A king with her clear blue eyes?

[Saint of Killers]

In Crimson, the last line of the song is:

They had found a new leader to worship.
A king with her clear blue eyes.

Whatever happened to this king? It's implied that he has some connection to the Crimson Queen(he has the same eyes). But just skimming over the lyrics of Crimson II, I don't see any mention of a king or blue eyes.

The last line of Crimson was really an "OMG!" moment, sort of a cliffhanger. Why wasn't this resolved in Crimson II? Dan, what happened with this king, in your own vision?

Also, how long after Crimson is Crimson II set?

 

[Ivanhoe]

Perhaps we will get an answer in Crimson III?

 

[Villain]

The very same thing bothers me in Crimson II. The otherwise excellent lyrics lack a clear continuum from the history that is the first Crimson and concentrate only on this woman and her child. I would have wanted much more references to the first story and a short explanation of what had happened inbetween (in the form similar to the prologue of Crimson I, for example).

Oh, and I'm all ready for Crimson III - even willing to wait seven more years for it!

-Villain

PS: Does anyone have those missing lines near the end of the Crimson I? They were up somewhere a long time ago...

 

[Saint of Killers]

Also, how did humans regain their ability to reproduce? Did imprisoning the Queen do it? Because even before the Queen showed up, people couldn't breed.

 

[Nefilim]

I think the story in C1 was much better, a lot more epic. C2 is too focused on the woman, her daughter and the monastery in general. It's like the rest of their world doesn't know what's going on in there... still cool lyrics though, but I like the wider perspective of C1.

 

[Saint of Killers]

That's my general impression too. As a piece of music, it's probably as good as Crimson. But as a story, I don't think it meets the standard set by the first.

I heard that someone other than Dan wrote the lyrics this time. Did that person come up with the story too, or was he just given an outline and filled in the details? Did Dan write the lyrics on Crimson?

 

[Villain]

Did Dan write the lyrics on Crimson?

On the first Crimson, it reads (as far as I can remember, can't bother to check it now) lyrics: Axelsson, Swanö. Thus, I believe both Dread and Dan wrote some lines and created the story together. Anyone have any information to confirm/deny this?

And I have no clue about Clive Nolan, or what his contribution to the story of Crimson II was - the lyrics are good, but it is the story that is lacking.

-Villain

 

[Demilich]

Isn't there a big connection to CI, in this section?..

"One quiet night the lady traveled out beyond the monastery
Her quest was one of urgency and human preservation
She traveled with companions to reach the ruined city
Where lay the means to save her kind, a path to their salvation
When there they searched for evidence of where the Queen once slept
And came upon a gateway, which was tightly closed and barred
A stark inscription warned them of the risk of their next step
But choices were no more; they had already come too far

Let no man breach the gate to this most blasphemous of halls
Lest bitterness and chaos be the harvest they wouldst reap
He must n'er become a slave to this Child's beck and call
For she must never waken from her Crimson Sleep"

I mean, come on..

 

[Villain]

IAmEternal: A connection, yes; a big connection, no. The part you quoted is a nice reference to the first Crimson and unsurprisingly one of my favorite lyrical parts in the story of Crimson II. Still, the reference there is somewhat superficial. The same applies to the covers. And, most importantly, I just would have wanted there to be A LOT MORE OF THOSE CONNECTIONS.

Still, it is a great album.

-Villain

 

[Nefilim]

Villain: Agreed.

 

[Demilich]

Whoever said the first one was a lot more epic: YES! Crimson I defines epic, as far as I'm conserned. The scale is so massive and the music is so perfectly suited to it. And if it's true that Dan and Dread cowrote the lyrics, then it's a pity there was such a falling out between Dan and the EoS guys. Same as it's a pity Dan didn't write the C2 lyrics himself, as I love his lyrics and though Clive's are great, they lack that.. "Swanö" touch.

Villain: I completely agree with you now, though I still haven't sat down and read lyrics through C2 while listening to it from end to end, as I am very busy a lot of the time, I really see what you mean. Sorry about my post yesterday, I don't know what I was on. There ARE some connections, but they are pretty minor. I love that part also, and the part immediately following it where the child appears with "murder in her eyes" etc.. brilliant.

Before C2 was released, I had expected an immediate continuation of the same story, but then again I had no idea Dan wasn't writing the lyrics. It would have been interesting to hear exactly how humankind regained the ability to procreate, how the monarchy went after that, etc.

I do love that "Let no man breach the gate..." part right at the beginning of C2 though, and how it's reused a couple of times (esp. the clean one at 25 minutes).

 

[batmura]

Who said Clive Nolan ever wrote lyrics in EOS? His name isn't printed in the C2 booklet, and he's never been involved in a death metal related project from what I know. He's into prog rock and he played in bands like Ayreon, Clive Nolan & Oliver Wakeman, Pendragon and Arena. That's about it I guess.

 

[Ivanhoe]

Who said Clive Nolan ever wrote lyrics in EOS? His name isn't printed in the C2 booklet.

Look again. I found his name both in the booklet and on the disc itself.

 

[Demilich]

I thought it was common knowledge that he wrote this?

 

[Villain]

Sorry about my post yesterday, I don't know what I was on.

There's no need to apologise. You brought a new perspective to the discussion and in the end there's not even a disagreement between us.

Now, I'd like to hear Dan's comments on all this...

-Villain

 

[Saint of Killers]

So would I.

 

[Djöfull]

so what exactly is the story about? a long story short....
I´ve never had the patience of intepreting it

 

[Little Squish]

it's about shadows and worms

 

[Saint of Killers]

I've always interpreted Crimson to be about...what it seems to be about. An evil Queen born under mysterious circumstances who is eventually vanquished. I don't think there's really any need to find some socio-political or emotional message in it. It's a god-damned epic in it's own right, it don't need a moral.

 

[Saint of Killers]

Dan?