Sam Fender has postponed Newcastle presale after reported bot attack•
The Healing Power of Horses have announced ‘8725’, their second EP in six months•
Kesha has dug into the ‘Animal’ archives for her long-lost ‘Backstabber’ video•
Little Grandad have shared ‘A Minute On The Lips’ and announced a January in-store tour•
CMAT has performed ‘Take a Sexy Picture of Me’ and more for NPR's Tiny Desk•
girl in red has released her new EP ‘BLUE’, exploring change and fresh starts•
David Bowie's unreleased 1978 concert film ‘Stage’ is getting a spectacular arena revival•
Mia Joy is taking flight with new single ‘Wings of Desire’ and her second album•
Heartworms is back with a sinister new single, ‘Guess I’m Stuck In The Dark’•
Phoebe Bridgers has been announced as All Points East 2027’s first headliner•
FKA twigs will curate Meltdown 2027 at Southbank Centre•
Hot Chip have announced their new album, ‘A Long Way From Kansas’•
The Cribs have announced a Wakefield show for ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’ anniversary•
Tate McRae has released ‘Housewife’ with a South of France-shot video•
Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan have released their ‘expectations’ remix•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Sam Fender has postponed Newcastle presale after reported bot attack•
The Healing Power of Horses have announced ‘8725’, their second EP in six months•
Kesha has dug into the ‘Animal’ archives for her long-lost ‘Backstabber’ video•
Little Grandad have shared ‘A Minute On The Lips’ and announced a January in-store tour•
CMAT has performed ‘Take a Sexy Picture of Me’ and more for NPR's Tiny Desk•
girl in red has released her new EP ‘BLUE’, exploring change and fresh starts•
David Bowie's unreleased 1978 concert film ‘Stage’ is getting a spectacular arena revival•
Mia Joy is taking flight with new single ‘Wings of Desire’ and her second album•
Heartworms is back with a sinister new single, ‘Guess I’m Stuck In The Dark’•
Phoebe Bridgers has been announced as All Points East 2027’s first headliner•
FKA twigs will curate Meltdown 2027 at Southbank Centre•
Hot Chip have announced their new album, ‘A Long Way From Kansas’•
The Cribs have announced a Wakefield show for ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’ anniversary•
Tate McRae has released ‘Housewife’ with a South of France-shot video•
Olivia Rodrigo and Chappell Roan have released their ‘expectations’ remix•
Audrey Hobert has unveiled a new video for 'Sex and the City' as she begins her headline tour•
The Dork 2025 Readers' Poll nominations are in, featuring CMAT, Turnstile, Wolf Alice, Djo, Hayley Williams and loads more•
flowerovlove has released her first-ever first Christmas track, 'wishlist'•
Mighty Hoopla and Olly Alexander have announced Trans Mission, a concert for trans solidarity•
JADE has announced a deluxe edition of her debut album, 'THAT'S SHOWBIZ BABY! THE ENCORE'•
Dork
News
Features
Reviews
Magazine
  • Dork
  • Popzines
Shop
Listings
Directory
Festivals
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
The 19755SOSAlessi RoseArctic MonkeysArlo ParksBastillebeabadoobeeBillie EilishBleachersblink-182BlossomsBlur
Bring Me The HorizonCarly Rae JepsenCavetownChappell RoanCharli xcxCHVRCHESCMATConan GrayDeclan McKennaDjoFall Out BoyFoals
Fontaines D.C.Ghostgirl in redGlass AnimalsGorillazGracie AbramsHAIMHarry StylesHolly HumberstoneInhalerJames MarriottThe Japanese House
The Last Dinner PartyLewis CapaldiLinkin ParkLouis TomlinsonMaggie RogersMaisie PetersMUNAMy Chemical RomanceNiall HoranOasis Live '27Olivia DeanOlivia Rodrigo
Pale WavesParamorePhoebe BridgersPinkPantheressRemi WolfReneé RappSabrina CarpenterSam FenderShameSlipknotTate McRaeTaylor Swift
Twenty One PilotsWallowsWet LegWolf AliceYard ActYUNGBLUDZara Larsson
etc.
Film & TV
Gaming
Literature
Culture
Festival Guides-YOUR ESSENTIAL FESTIVAL COMPANION
Hype-THE BEST NEW NAMES, FIRST
Mixtape-DORK'S BEST NEW TRACKS
Play-DORK'S NEW MUSIC FRIDAY EDIT
Upset-DORK'S HOME FOR ALL THINGS LOUD
Playlist Covers
Playlist Directory
Recommender
Before Doors-LIVE SESSIONS
After Gates-FESTIVAL SESSIONS
Music Video Directory
Down With Boring-THE DORK PODCAST
Chart Attack-UK NUMBER ONES, DISSECTED
Dork Live
Oasis Live ’27Tickets. Dates. What’s the story?Explore the tour
Dork Radio
Live
Live 24/7
Dork Radio
Dork
Down With Boring

