Checkmate

For the RWBY Chibi short, see Cinder Who?

"Checkmate"^[1] is a song that plays during "Rude, Red, and Royal" when Team RWBY fights the Red Prince and his pawns. It was incorporated on the RWBY: Volume 9 Soundtrack.

Lyrics[]

Welcome to the show
Are you ready to go?
With your swords up high, and your guns down low
Have you come for the action, come for the sport?
There's a million ways to spill blood on the court

It's a free-for-all, it's a dog-eat-dog
Don't be surprised, if when you die, you're met with rigorous applause
Wanna win?
You got a chance
All you got to do is dance
Oh move your feet, and move 'em fast
Who knows how long your limbs will last?

Who is your king of the castle now?
I am taking control of the board game
Show me some strategy
You're in a daze, I can't complain so
Checkmate, move along!

Do your muscles ache?
You may need a break
It's a common response for your hands to shake
I know it's not easy, losing a match
Especially when it's a girl kicking your ass

Sit down and relax
Cuz I'm the teacher, you're the class
Get your notebooks out, give that note a pass
You know no-one's perfect, but I'm pretty close
You should've seen your face, a right disgrace, when I came through the door

Are you the queen or are you the pawn?
Will you master the night, or wait for the dawn?
Is it worth all the blood and the damage done?
Would you die under the spotlight just to hear all the applause?

Are you the queen or are you the pawn?
Will you master the night, or wait for the dawn?
Is it worth all the blood and the damage done?
Would you die under the spotlight just to hear all the applause?

Are you the queen or are you the pawn?
Will you master the night, or wait for the dawn?
Is it worth all the blood and the damage done?
Would you die under the spotlight just to hear all the applause?

Who is your king of the castle now?
I am taking control of the board game
Show me some strategy
You're in a daze, I can't complain so
Checkmate, move along!

Move along, move along now!^[2]

Trivia[]

The five lines of the chorus reference what sometimes happens during the ending state of the Chess boardgame, also known as "Checkmate". In the game, one of the two King pieces on the board are "boxed in" by the opposing player's pieces and cannot move. The lines "Show me some strategy" and "You're in a daze, I can't complain so" support this, in which the player in control of the King inbound on Checkmate is struggling to figure out how to avoid the inevitable.
The instrumental parts of the song were used in the Volume 9 Trailer.
The line "Especially when it's a girl kicking your ass" refers to Ruby telling her teammates to "kick their wooden butts!"
The song was described by Casey Lee Williams on Twitter as "bop city" prior to the episode's release.
Casey said the band Caravan Palace was "the biggest direct inspiration" for Checkmate, specifically their song "Lone Digger".^[3]
The song is a conversation between Team RWBY and the Red Prince.^[4]

References[]

Soundtracks

RWBY: Volume 1 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 2 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 3 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 4 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 5 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 6 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 7 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 8 Soundtrack • RWBY: Volume 9 Soundtrack • RWBY: Best Vocal Album • RWBY: Ice Queendom Original Soundtrack • RWBY: Arrowfell Original Game Soundtrack

