Journeyman Lyrics

Lyric discussion by TheJourneyman 

Cover art for Journeyman lyrics by Iron Maiden

Sorry people, but i just found another possible meaning:

From the red sky of the east To the sunset in the west We have cheated death And he has cheated us

= First of all, this song is about a traveler. He made his journey always avoiding death, but he finds out that is impossible.

But that was just a dream And this is what it means We are sleeping And we'll dream for evermore

=He figure that he hasn't avoided death that much, and he thinks that everything is a dream.

And the fragment remains of our memories And the shadows remain with our hands Deep grey, came to mourn All the colours of the dawn Will this journeyman's day be his last?

=He think about his past and every bad things he has done. The "deeper grey" part is probably about a mist that hides the beauty of the morning, or, metaphorically, the good side of the people. He thinks that his journey will end.

I know what I want And I say what I want And no one can take it away I know what I want And I say what I want And no one can take it away

=He will continue his journey, no matter what.

But the memory still remains All the past years not so stange Our winter times are like a silent shroud

=All that the Journeyman had left behind is not so distant. Or he is speaking to someone that is part of his past, saying that he did not forgot.

And the heartbeat of the day Drives the mist away And winter's not the only dream around

=His past wasn't good, and is "fading like an old dream". Also, the mist makes it part again in this point.

In your life you may choose desolation And the shadows you build with your hands If you turn to the light That is burning in the night Then the journeyman's day has begun

=Now he's trying to convince the other person to free himself and search for a type of "illumination", and to become a journeyman too.

Journeyman's day will never end

A journeyman is not a traveler, it is a rank between apprentice and master. It means you have successfully completed your apprenticeship but have not yet reached the rank of master.