Travis The Dragon
AFTERGLOW!!!
The lyrics to Starblind make absolutely no sense to me.
Nonsensical Maiden Lyrics
- Thread starter 2Mins
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Starblind is about how religion retards humanity.
2Mins
Educated Fool
To me, it sounds like the drifting astronaut from Final Frontier is losing his mind and having a 2001 Space Odyssey-type trip, leading him to lose all faith and religious belief. I think the lyrics to this song are amongst the best Maiden have ever done, the imagery is wonderful and fits the driving, layered music perfectly.
Starblind are the Maiden lyrics that stand out most to me. Very artfully written.
Could be.
2Mins
Educated Fool
Yes and yes.
I guess it's to be expected, but the lyrics to the post-reunion epics (i.e. most of the songs) have been getting more and more poetic and less and less direct. There has been some wonderful imagery and musicality in the lyrics. However, there are occasions when lines have gotten a bit mangled to suit the song, e.g. Mother of Mercy:
"I don't hold with bad religion,
Understand what's underneath it
Now I come to think of it
I just don't hold at all you know it
You say you are a holy man
But what is it you do
From where I stand is nothing
But a hallow man I see" - That's eight lines saying what could probably be said in four.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
It's definitely a bit long-winded. Everything is at least passable up until the last two lines, which are quite awkward and redundant.
I've always seen that part as a bit of a tangent. I understand that religion plays a part in the song, but the way I see it, the focus is on the soldier in the battlefield. It was like Steve was writing the song, came up with that "Will God tell me/What Religion is to man" line (which would've gotten the message across well enough) and then said "NOW THAT I'VE MENTIONED RELIGION...". Like I said, it kinda comes off as a lyrical tangent. It's the only part where religion is the focus of the song and it seems a bit awkward because of that IMO.
Black Abyss Babe
CriedWhenJanickCutHisHair
I'm pretty sure it's actually "hollow man", ie lacking the substance to back up his claims. This song makes me think of Sansum in the "Warlord Chronicles" by Bernard Cornwell - he's very big on spouting hellfire and damnation and insisting that God loves him more than everyone else but basically he's a bastard. I don't know if anyone else here has read these.
I concede a point regarding "what is in you do" though, that just seems like space-filling to me.
2Mins
Educated Fool
I always thought it sounded like 'hollow' as well, but I Googled it to check before posting, and it said 'hallow'. HOWEVER, I've just checked the CD booklet, and it IS 'hollow' after all.... Still a long-winded lyric IMO.
And even harder to fit 'impossible' into that line. 
2Mins
Educated Fool
And even harder to fit 'impossible' into that line.
"Infinity, I just can't comprehend"
Black Abyss Babe
CriedWhenJanickCutHisHair
Well possibly but I think we can allow them a bit of poetic licence (especially as the rest of the song is basically about an attempt to comprehend infinity ...)
^Exactly. And I don't like 'just' and 'just can't' being splattered around in songs, it smacks of a lack of imagination, like when I tried to write songs as a kid.
MrKnickerbocker
clap hands
Hmm. I'm torn on this. I've used "just" in some of my own songs simply because it fills a percussive hole in the melody. Sometimes rhythm guides melody and if you have a lyric that fits really well, but needs one more syllable, why re-write the whole line when you can simply add a "just?"
Black Abyss Babe
CriedWhenJanickCutHisHair
^I think there's probably a certain amount of this goes on with most (good) songwriting - you'd be fortunate indeed if your subject matter in its most literal and gramatically correct form just falls onto the page in the form of a beautiful lyric.
Black Wizard
Pleb Hunter
A bit like the overuse of the phrases "this life" and "this world". I can't think of any examples of Maiden doing it but a lot of bands throw those two phrases around.