Iron Maiden lyrics tournament final: Empire of the Clouds rises above all
- Thread starter mckindog
- Start date
I like all four of these.
Eclipse is the only one with a real message, and it's got some great imagery.
The reason I'm not voting for it is it's a tad...obvious.
And because Sign is an example of what Steve can do so well: put the listener in a place and time and situation in few words.
Killers and Frontier do the same thing. I'm picking Frontier because I find it slightly more interesting, but I could have gone either way.
I note as well that the only place you see a conventional lyrical pattern here is in the second half of Frontier.
Eclipse is the only one with a real message, and it's got some great imagery.
The reason I'm not voting for it is it's a tad...obvious.
And because Sign is an example of what Steve can do so well: put the listener in a place and time and situation in few words.
Killers and Frontier do the same thing. I'm picking Frontier because I find it slightly more interesting, but I could have gone either way.
I note as well that the only place you see a conventional lyrical pattern here is in the second half of Frontier.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
I also have to go with Sign and TFF for the reasons mckindog just stated.
Total Eclipse is good, but it's so obvious that it simply doesn't resonate as well as SOTC. Sames goes for Killers, which doesn't resonate as well simply because of the subject matter.
Total Eclipse is good, but it's so obvious that it simply doesn't resonate as well as SOTC. Sames goes for Killers, which doesn't resonate as well simply because of the subject matter.
Sign of the Cross (10-4) and The Final Frontier (9-5) advance.
Next up
MOONCHILD
versus
JOURNEYMAN
Next up
MOONCHILD
Seven deadly sins seven ways to win
Seven holy paths to hell and your trip begins
Seven downward slopes seven bloodied hopes
Seven are your burning fires seven your desires...
I am he the bornless one the fallen angel watching you
Babylon, the scarlet whore, I'll infiltrate your gratitude
Don't you dare to save your son kill him now and save the young ones
Be the mother of a birth strangled babe, be the devils own Lucifer's my name
Moonchild – hear the mandrake scream
Moonchild – open the seventh seal
I count the heads of those unborn the accursed ones I'll find them all
If you die by your own hand as a suicide you shall be damned
And if you try to save your soul I will torment you – you shall not grow old
With every second and passing breath you'll be so alone your soul will bleed to death
Moonchild – hear the mandrake scream
Moonchild – open the seventh seal
Moonchild – you'll be mine soon child
Moonchild – take my hand tonight
The twins they are exhausted, seven is this night
Gemini is rising as the red lips kiss to bite
Seven angels seven demons battle for his soul
When Gabriel lies sleeping, this child was born to die
One more dies and one more lives, one baby cries one mother grieves
For all the sins you will commit you'll beg forgiveness and none I'll give
A web of fear shall be your coat to clothe you in the night
A lucky escape for you young man but I'll see you damned in endless night
Moonchild – hear the mandrake scream
Moonchild – open the seventh seal
Moonchild – you'll be mine soon child
Moonchild – take my hand tonight
Seven holy paths to hell and your trip begins
Seven downward slopes seven bloodied hopes
Seven are your burning fires seven your desires...
I am he the bornless one the fallen angel watching you
Babylon, the scarlet whore, I'll infiltrate your gratitude
Don't you dare to save your son kill him now and save the young ones
Be the mother of a birth strangled babe, be the devils own Lucifer's my name
Moonchild – hear the mandrake scream
Moonchild – open the seventh seal
I count the heads of those unborn the accursed ones I'll find them all
If you die by your own hand as a suicide you shall be damned
And if you try to save your soul I will torment you – you shall not grow old
With every second and passing breath you'll be so alone your soul will bleed to death
Moonchild – hear the mandrake scream
Moonchild – open the seventh seal
Moonchild – you'll be mine soon child
Moonchild – take my hand tonight
The twins they are exhausted, seven is this night
Gemini is rising as the red lips kiss to bite
Seven angels seven demons battle for his soul
When Gabriel lies sleeping, this child was born to die
One more dies and one more lives, one baby cries one mother grieves
For all the sins you will commit you'll beg forgiveness and none I'll give
A web of fear shall be your coat to clothe you in the night
A lucky escape for you young man but I'll see you damned in endless night
Moonchild – hear the mandrake scream
Moonchild – open the seventh seal
Moonchild – you'll be mine soon child
Moonchild – take my hand tonight
versus
JOURNEYMAN
From the red sky of the East to the sunset in the West
We have cheated Death and He has cheated us
But that was just a dream and this is what it means
We are sleeping and we'll dream for evermore
And the fragment remains of our memories
And the shadows we made with our hands
Deeper grey, came to mourn all the colours of the dawn
Will this journeyman's day be his last?
