It's certainly more about the evils of organized religion.
Starblind
- Thread starter Travis The Dragon
- Start date
Bombusbombus
Nomad
I'm actually a little surprised how much love this song gets, I thought it would be one of those gems that only a few really appriciated. But I'm happy so many got hooked on it so quick =)
Robbiedbee
Trooper
stannar_kvar said:
Me too. It's a great song though, and I love the lyrics. I think it is in the middle of the pack as far as these 10 songs go.
Ironpriest
Prowler
I can honestly say, this song(and quite a few others from this album) is gonna go down as one of my all-time favorite maiden songs. I love the layering and the structure, especially the undrlying guitar work that run througout. its like a consolidation of the best elements of Somewhere in Time 
p4warrior
Trooper
Ironpriest said:I can honestly say, this song(and quite a few others from this album) is gonna go down as one of my all-time favorite maiden songs. I love the layering and the structure, especially the undrlying guitar work that run througout. its like a consolidation of the best elements of Somewhere in Time
Seriously, can anybody find a bad note in this song? I can't think of a single moment I don't like. For me - the strongest of the record (praying I don't have to eat my words later
)
Hottysmiff
Shooting plasma from my grave
Listened to the album twice so far, at this early stage it is only Srablind and Alchemist that I'm not fully getting into.
Invader
Ancient Mariner
I can't say yet that I unreservedly love and adore this song as so many others do, but then I've listened to the album so far less than most people here. I think it has the most undiscovered potential. Songs like Coming Home, The Talisman, El Dorado, and The Alchemist I already feel like I "get" them, but this song is still a mystery to me. Maybe that doesn't make sense, but what I basically mean is that it feels like the most "deep" song on the album, even if it's not my favourite. (yet?)
For some reason, this song reminds me of Lord of Light and Revelations, probably to do with the mystery of the lyrics since both are Bruce lyrics.
And Loosey's review: great job. It helped me understand the song on a whole new level. Just one line I understood completely differently:
To me, the first two lines seems to challenge the thought in organised religion that belief in God and asking forgiveness for your sins is all you need for the afterlife. What Bruce seems to be implying here is that God knows whether your belief and repentance is genuine, and it is not enough simply to repent in front of a priest; you need to repent in front of God, honestly and genuinely. More generally, it is your thoughts and actions that count, not your words. The next two lines don't completely fit the previous two, but I'd interpret it as meaning that religion takes your money and time (deceiving you) without truly connecting you to God. It actually brought to my mind another Bruce lyric:
I would agree more with Khan and p4warrior that it is written more from an agnostic point of view than atheist, and that's while being an atheist myself. The title seems to be about the limits of human knowledge, but not in relation to religion as much as the universe. We are all living on a single speck of dust in a universe of countless stars, and the enormity of this is all but impossible to comprehend: we are essentially blind to the universe and stars. This interpretation doesn't hold up in the context of the rest of the lyrics, but that's how I first saw it, and first impressions are sometimes hard to overcome.
For some reason, this song reminds me of Lord of Light and Revelations, probably to do with the mystery of the lyrics since both are Bruce lyrics.
And Loosey's review: great job. It helped me understand the song on a whole new level. Just one line I understood completely differently:
To me, the first two lines seems to challenge the thought in organised religion that belief in God and asking forgiveness for your sins is all you need for the afterlife. What Bruce seems to be implying here is that God knows whether your belief and repentance is genuine, and it is not enough simply to repent in front of a priest; you need to repent in front of God, honestly and genuinely. More generally, it is your thoughts and actions that count, not your words. The next two lines don't completely fit the previous two, but I'd interpret it as meaning that religion takes your money and time (deceiving you) without truly connecting you to God. It actually brought to my mind another Bruce lyric:
Holy Smoke said:
I would agree more with Khan and p4warrior that it is written more from an agnostic point of view than atheist, and that's while being an atheist myself. The title seems to be about the limits of human knowledge, but not in relation to religion as much as the universe. We are all living on a single speck of dust in a universe of countless stars, and the enormity of this is all but impossible to comprehend: we are essentially blind to the universe and stars. This interpretation doesn't hold up in the context of the rest of the lyrics, but that's how I first saw it, and first impressions are sometimes hard to overcome.
adrian fn rules
Chili-head
BESTSONG
EVER!!!!!!!!!
yepCorrin said:
will you be ALOT surprised in a couple weeks when the consensus of this board says that Starblind is among the best songs ever in the history of this band? I think NOT!! ha ahstannar_kvar said:
It might be THE best. Right now I'm leaning towards that. After I listened to it for about the 3rd time I got goosebumps and then a little teary-eyed. Not many things can make me do that but this was one of those times. Paschendale was the last.LordMaiden said:
Travis The Dragon
AFTERGLOW!!!