RWBY: Volume 1 Soundtrack	"This Will Be the Day" • "Red Like Roses" • "Mirror Mirror" • "From Shadows" • "I Burn" • "Gold" • "I May Fall" • "Red Like Roses Part II" • "Wings"
RWBY: Volume 1 Score	"Ruby Rose" • "The Shining Beacon" (Pt.2) • "The First Step" (Pt.2) • "The Emerald Forest" (Pt.2) • "Players and Pieces" • "The Badge and the Burden" (Pt.2) • "Jaunedice" (Pt.2) • "Forever Fall" (Pt.2) • "The Stray" • "Black and White"
RWBY: Volume 2 Soundtrack	"Time to Say Goodbye" • "Die" • "Shine" • "Dream Come True" • "Caffeine" • "All Our Days" • "Boop" • "Sacrifice"
RWBY: Volume 2 Score	"Best Day Ever" • "Welcome to Beacon" • "A Minor Hiccup" • "Painting the Town...." • "Extracurricular" • "Burning the Candle" • "Dance Dance Infiltration" • "Field Trip" • "Search and Destroy" • "Mountain Glenn" • "No Brakes" • "Breach"
RWBY: Volume 3 Soundtrack	"When It Falls" • "I'm the One" • "It's My Turn" • "Not Fall in Love with You" • "Neon" • "Mirror Mirror Part II" • "Divide" • "Cold"
RWBY: Volume 3 Score	"Qrow vs Winter" • "R.W.B.Y. vs F.N.K.I." • "S.S.S.N. vs N.D.G.O." • "World of Remnant 1" • "World of Remnant 2" • "World of Remnant 3" • "World of Remnant 4" • "Round One" • "New Challengers..." • "It's Brawl in the Family" • "Lessons Learned" • "Never Miss a Beat" • "Fall" • "Beginning of the End" • "Destiny" • "PvP" • "Battle of Beacon" • "Heroes and Monsters" • "End of the Beginning"
RWBY: Volume 4 Soundtrack	"Let's Just Live" • "Like Morning Follows Night" • "Bad Luck Charm" • "This Life is Mine" • "Home" • "Armed and Ready" • "Lusus Naturae" • "Bmblb"
RWBY: Volume 4 Score	"Ruby vs the Beringel" • "Chapter 1 - The Next Step Pt. 1" • "Chapter 1 - The Next Step Pt. 2" • "Chapter 1 - The Next Step Pt. 3" • "Chapter 2 - Remembrance Pt. 1" • "Chapter 2 - Remembrance Pt. 2" • "Chapter 3 - Of Runaways and Stowaways Pt. 1" • "Chapter 3 - Of Runaways and Stowaways Pt. 2" • "Chapter 4 - Family Pt. 1" • "Chapter 4 - Family Pt. 2" • "Chapter 5 - Menagerie Pt. 1" • "Chapter 5 - Menagerie Pt. 2" • "Chapter 6 - Tipping Point Pt. 1" • "Chapter 6 - Tipping Point Pt. 2" • "Chapter 6 - Tipping Point Pt. 3" • "Chapter 7 - Punished Pt. 1" • "Chapter 7 - Punished Pt. 2" • "Chapter 7 - Punished Pt. 3" • "Chapter 8 - A Much Needed Talk Pt. 1" • "Chapter 8 - A Much Needed Talk Pt. 2" • "Chapter 8 - A Much Needed Talk Pt. 3" • "Chapter 9 - Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back Pt. 1" • "Chapter 9 - Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back Pt. 2" • "Chapter 9 - Two Steps Forward, Two Steps Back Pt. 3" • "Chapter 10 - Kuroyuri Pt. 1" • "Chapter 10 - Kuroyuri Pt. 2" • "Chapter 11 - Taking Control Pt. 1" • "Chapter 11 - Taking Control Pt. 2" • "Chapter 12 - No Safe Haven Pt. 1" • "Chapter 12 - No Safe Haven Pt. 2" • "World of Remnant - Vale" • "World of Remnant - Mistral" • "World of Remnant - Atlas" • "World of Remnant - Vacuo" • "World of Remnant - The Great War"
RWBY: Volume 5 Soundtrack	"The Triumph" • "Ignite" • "Path to Isolation" • "Smile" • "All Things Must Die" • "This Time" • "All That Matters"
RWBY: Volume 5 Score	"Welcome to Haven" • "Dread in the Air" • "I Found Him!" • "Hello Leonardo..." • "Mayday! Lancers!" • "Thank You, Sienna" • "Progress Takes Patience" • "First Times All Around" • "Jackpot" • "I'm Her Daughter, After All" • "Fighting Shape" • "Subtlety Is Out" • "A Few Signatures" • "Who Would Ask For This?" • "Qrow's Rough Day" • "I've Seen That Bird Before..." • "Dinner & Coffee" • "When Weiss Was Ten" • "A Note from Ilia" • "Battle at the Belladonna's" • "Strength in Forgiveness" • "A Proposal I Can Get Behind" • "Things Aren't Looking Good" • "Showdown in Haven Academy" • ""C" Is for Cinder" • "Ooozzzpppiiinnn!!!" • "The Vault" • "Look Who's Talking..." • "Take This Fight Outside" • "Cease Fire!" • "The Relic & Aftermath"
