The original goal of the band was to forge the different musical styles of both Iced Earth's dark melodies and Blind Guardian's powerful vocals into one sound. In fact, according to the musicians, the band name is meant to describe the two styles: the self-proclaimed demon-like themes and sounds of Iced Earth and wizard-like themes and sounds of Blind Guardian (the moniker "Demons & Wizards" was inspired by Schaffer's wife always referring to him and Hansi as "Demons and Angels". Hansi always corrected her, since he claims to "not be at all angelic", and that it is more properly stated "Demons and Wizards", in reference to Uriah Heep's album of the same name). The band met with a fair deal of commercial success, though not as much as either of their individual bands.
The idea for the band arose in the spring of 1997 when Kürsch and Schaffer wanted to make music together, after being friends for several years
Disbandment
On January 6, 2021, guitarist Jon Schaffer was photographed among the protesters who stormed the U.S. Capitol building in Washington, D.C. After appearing on the Most Wanted section of the FBI's website, Schaffer turned himself in on January 17 and is currently being held on six felony charges. Century Media dropped the band from their roster two days after Jon Schaffer turned himself in. On February 1, 2021, it was announced that vocalist Hansi Kürsch had left the band, stating his collaboration with Jon Schaffer is over.
My Last Sunrise
Demons & Wizards Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The don't exist
The lamb, the rose
They don't exist
These are my last words
I need to rest
In fear and anger
A faithless spirit in a broken man
Everything is burning
Rotten flesh keeps burning
It's MY LAST SUNRISE in fear
The grail's in pieces
All the bliss is gone
The rose has dried out
And the lamb got slaughtered long ago
The hope became another lie
Like the nonexisting father god
I'll close my eyes, goodbye
Don't wait for me on the other side
Everything is burning
Rotten flesh keeps burning
It's MY LAST SUNRISE in fear
Don't wait for me on the other side
Golgotha - had seen nothing else but
A carpenter's death
Golgotha - not more maybe not even that
Suffer, grief and pain
Have driven me insane
Can't you see
There's nothing real
But you and I
And I say goodbye
Hear no evil, speak no evil
See no evil, feel no evil
Dream no evil, fear no evil
Touch no evil, taste no evil
All I see and hear is evil
All I think and feel is evil
"My Last Sunrise" by Demons & Wizards is a song about a man who has lost all hope and faith in himself and in the world around him. The repeated lines "The lamb, the rose / They don't exist" are a representation of his feeling that there is no longer any beauty or purity left in the world. He knows that death is coming, and he just wants it to be over, as he acknowledges "These are my last words / I need to rest / In fear and anger / I'll lay down my head."
The song goes on to describe the pain and suffering he has experienced in his life, as well as the growing sense of disillusionment and despair. He feels that everything he once believed in has been destroyed – "The grail's in pieces / All the bliss is gone / The rose has dried out / And the lamb got slaughtered long ago / The hope became another lie / Like the nonexisting father god." He knows that his time is running out, that soon there will be no more sunrises for him, only the burning of his flesh as he dies.
The chorus repeats the refrain "Don't wait for me on the other side / Everything is burning / Rotten flesh keeps burning / It's MY LAST SUNRISE in fear." He doesn't want anyone to mourn him or expect him to go to a better place after death because in his view, there is no better place. He is trapped in a world of evil, pain and suffering, and death is the only escape.
Line by Line Meaning
The lamb, the rose
There is no innocence or beauty left in the world
The don't exist
They are mere illusions, figments of our imagination
These are my last words
I am about to take my last breath and speak my final thoughts
I need to rest
I am tired and weary, and need to find peace
In fear and anger
I am filled with negative emotions, unable to find solace
I'll lay down my head
I am ready to die and leave this world behind
A faithless spirit in a broken man
I have lost all faith and am a broken and defeated person
Everything is burning
The world is consumed by chaos and destruction
Rotten flesh keeps burning
Even the dead are not spared from the flames of destruction
It's MY LAST SUNRISE in fear
I am witnessing my last sunrise with fear and dread
The grail's in pieces
My hopes and dreams have been shattered
All the bliss is gone
There is no more joy or happiness left in my life
The rose has dried out
The beauty and purity of life has withered away
And the lamb got slaughtered long ago
The innocent have already fallen victim to the harshness of the world
The hope became another lie
My hopes and aspirations never came true, and were mere illusions
Like the nonexisting father god
God, who I believed could save me, turned out to be a mere illusion
I'll close my eyes, goodbye
I am ready to face death and say goodbye to this cruel world
Don't wait for me on the other side
I do not want anyone to wait for me after I die, as I do not believe in an afterlife
Golgotha - had seen nothing else but
Only death and suffering is witnessed on Golgotha
A carpenter's death
Jesus Christ's death on the cross
Suffer, grief and pain
I am tormented by unbearable pain, both physical and emotional
Have driven me insane
My suffering has caused me to lose my sanity
Can't you see
I wish you could see what I see
There's nothing real
Everything is a mere illusion, nothing is true or genuine
But you and I
The only things that are real are you and I
And I say goodbye
I am ready to die and say farewell to the world
Hear no evil, speak no evil
I do not want to be exposed to the negativity of the world
See no evil, feel no evil
I do not want to witness or feel any pain or suffering
Dream no evil, fear no evil
I do not want to be haunted by my nightmares or fears
Touch no evil, taste no evil
I do not want to be physically affected by the evil of the world
All I see and hear is evil
There is only negativity and pain in the world
All I think and feel is evil
I am constantly consumed by negative thoughts and emotions
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: HANS JUERGEN KUERSCH, JON SCHAFFER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind