To believe in yourself

MANOWAR has always had one theme throughout their lyrics which always have catched my attention more than any other lyrics. It's the lyrics about to believe in yourself, to find courage and to find that inner strength which will lead to a better you.

"MANOWAR is all about the greatest music in the world, giving us the strength to believe, to carry on and never give up, uniting us under the Sign of the Hammer, to support True Metal, to stand, to fight and live by our hearts."

"I have been listening to Manowar for four years and they have strengthened my life in many ways. Their music, their lyrics and the power of the songs."

"Their music made me a better person, they gave me the strenght to be myself, to be a leader and not a follower. I've also met the best and truest people in the world through Manowar."

"Manowar helped me not to give up... no matter if it's about school or studys or about that my dad died two years ago what nearly destroyed me... "

This is how most of the fan's statements look like. I also think that's one of the reasons that MANOWAR fans feel such a bound between eachother - we fight together!

The strength and passion which you can experience in the MANOWAR songs does not only lie in the lyrics, but also in the way the song is structured, how the epic feeling in the songs put emotions to the lyrics.

It's said that music is the link between your soul and the spiritual world. I think this definetely goes for the music created by MANOWAR.

So, if you're feeling down or need that extra strength in your life, here's a good selection of songs that will get you in the right mood.

Warlord, Hatred, Mountains, Carry On, Fighting The World, Holy War, Kingdom Come, Heart of Steel, Master of the Wind, Courage, King, The Power and The Fight for Freedom.

Background: Norse mythology and MANOWAR

MANOWAR was one of the first heavy metal bands to bring Norse mythology into their lyrics. The 1983 album release "Into Glory Ride" which featured the song "Gates of Valhalla", set the course for Norse mythology in Heavy Metal. Numerous of artists have been inspired by this epic song which celebrate the glory of finally taking place next to Odin in Valhalla.

In 1984 Manowar continued on the theme, releasing the song "Blood of my enemies" on the album Hail to England.

Later the same year, the band's third album "Sign of the Hammer" was released. The album included the powerful anthem "Thor (The Powerhead)" which celebrated the God.

On the 2002 release "Warriors of the World", the band once again brought up Norse mythology in their songs. The instrumental track "Valhalla" led the listener into a powerful and epic tale in "Swords in the Wind", which in the booklet was credited to the Sons and Daughters of the North.

The 2007 release of the album "Gods of War" was a concept album entierly dedicated to Norse mythology. It consisted of grand, epic and powerful instrumental passages, combined with stories about the Norse gods.

Background: Courage

Courage was written by Joey already back in 1986 but not released until ten years later on the 1996 album "Louder Than Hell". The song has also been released in French.

The song is heavily influenced by the classical piece "Canon in D major" written by Johann Pachelbel around 1680.

Here's a version of it on Youtube. Notice as the song follows the same chord progression as "Courage". It's most notable in the beginning.

Is it just a coincidence or does it just show Joey's passion and inspiration from classical music? Anyways, both the original and Courage is wonderful pieces of music.

Here's a couple of other bands that have based their songs on this classical piece.

Eric Adams & Sarah Brightman's "Where Eagles Fly" also follows the same chord progression.

Background: Achilles, Agony & Ecstasy (in eight parts)

On the 1992 album "The Triumph of Steel", there's a song called "Achilles, Agony & Ecstasy (in eight parts)" which is almost 30 minutes long. The song is the story of the Greek epic poem called The Iliad.

If you're interested to read more about it, there's a good article here.

This is a very interesting article which analyzes the lyrics of the MANOWAR song. A must if you're interested in the story.