RWBY: Volume 6 Soundtrack	"Rising" • "Miracle" • "One Thing" • "Lionize" • "Big Metal Shoe" • "Nevermore" • "Indomitable" • "Forever Fall"
RWBY: Volume 6 Score	"Trouble Aboard Argus Limited" • "Mistral Central Station" • "The Spider's Web" • "Say Her Name" • "A Delicate Balance" • "Our Creation" • "A Crumbling Cabal" • "Brunswick Farms" • "The Apathy" • "The Grimm Reaper" • "Welcome to Argus" • "Cashews" • "Silver Eyes" • "Jaune's Arc" • "The Heist" • "Down the Cannon" • "Protecting Each Other" • "Ra'viatah, Osa Manetah" • "Fight to Atlas"
RWBY: Volume 7 Soundtrack	"Trust Love" • "Touch the Sky" • "Hero" • "Brand New Day" • "Let's Get Real" • "War" • "Celebrate" • "Until the End" • "Fear"
RWBY: Volume 7 Score	"In the Shadow of Atlas" • "Protector of Mantle" • "Apprehended" • "A New Approach" • "We All Have Our Talents" • "Into the Mines" • "Enjoy the Cake" • "...And Eat it Too" • "Six Possible Outcomes" • "The Sisters Schnee" • "Party Crashers" • "Looking Inward" • "Full-on Vigilante" • "Right Behind That Door" • "You Are Cordially Invited" • "Hey Mom, It's Snowing!" • "Time to Do Our Jobs" • "Mantle Overrun" • "You Big Bag of Bones!" • "Free Ride and a Show" • "It Was Bait" • "Are You With Me?" • "...Then You Trained Us" • "The Timeline Has Changed" • "And I Refuse to Starve" • "The Enemy of Trust"
RWBY: Volume 8 Soundtrack	"For Every Life" • "The Sky is Falling" • "The Truth" • "Awake" • "Treasure" • "Be Strong and Hit Stuff" • "Friend"
RWBY: Volume 8 Score	"Divide Part I" • "Divide Part II" • "Refuge Part I" • "Refuge Part II" • "Strings Part I" • "Strings Part II" • "Fault Part I" • "Fault Part II" • "Amity Part I" • "Amity Part II" • "Midnight Part I" • "Midnight Part II" • "War Part I" • "War Part II" • "Dark Part I" • "Dark Part II" • "Witch Part I" • "Witch Part II" • "Ultimatum Part I" • "Ultimatum Part II" • "Risk Part I" • "Risk Part II" • "Creation Part I" • "Creation Part II" • "Worthy Part I" • "Worthy Part II" • "The Final Word Part I" • "The Final Word Part II"
RWBY: Volume 9 Soundtrack	"Inside" • "Checkmate" • "Chatterbox" • "Worthy" • "Trapdoor" • "Quiet" • "Guide My Way" • "The Edge"
RWBY: Volume 9 Score	"Washed Ashore by Strange Tides" • "You Weren't Supposed to Be Here" • "I Think We're in the Ever After" • "Enough Hope to Fill This Jar" • "The Most Powerful Warrior to Ever Live" • "A Most Joyous Occasion" • "The Red Prince's Game" • "Missing Some Pieces" • "You're Banished!" • "What's the Deal With This Cat?" • "It's a Matter of Perspective, You See" • "Acre's Edge" • "The Overworked Herbalist" • "I am a Huntress" • "We Ascend" • "The Night Market" • "It's the Rusted Knight!" • "Catching up With Old Friends" • "Stuck at a Crossroads" • "It Was the First Thing I Saw" • "I'm Late! (The Paper Pleasers' village)" • "The to-Do List" • "Why Are You Still Here?" • "Hello, Red! (How About a Little Reset?)" • "I Can Be You Instead" • "This Body Will Do" • "It's Not a Place You Go" • "Playing the Hero" • "So Heavy" • "Not Your Typical Mission" • "Burn the Leaves!" • "Maybe That Girl is Enough" • "A Happy Dream I Can't Remember" • "True Balance (When You Are Needed Most)"

[1] Casey Lee Williams' Twitter

[2] Casey Lee Williams on Twitter

[3] Casey and Martin's Livestream Q&A

[4] Casey and Martin's Livestream Q&A

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

Checkmate

Lyrics[]

Trivia[]

References[]

Fan Feed