My good Heavy Metal loving friends, today I would like to tell you of an interesting comparing I made.Everybody knows the story of Icarus, one of the most famous tales in the Greek mythology. But for those of you who may have forgotten, I will remind it to you the way I read it.
The king of Crete has put a terrible punishment on the city of Athens- to prevent a war, he forced the king of Athens to send him virgins every year, who were sent into a labyrinth to be eaten by the Minotaur. Until the hero Theseus came to Crete, slain the Minotaur, freed the virgins and escaped the labyrinth. The furious king of Crete then ordered the constructor of the labyrinth, Daedalus, and his son Icarus to be locked inside it. But the clever inventor was not down.
"We may not escape by ground, but the sky is free."
Daedalus collected feathers, and constructed wings for him and for his son, and then glued them with wax.
"We would be able to fly over the labyrinth with those wings, but be careful not to fly too close to the sun, or your wax may melt and the wings fall off." He warned his son.
But like every teenager, Icarus didn't listen to his father. The moment he rose to the air, he felt like a god, and strted flying higher and higher, to the sun. And the rest is history. The British Heavy Metal band Iron Maiden has a song called "Flight of Icarus" about the story. In fact, it's one of my favorite songs by the band. It was not until recently that I discovered that the popular Russian Heavy Metal band Ariya has a song called "Ikar" (Icarus) as well. The band has always admitted it has been inspired by Iron Maiden, but you can understand it yourself by many signs ranging from music style to album covers to logo design.
I decided to check that out, and what do I discover, to my great (not) surprise?
"Flight of Icarus" is from the 1985 Iron Maiden album "Live after Death".
"Ikar" is from the 1986 Ariya album "S kem ti?" ("Whose side are you?")
Ripoff? Well, the songs don't sound alike. The lyrics, on the other hand, make you wonder.
Iron Maiden- Flight of Icarushttp://www.mediafire.com/?vsgmxjz5nznAriya- Ikarhttp://www.mediafire.com/?tzub4hci0pmJudge for yourself:
Iron Maiden- Flight of IcarusAs the sun breaks above the ground
An old man stands on the hill
As the ground warms to the first rays of light
A birdsong shatters the still
His eyes are ablaze
See the madman in his gaze
Fly on your way like an eagle
Fly as high as the sun
On your wings like an eagle
Fly and touch the sun
Now the crowd breaks and a young boy appears
Look the old man in his eyes
As he spreads his wings and shouts at the crowd
In the name of God my father I fly
His eyes seem so glazed
As he flies on the wings of a dream
Now he knows his father betrayed
Now his wings burn to ashes to ashes his grave
Fly on your way like an eagle
Fly as high as the sun
On your wings like an eagle
Fly and touch the sun
Ariya- IkarKto videl Ikara?
Tam, v siney dali
Kril lohkaya para
Sin greshnoy zemli
On letel nad gorami gordiy kak orol
Rassekaya streloy oblak
On letel nad gorami sonzem ozaron
I na zemlyu smotrel svisoka
Kto dal yemu krilya?
Kto jdal na skale?
No vsyo pozabil on
I skrilsa vo mgle
On letel nad gorami gordiy kak orol
Rassekaya streloy oblak
On letel nad gorami sonzem ozaron
I na zemlyu smotrel svisoka
Kto videl Ikara?
Tam, v siney dali
Kril lohkaya para
Zdes, v seroy pili?
Ariya- Icarus (translation)Who has seen Icarus?
There, in the blue distanse?
A light pair of wings
Son of the sinful land
He flew over the mountains, proud as an eagle
Cuttings trough clouds like a dart
He flew over the mountains, blinded by the sun
And looked over the ground
Who gave him his wings?
Who waited on the cliff?
Nothing more he could remember
And disappeared in the haze
He flew over the mountains, proud as an eagle
Cuttings trough clouds like a dart
He flew over the mountains, blinded by the sun
And looked over the ground
Who has seen Icarus?
There, in the blue distanse?
A light pair of wings
Here, in the gray dust?