I am pretty sure this is a lyrical adaptation of Homer's "The Oddysee" (SP? Man I suck with classical literature spelling). If I am wrong it is simply a collection of Roman lore and mythology wrapped into one, which the Odyssee (Again, SP? I'll get it right one of these times!) basically is anyway.
Possibly the most EPIC song I've ever heard, at least contemporary.
This song is mostly about the Iliad, it is supposed to be Cassandra foreseeing the destruction of Troy.
This song is mostly about the Iliad, it is supposed to be Cassandra foreseeing the destruction of Troy.
"Turn your heads and see the fields of flames"-these are the noble men of troy that used to stand on the walls of the city watching the battlefield and commenting the soldiers and heros.the battlefield is set on fire either truly by the greek army or metaphorically by the heat of battle!
"Turn your heads and see the fields of flames"-these are the noble men of troy that used to stand on the walls of the city watching the battlefield and commenting the soldiers and heros.the battlefield is set on fire either truly by the greek army or metaphorically by the heat of battle!
"He carries along from a distant place,he's on his way,he'll bring decay"-cassandra saying that paris is coming to troy with helen and their coming will bring...
"He carries along from a distant place,he's on his way,he'll bring decay"-cassandra saying that paris is coming to troy with helen and their coming will bring disaster to the city
"(Don't move along cause things they will go wrong the end is getting closer day by day) in shades of grey we're doomed to face the night light's out of sight"-again cassandra predicting the end and poetically presenting before the trojans' eyes the destruction of their city.
"Since we've reached the point of no return we pray for starlight we wait for the moon the sky is empty alone in the unknown we're getting nowhere"-these are the greeks that believe that the situation has reached a point of no return and only the ultimate destruction of troy would wash away the shame that lies on them after the kidnapping of helen by paris.they have gathered the fleet in aylon,a harbor in attica,and they're waiting for the night sky to be lit so they can set out on their journey.but there is no moon,nor stars and they're staying there,getting nowhere.
"We have been betrayed by the wind and the rain,the sacred hall's empty and cold,the sacrifice made should not be done in vain,revenge will be taken by rome"-here it's the greek fleet again facing problems with the wind.artemis was mad at the king of greeks agamemnon and she didn't let the winds blow so that the ships could travel to troy.the sacred fire had worn off and the sacred room was empty and cold.so,after having consulted the prophets,agamemnon decided to sacrifice his beloved daughter,iphigenia,to make artemis feel better and let them travel on sea.the sacrifice is made(but the girl doesn't die,and that's another big story) and the fleet sets off.the last lyric implies that the greeks will finally be conquered by the romans,something that happened at 146 b.c.!but rome was,according the legend, founded by aeneas a trojan prince who fled troy after its utter destruction by the greeks,so revenge was taken by rome!
"We live a lie under the dying moon pale-faced laughs doom indulges in delight"-we have been transfered again to the battlefield in front of the walls of troy.this is probably cassandra speaking and she expresses her sad feelings about that awful war.even the moon is dying in this forsaken place;and death is so delighted for he has so many souls to take....
"It's getting out of hand the final curtain will fall hear my voice there is no choice there's no way out you'll find out"-cassandra probably talking to her brother hector and telling him that the situation is out of hand,it's all been decided by the gods,the end is soon and they can't do anything about it.he will find out cause he's going to get killed by achilles...
"We don't regret it so many men have failed but now he's gone go out and get it the madman's head it shall be thyne we don't regret it that someone else dies hidden in disguise go out and get it orion's hound shines bright"-this is one of my favorites.these are the trojan people speaking.they're referring to mighty achilles(the madman).he used to kill hundreds of trojan soldiers alone and nobody could stop him.but he quarreled with agamemnon and left the battlefield(now he's gone),so the trojans encourage hector to go out and send the greeks back to greece(remember storming the wall by manowar in triumph of steel?).he manages to break into the greek camp but then a man with achilles' armor comes out(orion's hound is the sign of achilles' shield).hector battles him and finally kills him(it shall be thyne)!but it wasn't achilles,it was patroclus,achilles' friend who had pity for the greeks and persuaded achilles to lend him his armor so that he could fight instead of the mighty prince who was still mad at agamemnon(someone else dies hidden in disguise)!amazing lyrics!!!
