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"Rules of Nature" is the main theme for Metal Gear RAY and Grad in Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance.

The lyrics describe a metaphor for survival of the fittest in the animal kingdom, but applied to today's society. Raiden is portrayed as the weak prey (smaller physical size), and Metal Gear RAY as the strong predator or hunter (through sheer size, military equipment and power), showing that force alone does not guarantee victory and that victory can be won through ingenuity. The confrontation with the GRAD is similar: GRAD is an armored Unmanned Gear, equipped with machine guns and shields, but Raiden can break through its defenses with his High Frequency blade.

Another interpretation of the lyrics paints the song as a lament for/by the Unmanned Gears, describing them as "a starving beast" and "a predator on the verge of death". This mirrors the change in warfare depicted in the game - with the advent of cyborg technology, unmanned weapons like RAY and GRAD are becoming obsolete, despite being the core of warfare strategies a few years ago. In this interpretation, the song could also foreshadow Raiden's defeat at the hands of Samuel Rodrigues at the end of the prologue - like RAY, Raiden's own cybernetics are outdated by the standards of the game's timeline.

Like all the songs of the album Metal Gear Rising: Revengeance Vocal Tracks, the prototype version of "Rules of Nature" included in the demo version of the game was noticeably unfinished, not yet possessing most of the synth elements. Additionally, the drums had not yet been spliced with synth versions, and other various effects & break elements that would be incorporated into the retail version. The most notable difference is a completely different set of lyrics, sung by Graeme Cornies as opposed to Jason Miller.

Lyrics[]

Rules of Nature (Platinum Mix)[]

The time has come to an end
Yeah – this is what nature planned

Being tracked by a starving beast
Looking for its daily feast
A predator on the verge of death
Close to its last breath
Getting close to its last breath

RULES OF NATURE

And they run when the sun comes up
With their lives on the line
(Alive)
For a while
(No choice)
Gotta follow the laws of the wild
(Alive)
With their lives on the line
(No choice)
Out here only the strong survive

What’s done is done
Survived to see another day
The dance of life
The hunter and the agile prey
No guarantee
Which of them will succeed
Strong or weak

(yell)

Rules of Nature
Rules of Nature

Official lyrics from Platinum Games

Locked and Loaded (demo/original version)[]

Locked and Loaded

Let the mercury rise on up
And it boils in my blood

(Alright, I swear I'll)
Tear at the seams 'til you come undone

I take it all – I take it all in and out

I save it up – I save it all for the fight

I feel a heat
That temperature rising
Make your pain

(yell)

Locked and Loaded

Credits and original composition[]

Written by: Jamie Christopherson
Lyrics by: Jamie Christopherson & Graeme Cornies
Produced & Mixed by: Jamie Christopherson
Remixed by: Akira Takizawa
Vocals Recorded by: Logan Mader
Vocals: Jason Miller & Graeme Cornies
Guitars: Aaron Kaplan & Graeme Cornies
Drums: Ralph Alexander
Programming: Graeme Cornies & Jamie Christopherson

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