Join thousands of music lovers getting the best new tracks, exclusive interviews, and breaking news delivered straight to your inbox every week.

In print now

October 2026

Latest issue variants

View archive
Dork, October 2026 (Cara Delevingne cover)

Cara Delevingne

Dork, October 2026 (Keo cover)

Keo

Dork, October 2026 (Lizzy McAlpine cover)

Lizzy McAlpine

Dork, October 2026 (Tove Lo cover)

Tove Lo

Advertise|Support|About Dork|Editorial standards & corrections|Privacy Policy|Genres|Years|Sitemap|RSS|Cookie settings
© 2026 The Bunker Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved.
Powered by PlaywireAdvertise on this site.
  1. Tracks
  2. Ghost
  3. Prequelle
  4. Rats
Rats by Ghost

SINGLE

Ghost

Rats

Release date: 31st May 2018

From PrequelleTrack 24:22
MetalMusicRockHard Rock
Spotify Apple Music More on Ghost

About This Track

The first single from Ghost's fourth album 'Prequelle', 'Rats' frames the spread of the bubonic plague as divine punishment. The Swedish rock band cast the rodent vectors as relentless agents of contagion and wrath, the lyrics cycling through images of sanctums breached, cities burned, souls claimed. Tobias Forge and the anonymous Nameless Ghouls build the track around a simple, chanted hook that hammers home the futility of resistance: 'They're still coming after you / And there's nothing you can do.' The song topped the Billboard Mainstream Rock Songs chart in July 2018, a commercial vindication of Ghost's theatrical horror-rock aesthetic. The music video leans into the medieval plague imagery with choreographed dancers, the band's taste for Grand Guignol spectacle finding a natural home in the subject matter. It remains one of the most-streamed entries in their catalogue, the apocalyptic premise delivered with enough melodic heft to carry it beyond the niche.

"Rats" is a single by Ghost, from the album Prequelle, released 31st May 2018. The track is 4:22 long. It's filed under Metal. Full lyrics are available below. Dork has published 12 articles about Ghost.

About the Artist

Ghost

Ghost

Lyrics

Rats

In times of turmoil
In times like these
Beliefs contagious
Spreading disease

This wretched mischief is now coursing through your souls
Never to let go
Never to let go

Them rats

Into your sanctum
You let them in
Now all your loved ones
And all your kin

Will suffer punishments beneath the wrath of God
Never to forgive
Never to forgive

Them rats
Rats
Rats
Rats

This devastation left your cities to be burned
Never to return
Never to return

And filthy rodents are still coming for your souls
Never to let go
Never to let go

Them rats
Rats
Rats
Rats

They're still coming after you
And there's nothing you can do
They're still coming after you
And there's nothing you can do

Rats

Lyrics provided by LRCLIB

View full lyrics page →

Track details

From Prequelle

4:222018Single
Listen
Album
Prequelle
Prequelle
Ghost
1st June 2018
Track number
2
Release year
2018
  1. 1Ashes
    1:21
  2. 2Rats
    4:22
  3. 3Faith
    4:30
  4. 4See the Light
    4:05

More from Ghost

Albums & EPs

body.
body.
2026
Skeletá
Skeletá
2025
Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
2024
Phantomime - EP
Phantomime - EP
2023
IMPERA
IMPERA
2022
Seven Inches of Satanic Panic - Single
Seven Inches of Satanic Panic - Single
2019

