This sturdy American blues-rock trio from Texas consists of Billy Gibbons (guitar), Dusty Hill

(bass), and Frank Beard (drums). They were formed in 1970 in and around Houston from rival bands the
Moving Sidewalks (Gibbons) and American Blues (Hill and Beard). Their first two albums reflected the strong
blues roots and Texas humor of the band. Their third album (Tres Hombres) gained them national attention with
the hit "La Grange," a signature riff tune to this day, based on John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen." Their
success continued unabated throughout the '70s, culminating with the year-and-a-half-long Worldwide Texas
Tour.

Exhausted from the overwhelming work load, they took a three-year break, then switched labels and returned to
form with Deguello and El Loco, both harbingers of what was to come. By their next album, Eliminator, and its
worldwide smash follow-up, Afterburner, they had successfully harnessed the potential of synthesizers to their
patented grungy blues-groove, giving their material a more contemporary edge while retaining their patented
Texas style. Now sporting long beards, golf hats, and boiler suits, they met the emerging video age head-on,
reducing their "message" to simple iconography. Becoming even more popular in the long run, they moved with
the times while simultaneously bucking every trend that crossed their path. As genuine roots musicians, they
have few peers; Gibbons is one of America's finest blues guitarists working in the arena rock idiom -- both
influenced by the originators of the form and British blues-rock guitarists like Peter Green -- while Hill and Beard
provide the ultimate rhythm section support. The only rock & roll group that's out there with its original members
still aboard after three decades (an anniversary celebrated on 1999's XXX), ZZ Top's music is always instantly
recognizable, eminently powerful, profoundly soulful, and 100 percent American in derivation. They have
continued to support the blues through various means, perhaps most visibly when they were given a piece of
wood from Muddy Waters' shack in Clarksdale, MS. The group members had it made into a guitar, dubbed the
"Muddywood," then sent it out on tour to raise money for the Delta Blues Museum. ZZ Top's support and link to
the blues remains as rock solid as the music they play. ~ Cub Koda, All Music Guide

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ZZ Top
 

"He's our kind of guy." -- Frank Beard to Billy

Gibbons after Beard introduced himself to
Dusty Hill in a bar. Hill passed out drunk before
returning Beard's greeting.--1969

Best known for: Classic rock trio known for its Texas heritage, bearded,
haggard look, reclusive mystique, hard-nosed business tactics, and blues-rock
sound.

Born:  ZZ Top (aka, That Little ol' Band from Texas): 1969; Billy F. Gibbons
(guitar): Houston, September 16, 1949; Dusty Hill (bass): Dallas, May 19, 1949;
Frank Beard (drums): Dallas, June 11, 1949; Bill Mack Ham (manager):
Waxahachie, 1937.

Family: Billy Gibbons, the son of a financially well-off family living in the
Tanglewood suburb of Houston, never married. Dusty Hill is divorced with a
college-age daughter. Frank Beard is married and has two twin boys and a
daughter who reportedly goes to college in Houston and will be part of the
University class of 2001.

Education: While growing up in suburban Houston, Gibbons learned about R&B

music from his family's maid, who was African-American.

Career: Guitarist Billy Gibbons met his future manager, Waxahachie native Bill
Mack Ham, backstage at a Doors concert in Houston in 1967. Gibbons' band at
the time, the Moving Sidewalks, had a local hit with the song "99th Floor." They
soon opened on the Doors' Texas tour. After later opening for the Jimi Hendrix
Experience, Hendrix named Gibbons his favorite guitar player during an
appearance on "The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson." The Sidewalks broke
up and Gibbons and Ham contracted to form a new band.

After a few false starts with other musicians, the Gibbons-Hill-Beard version of
ZZ Top was founded in 1969. According to Gibbons, the name came from one or
more of the following: the two brands of rolling-paper, Zig-Zag and Top, a tribute
to blues legend Z.Z. Hill, and/or Gibbons seeing the two words running together
on a dilapidated bill board. Hill and Beard had been members of a Dallas band
called American Blues.

The trio spent its first few years playing mostly regional concerts. Ham's bosses,
Houston record producer Pappy Daily and family, cut a deal with him to finance
"ZZ Top's First Album" (1970). Five other records followed on the London
Records label. The third album, "Tres Hombres" (1973), brought them national
attention. Its hit song "La Grange," about a whorehouse, was allegedly based on
John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen." It is still the band's signature riff tune. Also
included was "Beer Drinkers & Hell Raisers," the would-be anthem.

