Iron

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!