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)
The Bard's Song
Blind Guardian Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
There's so much gold
The treasure that I've found
Is more than enough
Far to be the hill we've to go
Over the mountain and seas
To the old hill
Blind in the dark dungeon's night
So God please take me away from here
And Gollum shows the way right out
I'm alive
The dying dragon brought trouble and pain
And horror to the halls of stone
I'll take the mighty stone
And leave the dwarves behind
Ice and fire and forest we passed
And horror in the halls of stone
Trolls in the dark
The dawn took them all
Caught in the wood
By the wooden kings' men
But now I'm alone
'Cause I've made up my mind
By the spell of gold
The king under the mountain
Will risk the great war
Oh what a fool
He's losing control
So I am trying to find a way
Blind in the dark dungeon's night
Then darkness comes from the northern side
And Thorin clears his mind
The Bard's Song by Blind Guardian is a highly symbolic and poetic song that touches upon the themes of adventure, loss, and self-discovery. The lyrics are narrated from the perspective of a character who has set out on a perilous journey in search of treasure, but in the process, discovers much more than he bargained for. In the opening lines, he describes the endless expanse of wealth that he has stumbled upon, suggesting that his quest for riches is driven by a desire for something more than just materialistic gains. He mentions that the treasure he has found is more than enough, which hints at an inner emptiness that money could never fill.
The second stanza of the song describes the singer's journey to an old hill where an ancient dragon lies asleep. The dragon is a literary symbol of chaos and change, and the singer's journey to its lair suggests he is searching for a transformative experience. He mentions that he seeks to be taken away from the dark dungeons where he is blind, echoing a sense of being lost and trapped in his current circumstances. The reference to Gollum, a character from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, who shows the singer the way out of the dungeon, adds to the song's fantastical, mythological elements.
The rest of the song weaves a tale of hardships and challenges the singer faces on his journey, including trolls and wooden kings' men who try to capture him. The singer emerges from these experiences changed and grows in resilience and courage. The final lines of the song suggest the singer's struggle for truth and self-discovery continues, as he confronts the King under the Mountain, who is losing his sense of reasoning and control.
Line by Line Meaning
Out in the distance
There are vast and wonderful things yet undiscovered
There's so much gold
There's boundless riches to be found
The treasure that I've found
My personal wealth and achievements
Is more than enough
Quenches my thirst for more
Far to be the hill we've to go
There's a great challenge to be faced before success
Over the mountain and seas
The journey is arduous and long
To the old hill
To the place where my journey will end
Where the old dragon sleeps
Where lies the final obstacle to be surmounted
Blind in the dark dungeon's night
Lost and helpless in an obscure and dangerous place
So God please take me away from here
Desire to escape and be safe
And Gollum shows the way right out
The path to escape is revealed
I'm alive
Having survived the danger
The dying dragon brought trouble and pain
Misfortune and suffering caused by obstacles faced
And horror to the halls of stone
The danger presents a threat to one's home and security
I'll take the mighty stone
Taking full advantage of the achievement
And leave the dwarves behind
Achieving without help or need for allies
Ice and fire and forest we passed
Difficulty and diversity of obstacles and terrain faced
And horror in the halls of stone
The danger is felt acutely at home
Trolls in the dark
Enemies lurking in the shadows
The dawn took them all
The threat is subdued by the natural world's rhythms
Caught in the wood
Trapped and constrained by unforeseen circumstances
By the wooden kings' men
By the rules and institutions that bind us
But now I'm alone
Taking risks and facing challenges by oneself
'Cause I've made up my mind
Because of a personal decision to act independently and take risks
By the spell of gold
Motivated by personal gain
The king under the mountain
Someone with great power and responsibility
Will risk the great war
Balancing their ambition against the potential for disaster
Oh what a fool
Reflection on the foolishness of risking too much
He's losing control
Recognition that the risks have become too great
So I am trying to find a way
Searching for alternatives and escape routes
Then darkness comes from the northern side
New dangers and obstacles arise
And Thorin clears his mind
Coming to a clear and potentially wise decision
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: HANS JUERGEN KUERSCH, ANDRE OLBRICH
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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