In an event that tried to be a rock-style Willie Nelson Picnic, the group was the
featured headliner in the "Rompin' and Stompin' Barndance and Barbecue," held
in Austin on Labor Day, September 1, 1974. Appearing with them before a crowd
of 80,000 was San Francisco legend Bill Graham, Santana, Joe Cocker and Bad
Company making its U.S. debut. This was ZZ Top's first concert in which they
were seen as more than just a Texas act. It was the biggest concert in Austin's
history, and the last to be held in Memorial Stadium on the University of Texas
Campus for another twenty years. The stadium had been trashed by concert-
goers, who had suffered from the heat and lack of food, water and toilets.

The year-and-a-half-long Worldwide Texas Tour, with stage props like haystacks,
ranch tools and Longhorn cattle, began in 1975. It featured songs from "Tres
Hombres" and "Fandango," their fourth album. Although their concert earnings
were now in the tens of millions, by the end of the tour the group was exhausted.
They took a break that ended up lasting three years. Manager Bill Ham stayed
busy, however, shrewdly negotiating a lucrative recording contract with Warner
Brothers that is still talked about in the music business. Their next two albums,
"Deguello" and "El Loco," were well received with hits like "Cheap Sunglasses"
and "Tube Snake Boogie."

The next album, "Eliminator," featuring musically controversial electronic

instruments, debuted ZZ Tops biggest hits, "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed man."
The synthesizers and drum machines caused controversy in other ways as well.
According to former roadie David Blayney in his book, "Sharp Dressed Men,"
sound engineer Linden Hudson co-wrote much of the material on the album as a
live-in high-tech music teacher to Beard and Gibbons. Hudson claims that in
addition to not getting songwriting credit, Ham worked to cover up his
contributions to the album. Despite continued denials by the band, it settled a
five-year legal battle with Hudson, paying him $600,000 after he allegedly proved
he held the copyright on the song "Thug." Another copyright suit was brought by
a co-writer of John Lee Hooker's "Boogie Chillen," the alleged basis of "La
Grange." That case was settled and sealed. The group's eighth album,
"Afterburner," with its continued use of synthesizers, became a worldwide smash
hit.

Until MTV came along in the '80s, ZZ Top had declined all offers for TV
appearances. Their first video, "Gimme All Your Lovin'," set the style for follow-
ups "Legs" and "Sharp-Dressed man." The addition of videos took the band's
famous mystique and popularity to an all-time high.

In 1981, ZZ Top joined a diverse group, organized by art patron and civic leader
Marilyn Lubetkin and including such philanthropists as Dominique de Menil, to
donate money to purchase J.D. McKissack's Orange Show from his heir. The
Orange Show, an open-air, multimedia sculptural installation dedicated to the
orange, is Texas' leading example of an art form called "folk art environment."
For their support of the blues and an art form, the band  was given a piece of
wood from Muddy Waters' shack in Clarksdale, Mississippi. They had it made
into a guitar, named it the "Muddywood," and sent it on a tour to raise funds for
the Delta Blues Museum.

By 1990, the band had sold 50 million records. Tragedy struck in 1991 when
Ham's wife, Cecile, was murdered. A 23-year-old man on parole with three prior
convictions strangled her for her car so he wouldn't have to walk to his halfway
house. In spite of hard times personally, ZZ Top's 1996 album, "Rythmeen" was
considered one of their best. Gibbons called it the "first pure trio record of our
career," because only the three of them played on it. That return to an earlier
sound, made more pure and raw, continued on their 1999 album, "XXX," which
celebrates the band's thirtieth anniversary. At the turn of the century, ZZ Top was
the only rock group with its original members after three decades.

Sources:  The Official ZZ Top Web Site http://www.zztop.com; The Little ol' Web
Page from Texas, http://www.mcs.net/~zztop/; Chris Riemenschneider, "ZZ Top:
Thirty-odd years of lawsuits, legs and a shack outside La Grange," XLent
magazine, December 16, 1999 (weekly tabloid supplement to The Austin
American-Statesman), pp 30-33, 60; Kendall Curlee, "McKissack, Jefferson
Davis,"
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/MM/fmcdb.html,
"Orange Show,"
http://www.tsha.utexas.edu/handbook/online/articles/view/OO/lio1.html, The
Handbook of Texas Online; Bertelsmann Music Group Ultimate Band List, ZZ
Top Biography, http://www.ubl.com/ubl_artist.asp?artistid=001107.

