The Talisman

How good is The Talisman on a scale of 1-10?

  • Total voters
    17
p4warrior said:
Add Como Estais Amigos to that list.  Been loving that one.
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I only did reunion songs. Come Estais Amigos, Lord of the Flies, The Edge of Darkness, Be Quick or Be Dead, Wasting Love and The Aftermath all walk into the top songs he's written if you add the 90's stuff.
 
My take on the lyrics - it's probably about the first pilgrims leaving England (or Europe in general) and heading for North America, running away from all the troubles in their old life. The talisman itself appears to be a magical compass or possibly a "lucky charm" of some sort, pointing them exactly where they need to go. Of course, most of them don't make the trip, including the storyteller who clings on to life just to see the shores of the New world. It appears that he dies of scurvy - "those that didn't die in storms, the scurcy rest did slaughter".

A cringeworty line in the song - "The winds lash the sails but the ropes keep them tight". Seems to me like a moment of no inspiration, they needed a line and couldn't think of anything that made a bit more sense.
 
I think these are more about latins, africans and asians leaving the tyranny of their 'socialist' dictators behind and pursuing to the land of the free, somewhere in the western world. By the way, what a song!!! :edmetal:
 
Ranko said:
My take on the lyrics - it's probably about the first pilgrims leaving England (or Europe in general) and heading for North America, running away from all the troubles in their old life. The talisman itself appears to be a magical compass or possibly a "lucky charm" of some sort, pointing them exactly where they need to go. Of course, most of them don't make the trip, including the storyteller who clings on to life just to see the shores of the New world. It appears that he dies of scurvy - "those that didn't die in storms, the scurcy rest did slaughter".

A cringeworty line in the song - "The winds lash the sails but the ropes keep them tight". Seems to me like a moment of no inspiration, they needed a line and couldn't think of anything that made a bit more sense.
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I don't know about cringe-worthy - definitely a little simplistic, all monosyllabic words. 
 
land of the free, somewhere in the western world
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...and here's all flowers. Even when our PM farts, flowers blossom from her rectum  :D
 
Ranko said:
My take on the lyrics - it's probably about the first pilgrims leaving England (or Europe in general) and heading for North America, running away from all the troubles in their old life.
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My opinion is that the story is not directly related to any historical event - it seems more mystical/fantastical than concrete.  As someone previously suggested, this feels to me like the flip side of Ghost of the Navigator - kind of like the same story from different sides; The Talisman being from the perspective of some poor shmuck that's been taken on as a passenger and has to be strapped in for the ride...
 
GotN had lyrics by Bruce whilst this has lyrics by Steve. The Charlotte the Harlot series overlapped lyricists but I don't see it as a trend here.
 
FriendlyFire said:
My opinion is that the story is not directly related to any historical event - it seems more mystical/fantastical than concrete.  As someone previously suggested, this feels to me like the flip side of Ghost of the Navigator - kind of like the same story from different sides; The Talisman being from the perspective of some poor shmuck that's been taken on as a passenger and has to be strapped in for the ride...
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Nice interpretation, one could say that this is a variation of the theme, but GotN has a much more allegorical meaning, about a guy "navigating on the seas of life" (as Bruce often said it himself), not knowing what to do of himself, with "West is where I go" as a symbol for moving towards the afterlife, i.e. the end of one's life.

The story of The Talisman seems to me much more concrete, without much allegory, as Steve does tend to write his songs (opposed to Bruce who often adds an allegorical level to it all). The West in this song actually means North America.
 
Ranko said:
The West in this song actually means North America.
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So I was toying with this - certainly there are a number of lines that seem to imply that this is the Pilgrim Fathers setting sail from Plymouth for North America, where they "run from evil tongues, rash judgements, selfish men" and go looking for their own version of the promised land or, "the land of our dreams".  There are a number of religious references throughout that may add some weight to this notion as well.

However, the bit that made my head spin and make me this this is more allegorical are the lines:
"The sickness I am dying from
Never wanted it to end this way"

Made me think that there's more to it than this since it seems...  I guess it might make sense if the narrator is simply dying from scurvy etc within sight of the promised land???
 
I would wager that this track is more about mid 18th-c. immigrants than pilgrims, simply because these are people seeking a new life, whereas Pilgrims were leaving due to religions persecution in the post-Commonwealth era. Evil tongues would refer to leaving behind rumours or reputation; rash judgements means fleeing the law or financial debt; selfish men means getting out of contracts or serfdom.
 
Does it ultimately matter?  The focus of the story is more on the storm than where the people came from originally.
 
Invader said:
Does it ultimately matter?  The focus of the story is more on the storm than where the people came from originally.
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I don't know about you, but a little context always helps me appreciate Maiden tunes more.
 
I enjoy the images that the song arouses, and the image is that of a ship and its passengers struggling against the storm until finally prevailing, though the narrator dies.  Where they came from does not matter to me, in the same way as it doesn't matter what village ("home, far away") the soldier in Paschendale was from.  It's people leaving their home land in a search for a better future, and that suffices for me.
 
Invader said:
I enjoy the images that the song arouses, and the image is that of a ship and its passengers struggling against the storm until finally prevailing, though the narrator dies.  Where they came from does not matter to me, in the same way as it doesn't matter what village ("home, far away") the soldier in Paschendale was from.  It's people leaving their home land in a search for a better future, and that suffices for me.
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I do agree that the universal themes shine through regardless of the specifical historical context, but it just adds a little flare for me, a little depth, to know what exactly is being sung about.  Aces High is a great example - for me, yeah, the themes of a desperate struggle of the "few" against the many is quite moving, but knowing that it actually happened and when/where it happened adds that much more emotion to the storytelling.

With regards to The Talisman, I'm thinking there may not be a specific time period in mind.
 
"We just can't get away from the eye of the storm"

Why would they want to get away from the eye? That's where it's calm. Unless that means they're trying to stay near the eye and don't want to get away from it.
 
p4warrior said:
Aces High is a great example - for me, yeah, the themes of a desperate struggle of the "few" against the many is quite moving, but knowing that it actually happened and when/where it happened adds that much more emotion to the storytelling.
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Well, in Aces High, I wouldn't call that context as much as the subject matter of the song.  The Battle of Britain inspired the song, and the song is essentially about the battle.  In contrast, The Talisman probably was not inspired by pilgrims, immigration in the 18th century, or what have you.  But, we all have our own ways to enjoy Maiden, so speculate as much as you like. :)  I just think that Steve and Janick don't even know themselves.
 
Although The Talisman is definitely NOT about modern day asylum seekers leaving an oppressive country for a new life, I like to think the lyrics can be used to symbolize the stress of escape via sea in any era, not just Europe in the 1700s...in the same manner that Sun Tzu's 6th century The Art of War is interpreted many ways today.  I like to think of The Talisman as an ode to all victims of persecution who have had no choice but to flee.

I also feel it will sound mighty fine when played live and they will have an awesome backdrop for this one.  Bruce may even wear a cloak...
 
Travis_AKA_fonzbear2000 said:
"We just can't get away from the eye of the storm"

Why would they want to get away from the eye? That's where it's calm. Unless that means they're trying to stay near the eye and don't want to get away from it.
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This line puzzled me also.  I guess in the short term the eye is safe, but eventually you'll have to break through the rest of the storm.  Or maybe they're not being as literal, just calling the center of the storm the "eye"
 
am I alone who think that there is a similarities between a gallop chord-progression of the "westwardsss .." section of this song to the song Caught Somewhere In Time (near-the-end section of H's solo if you know what I mean)?

p/s: forgive me for my stinking english!
 
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