Explore

More tracks by Ghost

  1. CenotaphSkeletá
    4:18
  2. Chapter XVIII: What A Fiasco
  3. Chapter XX: Arrival Of A Secret Agent
  4. De Profundis BorealisSkeletá
    4:33
  5. ExcelsisSkeletá
    6:01
  6. green eyes
  7. Guiding LightsSkeletá
    3:24
  8. If You Have Ghosts (Chamber Version) (Live at the Forum / 2023)Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
  9. If You Have Ghosts (Live at the Forum / 2023)Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
    5:22
  10. Imperium (Live at the Forum / 2023)Rite Here Rite Now (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)
    1:41

Showing 10 of 20

If you like Ghost

Volbeat

Volbeat

Avenged Sevenfold

Avenged Sevenfold

Lucifer

Ozzy Osbourne

Ozzy Osbourne

Year of the Goat

Year of the Goat

Judas Priest

Judas Priest

5Miasma
5:18
  • 6Dance Macabre
    3:40
  • 7Pro Memoria
    5:39
  • 8Witch Image
    3:30
  • 9Helvetesfonster
    5:56
  • 10Life Eternal
    3:27
  • —Ashes
    1:21
  • —Miasma
    5:18
  • —Helvetesfonster
    5:56
  • —Faith
    4:30
  • —Life Eternal
    3:27
  • —Witch Image
    3:30
  • —See The Light
    4:05

    • Credits

    Production & Engineering

    Writer
    Tobias Forge, Tom Dalgety
    Lyricist
    Tobias Forge
    Composer
    Tobias Forge, Tom Dalgety
    Producer
    Tom Dalgety
    Drums
    Ludvig Kennberg
    Guitar
    Tobias Forge
    Keyboards
    Salem Al Fakir
    Vocals
    Cardinal Copia, Tobias Forge
    Assistant Mixing Engineer
    Greg Eliason
    Bass Guitar
    Tobias Forge
    Choir
    Deryn Edwards, Mark Williams
    Mastering Engineer
    Joe LaPorta
    Mixing Engineer
    Andy Wallace, Clif Norrell
    Percussion
    Tom Dalgety
    Programmer
    Tom Dalgety
    Recording Engineer
    Tom Dalgety
    Synthesizer
    Steve Moore
    READ MORE ABOUT GHOSTREAD MORE ABOUT GHOSTREAD MORE ABOUT GHOSTREAD MORE ABOUT GHOST
    READ MORE ABOUT GHOSTREAD MORE ABOUT GHOSTREAD MORE ABOUT GHOSTREAD MORE ABOUT GHOST
    Ghost have announced the soundtrack to their ‘2 Big To Rig’ concert film
    News

    Ghost have announced the soundtrack to their ‘2 Big To Rig’ concert film

    Concert film and companion soundtrack document the tour's Palacio de los Deportes run.

    25 Aug 2026 • 2:35 pm
    GHOST have released their 'It's a Sin' cover on streaming services
    News

    GHOST have released their 'It's a Sin' cover on streaming services

    Lachryma' nominated for Best Metal Performance at 2026 GRAMMY Awards.

    16 Jan 2026 • 1:53 pm
    Ghost: "This album is all about the idea of being alive and being a human being"
    Features

    Ghost: "This album is all about the idea of being alive and being a human being"

    As Ghost prepare to unleash their most personal album yet, Tobias Forge opens up about finding hope in darkness and turning metal’s theatrical menace into a festival of humanity.

    13 May 2025 • 9:00 am
    Ghost have announced their biggest ever world tour
    News

    Ghost have announced their biggest ever world tour

    The band will play 55 arena shows starting in Manchester and culminating in Mexico City, with their Madison Square Garden debut in July.

    28 Oct 2024 • 1:39 pm
    Ghost have released a cover of Shakespears Sister’s 1992 hit 'Stay', feat. actor-director Patrick Wilson
    News

    Ghost have released a cover of Shakespears Sister’s 1992 hit 'Stay', feat. actor-director Patrick Wilson

    It appears in Patrick's new film, Insidious: The Red Door.

    7 Jul 2023 • 10:10 am
    Ghost: "Working on covers can be euphoric; it's fun to understand a song"
    Features

    Ghost: "Working on covers can be euphoric; it's fun to understand a song"

    From his early days of deconstructing and rebuilding classic songs to his ongoing obsession with learning and absorbing new techniques, as they prepare to drop new covers EP 'Phantomime', Ghost's leader Tobias Forge sees each new track as a fresh puzzle to be solved.

    14 Jun 2023 • 4:19 pm