ZZ Top Biography

Written by The Rock Radio staff, May 2005 © The Rock Radio

Humble beginnings
With their trademark biker beards, elaborate stage productions, and record sales topping 50
million, it's easy to forget that outlaw boogie kings ZZ Top were once just "That Lil' Ol' Band From
Texas." Formed in 1969, the hard-living, hard-partying trio took their name (according to legend)
as either a tribute to blues man Z.Z. Hill or a combination of the names of two popular cigarette
rolling papers, Zig-Zag and Top. With a minimalist approach- Billy F. Gibbons on guitars and
vocals, Dusty Hill on bass, and the clean-shaven Frank Beard on drums- the group literally forged
their own razor-sharp style. Their sound was a mix of their early blues roots, the border folk songs
they'd heard growing up, and the predominant psychedelia of the era.

The lucky '70s

Although the talent of ZZ Top is undoubtable, one can argue that they had a fair share of luck in
their early days. Guitarist Billy Gibbons, who'd attained some regional Texas exposure with his
band The Moving Sidewalks, met band manager/guru Bill Mack Ham while partying backstage at
a Doors concert in 1967. Shortly thereafter, The Moving Sidewalks were opening for Morrison &
Co. After several line-up changes, Hill and Beard were recruited from another local group,
American Blues, and the classic 'Top was born.

Their debut effort for Warner Brothers Records, ZZ Top's First Album, was released in 1970. Rio
Grande Mud, a continued exploration of their deep blues influences, followed in 1972. By this
time, ZZ Top were moving away from regional status and had managed to attract attention from
the likes of Jimi Hendrix, who once called Gibbons his favorite guitar player.

But their big break came in 1973, with the release of the now-classic album Tres Hombres. That
album spawned not only their most famous hit to date, "La Grange," but also cemented their
trademark hard blues sound (courtesy of that unforgettable guitar lick, borrowed from John Lee
Hooker's "Boogie Chillen.") and set the stage for eventual world domination. 1975's Fandango
saw the band refining that sound ("Tush," "Heard It On The X.") and finally garnering some
international attention. As a result, band manager Ham booked the trio on the now famous "World
Wide Texas Tour," a bombastic, over-the-top stage production that included a ranch set, cowboy
props, and, of course, the group's by-then meaty catalog of Southwestern blues/boogie. Though
the tour undoubtedly put them over the top, career-wise, it also exhausted them so thoroughly
that they were forced to take a three-year hiatus. Back home, however, they continued to record
and release albums and score hits. 1976's Tejas contained such gems as "It's Only Love" and
"Arrested For Driving While Blind," and 1979's Deguello kept them on the charts and jukeboxes
with sultry, high-energy tracks like "I Thank You," "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide," and "Cheap
Sunglasses."

The visual '80s

ZZ Top kicked off the '80s in fine form with El Loco, their 7th album proper. By now back on the
road at a frantic pace, the band also enjoyed several more charting hits with party classics like
"Tube Snake Boogie," "Pearl Necklace," and "Heaven, Hell, Or Houston." But El Loco would be
the group's final album in the straight blues/rock vein. Though they'd staunchly refused television
appearances since their inception, Gibbons and the boys were fascinated by early MTV. For the
first time, with the release of 1983's Eliminator, they filmed accompanying videos, adopted a
synthesizer-heavy sound, and began the transformation into the highly visual band they are
today. With the songs and videos for such barn-burners as "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Sharp
Dressed Man" in strong rotation on MTV and radio, ZZ Top truly achieved that world-wide
domination they'd set out to find in their early days. And despite their celebrity status, earnings in
the multi-millions, and various personal tragedies, the trio continued to support and celebrate the
early blues influences they'd hung their hats on from the beginning.

As a reward from the blues community for their tireless efforts to "keep the blues alive," they were
given a piece of wood from blues legend Muddy Waters' shack in Clarksdale, Mississippi. The
band used it to make the now-legendary "Muddywood" guitar, which they then sent on tour
around the world to raise money for various blues causes. 1985's Afterburner saw them
continuing to use the very lucrative synth-formula they'd established earlier in the decade, as well
as scoring additional chart hits with the decidedly more polished sound of cuts like "Rough Boy,"
"Sleeping Bag," and "Velcro Fly."

