Songs About “The Night Stalker”: Richard Ramirez

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Songs About ‘The Night Stalker’: Richard Ramirez captures the hellishness of one of the most repugnant individuals to walk the earth.

“666, the number of the beast / Hell and fire was spawned to be released.” The famed lyric from the Iron Maiden classic “The Number of the Beast” seems appropriate when speaking about Richard Ramirez (1960 – 2013). The Biography.com describes Ramirez as “an American serial killer who killed at least 14 people and tortured dozens more before being captured in 1985.” Notably, one of the few handsome serial killers, his good looks don’t supplant his horrific ways. According to Crime Feed, Ramirez was abused as a child, influenced adversely by his cousin, a Satanist, and addicted to cocaine.

An unstable background foreshadowed what was to come. Citing Crime Feed once more, Ramirez “wore black when breaking into his victim’s homes,” using a variety of weapons in his assaults, attempted murders, and murders. Furthermore, he incorporated his Satanism, “carving pentagrams into his victim’s skin.” Ultimately, the eight songs featured in Songs About ‘The Night Stalker’: Richard Ramirez capture the hellishness of one of the most repugnant individuals to walk the earth.

1. Church of Misery, “Where Evil Dwells (Richard Ramirez)”

Early Works Compilation • Emetic • 2011

“Angry white male’s revel / Hungry for your pain / Make you bleed I just want to / At my feet, you’ll die.” Serial killer enthusiasts and Japanese metal collective Church of Misery is a perfect match to tackle the satanic monster, Ramirez. The do just that on “Where Evil Dwells.”

“Hail Satan
See my left palm
Pentagram.”

Despite being a handsome dude, the stud wasn’t called “the night stalker” for nothing. There was NOTHING beautiful about Ramirez on the inside.

“Angry white male killer
Beware, lock up your window
Unlocked door I’m looking for
I’ll take your life away.”

2. Sun Kil Moon, “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes”

Benji • Caldo Verde • 2014

Over the course of “Richard Ramirez Died Today of Natural Causes,” singer-songwriter Sun Kil Moon (Mark Kozelek) covers a variety of topics, not only Richard Ramirez. Nonetheless, he devotes plenty of lyrics to the Satanic murderer.

“Richard Ramirez died today of natural causes
Got amped up on speed and broke into houses
Bludgeoned people to death and wrote shit on their skin and left ‘em
They finally got him and he went to San Quentin.”

3. Macabre, “Night Stalker: Richard Ramirez”

Sinister Slaughter/Behind the Walls of Sleep • Nuclear Blast • 2000

“Spawn of Satan!” “Night Stalker: Richard Ramirez” kicks off Sinister Slaughter/Behind the Walls of Sleep in frightening fashion with screams, as well as the aforementioned devilish lyric. The guitars are incredibly gritty and jagged. Vocally, the tone is coarse, with both lower-pitched, gruff vocals as well as high-pitched, whiny ones. Naturally, Macabre captures the horror of Ramirez satirically.

“He will get you in the night
Then he’ll take away your life
He’s coming back to your house with Satan in his head
Looking for a way in, while you’re sleeping in your bed...
He will sneak up to your bed
Shoot your husband in the head
He’ll beat and rape you while your husband slowly dies
And make you swear to Satan that you won’t let out a cry.”

Macabre gets specific on the choruses, which are varied each iteration.

“[first time] Night Stalker, looking for
An unlocked window or door...
[second time] Night Stalker, will delight
In killing you in the night...
[third time] Night Stalker will get you
Then he will murder you.”

4. The Acacia Strain, “Ramirez”

Wormwood • Prosthetic • 2010

“I wanna see the pieces fit into place / I wanna feel your body temperature drop / I wanna feel the wind against my face / I wanna hear your heart stop.” Metal collective The Acacia Strain seem like a perfect match to tackle “the horrible, no good, very bad,” Satanic monster, Richard Ramirez.

“Hail Mary, the virgin whore
I can't fucking take this anymore
Hail Mary with the broken face
You name the time I'll name the place.”

“Ramirez” the song may not be able to capture the horror of the real-life monster, but The Acacia Strain don’t do a shabby job of simulating hellishness, blasphemy, and angst.

“I wanna tell her I felt it in my heart
But I have no heart to feel
I wanna tell them I know who stole my soul
But I have no soul to steel
I believe that Hell is real
Hell is other people
I am a burning building
You can't save me.”

Yep, The Acacia Strain nails it on the final lyrics, particularly the final, profane phrase.

“I am the one who will bring Hell upon you all
I'll stand at the gates and watch your kingdom fall
Ashes to ashes, and dust into dust
This world is a graveyard
I DON'T GIVE A FUCK!”

