Iron

When I think about the lyrics(and the video for this song), the message here is that there is a fighter in all of us. That we are in constant pursuit of happiness, as an ideal not just for ourself but for the loved ones around us. To fight to the bitter end, on the edge of the world, for the generation to come who will also grow there ideals based on our "fight". So that they maybe ready to "fight" for the generation after them.

Also, I forgot to mention. The last line alludes to how the soldiers couldn't even remember there families or what they looked like. They would lose pictures of their family and would completely forget what they looked like because they would be gone for months or even years.

Lastly, the lyrics allude twice to that feeling of being a million miles from home. This was a feeling that was felt highly by the soldiers of WWI and WWII.

yes it is understood that this song came out before the trailer for Assassin's Creed: Revelations, it's just the way that people became acquainted with this song. Honestly if you haven't see the trailer it's used in you should because it fits perfectly where it is. But of course that is beside the point.

I think the song has more of a medieval or Crusade-ish feel to it. The lyrics definitely refer to a war or battle of some kind, but in my opinion it feels more like a sword and shield kind of thing. Like a deserting soldier who can't go home because he'll be executed for deserting but refuses to return to war because he disagrees with the war. He's walking home and braving the elements but the journey is too perilous and he is alone, slowly losing his mind and memories. It can be assumed that the lone soldier dies before he even reaches his destination.

Walking away from it all, leaving all behind, but still longing for what has been. The thrill.

That is one thing I think of when I hear it.

I also know this song from the trailer to ACR. I read in the comments on YouTube someone complained that they didn't choose a more "epic" song for the trailer. Wow, what a load of BS, because this song is just timeless. Totally relates to the story in AC aswell. Anyways!

I also think this song is about soldiers during WWI or WWII, not remembering their families and what not. The lyrics are probably transposable to a lot of everyday situations aswell, but I think that Woodkid intended it to remind of the war.

i feel that the meaning to this song is mostly about a soldier venturing out to fight in war but mid way through loses direction, becomes just a drone used to kill

This deadly burst of snow is burning my hands, I'm frozen to the bones, I am A million mile from home, I'm walking away I can't remind your eyes, your face

its been too long fighting, he doesnt know in which direction to go (fighting or going home i mean)

@Vyvern you do realise this song was made before assassin's creed came out right?

@Vyvern well I still don't think this is a theme song for assassin's creed, your reading too much into it

If you don't take the lyrics that literally and look at the EP as a whole, this could be about a child growing up, becoming an adult (a soldier) and losing the innocence.

For example Wasteland: "Now I remember the joy and the taste of candy cane The innocence of youth and the sound of major scales."

"Deep in the ocean, dead and cast away Where innocence is burned in flames A million mile from home, I'm walking ahead I'm frozen to the bones, I am..."

Wasteland: "Now I remember the joy and the meaning of the fate The color of the truth and the sound of sunny days."

There're a lot of connections between these two songs, also some with Brooklyn and Baltimore's Fireflies . Like the innocence of childhood, 'fate', and shame.

"A soldier on my own, I don't know the way I'm riding up the heights of shame"

Baltimore's Fireflies: "What is the price, am I supposed to pay? For all the things I try to hide?"

"What are the words that I'm supposed to say? If someone knew about this lie?"

The 1st song is Iron and the last Wasteland. He starts out on his own and loses innocence (Iron), then he longs back to childhood (Brooklyn), does shameful things he regrets (Baltimore's Fireflies) and eventually finds his loved one who makes him remember the good old times (Wasteland).

People usually forget to look at an album (or EP as this one) as a whole, they focus too much one the individual songs.

My interpretation, take it or leave it.

"Deep in the ocean, dead and cast away Where innocence is burned in flames"

The first line is being used to symbolize war. War is a huge and constantly surrounds the soldiers. War is extremely oppressive. Soldiers are dead, cast away and forgotten. Thousands die, unknown. Their innocence is obviously gone, either by having to kill, or in a more literal sense. Their innocence was actually burned in flames when they had to burn fellow comrades, and it was then they realized the brutal reality of war.

"A million mile from home, I'm walking ahead I'm frozen to the bones, I am..."

Literally a million miles from home. Obviously in a foreign area. He may or may not be frozen, but his emotional state is definitely questionable.

"A soldier on my own, I don't know the way I'm riding up the heights of shame"

Okay, this part is where opinions start to differ. For me, I think this is an older war. What i believe is that he's a soldier literally by himself. His troop either got captured or murdered, and now he's on his own, and quite frankly doesn't know what the hell to do. He's "riding up the heights of shame" because it's shameful to have lost a battle.

"I'm waiting for the call, the hand on the chest I'm ready for the fight, and fate"

However, he's still a loyal soldier. He's still waiting for someone to call him to duty, to remember him, to ask him to fight for him again. He's ready, prepared, even yearning for it, to give him direction and something else to do asides from his aimless wandering.

"The sound of iron shots is stuck in my head, The thunder of the drums dictates The rhythm of the falls, the number of deaths The rising of the horns, ahead"

Kinda self explanatory. Shots/Shocks may be bullets or sword against sword/shield. Thunder of the drums can literally be drums, but I believe it to be his heart. Drumming, every time he watched a comrade fall, knowing he could be next. Rising of the horns, yes, literally may be battlehorns ahead.

"From the dawn of time to the end of days I will have to run, away"

I believe this means that he was destined to fight this war. Either a war was already going on, or it was inevitable. From the beginning of human existence, there has always been war. He knows that this will continue until the end of human. However, he may also be taking about HIS dawn of time (birth) and HIS end of days (death). In that case Either a war was already going on, or it was inevitable. However, now he believes he cannot go back home. Even if he finds his way back, his memories of war are so strong, he's come to familiarize himself with it, even becoming comfortable, eagerly awaiting when he's needed.

"I want to feel the pain and the bitter taste Of the blood on my lips, again"

He wants to fight again. It's all he knows now, all he's lived. He cannot remember another life. Fighting and killing is what this soldier is good at.

"This steady burst of snow is burning my hands, I'm frozen to the bones, I am"

May be taken literally, he may be getting frostbite. However, I think snow can also be interchanged with blood. A steady burst of blood was always on his hands, burning him, yet freezing him to the core.

"A million mile from home, I'm walking away"

This last bit is where he made his decision. He's walking AWAY from home. He knows he cannot go back now.

"I call to mind your eyes, your face" or "I can't remind your eyes, your face"

Either, he's calling a family/lover/fallen friend/etc to his mind one last time, before he completely turns his back, or he's completely forgotten how anything he used to care about looked like. His mind is too damaged by war, and he is enveloped by it.

He will forever roam, with no home and no army to go back to. He's forever waiting for the call of duty to ask him to fight, once more. This song kind of ends on a cliffhanger. Here is what I believe is most likely to happen.

He is for sure not going home. Either he 1. Years pass, and finally he hears of war again, and he's older now, but he still goes off to fight that battle. He dies in battle, doing what he grew to love and long. 2. He wandered the earth, alone until the end of time. Or 3 (which i find HIGHLY unlikely) he starts a new life elsewhere, new family, etc.

Either ending 1/2 (dont really count 3) are extremely lonely, and this song is perfect when it comes to displaying the effects of war.

this song may also be in his mind. It may literally just be all a game in his mind, fighting for his sanity. Whether he should try to return to a sane state, or just lapse back into his insanity.

Ty for reading this hugeeee interpretation! I love this song so much, I really hope Woodkid does come out with an explanation one day.

Thanks!