The Quiet '90s

By 1990, ZZ Top had sold over 50 million records worldwide. Their 10th release, Recycler, gave
them their last big radio/video smash in the song "Doubleback." As the alternative rock movement
gained momentum and they were hit with several lawsuits (most notably one from their sound
man, who claimed he'd written much of the '80's material, and another from a distant relative of
John Lee Hooker, who demanded a cut from "La Grange" due to that infamous guitar lick. Both
suits were settled out of court.) they began to recede from the public eye. Subsequently, they
switched from Warner Bros. to RCA Records and released several more albums, including 1994's
Antenna and 1996's Rhythmeen. XXX followed and a slow return to their trademark, rough Texas
sound began.
The present and beyond - A return to their roots
With the issue of 2003's Mescalero, there was no doubt that Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank
Beard were still a powerful force in the modern blues/rock genre. The album found the trio
discarding many of the studio tricks that had brought them such fame in the '80's, and Gibbons'
song writing talents once again came to the fore. From the sexy, slow burn of songs like "Piece"
the raw, gut-bucket blast of "Buck Nekkid" and the goofy, rock-is-fun wink of "Me So Stupid,"
Mescalero was the first album since 1981's El Loco to truly embody the essence of classic ZZ
Top.

In 2004, after more than three decades of recording, touring, and influencing countless young
would-be rockers, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

In 2005, ZZ Top continues to record and tour, bringing their back-country blues, boogie-
woogie, and bravado to audiences new and old the world over.

"Country Jesus, hillbilly blues, that's where I learned my licks, So listen to

your radio every night..."
ZZ Top - 1975

This Texas trio slogged around the arena circuit for years, bashing out metalized boogie 'n' blooze that
never quite survived the transition to record. Except for the apocalyptic quiver of "Jesus Just Left Chicago"
(from Tres Hombres), the early recorded efforts of guitarist Billy Gibbons, bassist Dusty Hill, and drummer
Frank Beard form a largely undifferentiated mass -- a parched riverbed, if you will. By the mid-'70s, ZZ
Top began to sprout a juicy hook here and there: first the incongruous lingo of "Tush" (from the half-live
Fandango!) and then the sober slide of "Arrested for Driving While Blind" (from Tejas). All the roadwork
paid off, both financially and artistically. The Best of ZZ Top dryly contradicts the band's previous cartoon
status, and after a three-year layoff, Deguello proves these old boys really are capable of more than
barbecuing a few borrowed riffs. From the steely pulse of "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide" to the kicking version
of "Dust My Broom," this is a superior white blues album -- with a wickedly catchy single to boot: "Cheap
Sunglasses" (propelled by a pounding riff yanked clean off of fellow Texan Edgar Winter's lumbering
"Frankenstein"). El Loco isn't too far behind that, but ZZ Top takes another sharp left turn with Eliminator.
Video-friendly and enhanced with digitally processed guitars and new-wave-style drum synths, the Top's
retooled cartoon image takes some getting used to. The hit single "Legs" provided the opportunity; while
the thematic, ah, thrust is a little primitive, the sight of these sharp-dressed, bearded gents on MTV was
extremely gratifying in 1984. As was the sound of Billy Gibbons leaning -- head on -- into a taut, drawling
solo during the Top 40 countdown. But that winning formula already starts to wear thin on Afterburner
("Sleeping Bag," "Velcro Fly"). Recycler is one of the least propitious titles in recent memory. Greatest
Hits picks up where The Best Of left off, spanning all of the group's big '80s hits and adding an unessential
but nifty (and appropriately trashy) ZZ-fied electro-fuzz cover of Elvis Presley's "Viva Las Vegas." The Six
Pack box set gathers together the first five albums and El Loco (but no Deguello) onto three CDs, but
purists beware: in an apparent effort to bring the old albums up to '80s speed, Beard's drums were digitally
"enhanced" during the remastering -- a source of considerable frustration to veteran Top fans for years. The
later individual CD reissues of all six albums feature the same revisionist mix.