Based on the poll I started, I think WTWWB will be number 1: http://forum.maidenfans.com/index.php?topic=19983.0
Wind is still my goose bump song, but I can see a day when Starblind is the last song standing.
It's not the most obvious song, but it's such a track for the hardcore fan. There is just so much to appreciate — musically and creatively.
And there's no place like here to find people who appreciate the nuances of Maiden.
It's not the most obvious song, but it's such a track for the hardcore fan. There is just so much to appreciate — musically and creatively.
And there's no place like here to find people who appreciate the nuances of Maiden.
adrian fn rules
Chili-head
I like WTWWB too, but the intro, ( and the intro to The Talisman for that matter, otherwise, a GREAT song ) is just TOO long. Starblind is just a PERFECT song in every way. I think people may be looking too much into the fact that WTWWB is such a long epic, and the subject matter tells such a poignant story, that they are fooled into believing that it is the best. I said in the WTWWB thread that as far as "epics" go, I think this song is only better than Mother Russia and Journeyman. And I will stand by that. Musically, from 3:41 on, I love the song, but I just can't get past the three and a half minutes of initial storytelling with "did you know" "did you know". Sadly, it reminds me of preschool songs I sang along to. That being said, the ONLY faults on this album IMHO are that, the intro to the Talisman ( should have ended at :50, story be damned) , and Janick's weird solo break on The Talisman. Hell, all of the other parts of The Talisman fucking rock, especially the riff at 2:21. Incredible Incredible album. The boys should be VERY proud of themselves for this one. They have managed to raise the bar once again and create an album that is MAIDEN but with just enough progressiveness ( OK, ALOT of progressiveness! ) to make us all go " HOLY SHIT, WHAT THE FUCK??!!! ...goes to vote in the poll....Travis_AKA_fonzbear2000 said:
Originally posted by Mckindog.... Wind is still my goose bump song, but I can see a day when Starblind is the last song standing.
It's not the most obvious song, but it's such a track for the hardcore fan. There is just so much to appreciate — musically and creatively.
And there's no place like here to find people who appreciate the nuances of Maiden.
I agree with you completely brother. UP THE FUCKING IRONS!!!!!
Dr. Eddies Wingman
Brighter than thousand_suns
IronMark666 said:
The only similarity I hear is that in both songs, you take one riff/chord progression/theme and repeat it transposed by three half notes (in Infinite Dreams, that would be E then G). The actual chord progression used in this particular part of Starblind reminds me of the chord progression used under the verses in the second half of The Legacy.
By the way, this seems to be the song with most subject matter to debate from this album. No surprise, since Bruce wrote the lyrics ...
Let me start off by saying thank you to LC for such an in-depth, and thought-provoking interpretation of the lyrics. I couldn't make much of them myself so I'm glad for getting a direction to go in. Having said that, I'm not sure I agree with all your conclusions and would rather go with Invader, Khan, and p4warrior in those things they have pointed out. In the end I think the song is more about trying to overcome our human limitations and refusing to settle with easy answers (perhaps in the form of some kind of organized religion) than it is about convincing an audience that God doesn't exist at all. But in this very difference opinion between us emerges the strength of this lyric: it is open to interpretation (at least until Bruce says something about it). We will each read our own philosophies into this lyric I think. So I'll agree with you LC, that this is quite possibly the greatest lyrics Bruce has ever written. Which brings me back to the album, as I said in my overall review that the strength of this album lies primarily in the lyrics. This is one of the songs that highlights this best. Although the musical part of it isn't bad at all, but it does feel a little bit like the words have pride of place in this thing. The meandering guitar sections underscored with keyboards also give the impression of some kind of travel, a search, a wandering thought. And there is a slight touch of Infinite Dreams, which is perhaps intentional (Bruce talks alot about transcending something, wondering, thinking, unbelievers, and search for truth in that song). In terms of how it compares to other songs in this album, it is a grower and needs time and a lot more listens for me, but it has the advantage of being appealing at first listen. So perhaps not my favorite, but it might get there.
Honestly, I'll have to explain why you are all wrong very shortly.
Bombusbombus
Nomad
You will not.
Donner
Ancient Mariner
This is my favorite song on The Final Frontier. It would have not been too out of place on Somewhere in Time.
Like a few other songs on this album (Avalon, King) it has a set of melodies after the main set of melodies or choruses that don't fit in quite automatically yet still drive the song forward in a unique fashion.
Love the solo and breakdown and buildup again towards the end. My only complaint is similar to the one I have of The Talisman which is that I feel they could have actually jammed on this tune a bit longer. The end feels pretty abrupt.
Like a few other songs on this album (Avalon, King) it has a set of melodies after the main set of melodies or choruses that don't fit in quite automatically yet still drive the song forward in a unique fashion.
Love the solo and breakdown and buildup again towards the end. My only complaint is similar to the one I have of The Talisman which is that I feel they could have actually jammed on this tune a bit longer. The end feels pretty abrupt.