I discovered a post about the
Seventh Son album on the IMBB, brilliantly written by our resident researcher, namely Gor. As it's on the IMBB, I'm afraid that it'll be swamped by idiotic responses and eventually disappear, so I decided to reproduce it here.
Here's what the good doctor has to say:
[!--QuoteBegin-Gor+ the IMBB--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Gor @ the IMB
[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]Over the last months I ‘ve read a dozen of threads asking about the concept behind the album. Since I think that the IM Commentary is quite off with its approach, I am going to unfold the story as I have understood it after considering the fragmental info that has reached my awareness from band interviews, the symbols inside the album and, quite frankly, what seems to fall in place after a lot of search and discussion on this thread from the Commentary's forum. This is in no way the definitive storyline, because such has not ever surfaced, although reports that it had occurred exist.
First of all, some general info on the album:
-The spark of inspiration for Steve was the death Doris Stokes, a “medium” that, for all her powers of foresight, could not foresee her own death. Ring any bells?
-The source of inspiration, though, was Orson Scott Card’s novel “Seventh Son”.
-According to Derek Riggs, the symbols that accompany each song (see [a href=\'http://www.maidenfans.com/imc/?url=album07_ssoass/symbols&link=albums&lang=eng#track1\' target=\'_blank\']symbols page[/a]) had been very carefully selected by Dickinson, who seemed to be really passionate with the concept around the time, more so than the other members.
-In ancient times, the youngest son of a family would usually become a “doctor” (well, more like a “witch-doctor”), since his age would allow him to be able to treat the elder family members when those grew old and weary. That fact, along with the deistic symbolisms accompanying the number 7 in many religions, led to the creation of the belief that a seventh son of a seventh son had miraculous powers of foresight and healing etc., anything one would expect from a messiah, really.
-The basic element of the story is the battle of Good vs. Evil. The powers of Heaven and those of Hell are fighting over the control of the Seventh Son, in order to use his powers to bend the balance to their side.
-The order of the songs would be perfectly linear if Seventh Son (the song) was placed between Moonchild and Infinite dreams. It seems that placing it fifth was meant to balance the album musically, simply an attempt to spread the strongest and most grandiose songs of the album more evenly. Thus, my version of the concept is going to follow that order in the explanation of the songs.
*for more info on the references found in the lyrics, visit the IM Commentary [a href=\'http://www.maidenfans.com/imc/?url=album07_ssoass/commentary07_ssoass&lang=eng&link=albums\' target=\'_blank\']Seventh Son page[/a], which, although in my opinion is way off on the concept’s interpretation, features a great deal of info on the references found in the lyrics (Crowley, Bible, mandrake etc…).
Moonchild
Satan is afraid of what the birth of a SSoaSS would do to the balance of the powers. He tries to persuade the mother to disrupt her pregnancy (by eating a mandrake, see IM Commentary for more on mandrake and its scream). With a mix of reassurance and threats (I’ll infiltrate your gratitude / kill him now and save the young ones), he persuades the mother into eating from the root. As the Gemini is appearing in the sky, the mother’s lips come together (as if in a kiss) when she bites down on the mandrake.
Instantly, Satan refutes his promise and describes to the mother the tragic ending that awaits her. If she suicides, she’ll burn in hell. If she lives on trying to redeem herself, she may ask forgiveness, but he’ll give none (referring to the guilt that will follow the mother on in her life). So, one more died (the other twin), one more lived (the SS), one baby cries (the SS from inside the uterus – the first sign of his powers) and one mother grieves. Satan ends off the song with a warning and a forecasting for the son who had a “lucky escape”. The symbol accompanying this song is the Ouroboros (check symbols link on the IM Commentary Seventh Son page for more info).
Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
Basically a description of the birth of the Seventh Son. The symbol accompanying the song is the Star of Inanna (check symbols link on the IM Commentary Seventh Son page for more info).
Infinite Dreams
The SS has become a young teenager, and his powers, of which he is unaware, are starting to surface in the form of visions / dreams. He is frightened by them. The symbol accompanying the lyrics is the Caduceus (check symbols link on the IM Commentary Seventh Son page for more info).
Can I Play With Madness
The SS visits a prophet in search of answers to the visions he has been having. The prophet realizes the nature of the teen and thus his crucial role in what is to become of mankind, since the side that the Son will choose to serve will get the “upper hand” so to speak. He is afraid that breaking the news to him would crack him because of his youth and fragileness, so he decides to wash his hands from the SS’s awaking. After great pressure from the SS, he sends him off by repeating Satan’s forecasting from Moonchild: he will end up in Hell.
The Evil That Men Do
The young man is ripe for Satan to try to win him over to his side, using the old trick infact. Lucifer sends his virgin Daughter as bait, hoping that she will win the SS over to the Left Side. This is reminiscent of the Primordial Sin from Genesis (that might explain the apple under Eddie’s chest on the cover). Indeed, the SS falls in love with Satan’s Daughter. They make love, but as with the eating of the apple in Genesis, it is this action that makes the SS self aware and aware of the nature of Good and Evil. The seventh son, now able to decide, is paralleled to the Seventh Lamb from the apocalypse, which brings the breaking of the Seventh Seal, bringing forth the Apocalypse. The SS knows chooses his destiny to be fighting with the good guys against Evil and for the benefit of Mankind. He knows that his path is to be a gruesome and lonely one, a winding road. He decides to sacrifice his strong will to be with his beloved in favour of Man, and leaves her behind with promises of remembrance and, hopefully, reunion. The symbol accompanying the lyrics is called “Pelican In her Piety” (check symbols link on the IM Commentary Seventh Son page for more info).
The Prophecy
Satan is determined to break the SS. He is preparing a holocaust to be brought on the SS’s village, knowing that no prophet is graced in his own country (Luke 4:24). The SS follows plan, predicting the oncoming disaster and trying to protect the villagers by warning them. Thus, he is using his divine powers as a shield but is met with disbelief. The disaster strikes, Satan welcomes the newcomers to Hell. The survivors, naturally, blame the bad luck on the SS and his predictions, accusing him that he brought down the curse. The symbol accompanying the song is a winged disk (check symbols link on the IM Commentary Seventh Son page for more info).
The Clairvoyant
The SS is described in a fevered state. The ungratefulness of Man has crushed his will and has made his self sacrifice seem futile. Having lost his motivation and clarity of thought, he is struggling to remaster his almighty powers, which, now more than ever, seem more like a curse than a blessing. The symbol accompanying the song is the Chalice with the 3 snakes (check symbols link on the IM Commentary Seventh Son page for more info).
Only The Good Die Young
In what seems to be a suicidal note, he spits back at an ungrateful, lustful and idiotic mankind and he commits suicide, proving Satan and the prophet right, he ends up in Hell’s fires. The symbol accompanying the song is the alchemic symbol of Sulphur (check symbols link on the IM Commentary Seventh Son page for more info).
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Impressive! Well done, mate! [!--emo&
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