After Recycler and a move from Warners to RCA, ZZ Top made a concerted effort to reembrace their
grittier, bluesier roots. Antenna was an appealing if somewhat tentative first step backward in the right
direction; while nowhere near as down and dirty as Tres Hombres or even Deguello, songs such as
"Pincushion" and "Fuzzbox Voodoo" found them easing away from synths without sacrificing big, meaty
hooks. Rhythmeen, on the other hand, was a monster unleashed; while none of the songs jump out as
standouts, the growling, swampy sound maintained from start to finish is wholly satisfying; it makes even
the '70s albums -- particularly the remastered versions -- sound positively tame in comparison. The
depressingly tuneless XXX, however, sounds like ZZ Top smothered under a fire blanket. Even the four
live tunes tacked on at the end sound D.O.A. On the upside, that only helps to enhance the 90-proof kick of
Mescalero. Armed with their catchiest songs since their MTV renaissance (and, in "Punk Ass Boyfriend,"
the best song title of their career), Mescalero is proof that these grizzled road dawgs still have legs, and
know how to use them. (MARK COLEMAN/RICHARD SKANSE)

From the 2004 The New Rolling Stone Album Guide

Formed in Houston, Texas, USA, in 1970, ZZ Top evolved out

of the city's psychedelic scene and consist of Billy Gibbons (b.
16 December 1949, Houston, Texas, USA; guitar, vocals, ex-
Moving Sidewalks), Dusty Hill (b. Joe Hill, 19 May 1949,
Dallas, Texas, USA; bass, vocals) and Frank Beard (b. 11
June 1949, Frankston, Texas, USA; drums), the last two both
ex-American Blues. ZZ Top's original line-up - Gibbons, Lanier
Greig (bass) and Dan Mitchell (drums) - was also the final
version of the Moving Sidewalks. This initial trio completed ZZ
Top's debut single, "Salt Lick", before Greig was fired. He was
replaced by Bill Ethridge. Mitchell was then replaced by Frank
Beard while Dusty Hill subsequently joined in place of Ethridge. Initially ZZ Top joined
a growing swell of southern boogie bands and started a constant round of touring,
building up a strong following. Their debut album, while betraying a healthy interest in
blues, was firmly within this genre, but Rio Grande Mud indicated a greater flexibility.
It included the rousing "Francene" which, although indebted to the Rolling Stones, gave
the trio their first hit and introduced them to a much wider audience.

ZZ Top Links

Click Here for ZZ Top Tickets ZZ Top Official Website

   

Their third album, Tres Hombres, was a powerful, exciting set that drew from delta
music and high-energy rock. It featured the band's first national Top 50 hit with "La
Grange' and was their first platinum album. The trio's natural ease was highly affecting
and Gibbons" startling guitar work was rarely bettered during these times. In 1974, the
band's first annual "Texas-Size Rompin' Stompin' Barndance And Bar-B-Q" was held at
the Memorial Stadium at the University Of Texas. 85,000 people attended: the crowds
were so large that the University declined to hold any rock concerts, and it was another
20 years before they resumed. However, successive album releases failed to attain the
same high standard and ZZ Top took an extended vacation following their expansive
1976/7 tour. After non-stop touring for a number of years the band needed a rest.
Other reasons, however, were not solely artistic, as the trio now wished to secure a
more beneficial recording contract.

They resumed their career in 1979 with the superb Deguello, by which time both
Gibbons and Hill had grown lengthy beards (without each other knowing!). Revitalized
by their break, the trio offered a series of pulsating original songs on Deguello as well
as inspired recreations of Sam And Dave's "I Thank You" and Elmore James' "Dust My
Broom". The transitional El Loco followed in 1981 and although it lacked the punch of
its predecessor, preferring the surreal to the celebratory, the set introduced the
 growing love of technology that marked the trio's subsequent releases. Eliminator
deservedly became ZZ Top's bestselling album (10 million copies in the USA by 1996).
Fuelled by a series of memorable, tongue-in-cheek videos, it provided several
international hit singles, including the million-selling "Gimme All Your Lovin". "Sharp
Dressed Man" and "Legs" were also gloriously simple yet enormously infectious songs.
The trio skilfully wedded computer-age technology to their barrelhouse R&B to create a
truly memorable set that established them as one of the world's leading live
attractions. The follow-up, Afterburner, was another strong album, although it could
not match the sales of the former. It did feature some excellent individual moments in
"Sleeping Bag" and "Rough Boy", and the cleverly titled "Velcro Fly'. ZZ Top undertook
another lengthy break before returning with the impressive Recycler. Other notable
appearances in 1990 included a cameo, playing themselves, in Back To The Future III.
In 1991 a greatest hits compilation was issued and a new recording contract was
signed the following year, with BMG Records. The band's studio work during this
decade failed to match the commercial and critical success of the 80s, although 1996's
Rhythmeen demonstrated a willingness to experiment with their trademark sound. The
trio celebrated three decades playing music together on 1999"s XXX. The following
year Hill was diagnosed with hepatitis C, forcing the band to cancel a planned tour.

