It seems so familiar to any power metal listener. Like it should be obvious what it means. But what exactly ARE “The Eyes of the World”?
One of the first things Google will show you pretty much amounts to Everyone Else's Opinion. The eyes of the world are a flawed way of seeing things, as opposed to a higher spiritual perspective.
It's all the useless hate, the greed, and just plain incorrect ideas.
This is an important idea, but it doesn't sound quite the same as what Power Metal is talking about.
The first big reference in music seems to be the Grateful Dead, imploring us to “Wake up and see that you are the eyes of the world”.
As opposed to the “Following the crowd” interpretation, this seems to be reminding us that our opinion is just as important as a theirs, and that it's up to us to find and share the truth. And if the rest of the eyes of the world aren't doing their job, we need to fix that.
Another related popular idea is that “The eyes are the window to the soul”.
I do not like or agree with any of Wagner's Very Bad Awful Ideas, but he was influential on the metal scene, and I've heard that eyes were important in his work, revealing a character's inner thoughts and intentions.
So perhaps we should be thinking in terms of looking *into* the eyes of the world, seeing the pain of the land under the Lich-tyrant, and the hope that someone will come to defeat them, or just having a bit more empathy for the guy you pass in the sleeping bag under the bridge.
But coming back to power metal, “Seeing through the eyes of the world” seems to be a specific, purposeful act. What is it?
Is it just an attitude, or is it some gift of visions granted to the worthy?
Knowing the general themes, I can imagine an old wandering wizard gazing into his crystal, or into some ancient well, and seeing through the eyes of the birds, from the knotholes in the ancient trees, and up through the shimmering lakes the land over.
Maybe while he's looking, he hears a few whispers of how the well feels about what he sees (Most things are alive, to some degree, says Elodin the Master Namer).
So what does it all mean for us? What does it mean to See Through the Eyes of The World in a power metal song?
It means to look from every perspective you can, both *through* the eyes, at the hard facts and logic, and *into* the eyes of those you share the world with.
It means to scan from the tops of trees, looking for the Stranger who wasn't there before, the flecks of blood the thieves left behind, or… the important post-it note that fell on the office floor?
It means seeing all the nonsense, lies, and bias the world has to offer, and knowing exactly why you should ignore it all.
It's looking *through* the eyes of the world, but also with your own.
It's the wide search and patrol, and the close up investigation, and the trial where you sift through to find the truth, all in one.
But watch out, the people telling those nonsense and lies feel just as confident as you!