"Don't you think it's time to stop the chase around the ring just stop running running round the ring don't you know that fate has been decided by the gods feel the distance distance out of reach"-when achilles learned that hector killed his friend,he forgot his anger and ran into battle.he started chasing hector around the walls of troy(running running round the ring).but he couldn't catch him cause it was apollo having transformed into hector(distance out of reach)apollo was in total favor of the trojans.achilles knew that everything had been decided by the gods and he knew the prophecy that if he'd kill hector he would die(he had a weak,mortal spot) but he also knew that hector would die by his hand so he kept chasing him...
"Welcome to the end watch your step cassandra you may fall as i've stumbled on the field sister mine death is a certain thing find myself in darkest places find myself drifting away and the other world the other world appears"-well,finally achilles caught the real hector and killed him by the sword!!!here we have him just before his death thinking of his sister,cassandra,and the dangers that lie ahead for her.he is so disappointed and realises that death is certain for all the trojans.then he starts passing away to the other world....
"Find myself she dies in vain i cannot be freed i'm falling down as time runs faster moves towards disaster the ferryman will wait for you my dear"-this is a difficult part!i can't make clear who's talking,it's either hector or cassandra.i strongly believe it's hector but i can't be sure.anyway,i think he foresees his sister's death and realises that even death he can't be freed from his worries,he's dying as the end gets closer and troy is going to fall soon.he then tells cassandra,poetically,that death is waiting for her(the ferryman is another form of death.he was a man in a boat on the river styx and he took alll the dead from the world of the living to hades,the underworld,through this river).
"And then there was silence just a voice from the otherworld just a leaf in an icy world memories will fade"-at the moment of hector's death and after his final words,there was silence as hansi says.everybody held his breath and nobody could say a word.this silence was like a voice from another world that came and took hector.hector is a lonely leaf in a world of ice and coldness.after his death and the destruction of troy he'll be forgotten by everybody(memories will fade).
"Misty tales and poems lost all the bliss and beauty will be gone will my weary soul find release for a while at the moment of death i will smile it's the triumph of shame and disease in the end-iliad"-the chorus is sung by cassandra and it's her prophecy of the end of troy and her end as well.the tales are misty,the poems lost,all the beauty of this magnificent city is gone.cassandra is so deprssed,her soul can find no release but in death.the war of troy,the story of the iliad is the story of ultimate shame and disease...
"Raise my hands and praise the day break the spell show me the way in decay the flame of troy will shine bright"-cassandra trying to find some hope in the beauty of the day!she's asking the gods to show her the way to freedom and salvation but the only thing she sees is decay and a burning troy...
"The newborn child will carry ruin to the hall,the newborn's death would be a blessing to us all"-from this point,hansi sings the story of paris,the trojan prince.this is cassandra speaking when paris is born.she foresees that this child would bring destruction in troy and suggests that it should be killed!but as we know nobody believed that poor lady...
"good choice,bad choice,out of three you've chosen misery,power and wisdom you deny,bad choice"-well,that's another GREAT part of the story as well of the song!it's the second chapter in paris' life.we already know that he kidnapped helen.but he didn't take tha decision alone!the gods took part in this scheme also!well,eris was the goddess of hatred and hostility.she took an apple and said to all the goddesses that it should belong to the fairest.the goddesses began to fight with anger and passion to win the prize.3 goddesses remained,Aphrodite(love),Hera(power) and Athena(wisdom) and they decided to let a mortal man choose who was the fairest.guess who was that man!paris then,asked the 3 goddesses what each one would offer him if he gave the apple to her.Athena said she would make him the wisest,Hera the greatest king and Aphrodite promised to give him the most beautiful woman on earth.as every wise man would do,he gave the apple to aphrodite.and she helped him to kidnap helen!the lyrics here reflect this event.cassandra thinks,was it a good or a bad choice?out of wisdom,power and love,paris chose love,which turned finally into misery because of the war.it was indeed a bad choice!
"war is the only answer,when love will conquer fear,so the judgement's been made,to the fairest,the graceful says,badly he fails"-this is the scene of paris' judgement.cassandra understands that her brother's choice was made because his love for helen was so great that overcame the fear of war!but she knows that in such cases war always occurs.and thus her brother failed badly by naming aphrodite as the fairest...
