Ironsword is a Heavy Metal band from Lisbon, Portugal. The band was formed … Read Full Bio ↴Ironsword is a Heavy Metal band from Lisbon, Portugal. The band was formed in early 1995 by J.M. (João Fonseca), who then played all instruments, except for the drums. A drum machine had to be used since at first he couldn't find decent musicians for his band. He used 4 tracker to record a 15 minute promo-tape which featured 3 songs, and this was the first release by the band.

Since then the band has released three studio albums, Ironsword in 2002, Return of the Warrior in 2004 and Overlords of Chaos in 2008.

J.M. no longer plays all instruments. Instead he's the singer and guitarist, Arrno Maalm (Beto Arrais) is the drummer, and Rick Thor is the bass player.

Dragons of the Sea
Ironsword Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Cimmerian, son of Crom
Last one standing of a noble race
Free barbarian that knows no master
Trust the sword as his only faith

Way of the barbarian
Way of the barbarian

He has no gods to worship
No maid to comfort on his arms
Like the wolf who licks his wounds
Feelings gone ripped from his heart

Way of the barbarian
Way of the barbarian

Oh the path isn't always clear
Learnt to change not the past
Nothing gained without pain
A bright future will rise at last

Way of the barbarian
Way of the barbarian

Overall Meaning

The song "Dragons of the Sea" by Ironsword is a tribute to the barbarians who honor the way of the warrior, who live their lives as free men, and who trust only in their swords. The lyrics describe a Cimmerian, son of Crom, who is the last of his race and is a free barbarian with no master. With no gods to worship and no maid to hold in his arms, the Cimmerian is compared to the wolf who licks his wounds alone, with his feelings ripped away from his heart.

The song suggests that the path of the barbarian is not always clear and there may be sacrifices along the way, but in the end, a bright future will rise. This can be interpreted as a symbol of hope for anyone who chooses to live their life on their own terms, despite the risks and sacrifices that come with it. The way of the barbarian is not the easy path, but it is a path that is honest and true, and one that will lead to triumph in the end.

Line by Line Meaning

Cimmerian, son of Crom
The singer is Cimmerian, and his father's name is Crom.

Last one standing of a noble race
Cimmerian is the only surviving member of his noble tribe.

Free barbarian that knows no master
As a barbarian, Cimmerian is free and without a master.

Trust the sword as his only faith
Cimmerian places his faith and trust solely in his sword.

Way of the barbarian
This is a recurring theme throughout the song that refers to the lifestyle and beliefs of barbarians.

He has no gods to worship
Cimmerian does not worship any gods.

No maid to comfort on his arms
Cimmerian does not have a romantic partner to comfort him.

Like the wolf who licks his wounds
Cimmerian is like a wolf who licks his own wounds.

Feelings gone ripped from his heart
Cimmerian's emotions have been torn from him.

Oh the path isn't always clear
The journey ahead for Cimmerian is uncertain.

Learnt to change not the past
Cimmerian has learned to accept and not dwell on the past.