Face in the Sand

[Anonymous]

Here, you can read other visitors' comments on 'Face In The Sand' as well as post your own. Any contribution to the commentary will be much appreciated, may it be cultural references relevant to the song (links to related websites, interpretations that may have been overlooked in the Commentary, and the like) or personal essays related to the topic of the song. Just be aware that messages that are either off-topic or too wacky may be deleted.

 

[gor]

'face In The Sand'

Notice that, although bruce has explained what the song is about, he hasn't actually reffered to why the song is called face in the sand. I really liked a though Megan (from the official B had about it, which deviates from the common (and wrong imo) explanation that face in the sand comes from the phrase "burry ones head in the sand" which reffers to people who avoid facing a problem thinking it will go AWAY.

Megan has pointed out that the phrase might be reffering to [a href=\'http://www.the-planet-mars.com/mars-pictures.html\' target=\'_blank\']the face on Mars[/a], symbolising that our planet may end up uninhabbited and "dead" like Mars.

Another intresting explanation coming from the official bb was that the title was inspired by the movie "Planet Of The Apes" (the old one), in which, the statue of liberty is shown burried in the sand, with only it's face showing, symbolizing the destruction of civilization as we know it. This movie is one of Bruce's all time favorites btw, which makes this explanation more possible

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

The interpretation about the face in the sand is quite interesting, and I'd never have thought of it. The same goes for the Planet Of The Apes film.

Good job! [!--emo&^_^--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/happy.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'happy.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

[img src=\'http://www.the-planet-mars.com/face-on-mars/1976-face-mars.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]

 

[MigDaimon]

'face In The Sand'

I have some interesting thoughts about this one, and I actually wrote kind of script for a videoclip. Since I was a kid I liked videoclips. Images when are associated with sounds in a good way are such awesome manner to transmit messages. We all know that the kind of things that come on MTV are not exactelly songs with "messages", also, Maiden is very poor in doing videos, if you consider things like The Number of the Beast for example.

So one day I caught me thinking, if I could do a video for a Maiden song, how would it be ?
I came for Face in The Sand then. What you are going to read are my thoughts that I get when I listen to it. Hope I can manage to make you fully understand my idea.


Face in the Sand – Iron Maiden


00:00 – 00:33

The camera starts showing the space........... the calm and silence of the outter space, the planet Earth, beatiful and big blue ball with some clouds on the surface, with a constant revolucionary movement and a big sun in the background

00:34 – 01:12

On 34 seconds of film the camera dives into the clouds e starts a slowly trip above the terrestrial surface. At first a sea is showed, then a desert, then we see some figures of prehistoric human beings in the ground……… then the civilization of Egypt and the Romans…………….. the medieval (Middle Age) times. Its like the camera is passing through the past of mankind, the flow of the ages is accompanied by the bass lines. Always going on.

01:12 – 01:28

Here we have the first little solo which is very important. The speed of the camera increases and the view suffers a drastic change. We some some battlefields, grey sky, ground full of dying corpses and dirt, trenches, bombs exploding, flaming airpalnes falling from the sky, shots and guns. Then comes the other little solo, a metropolis appears on the horizon, the metropolis is coming faster to the camera.

01:28 – 01:57

Here comes the double pedal time. Now the camera dives into the horror that was being showed before, and the images of war get mixed with those we see all days in a big city. Starving people, beggars, stress, fights, mutiny, discussions, traffic jams, robbery and murder. Like a drifter the camera wanders through the city, founding only VIOLENCE in every corner it turns.
On 01:44 Nicko hits his Crash Cymbal, this is repeated 3 times. Each time we see, very fast, an image of six peaks, very high and narrow peaks. There is someone in each peak

01:57 – 02:27

On 01:57 the camera, in a lurch, goes to the high sky, very high and narrow peaks are showed, each peak has a band member of Maiden. The band is far away from that destruction, watching it from above. The arrangement is at follows, two peaks in the front, right one with Bruce and left one with Steve. In the middle, in a slighter larger peak there´s Nicko. Behind are 3 peaks, Adrian on the middle, Dave on left one and Janick on right.