"warning,fear the heat of passion father king,don't let him in,don't let her in,desire,lust,obsession,death they'll bring,we can't get out,once they are in"-cassandra has foreseen the future and warns her father,priam,of the great danger ahead.this is when paris first brought helen to troy.cassandra believes that the heat of passion will bring the destruction of troy and advises her father not to allow helen and paris to enter troy!she thinks that their lust and love desire will finally bring death to all the trojans.she warns her father that if they get in then nobody will ever come out,because of the siege that is bound to happen!he didn't listen to her warnings...
"she's like the sunrise,outshines the moon at night,precious like starlight,she will bring in a murderous price"-cassandra again predicts the destruction of troy because of the arrival of helen.helen's description here is very poetic and metaphoric!i also noticed that in the beginning we have the positive view of helen as a beautiful woman but then we see that such a beautiful thing can be the cause of murders...
"in darkness grows the seed of man's defeat,jealousy,i can clearly see the end now,i can clearly see the end now,i can clearly see the end now"-this is the utter point of cassandra's ecstatic monologue!she foresees clearly the end!it is growing in darkness,meaning away from troy,in greece where the greek army is gathering,and it is also growing due to jealousy,the jealousy menelaos feels after his wife ran away with another man!
"the thread of life is spun,the coin's been placed below my tongue"-here she foresees her own death.she is sure that her life is coming to an end,that troy is coming to an end!the thread of life,which was believed to remain uncut while someone was still alive,is going to be cut!she waits for death.as for the "coin" metaphor,i should add some things.ancient greeks imagined that when someone died his soul was transported to the shores of the river styx,one of the rivers of the underworld.there charon came and took the souls of the dead across the river to hades where they would go to the elysian fields(paradise) or to tartara(hell).but they had to pay him in order to get them across the river,so their relatives put a coin beneath their tongues and with this coin they "paid the ferryman".cassandra is so sure of her death that believes that the coin is already under her tongue!
"never give up,never give in,be on our side so we can win,never give up,never give in,be on our side,old moon's time is soon to come"-here these are the trojan people probably and they're trying to encourage cassandra and help her keep her faith!they want her on their side,on troy's side,so they can win and bring back the old times of peace and wealth(old moon's...)!
"nowhere to run,nowhere to hide,nothing to lose,like one we'll stand,we'll face the storm,created by a man"-the trojans again,showing their courage and their will to fight,but also the bad position they're in,because of the "storm" that one man alone created,the greatest hero of the greeks,the mighty achilles!
"roar roar roar roar,troy troy troy troy"-this is a sound game that hansi is playing with the 2 words "roar" and "troy".it is probably achilles roaring as a proud lion in front of the walls of troy;he is roaring at troy!
"and as the lion slaughters man,i am the wolf and you're the lamb"-achilles is slaying the trojan army like a lion slaying a man,or a wolf killing a lamb!he seems invincible!!!
"hallowed troy will fall,round the walls faith is shattered,bodies fall"-cassandra is watching the battle around the walls of troy and understands that this glorious city is finally going to fall!as achilles is killing like a madman and bodies fall on the ground,the trojan army loses its faith and so does cassandra...
"nowhere to run,nowhere to hide,nothing to lose,like one we'll stand,it's all for one and one for all we live for will be wiped out"-it's again the same lyrics,a bit chenged this time.the trojans are disappointed but never give up.they still have the courage to fight,cause they fight all for one and one for all!they fight for their city,for everything they have in life!but they understand that everything that is worthy to them will be vanished...
"i feel that something's wrong,surprise surprise they're gone,full moon your time goes by and new moon's still kept out of sight,we live,we die"-i believe you all know the famous story of the trojan horse.the greeks pretended they had returned home and they left the wooden horse,as a gift to the gods to guard them "on their way home".it was filled with soldiers and the trojans took it in their city.then,at night the soldiers came out,they opened the gates for the greek army and troy fell.well,this is when the greek army has just left.cassandra is surprised by that fact and understands that something is wrong.the time of the full moon(the time of the war) has gone by but there is no new moon,so she feels that troy isn't safe yet and a great slaughter is bound to happen suddenly;one minute the trojans live,the other they die!
"misty tales....will shine bright"-the chorus reflects again the same feelings and situations as when it is first sung.