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
But the memory still remains, all the past years not so strange
Our winter times are like a silent shroud
And the heartbeat of the day drives the mist away
And winter's not the only dream around
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 your journeyman's day has begun
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
We have cheated Death and He has cheated us
But that was just a dream and this is what it means
We are sleeping and we'll dream for evermore
And the fragment remains of our memories
And the shadows we made with our hands
Deeper grey, came to mourn all the colours of the dawn
Will this journeyman's day be his last?
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
But the memory still remains, all the past years not so strange
Our winter times are like a silent shroud
And the heartbeat of the day drives the mist away
And winter's not the only dream around
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 your journeyman's day has begun
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want, I say what I want
And no one can take it away
...and
MAN OF SORROWS
versus
CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED
MAN OF SORROWS
Like a man without a home
Watching people come and go
Carry on their daily lives
Without a thought for the ones alone
Cast the dream aside like throwing
A pebble into the ocean tide
And I’m feeling so alone again
Free the angry from their pain
Free the captives from the chains
Cast aside the doubt that
Nothing good can come their way again
Living in a world of lies
No matter how or hard we try
Living life without a dream today
Looking through a mist of truth
That we believe an elusive cloud
The things we find are hard to say now
That we live through day to day
Find it hard to force the reasons
Why we find it hard to die
Now we need to know the truth now
Open our eyes that we can see
So we live and breathe again
Better days for you and me
Can we even hope to deliver this
We are so far away
As one turns against the other
With a brother against brother
Situation like no other
it’s a picture of despair
As we look to see the man of sorrows
Passing knowledge to those who don’t know
As we watch all our friends passing over
As they pass through the edges of time
And we see what’s ahead that awaits us
That no longer do we feel afraid
So we look to see the man of sorrows
And the light is the darkness no more
Watching people come and go
Carry on their daily lives
Without a thought for the ones alone
Cast the dream aside like throwing
A pebble into the ocean tide
And I’m feeling so alone again
Free the angry from their pain
Free the captives from the chains
Cast aside the doubt that
Nothing good can come their way again
Living in a world of lies
No matter how or hard we try
Living life without a dream today
Looking through a mist of truth
That we believe an elusive cloud
The things we find are hard to say now
That we live through day to day
Find it hard to force the reasons
Why we find it hard to die
Now we need to know the truth now
Open our eyes that we can see
So we live and breathe again
Better days for you and me
Can we even hope to deliver this
We are so far away
As one turns against the other
With a brother against brother
Situation like no other
it’s a picture of despair
As we look to see the man of sorrows
Passing knowledge to those who don’t know
As we watch all our friends passing over
As they pass through the edges of time
And we see what’s ahead that awaits us
That no longer do we feel afraid
So we look to see the man of sorrows
And the light is the darkness no more
versus
CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED
He's walking like a small child but watch his eyes burn you away
Black holes in his golden stare God knows he wants to go home
Children of the damned, Children of the damned
He's walking like a dead man if he had lived he would have crucified us all
Now he's standing on his last step he thought oblivion well it beckons us all
Children of the damned, Children of the damned
Now it's burning his hands he's turning to laugh
Smiles as the flame sears his flesh
Melting his face screaming in pain
Peeling the skin from his eyes
Watch him die according to plan
He's dust on the ground what did we learn?
You're children of the damned your back's against the wall
You turn into the light you're burning in the night
You're children of the damned like candles watch them burn
Burning in the light you'll burn again tonight
Children of the damned
Black holes in his golden stare God knows he wants to go home
Children of the damned, Children of the damned
He's walking like a dead man if he had lived he would have crucified us all
Now he's standing on his last step he thought oblivion well it beckons us all
Children of the damned, Children of the damned
Now it's burning his hands he's turning to laugh
Smiles as the flame sears his flesh
Melting his face screaming in pain
Peeling the skin from his eyes
Watch him die according to plan
He's dust on the ground what did we learn?
You're children of the damned your back's against the wall
You turn into the light you're burning in the night
You're children of the damned like candles watch them burn
Burning in the light you'll burn again tonight
Children of the damned
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I've already stated why earlier in this thread, but given how good those lyrics are this is even worse than hating Death or Glory because of monkeys.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Voting for both of the underdogs, apparently.
Journeyman is very clear cut, but the phrasing is nice and the message is wonderful. Moonchild has amazing fit, but honestly the structure of each line is all over the place. It works wonders within the song, but I don't like it as much without the music.
Man of Sorrows has some great lines, but also some real clunkers that I simply cannot see past. Children of the Damned has incredible imagery, fit, and tone.
Journeyman is very clear cut, but the phrasing is nice and the message is wonderful. Moonchild has amazing fit, but honestly the structure of each line is all over the place. It works wonders within the song, but I don't like it as much without the music.
Man of Sorrows has some great lines, but also some real clunkers that I simply cannot see past. Children of the Damned has incredible imagery, fit, and tone.