The camera keeps turning and swirling around the band, giving close-ups in their faces, always turning. The images of destruction are still showed, but now they are in the background sky. So we have the band playing with destuction images as background.

02:27 – 02:50

The first bridge comes on 02:27, “I wait for the signs, they tell me true, I see the signs, of the end of time” In this time the camera shows again the rottenness down in the mankind. It comes behind Bruce´s left shoulder, as if this was his point of view. Now we see that in the middle of the lights of the metropolis there are some bigger lights. These are in fact, explosions. Yes, THE WORLD IS COMING TO ITS END, that´s Bruce´s view.

Always swirling, the camera take turns showing the band, and always managing to show that the explosions go on

02:50 – 03:07

On 02:50 we have the most important part. First the camera come to the left side of Bruce´s profile. So Bruce is on the right side of the screen. Then an image of the terrorist attack of Setember 11 is showed in the left part. So in the left we got the images and in the right side we have Bruce extending his arm and singing “Everyone’s looking at death from the sky”.

Then it reverses. The camera goes to the other side of Bruce´s profile, then we see a crying child in the other side (right) “Everyone’s nightmares are going to happen”.

Again the camera reverses, coming backing to the left side of Bruce. Geoge W Bush appears on the left part “Everybody’s ripping the mask from their eyes”.

Then it reverses one more time. Bruce is on the left side and in the right side, a church, full of people is showed “Everybody’s praying but no one’s believing”

Finally, the camera gives a very tight close up in Bruce´s face, and he, with all his fury signs “Everbody’s heros tell everyone’s lies”


03:07 – 03:46

The same structure of the first bridge is reapetad. Not only Bruce´s view is showed. Every band member has his view showed. All of them see the world rotting away

03:46 – 04:13

The cameras comes back to Bruce, swirling around him, he signs the chorus and show a great piece of his corporal expression.

04:13 – 04:48

Here we come to the little riff that comes before the solo. Each guitarrist is showed a little, doing that riff.

On the solo the camera is focused on Adrian Smith. Always turning and swirling with background images of missiles, bombs, politicians, and lots of smoke.

04:49 – 05:44

The harmony part starts, the explosions are getting bigger and closer to the band. The end is coming in their way.

05:45 – 06:07

The “oooo oooo” part that points the end. The following happens to each band member, but singly. The camera gives a close-up in the face, wich suddenly become old e deformed, the camera then shakes a litlle and the peaks falls down, taking the band member to the abyss. The order is Adrian – Janick – Steve – Dave – Bruce. Bruce falls in the very end of the “oooo oooo”.

06:07

Lights go down, everything gets in tiwilight. Nicko is the last. The drummer is lighted by a very palid light, we can only see his arms and feet, slowly hitting his drum kit. Each time slower, slower…….. the song is coming to an end, Nicko is moving slowly.

At 6 minutes and 19 seconds Nicko gives his final hit in the drum kit. The camera is shaken and his peak collapses. The song ends. We hear some explosions and a cloud of flames involves the screen. The nightmare is over.

At first listen I didn´t like the song. I´m not a fan of double pedal drummers, so I found the song quite boring. When I got the lyrics I realized I was wrong, so I came back and re-listen it. It´s one of my favourites. I guess that this little "video" explains for itself why I like this song so much !

 

[gor]

'face In The Sand'

"It's about modern world propaganda, and how we all think we're so clever, and the things that we build that we imagine to be timeless, and that just fade away in the end. And of course, the whole Iraq War thing was rearing its head at the time we were writing the album. And I remember thinking about the desert sand and stuff, and it moves and it shifts and whatever you build, like the Sphinx or Pyramids or whatever - they all eventually crumble away into something else. So whatever empires people try to build, whether it's the British Empire, the American empires, Iraqi empires, they will all eventually crumble away into something else. And I thought, 'Well, the only thing that you can ever say is that if you were to leave an imprint in the sand…', and I just thought of this like a reverse face imprinted in the sand - that's the most permanence you can ever get..."

