After the release of their debut album Enter in 1997, the band became prominent in the Dutch underground scene. It was not until 2001 that they became known to the general public, with the single "Ice Queen" from their second album Mother Earth, which reached No. 2 on the Dutch charts. This was followed by the band winning the Conamus Exportprijs, a Dutch music award, four years in a row, and a fifth in 2016. Their next albums The Silent Force (2004) and The Heart of Everything (2007) debuted at No. 1 on the Dutch charts and expanded their international recognition. In 2008, they released Black Symphony, a live album recorded with the Metropole Orchestra. This was followed in 2009 by An Acoustic Night at the Theatre, another live album, this time with acoustic renditions of the songs.
The band's fifth studio album, The Unforgiving, was released in March 2011 and was one part of a transmedia effort, alongside both a comic book series and a series of short films that together encompass a story. The album saw the band increasingly venturing on new musical territories outside symphonic metal. Their sixth studio album, Hydra, was released in early 2014 in Japan, Europe, and the United States. The album advanced the band's exploration of new musical genres and features guest appearances from various artists: Finnish singer Tarja Turunen, who appears in the lead single "Paradise (What About Us?)"; Howard Jones, former vocalist of American metalcore band Killswitch Engage; Dave Pirner, lead vocalist of American alternative rock band Soul Asylum; and American rapper Xzibit. The band had extensive airplay on BBC Radio 2 in the United Kingdom with one of the songs from the album, "Whole World Is Watching" featuring Pirner.
Their latest studio album, Resist, was released in February 2019 and incorporates influences from other musical styles such as industrial and EDM. By 2016, the band had already sold more than 3.5 million albums worldwide.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Within_Temptation
Studio albums
Enter (1997)
Mother Earth (2000)
The Silent Force (2004)
The Heart of Everything (2007)
The Unforgiving (2011)
Hydra (2014)
Resist (2019)
Bleed Out (2023)
Iron
Within Temptation Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here on your own
Woke up a memory
Feeling the pain
You cannot deny it
There's nothing to say
It's all that you need to find the way
Oh Damn, you feel you want it!
Oh Damn, just bring it on today!
You can't live without the fire
It's the heat that makes you strong
'Cause you're born to live and fight it all the way
You can hide what lies inside you
It's the only thing you know
You're embracing that, never walk away
Don't walk away
Don't walk away
Don't walk away
Don't walk away
Raised in this madness, you're on your own
It made you fearless, nothing to lose
Dreams are a drug here, they get in your way
That's what you need to fight day by day
Oh Damn, the war is coming!
Oh Damn, you feel you want it!
Oh Damn, just bring it on today!
You can't live without the fire
It's the heat that makes you strong
'Cause you're born to live and fight it all the way
You can hide what lies inside you
It's the only thing you know
You're embracing that, never walk away
Don't walk away
You need not to fear us
unless you're a dark heart
a vile one, who preys on the innocent
I promise, you can't hide forever in the empty darkness
for we'll hunt you down
like the animals you are
and pull you in the very bowels of hell
Oh Damn, the war is coming!
Oh Damn, you feel you want it!
Oh Damn, just bring it on today!
You can't live without the fire
It's the heat that makes you strong
'Cause you're born to live and fight it all the way
You can hide what lies inside you
It's the only thing you know
You're embracing that, never walk away
Don't walk away
Don't walk away
Don't walk away
Don't walk away
The lyrics of Within Temptation's song "Iron" are about facing and accepting one's inner strength, and the struggles one may face in the process. The first verse sets the tone of isolation and pain, describing being "left in the darkness" and waking up a memory that brings about discomfort. The chorus, with its repetition of "Oh Damn," seems to signify a building up of resolve and a desire for conflict. It's here that the idea of fire comes in, with the line "You can't live without the fire, it's the heat that makes you strong." This could refer to both an internal flame of determination and the external heat of battle. The second verse describes being raised in a tough environment and having to fight day by day, even though dreams can act as a hindrance. The final section of the song is addressed to those who would prey on the innocent. It's a warning that the listener, and perhaps the singer themselves, will not be a victim and that they will fight back.
Overall, the song touches on themes like resilience, self-discovery, and standing up for oneself. The singer is depicted as someone who has been through dark times, but instead of letting those times consume them, they embrace the strength they've gained from it. The repetition of "Don't walk away" reinforces that idea, that the only way to succeed is to face what's in front of you.
Line by Line Meaning
Left in the darkness
Feeling lost and alone, in a state of mental darkness.
Here on your own
Alone and without support in life.
Woke up a memory
Remembering past events, feeling nostalgic.
Feeling the pain
Feeling emotional pain from the past or present.
You cannot deny it
Unable to ignore or deny the pain felt.
There's nothing to say
Unable to express the pain in words, feeling helpless.
It's all that you need to find the way
The pain is the only way to find a path to move forward in life.
Oh Damn, the war is coming!
A warning of imminent danger, trouble is impending.
Oh Damn, you feel you want it!
Despite knowing the danger, the person desires it anyway.
Oh Damn, just bring it on today!
Challenging fate, wanting to confront and overcome adversity.
You can't live without the fire
The person needs passion, motivation in life to continue.
It's the heat that makes you strong
The intensity of emotions strengthens and empowers the person.
'Cause you're born to live and fight it all the way
The person has the innate ability to fight and overcome obstacles.
You can hide what lies inside you
The person can conceal their true feelings and emotions.
It's the only thing you know
Hiding emotions is a way of life, a defense mechanism.
You're embracing that, never walk away
Accepting and owning one's emotions, not hiding or running away from them.
Don't walk away
A plea to oneself to not give up or escape from difficulties.
Raised in this madness, you're on your own
Growing up in a chaotic, unpredictable environment without any support.
It made you fearless, nothing to lose
Surviving such a difficult environment has made the person unafraid of challenges in life.
Dreams are a drug here, they get in your way
The pressure to succeed and achieve dreams can be hindered by the harsh reality of life.
That's what you need to fight day by day
Despite the obstacles, the person must continue to struggle to achieve their dreams every day.
You need not to fear us
If the person is not a villain or malicious, there is no need to fear others.
unless you're a dark heart
However, if the person is evil or immoral, they should fear the consequences.
a vile one, who preys on the innocent
Those who harm or abuse others are reprehensible and should be punished.
I promise, you can't hide forever in the empty darkness
Those who do wrong will eventually be found and held accountable for their actions.
for we'll hunt you down
Justice will be served and those who do evil will be pursued and caught.
like the animals you are
Comparing those who do evil to wild, untamed animals.
and pull you in the very bowels of hell
The punishment for doing wrong will be severe and result in great suffering.
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Downtown Music Publishing, Cloud9
Written by: DANIEL BJORN GIBSON, SHARON DEN ADEL, ROBERT WESTERHOLT
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind