
[Chorus]
The ballot or the bullet
The choice is up to you
The ballot or the bullet
Tell me what you gonna do
The sword or the pen
Can be held by the same hand
[Guitar Solo]
[Refrain]
The ballot or the bullet
The choice is up to you
The ballot or the bullet
Tell me what you gonna do
[Chorus]
The ballot or the bullet
The choice is up to you
The ballot or the bullet
Tell me what you gonna do
The sword or the pen can be
The sword or the pen can be
The sword or the pen can be
The sword or the pen can be
The sword or the pen can be held, held by the same hand
Credits
Van Halen

Van Halen

About “Ballot or the Bullet” by Van Halen

Read the complete lyrics to "Ballot or the Bullet" by Van Halen from the album "Van Halen III" in 1998. 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 Rock, Hard Rock, Heavy Metal.

"Ballot or the Bullet" is performed by Van Halen. from the album "Van Halen III" in 1998 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 "Ballot or the Bullet", explore more songs by Van Halen 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.

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Frequently asked questions

"Ballot or the Bullet" is credited to Van Halen. Songwriting credits may include additional writers listed on the release; check the credits section on this page for linked collaborators.

"Ballot or the Bullet" appears on "Van Halen III" in 1998.

Visit the Van Halen artist page at /artist/van-halen for biography, popular tracks, and links to more lyric pages.