bruce on FITS

[a href=\'http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/feature.php?a=80\' target=\'_blank\']http://www.shakenstir.co.uk/feature.php?a=80[/a]

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

An unlikely interpretation, but still an interesting thought:

[img src=\'http://www.thesahara.net/tower1.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]

A picture of the burning World Trade Center.
You are supposed to see the devil's face in the smoke and dust. While I'm sure all of us know that anything you see in that cloud is purely coincidental, this particular picture has moved many people around the world.
I don't need to say anything about the possible connection between this song and the attacks on September 11th, as this is all pointed out in the commentary.

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

Antroprosophy, a rather strange philosophical branch, in particular, was touched by this picture, as it resembled a sculpture of Ahriman -the ancient Iranian devil- made by the founder of this... school/church/whatever, Rudolf Steiner, in the early 20th century:

[img src=\'http://home.earthlink.net/~johnrpenner/Images/AhrimanBySteiner.gif\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

[!--QuoteBegin-Perun+Jul 5 2004, 11:52 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Perun @ Jul 5 2004, 11:52 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]A picture of the burning World Trade Center.
You are supposed to see the devil's face in the smoke and dust. While I'm sure all of us know that anything you see in that cloud is purely coincidental, this particular picture has moved many people around the world.
I don't need to say anything about the possible connection between this song and the attacks on September 11th, as this is all pointed out in the commentary.[/quote]
Perun, I must say I am quite relieved you wrote "you are supposed" in your post. My concern is that part would not been emphazised enough.
I know that most of the things connected with september the 11th belong to the field of emotions (which is totally understandable, no doubt), but could we be a little bit rational here.
As far as I am concerned, this is absolute crap and belong to the field of demagogy. Our time is a time of technology and there is nothing easier than working on a picture and create special effects on it. Therefore I think this kind of document must be extremely carefully propagated.

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

Since I don't believe in God or the Devil, I don't believe in anything of this. I only wanted to throw in that thought.

 

[IronDuke]

'face In The Sand'

Perhaps "Face in the Sand" is to be taken literally - like a bunch of ostriches we all have our heads buried in the sand and are oblivious to any coming danger.......


or I could just be a wanker.

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

Mig Daimon, great work! Couldn't have thought of a better video myself.

Perun, where did you find that picture? This is exactly the kind of stuff that is being criticized in the song. "Everyone's waiting for news on TV". We all treat such happenings as mere visual anecdotes, how to shock the world. That's what most media ppl are getting paid to do. If we are to be any smarter than that, we must not just show our awe over images that surprize us, but try to think of the things that lead to such stuff.

Regarding the interpretation of "Face in The Sand", I think IronDuke's one comes closest to making sense. When you here the words "face in the sand", the picture of an ostrich burying it's face in the sand immediately comes to mind.

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

I originally saw that picture hanging on the wall in a classroom of my (now former) school, a Waldorf school- which is also why I pointed out the connection to the devil head. It is pretty popular in occultist circles, and you can find it in many places.

This absolutely fantastic and fascinating song reminds me very much of another favourite of mine, "A Hard Rain's A - Gonna Fall" by Bob Dylan. Although the topic is not exactly the same, I just can't help believing that it may have served as an influence. Musically, they are very different. This song is typical early-Dylan where the attention is on the lyrics, not the music. But the lyrics... I just can't help it. Judge for yourself:

Oh, where have you been, my blue - eyed son ?
And where have you been my darling young one ?
I've stumbled on the side of twelve misty mountains
I've walked and I've crawled on six crooked highways
I've stepped in the middle of seven sad forests
I've been out in front of a dozen dead oceans
I've been ten thousand miles in the mouth of a graveyard
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a - gonna fall.

Oh, what did you see, my blue eyed son ?
And what did you see, my darling young one ?
I saw a newborn baby with wild wolves all around it
I saw a highway of diamonds with nobody on it
I saw a black branch with blood that kept drippin'
I saw a room full of men with their hammers a - bleedin'
I saw a white ladder all covered with water
I saw ten thousand takers whose tongues were all broken
I saw guns and sharp swords in the hands of young children
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a - gonna fall.

