It's songs like this that make me love Iron Maiden. They can be so cryptic and incorporate elements of hymnals, sayings, quotes, broadcasts, etc. into their songs flawlessly, as seen with the G.K. Chesterson hymnal.
The hymnal part Maiden didn't write, but it goes along with what seems to be the theme of the song very flawlessly. I see "Just a babe in the black abyss/No reason for a place like this/The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain" as sort of a narrative from a baby still in the womb's perspective. There's no reason for the evils which occur on earth, which the unborn looks upon with sorrow. When it comes to "the walls are cold" the babe is commenting that society has grown so cold to itself that it ignores the tortured soul crying in pain- sort of like if a person was getting mugged in an allyway and people were around him and just went by.
"An easy way for the blind to go/A clever path for the fool who knows/the secret of the hangedman/The smile on his lips" The truly blind (those who follow hate and evil) take the easy path in life, which eventually leads to hell. The clever path is for the kind and gentle dubbed as fools in their honest lives and good works on earth. I see the hangedman in this as being a person accused and convicted of either a crime which aided humanity, or something he did not commit, so he smiles because he knows that he's done nothing wrong.
"The light of the blind/You'll see/The venom tears my spine/The eyes of the Nile are opening you see" I see the light of the blind sort of as the knowledge of the "blind man" if you will, almost as with the blind greek and roman philosophers. You'll see is sort of making a play on words following it, saying that you'll understand the way of the "blind man" who is, once again, the good man and the smart man. I think "The venom tears my spine" is talking about the petiness of society that is tearing it apart. The eyes of the nile sort of corresponds with this... I'm not 100% sure on this one, but I'd guess it's either referring to mankind finally realizing the "blind man"'s revelations. Or that the end of the world is comming- it's quite open to interpretation.
I can't interpret the second verse, it's too cryptic for my limited knowledge. The third verse refers to our need for a truly great leader in this modern world who will tie us all together, free and with hope, so that we'll all learn to live and work together. With the line "It is You." what they're really saying is that it doesn't take any specific person to be this person, it could be anyone, if that someone strives to be as great as they must be. As a matter of fact, it is not just anyone, it is everyone.
If anyone could interpret the second verse, that would be cool.
Also whoever said this is about Aleister Crowley, what hte hell? This has nothing to do with Crowley at all.
@Otm the Hanged man is a metaphor. We all will see death coming in the last days. And we all take some secrets with us. And that's also why the lyricist speaks of the smile on his lips. What we take to the grave and got away with, so our small minds think, but we will all bow before God with a list of bad things we've done and not cared to have remorse over. I'm a Christian and I'm constantly haunted by things I've forgotten I've done, out of the blue. That's when I ask forgiveness. But I know...
@Otm the Hanged man is a metaphor. We all will see death coming in the last days. And we all take some secrets with us. And that's also why the lyricist speaks of the smile on his lips. What we take to the grave and got away with, so our small minds think, but we will all bow before God with a list of bad things we've done and not cared to have remorse over. I'm a Christian and I'm constantly haunted by things I've forgotten I've done, out of the blue. That's when I ask forgiveness. But I know there's so much more because I was a bad person in my younger years and have done so much I no longer remember. Tho the holy spirit reminds me at the strangest of times. That's my reminder to ask forgiveness. Listen to that quiet voice in your mind that speaks only truths and logic. When you're wanting one way but there's that part of your mind saying no don't, that's either something deeply ingrained in our once innocent minds or it's the holy spirit guiding your decision. I never noticed this until I became a born again Christian. Music soothes the soul. Rock on.
It's songs like this that make me love Iron Maiden. They can be so cryptic and incorporate elements of hymnals, sayings, quotes, broadcasts, etc. into their songs flawlessly, as seen with the G.K. Chesterson hymnal.
The hymnal part Maiden didn't write, but it goes along with what seems to be the theme of the song very flawlessly. I see "Just a babe in the black abyss/No reason for a place like this/The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain" as sort of a narrative from a baby still in the womb's perspective. There's no reason for the evils which occur on earth, which the unborn looks upon with sorrow. When it comes to "the walls are cold" the babe is commenting that society has grown so cold to itself that it ignores the tortured soul crying in pain- sort of like if a person was getting mugged in an allyway and people were around him and just went by.
"An easy way for the blind to go/A clever path for the fool who knows/the secret of the hangedman/The smile on his lips" The truly blind (those who follow hate and evil) take the easy path in life, which eventually leads to hell. The clever path is for the kind and gentle dubbed as fools in their honest lives and good works on earth. I see the hangedman in this as being a person accused and convicted of either a crime which aided humanity, or something he did not commit, so he smiles because he knows that he's done nothing wrong.
"The light of the blind/You'll see/The venom tears my spine/The eyes of the Nile are opening you see" I see the light of the blind sort of as the knowledge of the "blind man" if you will, almost as with the blind greek and roman philosophers. You'll see is sort of making a play on words following it, saying that you'll understand the way of the "blind man" who is, once again, the good man and the smart man. I think "The venom tears my spine" is talking about the petiness of society that is tearing it apart. The eyes of the nile sort of corresponds with this... I'm not 100% sure on this one, but I'd guess it's either referring to mankind finally realizing the "blind man"'s revelations. Or that the end of the world is comming- it's quite open to interpretation.
I can't interpret the second verse, it's too cryptic for my limited knowledge. The third verse refers to our need for a truly great leader in this modern world who will tie us all together, free and with hope, so that we'll all learn to live and work together. With the line "It is You." what they're really saying is that it doesn't take any specific person to be this person, it could be anyone, if that someone strives to be as great as they must be. As a matter of fact, it is not just anyone, it is everyone.
If anyone could interpret the second verse, that would be cool.
Also whoever said this is about Aleister Crowley, what hte hell? This has nothing to do with Crowley at all.
@Otm the Hanged man is a metaphor. We all will see death coming in the last days. And we all take some secrets with us. And that's also why the lyricist speaks of the smile on his lips. What we take to the grave and got away with, so our small minds think, but we will all bow before God with a list of bad things we've done and not cared to have remorse over. I'm a Christian and I'm constantly haunted by things I've forgotten I've done, out of the blue. That's when I ask forgiveness. But I know...
@Otm the Hanged man is a metaphor. We all will see death coming in the last days. And we all take some secrets with us. And that's also why the lyricist speaks of the smile on his lips. What we take to the grave and got away with, so our small minds think, but we will all bow before God with a list of bad things we've done and not cared to have remorse over. I'm a Christian and I'm constantly haunted by things I've forgotten I've done, out of the blue. That's when I ask forgiveness. But I know there's so much more because I was a bad person in my younger years and have done so much I no longer remember. Tho the holy spirit reminds me at the strangest of times. That's my reminder to ask forgiveness. Listen to that quiet voice in your mind that speaks only truths and logic. When you're wanting one way but there's that part of your mind saying no don't, that's either something deeply ingrained in our once innocent minds or it's the holy spirit guiding your decision. I never noticed this until I became a born again Christian. Music soothes the soul. Rock on.