A heavy metal journey through recurring nightmares and the fear of falling asleep.
This isn't a song about fighting external demons.
The real enemy is the mind's own capacity to generate a 'parallel existence' so convincing it blurs reality.
Lyric guide
Dream Of Mirrors
A heavy metal journey through recurring nightmares and the fear of falling asleep.
person
Curated by Ethan Walker
LyroVerse team
Quick meaning
A fast read before the full lyric
Editor's note
Iron Maiden's Dream of Mirrors and Black-and-White Sleep
A heavy metal journey through recurring nightmares and the fear of falling asleep.
I only dream in black and white
This isn't a song about fighting external demons. The real enemy is the mind's own capacity to generate a 'parallel existence' so convincing it blurs reality. That shift from battling outside forces to being terrified of your own subconscious is classic later-period Maiden.
"I only dream in black and white" does a lot of work here. It strips the nightmare of any vivid color or distraction, making it stark and inescapable. The singer isn't just having bad dreams; he's pleading with them to 'save me from myself,' which turns the usual horror trope inward.
It's a simple, stark image that makes the nightmare feel clinical and drained of life, not fantastical. The lack of color suggests a dream stripped down to its most basic, frightening components.
The way the phrase 'The dream is true' gets chanted, almost like a mantra you're trying to convince yourself of, sticks with you long after the guitars fade.
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LyroVerse editor's notes are interpretation guides, not final truth. If something looks off, use comments, reporting, or Contact.
Listen for
What to keep in your ear
the pull of "parallel existence"
the pull of "I only dream in black and white"
the pull of "save me from myself,"
Lyrics
Dream Of Mirrors
The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.
Have you ever felt
The future is the past
But you don't know how?
A reflected dream
Of a captured time
Is it really now? Is it really happening?
Don't know why I feel this way
Have I dreamt this time, this place?
Something vivid comes again into my mind
And I think I've seen your face
Seen this room, been in this place
Something vivid comes again into my mind
All my hopes and expectations
Looking for an explanation
Have I found my destination?
I just can't take no more
The dream is true, the dream is true
The dream is true, the dream is true
Think I've heard your voice before
Think I've said these words before
Something makes me feel I just might lose my mind
Am I still inside my dream?
Is this a new reality?
Something makes me feel that I have lost my mind
All my hopes and expectations
Looking for an explanation
Coming to the realization
That I can't see for sure
I only dream in black and white
I only dream 'cause I am alive
I only dream in black and white
To save me from myself
I only dream in black and white
I only dream 'cause I'm alive
I only dream in black and white
Please save me from myself
The dream is true, the dream is true
The dream is true, the dream is true
I get up put on the light
Dreading the oncoming night
Scared to fall asleep and dream the dream again
Nothing that I contemplate
Nothing that I can compare
To letting loose the demons deep inside my head
Dread to think what might be stirring
That my dream is reoccurring
Got to keep myself from drifting
Saving me from myself
I only dream in black and white
I only dream 'cause I'm alive
I only dream in black and white
To save me from myself
I only dream in black and white
I only dream, 'cause I'm alive
I only dream in black and white
To save me from myself
Lost in a dream of mirrors
Lost in a paradox
Lost and time is spinning
Lost a nightmare I retrace
Lost a hell that I revisit
Lost another time and place
Lost a parallel existence
Lost a nightmare I retrace
I only dream in black and white
I only dream 'cause I'm alive
I only dream in black and white
To save me from myself
I only dream in black and white
I only dream, 'cause I'm alive
I only dream in black and white
To save me from myself
I only dream in black and white
I only dream, 'cause I'm alive
I only dream in black and white
To save me from myself
The dream is true, the dream is true
The dream is true, the dream is true
The dream is true, the dream is true
The dream is true, the dream is true
Quick answers
What this page can answer fast
What is "Dream Of Mirrors" by Iron Maiden about?
A heavy metal journey through recurring nightmares and the fear of falling asleep. This isn't a song about fighting external demons. The real enemy is the mind's own capacity to generate a 'parallel existence' so convincing it blurs reality.
Who performs "Dream Of Mirrors"?
Iron Maiden performs "Dream Of Mirrors", and this lyric page sits inside the Iron Maiden catalog on LyroVerse.
Does LyroVerse have an editor's note for "Dream Of Mirrors"?
Yes. The page carries the LyroVerse editor's note "Iron Maiden's Dream of Mirrors and Black-and-White Sleep", followed by the full lyric and related songs.
Are there related songs to explore after "Dream Of Mirrors"?
Yes. The related section below points to Run To The Hills and Flight Of Icarus with a short reason for opening each page next.
Where can I find more songs by Iron Maiden?
Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Iron Maiden's lyric pages.
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