And what did you hear, my blue - eyed son ?
And what did you hear, my darling young one ?
I heard the sound of a thunder, it roared out a warnin'
I heard the roar of a wave that could drown the whole world
I heard one hundred drummers whose hands were a - blazin'
I heard ten thousand whisperin' and nobody listenin'
I heard one person starve, I heard many people laughin'
Heard the song of a poet who died in the gutter
Heard the sound of a clown who cried in the alley
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a - gonna fall.

Oh, who did you meet my blue - eyed son ?
Who did you meet, my darling young one ?
I met a young child beside a dead pony
I met a white man who walked a black dog
I met a young woman whose body was burning
I met a young girl, she gave me a rainbow
I met one man who was wounded in love
I met another man who was wounded and hatred
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard
And it's a hard rain's a - gonna fall.

And what'll you do now, my blue - eyed son ?
And what'll you do now my darling young one ?
I'm a - goin' back out 'fore the rain starts a - fallin'
I'll walk to the deepths of the deepest black forest
Where the people are a many and their hands are all empty
Where the pellets of poison are flooding their waters
Where the home in the valley meets the damp dirty prison
Where the executioner's face is always well hidden
Where hunger is ugly, where souls are forgotten
Where black is the color, where none is the number
And I'll tell and think it and speak it and breathe it
And reflect it from the mountain so all souls can see it
Then I'll stand on the ocean until I start sinkin'
But I'll know my songs well before I start singin'
And it's a hard, it's a hard, it's a hard, and it's a hard
It's a hard rain's a - gonna fall.

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

Sorry to annoy again, but after re-reading the commentary on this one, a passage reminded me of another song.
The passage:

"Everyone's waiting for something to happen/Everybody's waiting for something to see" attests of a life of passive boredom, just to be fed with disasters depicted on a tv screen ("looking at death from the sky" is probably an allusion to satellite tv).

That made me think of Pink Floyd's "Comfortably Numb" (which, btw, includes one of the best guitar solos ever):

Hello?
Is there anybody in there?
Just nod if you can hear me.
Is there anyone home?
Come on, now.
I hear you're feeling down.
Well I can ease your pain,
Get you on your feet again.
Relax.
I need some information first.
Just the basic facts,
Can you show me where it hurts?
There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin'.
When I was a child I had a fever.
My hands felt just like two balloons.
Now I got that feeling once again.
I can't explain, you would not understand.
This is not how I am.
I have become comfortably numb.
Ok.
Just a little pinprick.
There'll be no more ...Aaaaaahhhhh!
But you may feel a little sick.
Can you stand up?
I do believe it's working. Good.
That'll keep you going for the show.
Come on it's time to go.
There is no pain, you are receding.
A distant ship's smoke on the horizon.
You are only coming through in waves.
Your lips move but I can't hear what you're sayin'.
When I was a child I caught a fleeting glimpse,
Out of the corner of my eye.
I turned to look but it was gone.
I cannot put my finger on it now.
The child is grown, the dream is gone.
I have become comfortably numb.

 

[Anonymous]

'face In The Sand'

One of those rare occasions that has critical Will looking for the six star option, but, sadly having to make do with five, which doesn't do it justice! This is my favourite song on the album, by Iron Maiden, and ever, and is currently playing in the background for the 94th time since October 3rd of this year - and that's only counting the computer.

Also, very interesting to read your language analysis of the songs - it's like my English lessons, only with things I actually like rather than boring books. Especially good as this is one of the songs I've had the most difficulty searching for a meaning [!--emo&--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/smile.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'smile.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

 

[Cosmiceddie]

'face In The Sand'

'Face in the Sand' is probably the most unerrated Maiden song ever and a real highlight in terms of lyrics and vocal performace!Awesome intro, great guitar solo and one, if not the best Maiden chorus ever!