Anyone know what the whispered parts in the Journeyman instrumental say?
Googled it and only came up with this old Maidenfans post:
dvd-a lets you hear what bruce whispers in Journeyman 5.20 clearly!
"Spare your life and you choose destruction of time over yourself"
Googled it and only came up with this old Maidenfans post:
dvd-a lets you hear what bruce whispers in Journeyman 5.20 clearly!
"Spare your life and you choose destruction of time over yourself"
Not voting for it, but this is true. There's no message to it, but the emotional resonance is amazing.
Moonchild (11-4) and Man of Sorrows (10-5) move on
BRIGHTER THAN A THOUSAND SUNS
versus
FORTUNES OF WAR
BRIGHTER THAN A THOUSAND SUNS
We are not the sons of God
We are not his chosen people now
We have crossed the path he trod
We will feel the pain of his beginning
Shadow fingers rise above
Iron fingers stab the desert sky
Oh behold the power of man
On its tower, ready for the fall
Knocking heads together well
Raze a city, build a living hell
Join the race to suicide
Listen for the tolling of the bell
Out of the universe, a strange love is born
Unholy union, trinity reformed
Yellow sun its evil twin
In the black the wings deliver him
We will split our souls within
Atom seed to nuclear dust is riven
Out of the universe, a strange love is born
Unholy union, trinity reformed
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Bury your morals and bury your dead
Bury your head in the sand
E=mc2 you can relate
How we made God with our hands
Whatever would Robert have said to his God
About how he made war with the sun
E=mc2 you can relate
How we made God with our hands
All nations are rising through acid veils of love and hate
Chain letters of Satan, uncertainty leads us all to this
All nations are rising through acid veils of love and hate
Cold fusion and fury
Divide and conquer while ye may
Others preach and others fall and pray
In the bunkers where we'll die
There the executioners they lie
Bombers launch with no recall
Minute-warning of the missile fall
Take a look at your last sky
Guessing you won't have the time to cry
Out of the universe, a strange love is born
Unholy union, trinity reformed
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Holy Father we have sinned
We are not his chosen people now
We have crossed the path he trod
We will feel the pain of his beginning
Shadow fingers rise above
Iron fingers stab the desert sky
Oh behold the power of man
On its tower, ready for the fall
Knocking heads together well
Raze a city, build a living hell
Join the race to suicide
Listen for the tolling of the bell
Out of the universe, a strange love is born
Unholy union, trinity reformed
Yellow sun its evil twin
In the black the wings deliver him
We will split our souls within
Atom seed to nuclear dust is riven
Out of the universe, a strange love is born
Unholy union, trinity reformed
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Bury your morals and bury your dead
Bury your head in the sand
E=mc2 you can relate
How we made God with our hands
Whatever would Robert have said to his God
About how he made war with the sun
E=mc2 you can relate
How we made God with our hands
All nations are rising through acid veils of love and hate
Chain letters of Satan, uncertainty leads us all to this
All nations are rising through acid veils of love and hate
Cold fusion and fury
Divide and conquer while ye may
Others preach and others fall and pray
In the bunkers where we'll die
There the executioners they lie
Bombers launch with no recall
Minute-warning of the missile fall
Take a look at your last sky
Guessing you won't have the time to cry
Out of the universe, a strange love is born
Unholy union, trinity reformed
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness, brighter than a thousand suns
Holy Father we have sinned
versus
FORTUNES OF WAR
After the war and now that they've sent us homeward
I can't help but feel that I'm on my own
No one can see just what this conflict has done to
The minds of the men who are on their way home
I'm scarred for life but it's not my flesh that's wounded
So how can I face the torment alone
The vivid scenes and all the recurring nightmares
I lay there and sweat until it gets light
People say don't worry, say that time's a perfect healer
That the nightmares they will come to pass
Can't hear what they're saying, I am living in my own world
And I'm feeling trance-like all the time
I hear voices in my head, could I really be going crazy
In the night the visions seem so real
Do you care if you live or die, when you laugh are you really crying
You're not sure what's real anymore
Fortunes of war, fortunes of war
Fortunes of war, no pain anymore
Fortunes of war
Sometimes I wake, I feel that my spirit's broken
I wonder if I've the strength to carry on...
Carry on...
I can't help but feel that I'm on my own
No one can see just what this conflict has done to
The minds of the men who are on their way home
I'm scarred for life but it's not my flesh that's wounded
So how can I face the torment alone
The vivid scenes and all the recurring nightmares
I lay there and sweat until it gets light
People say don't worry, say that time's a perfect healer
That the nightmares they will come to pass
Can't hear what they're saying, I am living in my own world
And I'm feeling trance-like all the time
I hear voices in my head, could I really be going crazy
In the night the visions seem so real
Do you care if you live or die, when you laugh are you really crying
You're not sure what's real anymore
Fortunes of war, fortunes of war
Fortunes of war, no pain anymore
Fortunes of war
Sometimes I wake, I feel that my spirit's broken
I wonder if I've the strength to carry on...
