In the year of the dragon we strike against our brothers
Those fools who grovel before the Western outsiders
The Emperor demands that our nation be restored
In his name the samurai once again march for war
On our walking machines we stride across the land
Towering above the mist with our swords in hand
The shogunate's men rise in defense of their masters
But their spirit is weak and our steel is stronger
I ride to war on my ironclad beast
Upon the foreigners' terror will my men feast
For tradition, for honor - our gunfire deafens
Revere the emperor! (Sonno!) Expel the barbarians! (Joi!)
Their unfair treaties will be rewritten in blood
A warning to their kind and our weak-willed shogun
We'll take back the skies from their coal-fired airships
Cast away their disease and their lack of respect
From the flames of Kagoshima to the walls of ancient Edo
We will strike at their heart with unrelenting anger
We can no longer stand by as the shadows grow long
The steam-powered samurai's age has finally come
I ride to war on my ironclad beast
Upon the foreigners' terror will my men feast
For tradition, for honor - our gunfire deafens
Revere the emperor! (Sonno!) Expel the barbarians! (Joi!)
Ikuze!
Oh - Reh - San - Jo
We will restore the Emperor to his rightful place
Regain our pride and save precious face
Uproot the weeds that have soiled our land
Pray to our ancestors and make amends
We are modern relics of the most ancient traditions
At war one last time for the sake of our nation
One final stand on this most glorious day
Then the steam-powered samurai will fade away
I ride to war on my ironclad beast
Upon the foreigners' terror will my men feast
For tradition, for honor - our gunfire deafens
Revere the emperor! (Sonno!) Expel the barbarians! (Joi!)