"roam in darkness,spread the vision,we will be lost if you truly believe,troy in darkness,there's a cold emtiness in our hearts,that they've gone away and won't come back"-this is a rather difficult part cause the sentences are mixed up.these are cassandra's thoughts and predictions about the future of troy.cassandra says that the trojans will be lost if they believe that the greeks have gone away and won't return.she warns them that the horse is a lie!she understands that troy lies in darkness because of the ignorance of its people that "roam" in darkness!she's trying to spread her vision,warn the people of the end.but the trojans are overcome by the emptiness in their heart and they can't see the truth...
"they'll tear down the wall to bring it in,they'll truly believe in the lie,lie,lie,with blossoms they'll welcome the old foe"-cassandra is disappointed and understands that the trojans won't believe her words.they're going to bring the horse inside the walls even if they have to tear them down!!!they have believed this profound lie and they're welcoming the old enemy,the greeks,with joy and happiness!!!
"the vision's so clear,when day and dream unite the end is near,you better be prepared"-here is cassandra's last prophecy,before the total destruction of troy!she can clearly see the vision.when the dream of the trojan people(the departure of the greeks)seems to be happening,the end is bound to come.this is her last warning to the trojans...
"the nightmare shall be over now,there's nothing more to fear,come join in our singing and dance with us now,the nightmare shall be over now,there's nothing more to fear,the war it is over forevermore"-well,isn't this ironic?the trojans are celebrating the end of the war and the peace that they believe has reached their home,just a minute before the uttermost destruction!!!they view the war as a bad dream that is finally over.they have nothing to fear anymore,they dance and sing happily.but the war isn't over forevermore...
"no hope,the blind leads the blind,carry on though future's denied,mare or stallion there's far more inside,we are in at the kill,we'll cheerfully die"-a moment before the end,cassandra expresses her sad feelings about the fate of her home.there's no hope,she says,when nobody sees the truth,when blind lead and blind follow!the celebrations carry on but there is no future in cassandra's visions.inside the horse lies the doom of troy,not just wood!death is near and they're welcoming him cheerfully,while celebrating and laughing!!!
"misty...will shine bright"-the chorus again...
"holy light shines on"-hmmm,this is a mystery!i can't see any connection with what is being said afterwards.it's probably the last ray of hope for the defeated trojans!or the tragic fact that the gods who created all this bloodshed remain unpunished and dominant!
"so the judgement's been made,we're condemned though the trial's far ahead,the crack of doom,father your handsome son is heading home,heading home"-here,we return again to paris' judgement with the 3 goddesses and his decision to give the apple to aphrodite.cassandra predicts that after the judgement has been made,troy is condemned to fall,but this fall lies ahead in the future(don't forget that the siege of troy by the greeks lasted 10 years!!!).the crack of doom has appeared,and that's helen.cassandra warns her father that paris is coming home,bringing death and destruction.she ironically calls paris "handsome",cause his selfishness made him choose a beautiful woman as his reward.this "handsome" prince with his "beautiful" lady brought destruction to troy!the phrase "heading home" is repeated in order to give the feeling that the end is reaching troy,it's coming closer along with paris.
"still the wind blows,calm and silent,carries news from a distant shore"-the wind blows and carries the news of helen's kidnapping by the trojan prince and of the gathering of the greek army in order to attack troy!notice that the wind which carries such important and dramatic news is calm and silent!magnificent lyrics!
"out of mind,can't get it,can't get it out of my head"-cassandra can't stop thinking about the end!she wants to forget about it,to force herself to believe it's not true,it's not gonna happen.but she can't get it out of her thoughts cause she knows it's true...
"sorrow and defeat"-the epilogue of this great epic!!!sorrow and defeat;it has different meanings.cassandra must have felt like this when she foresaw the end of troy!the trojan people felt like this when they found out what lied inside the trojan horse!the greeks were also "defeated" cause on their way home many got lost and never returned back,or got killed and in general went through many difficulties.but basically,i believe that this reflects the whole caracter of the iliad and of this song;and that's a pessimistic caracter.sorrow and defeat reigned in troy no matter who won and who lost!that's the message of the iliad.war brings sorrow and defeat,along with glory and might!but in the end,it's the sorrow that remains...
