Blind Guardian is a part of the German heavy metal scene that emerged in the mid-1980s. The band was formed in 1984 as Lucifer's Heritage by Kürsch (then also bassist), Olbrich, other guitarist Markus Dörk, and drummer Thomas Stauch. Dörk and Stauch both left the following year and were replaced by Christof Theißen and Hans-Peter Frey, respectively, who left as well before the end of the year. In 1987, Siepen joined, and Stauch returned; under this lineup, which lasted 18 years (the longest in the band's history), the band changed their name to Blind Guardian and released their first album, Battalions of Fear, in 1988. They have since released ten more studio albums, including an orchestral album that was released under the name Blind Guardian Twilight Orchestra.
Over the releases, Blind Guardian established themselves as a notably successful band and as pioneers of the power metal movement. In 1996, Kürsch stopped acting as the band's bassist to focus on vocals. Various session members replaced him, mainly Oliver Holzwarth. However, in 2005, Stauch left the band, disapproving of Blind Guardian's transition into a more complex progressive sound with a heavy use of backing vocals, and was replaced by Ehmke.
Most of Blind Guardian's albums were well received by fans and critics alike: Somewhere Far Beyond (1992), Imaginations from the Other Side (1995), and Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998), are especially seen as influential works. The music is mostly composed by Kürsch and Olbrich together, and the lyrics, written by Kürsch, are mostly inspired by the fiction of fantasy authors such as J. R. R. Tolkien, Michael Moorcock, Stephen King, George R. R. Martin, and Robert Jordan, as well as traditional legends and epics. Over the years, a theme has developed which personifies the band members as traveling storytellers, leading fans to refer to the band affectionately as "The Bards." Blind Guardian has been referred to in one article as one of power metal "big four" bands, along with Helloween, Sabaton, and DragonForce.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blind_Guardian
Discography
Battalions of Fear (1988)
Follow the Blind (1989)
Tales from the Twilight World (1990)
Somewhere Far Beyond (1992)
Imaginations from the Other Side (1995)
Nightfall in Middle-Earth (1998)
A Night at the Opera (2002)
A Twist in the Myth (2006)
At the Edge of Time (2010)
Beyond the Red Mirror (2015)
Legacy of the Dark Lands (2019)
The God Machine (2022)
Mirror
Blind Guardian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We dwelt in shades of twilight
Through dread and weary days
Through grief and endless pain
It lies unknown
The land of mine
A hidden gate
The lord of water spoke
In the silence words of wisdom
I've seen the end of all
Be aware the storm gets closer
Mirror, mirror on the wall
True hope lies beyond the coast
You're a damned kind, can't you see
That the winds will change?
Mirror, mirror on the wall
True hope lies beyond the coast
You're a damned kind, can't you see
That tomorrows bears insanity?
Gone's the wisdom of a thousand years
A world in fire and chains and fear
Leads me to a place so far
Deep down, it lies my secret vision
I better keep it safe
Shall I leave my friends alone
Hidden in my twilight hall
Know the world is lost in fire
Sure, there is no way to turn it
Back to the old days
Of bliss and cheerful laughter
We're lost in barren lands
Caught in the running flames alone
How shall we leave the lost road?
Time's getting short so follow me
A leader's task so clearly
To find a path out of the dark
Mirror, mirror on the wall
True hope lies beyond the coast
You're a damned kind can't you see
That the winds will change
Mirror, mirror on the wall
True hope lies beyond the coast
You're a damned kind can't you see
That the winds will change
Even though
The storm calmed down
The bitter end
Is just a matter of time
Shall we dare the dragon
Merciless he's poisoning our hearts, our hearts
How shall we leave the lost road?
Time's getting short so follow me
A leader's task so clearly
To find a path out of the dark
Mirror, mirror on the wall
True hope lies beyond the coast
You're a damned kind, can't you see
That the winds will change
Mirror, mirror on the wall
True hope lies beyond the coast
You're a damned kind, can't you see
That the winds will change
"Mirror Mirror" by Blind Guardian is a song that revolves around themes of hope, loss, and leadership during times of crisis. The intro of the song takes us to a far-off land where the singer and their people lived in a state of perpetual darkness and suffering. They dream of a hidden gateway that will lead them to salvation from the shadow fall they are experiencing. Suddenly, the lord of water speaks words of wisdom to offer some much-needed guidance to the lost and despairing group. The lord predicts that the end is near, and the storm is approaching, urging the people to prepare themselves.
