The Kingdom's Come Undone [Ronnie Montrose. featuring Ricky Phillips]

The Kingdom's Come Undone
Written by Ronnie Montrose, Ricky Phillips
Lead Vocals by Ricky Phillips

You see the man in the mirror

You can't see through his disguise

Remember that face in his hand

As he holds on in wild eyes

Chop down the old weeping willow

And see the hangman fall

Deep down to the roots, therein lies the truth to desire

In my life

See them run

In our time

The kingdom's come undone

Next in line

Who will be next to carry on

Is there a method in his madness

Once the madman's crossed the line

When his strength and beliefs become our legacy

Will you stiffen for all of mankind

Take the hood off the hangman

And see the face of us all

With your freedom of choice

Will you be the voice

With the blade of the axe when it falls

In my life

The freedom bell is rung

When the death bells toll

The kingdom's come undone

The mirror sees you look away

Others speak their mind

Upon our shoulders, now will lay

The generation next in line

Is there method in his madness

Once the madman's crossed the line

When his faith and beliefs become our legacy

Will you stiffen for all of mankind

Take the hood off the hangman

And see the face of us all

With your freedom of choice

Will you be the voice

With the blade of the axe when it falls

In my life

See them run

In our time

The kingdom's come undone

In my life

The freedom bell is rung

When the death bells toll

The kingdom's come undone

Interpretation

This could represent any of societies ills that we blindly accept and refuse to address, leaving it for the next generation. We can't know for sure without asking Ricky, since Ronnie has passed on. Perhaps it represents the problem of mass shootings in schools or perhaps it represents the many unborn children who have died in the womb since abortion was legalized nationally or more generally war and violent crime. 

Let's look verse by verse:

You see the man in the mirror. You can't see through his disguise; 

Remember that face in his hand as he holds on in wild eyes

Chop down the old weeping willow, and see the hangman fall

Deep down to the roots, therein lies the truth to desire

You look in the mirror at yourself and don't recognize that you are part of the problem. The face in his hand is that of a dead child.  The weeping willow is weeing for the child.  Chop it down to make a gallows from which to hang the culprit, who will fall when the floor drops out from under his feet. Deep down at the roots of the tree, you can still see the truth, as from those roots will spring a new tree.

In my life, see them run. In our time, the kingdom's come undone

Next in line...who will be next to carry on?

In my lifetime, I've seen enough of the killings, and can imagine the children running from the gunman. It's in our time that the fabric of our society is starting to come in part.  Who will carry on after us?  

Is there a method in his madness, once the madman's crossed the line?

When his strength and beliefs become our legacy, will you stiffen for all of mankind?

Take the hood off the hangman and see the face of us all

With your freedom of choice will you be the voice with the blade of the axe when it falls?

This madman has crossed the line, and while we can never truly understand the mind of a madman, we wonder what he is thinking. Will his way of seeing things shape the way we see the world and harden the hearts of people everywhere?  If we take the hood off the hangman, we see ourselves standing in judgment. Will you use your freedom to choose to add your voice to the axe of judgement when falls on the neck of the damned?

In my life, the freedom bell is rung. When the death bells toll, the kingdom's come undone.

The mirror sees you look away. Others speak their mind.

Upon our shoulders, now will lay the generation next in line.

In my life I have seen the bell rung for freedom many times, as we seek to liberate the oppressed and defend against despots and tyrants.  When people are dying, though, it is a blow to the society that allows it. We bear on our shoulders the weight of responsibility for the legacy we leave to the next generation.

Is there method in his madness, once the madman's crossed the line?

When his faith and beliefs become our legacy, will you stiffen for all of mankind?

Take the hood off the hangman and see the face of us all

With your freedom of choice, will you be the voice with the blade of the axe when it falls?

In my life see them run. In our time the kingdom's come undone.

In my life, the freedom bell is rung. When the death bells toll, the kingdom's come undone.

Reinforcing the message, we wonder about the impact of the faith and beliefs that drives us to permit atrocities in a free society. We stand in judgement, because despite our continued toll of the bell for freedom we stand by while our children die and our society is weakened by our apathy.