Carry on...
...and
REVELATIONS
versus
LORD OF LIGHT
REVELATIONS
"O God of Earth and Altar, bow down and hear our cry
Our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die
The walls of gold entomb us, the swords of scorn divide
Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride"
Just a babe in a black abyss, no reason for a place like this
The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain
An easy way for the blind to go, a clever path for the fools who know
The Secret of the Hanged Man – the smile on his lips
The light of the Blind – you'll see
The venom that tears my spine
The Eyes of the Nile are opening – you'll see
She came to me with a serpent's kiss as the Eye of the Sun rose on her lips
Moonlight catches silver tears I cry
So we lay in a black embrace and the Seed is sown in a holy place
And I watched her and I waited for the Dawn
The light of the Blind – you'll see
The venom that tears my spine
The Eyes of the Nile are opening – you'll see
Bind all of us together ablaze with Hope and Free
No storm or heavy weather will rock the boat you'll see
The time has come to close your eyes and still the wind and rain
For the one who will be King, the Watcher in the Ring
It is You, oh oh
It is You...
Our earthly rulers falter, our people drift and die
The walls of gold entomb us, the swords of scorn divide
Take not thy thunder from us, but take away our pride"
Just a babe in a black abyss, no reason for a place like this
The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain
An easy way for the blind to go, a clever path for the fools who know
The Secret of the Hanged Man – the smile on his lips
The light of the Blind – you'll see
The venom that tears my spine
The Eyes of the Nile are opening – you'll see
She came to me with a serpent's kiss as the Eye of the Sun rose on her lips
Moonlight catches silver tears I cry
So we lay in a black embrace and the Seed is sown in a holy place
And I watched her and I waited for the Dawn
The light of the Blind – you'll see
The venom that tears my spine
The Eyes of the Nile are opening – you'll see
Bind all of us together ablaze with Hope and Free
No storm or heavy weather will rock the boat you'll see
The time has come to close your eyes and still the wind and rain
For the one who will be King, the Watcher in the Ring
It is You, oh oh
It is You...
versus
LORD OF LIGHT
There are secrets that you keep
There are secrets that you keep
There are secrets that you tell to me alone
I can't reach things I can't see
You don't see this strange world quite the same as me
Don't deny me what I am
Nothing hidden still you fail to see the truth
These are things you can't reveal
These are things you can't reveal
We are part of some strange plan
Why the slaughter of the brotherhood of man
Infernal sacrifice of hell
Fire-breathing lead the way
Mounds of bodies as they all burn into one
Revenge is living in the past
Time to look into a new millennium
Spiral path leads through the maze
Down into the fiery underworld below
Fire-breathing lead the way
Lucifer was just an angel led astray
Free your soul and let it fly
Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries
We are not worthy in your black and blazing eyes
We gather demons in the mirror every day
The bridge of darkness casts a shadow on us all
All our sins to you we give this day
Others wait their turn, their lives were meant to last
Use yours wisely as the light is fading fast
Free your soul and let it fly
Mine was caught, I couldn't try
Time returns again to punish all of us
We are cast out by our bloody father's hand
We are strangers in this lonely promised land
We are the shadows of the one unholy ghost
In our nightmare world the only one we trust
Free your soul and let it fly
Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries
There are secrets that you keep
There are secrets that you tell to me alone
I can't reach things I can't see
You don't see this strange world quite the same as me
Don't deny me what I am
Nothing hidden still you fail to see the truth
These are things you can't reveal
These are things you can't reveal
We are part of some strange plan
Why the slaughter of the brotherhood of man
Infernal sacrifice of hell
Fire-breathing lead the way
Mounds of bodies as they all burn into one
Revenge is living in the past
Time to look into a new millennium
Spiral path leads through the maze
Down into the fiery underworld below
Fire-breathing lead the way
Lucifer was just an angel led astray
Free your soul and let it fly
Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries
We are not worthy in your black and blazing eyes
We gather demons in the mirror every day
The bridge of darkness casts a shadow on us all
All our sins to you we give this day
Others wait their turn, their lives were meant to last
Use yours wisely as the light is fading fast
Free your soul and let it fly
Mine was caught, I couldn't try
Time returns again to punish all of us
We are cast out by our bloody father's hand
We are strangers in this lonely promised land
We are the shadows of the one unholy ghost
In our nightmare world the only one we trust
Free your soul and let it fly
Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries
JudasMyGuide
Ancient Mariner
The last one was so tough I didn't manage to vote in the end. This one is really easy in comparison. The firsts.