I am pretty sure this is a lyrical adaptation of Homer's "The Oddysee" (SP? Man I suck with classical literature spelling). If I am wrong it is simply a collection of Roman lore and mythology wrapped into one, which the Odyssee (Again, SP? I'll get it right one of these times!) basically is anyway.
Possibly the most EPIC song I've ever heard, at least contemporary.
This song is mostly about the Iliad, it is supposed to be Cassandra foreseeing the destruction of Troy.
This song is mostly about the Iliad, it is supposed to be Cassandra foreseeing the destruction of Troy.
"Turn your heads and see the fields of flames"-these are the noble men of troy that used to stand on the walls of the city watching the battlefield and commenting the soldiers and heros.the battlefield is set on fire either truly by the greek army or metaphorically by the heat of battle!
"Turn your heads and see the fields of flames"-these are the noble men of troy that used to stand on the walls of the city watching the battlefield and commenting the soldiers and heros.the battlefield is set on fire either truly by the greek army or metaphorically by the heat of battle!
"He carries along from a distant place,he's on his way,he'll bring decay"-cassandra saying that paris is coming to troy with helen and their coming will bring...
"He carries along from a distant place,he's on his way,he'll bring decay"-cassandra saying that paris is coming to troy with helen and their coming will bring disaster to the city
"(Don't move along cause things they will go wrong the end is getting closer day by day) in shades of grey we're doomed to face the night light's out of sight"-again cassandra predicting the end and poetically presenting before the trojans' eyes the destruction of their city.
"Since we've reached the point of no return we pray for starlight we wait for the moon the sky is empty alone in the unknown we're getting nowhere"-these are the greeks that believe that the situation has reached a point of no return and only the ultimate destruction of troy would wash away the shame that lies on them after the kidnapping of helen by paris.they have gathered the fleet in aylon,a harbor in attica,and they're waiting for the night sky to be lit so they can set out on their journey.but there is no moon,nor stars and they're staying there,getting nowhere.
"We have been betrayed by the wind and the rain,the sacred hall's empty and cold,the sacrifice made should not be done in vain,revenge will be taken by rome"-here it's the greek fleet again facing problems with the wind.artemis was mad at the king of greeks agamemnon and she didn't let the winds blow so that the ships could travel to troy.the sacred fire had worn off and the sacred room was empty and cold.so,after having consulted the prophets,agamemnon decided to sacrifice his beloved daughter,iphigenia,to make artemis feel better and let them travel on sea.the sacrifice is made(but the girl doesn't die,and that's another big story) and the fleet sets off.the last lyric implies that the greeks will finally be conquered by the romans,something that happened at 146 b.c.!but rome was,according the legend, founded by aeneas a trojan prince who fled troy after its utter destruction by the greeks,so revenge was taken by rome!
"We live a lie under the dying moon pale-faced laughs doom indulges in delight"-we have been transfered again to the battlefield in front of the walls of troy.this is probably cassandra speaking and she expresses her sad feelings about that awful war.even the moon is dying in this forsaken place;and death is so delighted for he has so many souls to take....
"It's getting out of hand the final curtain will fall hear my voice there is no choice there's no way out you'll find out"-cassandra probably talking to her brother hector and telling him that the situation is out of hand,it's all been decided by the gods,the end is soon and they can't do anything about it.he will find out cause he's going to get killed by achilles...
"We don't regret it so many men have failed but now he's gone go out and get it the madman's head it shall be thyne we don't regret it that someone else dies hidden in disguise go out and get it orion's hound shines bright"-this is one of my favorites.these are the trojan people speaking.they're referring to mighty achilles(the madman).he used to kill hundreds of trojan soldiers alone and nobody could stop him.but he quarreled with agamemnon and left the battlefield(now he's gone),so the trojans encourage hector to go out and send the greeks back to greece(remember storming the wall by manowar in triumph of steel?).he manages to break into the greek camp but then a man with achilles' armor comes out(orion's hound is the sign of achilles' shield).hector battles him and finally kills him(it shall be thyne)!but it wasn't achilles,it was patroclus,achilles' friend who had pity for the greeks and persuaded achilles to lend him his armor so that he could fight instead of the mighty prince who was still mad at agamemnon(someone else dies hidden in disguise)!amazing lyrics!!!