5. Exodus, “Going Going Gone”

Shovel Headed Kill Machine • Nuclear Blast • 2005

“Two things that I can’t ignore / Dark nights and an unlocked door.” San Francisco, California thrash metal band Exodus takes on The Night Stalker, in all his wickedness. According to The Metal Archives, Exodus are known for lyrical themes including anti-religion, violence, and fittingly, Satanism. Like The Acacia Strain who precede them, they have something to say about Ramirez on “Going Going Gone.”

“A straight razor and a flick of the wrist
Brass knuckles and a willing fist
A big knife and a little scream
They do wonders for my self-esteem
Warm blood and a cold embrace
The catch is better than the chase
They all ask why I'm doing this
Violence is bliss.”

Of course, the veteran band doesn’t stop there.

“What you see
All I know to be
Is a madman out on a killing spree
One thing I say
I did it all my way
Gave rise to the dawn of the dying age
When I feel the urge
And it's starting to surge
Soon I'm blowing like an atom bomb
When you comprehend
Your life's coming to an end
I'm going, going, going, going, gone…
I never leave any telltale traces
Only fear frozen on dead faces
An orgasm of depravity
It's the best kind of therapy.”

6. Blitzkrieg, “Night Stalker”

Theatre of the Damned • Wacken Records • 2007

“Darkness is the shroud that he wears / Always taking care in the shadows / Searching like a thief in the night / Black hearts learn the meaning of fear.” The nearly five-minute-long “Night Stalker” appears near the end of Theatre of the Damned, the 2007 album by British Heavy Metal band, Blitzkrieg. In addition to “Night Stalker,” there is no short of darkness on the album, which includes tracks “Devils Spawn” and “Tortured Souls.” As for “Night Stalker,” it’s pretty epic, with jagged guitars, sometimes harmonized in their upper register.

The crowning achievement is the chorus:

“Night Wing comes down, and looks around, he'll be there
He makes them pay, it's his way, he will care
He keeps the peace, he's the voice of the Law
No need to fear, if you've nothing to hide.”

7. Legion of the Damned, “Nocturnal Predator”

Feel the Blade • Napalm Records Handels GmbH • 2008

“Nocturnal predator is looking for prey
Terror strikes in the dead of night
Hell has sent an angel of wrath
And murder fills the city with fright
Blessed by the lord from below
He cut his first victim's throat
More slashing will soon follow
Sworn to his satanic oath
Hand of death
Demon claw
Night stalker.”

“Nocturnal Predator” is the second song on Feel the Blade, the 2008 album from Dutch thrash metal band, Legion of the Damned. Feel the Blade isn’t a warm and friendly project, featuring other colorfully-titled songs such as “Slaughtering the Pigs,” “Slut of Sodom,” and the painful “Chronic Infection.” From the onset, “Nocturnal Predator” is intense. The guitars are brutal, the drums pummel, and the vocals are biting and incredibly coarse. Over its course, listeners are given four minutes and twelve seconds of the utmost damnation. Legion of the Damned superbly capture the story of Richard Ramirez, not to mention the spirit…

“Shooting men in front of their spouse
Carving up the wife in neck, face and groin
Satisfying his sadistic delight
The misanthropic killer gouged her
And took, with him, her eyes… Raping the women, he captured
Forcing them to give the devil praise
Drawing occult signs on the bodies
The pentagram left as his mark.”

8. The Electric Hellfire Club, “Jack the Knife”

Kiss the Goat • Cleopatra • 1995

“I’m Jack! and you’re my victim / I was born to take your life / You were born to suffer / At the hands of Jack the Knife.” Industrial-alternative rock band The Electric Hellfire Club reference serial killers Jack the Ripper and Richard Ramirez on the disturbing, intense “Jack the Knife” (Kiss the Goat, 1995).

“You will find me standing in the shadows
Dressed to the nines
With the image of your murder
Burning in my eyes
I'm the handsome stranger
Who took you for a ride
I offered you some candy
On the day you died.”

As the first lyrical quote suggests, Jack the Ripper is the most explicitly named of the two serial killers. That said, the references to handsomeness, night stalker, and Satan confirms the role of Ramirez.

“I'm the Devil's paintbrush
And he likes the color red
You're my latest masterpiece
Dismembered on your bed
Ripper, slasher, night stalker
Each of them a tasty slice
But future generations will call me
Jack the Knife!”

The pentagrams and the palm references in the following lyrical excerpt is all Richard.

“Inverted pentagrams
In lipstick on your wall
The symbol of my savior
I carved into my palm
I use a knife to make my mark
Name and number of the beast
In the flesh of some young lovely
Recently deceased!”

Final Thoughts

What’s the common thread throughout the course of these Hadean songs about Richard Ramirez? Why his Satanism, of course. They also mention the brutal murders – that’s definitely a big part…

Songs About “The Night Stalker”: Richard Ramirez | Playlist 🎧

Published by the musical hype on January 31, 2018January 31, 2018