House of Heroes – In The Valley Of The Dying Son

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  My Interpretation:this song, especially the first few verses, remind me of the story of julius caesar. here are a few examples:
  
  "though you long for peace, the sword is your father" could be about how brutus is conflicted by the idea of killing caesar. he doesn't want to, but he knows ultimately he's going to have to for the good of the republic.
  
  "I'm thinking of you when I kill a good man, to keep myself from being killed by him" could be about how brutus has the future of the republic of rome in mind when he decides to kill caesar.
  
  "watered by the tears of the innocent ones" could be about how antony manipulates the crowd and uses their strong emotions to plan a revolt against the conspirators and gain power.
  
  "you wanna finish it, we're gonna finish it right" could be about how brutus tells the men that they shouldn't be ashamed of killing caesar, since he believes it is the right thing to do. he tells them if they want to kill him, they have to "go all out" and show the people that they are proud of what they've done.
  
  I don't know, just a thought...

  Flag deweydeeon April 30, 2011   Link

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  General Comment:I heard that this story is about a soldier in WWII (I think that's what the music video is) but it parallels with the story of Jacob. I heard a preacher talk about Jacob, and this song ties in really well. Jacob's name means 'deceiver', so all through his life he was treated as the deceiver- it was a curse. He became what everyone treated him as. He lied, AND was lied to. But after fighting the angel, he was renamed 'Israel'. So, as the song says, he 'wrestled the angel, to undo the curse'.
  Afterwards, he went to meet his brother. Esau wanted to kill him, but Jacob wanted to make amends, and didn't know how it was going to go. That's why he sings 'Tonight will be my ending or tonight my new beginning.'
  There's a lot more than that, but I don't want to write a whole essay :)

  Flag sefranknseon November 28, 2010   Link

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  My Interpretation:Definitely epic.
  
  I see the story of Jacob. he's in the valley, the sun goes down, he wrestles the angel. (the angel wrestling part is explicit, the rest somewhat implied)
  "I'm thinkin of you when I hold my girl and wonder if she'll ever love again..."
  I believe that part is when his daughter Dinah has been raped by the prince of some town they've stayed at (which his sons subsequently destroy)
  "a chill up my spine...the glory of the angel or the terror in me, tonight will be my ending or tonight my new beginning"
  Jacob is worried that since he's seen God he will die, but instead he gets a new name (which is pretty significant in Biblical times)
  DOn't know about this part for sure, but since Abraham's descendants were likened to the stars in teh sky, the last few lines may be referenceing himself as Abraham's descendant...
  I hear the WWII theme, too-bathed in the powder of a thousand guns- obviously that can't literally be Jacob, but still.

  Flag elleldeeon March 22, 2010   Link

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  My Opinion:Epic stuff. Love it.

  Flag therealdrag0on January 04, 2010   Link

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  General Comment:this song is partially about jacob (says aj in an interview on utube) and partially about some one who realizes god's on their side and that they need to turn their life around or there goin' strait to hell!

  Flag 1girlrevalutionon October 12, 2009   Link

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  My Interpretation:I think this song is comparing today with the biblical account of jacob fighting with the angel.
  
  
  In the valley of the dying sun
  I walk a crooked path alone
  I came across the shadow of a man
  With an angel's breath
  
  'O boy' he said to me
  'I see your future'
  'Though you long for peace
  The sword is your father
  
  
  (i think the first 2 stanzas are about a "story" an outside person is thinking about)
  
  
  
  I'm thinking of you
  I'm thinking of you when I kill a good man
  To keep myself from being killed by him
  I'm thinking of you
  I'm thinking of you when I hold my girl
  And wonder if she'll ever love again
  I'm thinking of you
  Wash the blood off my hands
  
  
  (the other man thinking about all this solider and all the crap he has to go through)
  
  
  
  Bathed in the powder of a thousand guns
  I am the king of sorrows
  Watered by the tears of the innocent ones
  The river grows
  It moves
  It swells
  
  'Son' It calls to me
  'Your days are numbered
  Sow the seeds you will
  But I am the reaper'
  
  
  
  (a metaphor about how the solider is haunted about what he did and feels like it's his turn because he has killed other people and "has it coming")
  
  
  'I'm thinking of you
  I'm thinking of you when you kill a good man
  To keep yourself from being killed by him
  I'm thinking of you
  I'm thinking of you when you hold your girl
  And wonder if she'll ever love again
  I'm thinking of you
  Wash the blood off your hands'
  
  (^^)
  
  
  (This next part of the song is talking about Jacob and the comparison between the two stories, Jacob faught with an angel for what he wanted and so is the man in this story)
  
  
  
  I howled at the moon like a wolf in the night
  You want to finish it
  We're gonna finish it right
  
  And then I felt it with a chill up my spine
  There are no words to use that truly describe
  The glory of the angel or the terror in me
  Tonight will be my ending or tonight my new beginning
  
  All through the night
  I wrestled the angel
  To undo the curse
  That's burdened me all of my life
  
  And for the first time I could see
  That God was not my enemy
  
  "I'm thinking of you"
  
  Like pieces of the sun
  Our light burns on and on and on
  Like stars in the night sky we shine
  I'm living to shine on
  
  
  
  
  The video to this song is awesome too!!!

  Flag Cassay280on October 06, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:Yes, this song IS the sole BEST SONG like, ever.
  Question.
  Who the heck is this song written in the perspective of? Jacob?
  (idk if that question made any sense. REPLY!)

  Flag moriah226on May 14, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:"I'm thinking of you when I kill a good man
  To keep myself from being killed by him"
  
  This makes me think of war, like he doesn't want to kill but he has to and how war ruins lives.

  Flag swimmfreak109on March 12, 2009   Link

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    You are soooooo very deep inside arn't you... lol

    Flag Caleridon April 14, 2011  
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  My Opinion:Best song on quite possibly the best album I've ever heard.
  It's amazing they can tell this story in four in a half minutes...

  Flag zirothon February 22, 2009   Link

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  General Comment:omg. i didn't realize it until i downloaded the full song (instead of listening to the 30 second clip on itunes), but this song is so f'ing epic. wow...i'll be puttin this on repeat for the next week.
  
  man...it's the greatest feeling when you come across a song like this. last one that did this for me was poker face by lady gaga (still on repeat, btw).
  
  epic epic EPIC! download NOW!

  Flag ShikamaruXXXon November 10, 2008   Link

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