"Don't you think it's time to stop the chase around the ring just stop running running round the ring don't you know that fate has been decided by the gods feel the distance distance out of reach"-when achilles learned that hector killed his friend,he forgot his anger and ran into battle.he started chasing hector around the walls of troy(running running round the ring).but he couldn't catch him cause it was apollo having transformed into hector(distance out of reach)apollo was in total favor of the trojans.achilles knew that everything had been decided by the gods and he knew the prophecy that if he'd kill hector he would die(he had a weak,mortal spot) but he also knew that hector would die by his hand so he kept chasing him...
"Welcome to the end watch your step cassandra you may fall as i've stumbled on the field sister mine death is a certain thing find myself in darkest places find myself drifting away and the other world the other world appears"-well,finally achilles caught the real hector and killed him by the sword!!!here we have him just before his death thinking of his sister,cassandra,and the dangers that lie ahead for her.he is so disappointed and realises that death is certain for all the trojans.then he starts passing away to the other world....
"Find myself she dies in vain i cannot be freed i'm falling down as time runs faster moves towards disaster the ferryman will wait for you my dear"-this is a difficult part!i can't make clear who's talking,it's either hector or cassandra.i strongly believe it's hector but i can't be sure.anyway,i think he foresees his sister's death and realises that even death he can't be freed from his worries,he's dying as the end gets closer and troy is going to fall soon.he then tells cassandra,poetically,that death is waiting for her(the ferryman is another form of death.he was a man in a boat on the river styx and he took alll the dead from the world of the living to hades,the underworld,through this river).
"And then there was silence just a voice from the otherworld just a leaf in an icy world memories will fade"-at the moment of hector's death and after his final words,there was silence as hansi says.everybody held his breath and nobody could say a word.this silence was like a voice from another world that came and took hector.hector is a lonely leaf in a world of ice and coldness.after his death and the destruction of troy he'll be forgotten by everybody(memories will fade).
"Misty tales and poems lost all the bliss and beauty will be gone will my weary soul find release for a while at the moment of death i will smile it's the triumph of shame and disease in the end-iliad"-the chorus is sung by cassandra and it's her prophecy of the end of troy and her end as well.the tales are misty,the poems lost,all the beauty of this magnificent city is gone.cassandra is so deprssed,her soul can find no release but in death.the war of troy,the story of the iliad is the story of ultimate shame and disease...
"Raise my hands and praise the day break the spell show me the way in decay the flame of troy will shine bright"-cassandra trying to find some hope in the beauty of the day!she's asking the gods to show her the way to freedom and salvation but the only thing she sees is decay and a burning troy...
"The newborn child will carry ruin to the hall,the newborn's death would be a blessing to us all"-from this point,hansi sings the story of paris,the trojan prince.this is cassandra speaking when paris is born.she foresees that this child would bring destruction in troy and suggests that it should be killed!but as we know nobody believed that poor lady...
"good choice,bad choice,out of three you've chosen misery,power and wisdom you deny,bad choice"-well,that's another GREAT part of the story as well of the song!it's the second chapter in paris' life.we already know that he kidnapped helen.but he didn't take tha decision alone!the gods took part in this scheme also!well,eris was the goddess of hatred and hostility.she took an apple and said to all the goddesses that it should belong to the fairest.the goddesses began to fight with anger and passion to win the prize.3 goddesses remained,Aphrodite(love),Hera(power) and Athena(wisdom) and they decided to let a mortal man choose who was the fairest.guess who was that man!paris then,asked the 3 goddesses what each one would offer him if he gave the apple to her.Athena said she would make him the wisest,Hera the greatest king and Aphrodite promised to give him the most beautiful woman on earth.as every wise man would do,he gave the apple to aphrodite.and she helped him to kidnap helen!the lyrics here reflect this event.cassandra thinks,was it a good or a bad choice?out of wisdom,power and love,paris chose love,which turned finally into misery because of the war.it was indeed a bad choice!
"war is the only answer,when love will conquer fear,so the judgement's been made,to the fairest,the graceful says,badly he fails"-this is the scene of paris' judgement.cassandra understands that her brother's choice was made because his love for helen was so great that overcame the fear of war!but she knows that in such cases war always occurs.and thus her brother failed badly by naming aphrodite as the fairest...