There are three songs I never understood the band ignored them by not playing live, and 'Face in the Sand' is one if them.I hope and pray they play the song live before it's too late...

 

[dogigniter]

'face In The Sand'

[!--QuoteBegin-IronDuke+Jul 7 2004, 02:06 AM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(IronDuke @ Jul 7 2004, 02:06 AM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]Perhaps "Face in the Sand" is to be taken literally - like a bunch of ostriches we all have our heads buried in the sand and are oblivious to any coming danger.......
or I could just be a wanker.

[snapback]77376[/snapback]​

[/quote]

You could just be a wanker [!--emo&--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/tongue.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'tongue.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

Face in the Sand is so underrated to be stupid. OK so I can't really forgive Nicko for using that pedal, but at the same time it adds a little to the atmospherics in this song. Some people could complain about the over use of synth, but that is something we are seeing more of in Maidens work, and besides, it adds something to the music that was (for example) lacking in the first two Maiden albums. I think after Killers they got it right. Look at Hallowed..... Thats another atmospheric song if there ever was one.

 

[gor]

'face In The Sand'

[img src=\'http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v155/gorbeast/FaceinTheSand.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]

 

[Lib]

'face In The Sand'

[!--QuoteBegin-Perun+Jul 5 2004, 10:51 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Perun @ Jul 5 2004, 10:51 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]
[img src=\'http://www.thesahara.net/tower1.jpg\' border=\'0\' alt=\'user posted image\' /]

A picture of the burning World Trade Center.
You are supposed to see the devil's face in the smoke and dust.

[snapback]77213[/snapback]​

[/quote]


[!--QuoteBegin-Le Hibou - The Owl+Jul 5 2004, 11:58 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Le Hibou - The Owl @ Jul 5 2004, 11:58 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]Our time is a time of technology and there is nothing easier than working on a picture and create special effects on it.

[snapback]77224[/snapback]​

[/quote]

Well, sorry to post so late after this discussion, but I don't have read this topic since a long time.

I've got exactly the same picture that I've downloaded on September 11th, only a few minutes after the event, and I can say that there isn’t a special effect or something like this.


But I've read an article about the brain and the sight : we have some abilities to see human faces in things like trees or clouds (or in the sand [!--emo&^_^--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/happy.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'happy.gif\' /][!--endemo--] )
[a href=\'http://perso.wanadoo.fr/brankshmebleu/Images/faces.jpg\' target=\'_blank\'](Look at this picture)[/a]

We also have some abilities to recognize faces which belong to our common thought (Jesus Christ, Hitler, the Devil, etc...) because our brain wants to match what he see whith what he knows.

September 11th is the historical event which was the most shooted of all time, and the chances to see something special on some picture are strong.

So I agree with you both : this picture is strange... but it's natural !

 

[gor]

'face In The Sand'

there's a scene in Dune (the miniseries) which best suites the face in the sand concept.

 

[IronDuke]

'face In The Sand'

Has anyone seen the movie "Three Kings"? It takes place during Desert Storm, iin 1991. Three US Army reservists (weekend warriors) and a special forces major (played by George Clooney) set out to steal gold stolen by Saddam's troops in the invasion and occupation of Kuwait.

I just saw it a few nights ago for the 3rd time, and a particular scene struck a chord with me. About 30 minutes into the film, they are driving through the desert on the way to some little village where the gold is kept. The three reservists are all gung-ho for battle, when Clooney's character stops the Humvee and makes them get out and see what the real cost of war is.
He shows them a half buried decomposing body of a soldier. Only the face is shown surrounded by maggots, flies, and sand...

I know it's bee alluded to above, but I think it's important to reiterate it: Perhaps this is a commentary on how the Middle East (specifically Iraq) has become the new warzone for the world. No longer is it the jungles of Indochina or Latin America, but the "desert sand mounds" of the Middle East. Maybe this song is best viewed as a sequel to "Afraid to Shoot Strangers"

Fitting that the song would have been written/recorded just as the Second Gulf War was beginning in early 2003...