The chorus of the song has the singer looking into a mirror and urging it to acknowledge the winds of change that are blowing. A ray of hope is what they need, something that is distant but attainable nonetheless. As the veil of wisdom that surrounded the world fades away, the singer talks about a place far down, where they have hidden their secret vision to keep it safe. Their only aim is to find a path out of the darkness that they are in currently, and they can only do so by following the leader out of this lost road. The song ends on a note of desperation and a sense of urgency as the singer decides to dare the dragon mercilessly instead of being poisoned slowly.
Overall, "Mirror Mirror" is a song that is heavy on imagery, and the lyrics are full of metaphors and symbolism that point towards the struggles of life. It is a song that asks the listener to look beyond the present and work towards a brighter future.
Line by Line Meaning
Far, far beyond the island
We were living in a place far, far away from civilization
We dwelt in shades of twilight
We were living in a place where it was always dusk
Through dread and weary days
We were going through difficult times, feeling hopeless and drained
Through grief and endless pain
We were experiencing great sorrow and hurt that seemed never-ending
It lies unknown
There is a place that we don't know about
The land of mine
This place is special to me
A hidden gate
There is a secret entrance to this place
To save us from the shadow fall
This place will help us avoid a looming disaster
The lord of water spoke
A powerful force that controls water communicated with me
In the silence words of wisdom
These words were particularly insightful and valuable
I've seen the end of all
This force has seen what will be the final outcome of events
Be aware the storm gets closer
A devastating event is fast approaching
Mirror, mirror on the wall
I'm asking for guidance from a magical mirror
True hope lies beyond the coast
There is hope, but it's far away
You're a damned kind, can't you see
I'm frustrated with the mirror for not being more helpful
That the winds will change?
I'm wondering if the situation will improve
Gone's the wisdom of a thousand years
We've lost valuable knowledge that was acquired over centuries
A world in fire and chains and fear
We're living in a world full of destruction and oppression
Leads me to a place so far
This despair is leading me to search for something far away
Deep down, it lies my secret vision
I have a dream that I'm hiding deep inside
I better keep it safe
I'm worried about sharing my dream with others
Shall I leave my friends alone
I'm wondering if I should abandon my friends to pursue my dream
Hidden in my twilight hall
I'm considering retreating to a secluded place to pursue my dream
Know the world is lost in fire
I'm aware that the world is in chaos and destruction
Sure, there is no way to turn it back to the old days
It's impossible to go back to a world that doesn't exist anymore
Of bliss and cheerful laughter
A time when people were happy and joyful
We're lost in barren lands
We're stuck in a place that feels hopeless and desolate
Caught in the running flames alone
We're facing danger and destruction with no one to rely on
How shall we leave the lost road?
We're trying to figure out how to escape our bleak situation
Time's getting short so follow me
We don't have much time, so we must take action now
A leader's task so clearly
I have accepted the role of a leader and have a clear task ahead of me
To find a path out of the dark
Our mission is to find a solution to our problem and find a way out of despair
Even though the storm calmed down
Although things may have improved, the danger is not over
The bitter end is just a matter of time
We know that things will not end well
Shall we dare the dragon?
We must be brave and confront our fears
Merciless he's poisoning our hearts, our hearts
Our fear is overwhelming and is destroying us from the inside
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Andre Olbrich, Hans Juergen Kuersch
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Berd
nice
Jimmy Seit
power metal is great isn't it
megahertz
fr
Thagomizer
This is one of the most uplifting metal songs of all time. I just can't listen to it and be angry.
Zigûrun
angry about morgoth 😠
Far Out Brussels Sprout
I was listening to this while shaving. It made me feel so epic that my pathetic lip fluff grew into an epic luxurious beard. I also headbutted my mirror so hard that it broke the laws of reality and transported me to a land of swords and magic. Where barbarians roam the plains, dragons rule the skies and the village tavern has free inter-dimensional wifi.
Ita Co-op & Co
fucking epic comment...xD
champi ruh
Every single time...
Doctor Strangelove
Damn thats a mighty beard you have there.
Far Out Brussels Sprout
***** Skyrim can never compare to the power of your own imagination!