"warning,fear the heat of passion father king,don't let him in,don't let her in,desire,lust,obsession,death they'll bring,we can't get out,once they are in"-cassandra has foreseen the future and warns her father,priam,of the great danger ahead.this is when paris first brought helen to troy.cassandra believes that the heat of passion will bring the destruction of troy and advises her father not to allow helen and paris to enter troy!she thinks that their lust and love desire will finally bring death to all the trojans.she warns her father that if they get in then nobody will ever come out,because of the siege that is bound to happen!he didn't listen to her warnings...
"she's like the sunrise,outshines the moon at night,precious like starlight,she will bring in a murderous price"-cassandra again predicts the destruction of troy because of the arrival of helen.helen's description here is very poetic and metaphoric!i also noticed that in the beginning we have the positive view of helen as a beautiful woman but then we see that such a beautiful thing can be the cause of murders...
"in darkness grows the seed of man's defeat,jealousy,i can clearly see the end now,i can clearly see the end now,i can clearly see the end now"-this is the utter point of cassandra's ecstatic monologue!she foresees clearly the end!it is growing in darkness,meaning away from troy,in greece where the greek army is gathering,and it is also growing due to jealousy,the jealousy menelaos feels after his wife ran away with another man!
"the thread of life is spun,the coin's been placed below my tongue"-here she foresees her own death.she is sure that her life is coming to an end,that troy is coming to an end!the thread of life,which was believed to remain uncut while someone was still alive,is going to be cut!she waits for death.as for the "coin" metaphor,i should add some things.ancient greeks imagined that when someone died his soul was transported to the shores of the river styx,one of the rivers of the underworld.there charon came and took the souls of the dead across the river to hades where they would go to the elysian fields(paradise) or to tartara(hell).but they had to pay him in order to get them across the river,so their relatives put a coin beneath their tongues and with this coin they "paid the ferryman".cassandra is so sure of her death that believes that the coin is already under her tongue!
"never give up,never give in,be on our side so we can win,never give up,never give in,be on our side,old moon's time is soon to come"-here these are the trojan people probably and they're trying to encourage cassandra and help her keep her faith!they want her on their side,on troy's side,so they can win and bring back the old times of peace and wealth(old moon's...)!
"nowhere to run,nowhere to hide,nothing to lose,like one we'll stand,we'll face the storm,created by a man"-the trojans again,showing their courage and their will to fight,but also the bad position they're in,because of the "storm" that one man alone created,the greatest hero of the greeks,the mighty achilles!
"roar roar roar roar,troy troy troy troy"-this is a sound game that hansi is playing with the 2 words "roar" and "troy".it is probably achilles roaring as a proud lion in front of the walls of troy;he is roaring at troy!
"and as the lion slaughters man,i am the wolf and you're the lamb"-achilles is slaying the trojan army like a lion slaying a man,or a wolf killing a lamb!he seems invincible!!!
"hallowed troy will fall,round the walls faith is shattered,bodies fall"-cassandra is watching the battle around the walls of troy and understands that this glorious city is finally going to fall!as achilles is killing like a madman and bodies fall on the ground,the trojan army loses its faith and so does cassandra...
"nowhere to run,nowhere to hide,nothing to lose,like one we'll stand,it's all for one and one for all we live for will be wiped out"-it's again the same lyrics,a bit chenged this time.the trojans are disappointed but never give up.they still have the courage to fight,cause they fight all for one and one for all!they fight for their city,for everything they have in life!but they understand that everything that is worthy to them will be vanished...
"i feel that something's wrong,surprise surprise they're gone,full moon your time goes by and new moon's still kept out of sight,we live,we die"-i believe you all know the famous story of the trojan horse.the greeks pretended they had returned home and they left the wooden horse,as a gift to the gods to guard them "on their way home".it was filled with soldiers and the trojans took it in their city.then,at night the soldiers came out,they opened the gates for the greek army and troy fell.well,this is when the greek army has just left.cassandra is surprised by that fact and understands that something is wrong.the time of the full moon(the time of the war) has gone by but there is no new moon,so she feels that troy isn't safe yet and a great slaughter is bound to happen suddenly;one minute the trojans live,the other they die!
"misty tales....will shine bright"-the chorus reflects again the same feelings and situations as when it is first sung.
"roam in darkness,spread the vision,we will be lost if you truly believe,troy in darkness,there's a cold emtiness in our hearts,that they've gone away and won't come back"-this is a rather difficult part cause the sentences are mixed up.these are cassandra's thoughts and predictions about the future of troy.cassandra says that the trojans will be lost if they believe that the greeks have gone away and won't return.she warns them that the horse is a lie!she understands that troy lies in darkness because of the ignorance of its people that "roam" in darkness!she's trying to spread her vision,warn the people of the end.but the trojans are overcome by the emptiness in their heart and they can't see the truth...
"they'll tear down the wall to bring it in,they'll truly believe in the lie,lie,lie,with blossoms they'll welcome the old foe"-cassandra is disappointed and understands that the trojans won't believe her words.they're going to bring the horse inside the walls even if they have to tear them down!!!they have believed this profound lie and they're welcoming the old enemy,the greeks,with joy and happiness!!!
"the vision's so clear,when day and dream unite the end is near,you better be prepared"-here is cassandra's last prophecy,before the total destruction of troy!she can clearly see the vision.when the dream of the trojan people(the departure of the greeks)seems to be happening,the end is bound to come.this is her last warning to the trojans...
"the nightmare shall be over now,there's nothing more to fear,come join in our singing and dance with us now,the nightmare shall be over now,there's nothing more to fear,the war it is over forevermore"-well,isn't this ironic?the trojans are celebrating the end of the war and the peace that they believe has reached their home,just a minute before the uttermost destruction!!!they view the war as a bad dream that is finally over.they have nothing to fear anymore,they dance and sing happily.but the war isn't over forevermore...
"no hope,the blind leads the blind,carry on though future's denied,mare or stallion there's far more inside,we are in at the kill,we'll cheerfully die"-a moment before the end,cassandra expresses her sad feelings about the fate of her home.there's no hope,she says,when nobody sees the truth,when blind lead and blind follow!the celebrations carry on but there is no future in cassandra's visions.inside the horse lies the doom of troy,not just wood!death is near and they're welcoming him cheerfully,while celebrating and laughing!!!
"misty...will shine bright"-the chorus again...
"holy light shines on"-hmmm,this is a mystery!i can't see any connection with what is being said afterwards.it's probably the last ray of hope for the defeated trojans!or the tragic fact that the gods who created all this bloodshed remain unpunished and dominant!
"so the judgement's been made,we're condemned though the trial's far ahead,the crack of doom,father your handsome son is heading home,heading home"-here,we return again to paris' judgement with the 3 goddesses and his decision to give the apple to aphrodite.cassandra predicts that after the judgement has been made,troy is condemned to fall,but this fall lies ahead in the future(don't forget that the siege of troy by the greeks lasted 10 years!!!).the crack of doom has appeared,and that's helen.cassandra warns her father that paris is coming home,bringing death and destruction.she ironically calls paris "handsome",cause his selfishness made him choose a beautiful woman as his reward.this "handsome" prince with his "beautiful" lady brought destruction to troy!the phrase "heading home" is repeated in order to give the feeling that the end is reaching troy,it's coming closer along with paris.
"still the wind blows,calm and silent,carries news from a distant shore"-the wind blows and carries the news of helen's kidnapping by the trojan prince and of the gathering of the greek army in order to attack troy!notice that the wind which carries such important and dramatic news is calm and silent!magnificent lyrics!
"out of mind,can't get it,can't get it out of my head"-cassandra can't stop thinking about the end!she wants to forget about it,to force herself to believe it's not true,it's not gonna happen.but she can't get it out of her thoughts cause she knows it's true...
"sorrow and defeat"-the epilogue of this great epic!!!sorrow and defeat;it has different meanings.cassandra must have felt like this when she foresaw the end of troy!the trojan people felt like this when they found out what lied inside the trojan horse!the greeks were also "defeated" cause on their way home many got lost and never returned back,or got killed and in general went through many difficulties.but basically,i believe that this reflects the whole caracter of the iliad and of this song;and that's a pessimistic caracter.sorrow and defeat reigned in troy no matter who won and who lost!that's the message of the iliad.war brings sorrow and defeat,along with glory and might!but in the end,it's the sorrow that remains...