Over the years, one of ZZ Top's greatest strengths has been their consistently high-
standard live presentation and performance on numerous record-breaking (financially)
tours in the USA. One of rock's maverick attractions, Gibbons, Hill and Beard have
retained their eccentric, colourful image, dark glasses and Stetson hats, complete with
an almost casual musical dexterity that has won over hardened cynics and carping
critics. In addition to having produced a fine (but sparse) canon of work, they will also
stay in the record books as having the longest beards in musical history (although one
member, the inappropriately named Frank Beard, is clean-shaven). Whether by design
or chance, they are doomed to end every music encyclopedia.

ZZ Top Biography

ZZ Top
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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ZZ Top
Background information

Origin Houston, Texas, USA

Genre(s) Arena rock

Blues-rock
Hard rock
Southern rock

Years active 1969–present
 Label(s) Rhino/WEA, RCA, Warner Bros.,
London

Members

Billy Gibbons
Frank Beard
Dusty Hill

ZZ Top, affectionately known by their American fans as "That little ol' band from
Texas",[1] is an American blues rock band formed in 1969 in Houston, Texas. The group
members are Billy Gibbons (guitar and vocals), Dusty Hill (bass guitar and vocals), and
Frank Beard (drums). They hold the distinction of being one of the few rock groups still
composed of its original members after more than 35 years, and until September 2006,
the same manager/producer, Bill Ham.

They reached the peak of their commercial success in the 1970s and 1980s, scoring many
hit songs during that era; but they remain together today and are still touring and
releasing albums. ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on March
15, 2004. Summarizing their music, Cub Koda wrote, "As genuine roots musicians, they
have few peers; Gibbons is one of America's finest blues guitarists working in the arena
rock idiom ... while Hill and Beard provide the ultimate rhythm section support."[1] Their
song lyrics often feature sexual innuendo and humor.

Gibbons and Hill are also famous for their nostalgic guitars, many of which were co-
designed with master luthier John Bolin of Bolin Guitars.

Nearly as well-known as their music is the group's appearance: Gibbons and Hill are
always pictured wearing sunglasses (a nod to their 1979 song "Cheap Sunglasses"),
similar (if not matching) clothing, and their trademark chest-length beards while, perhaps
ironically, Beard sports a mustache but not a beard. In 1984, the Gillette Company
reportedly offered Gibbons and Hill US$1 million apiece to shave their beards for a
television commercial, but they declined.[2]

The origin of the band's name was not officially known for many years. Some theories
included: the two brands of rolling paper, Zig-Zag and Top; a tribute to blues legend Z.
Z. Hill; Z-shaped barn-door braces Gibbons once saw at a farm; and/or Billy Gibbons
seeing the two words running together on a dilapidated bill board. The real origin, as told
by Billy Gibbons and also recorded in his new book (Rock + Roll Gearhead), is derived
from the name of blues master B.B. King. They wanted to call themselves Z.Z. King but
sounded too similar to their blues legend hero. They figured that "King" was at the "top"
so thus settled on ZZ Top.
Contents
[hide]
 1 History
 2 Discography
 3 Singles
 4 Music videos
 5 DVDs
 6 Books
 7 Awards
 8 Trivia
 9 References
 10 External links

 11 See also

[edit] History

The men who would form ZZ Top had played in several different Texas-based groups
(main of them were Moving Sidewalks with Gibbons and The American Blues with Hill
and Beard) before joining forces in late 1969: at first, Billy invited Frank for his project
of a blues rock trio, and then, when they were looking for a new bassman, the drummer
proposed his former bandmate, Dusty.

They played their first show in February, 1970 and toured almost continually for several
years, but first gained wide acclaim with their third album on London Records, Tres
Hombres (1973). It contained the classic song "La Grange", referencing the bordello that
is the subject of the musical The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas.

The band continued touring, recording, and releasing albums until 1977, when they took
an extended hiatus. Their long-time manager/producer/image maker Bill Ham used this
time to negotiate a deal that allowed the band to keep control of their previous recordings,
which would be distributed by their new label, Warner Bros. Records. They reunited two
and a half years later in order to start recording under that new Warner Brothers contract.
Unbeknownst to one another, both Hill and Gibbons had grown the chest-length beards
that quickly became a part of their "wildman" image.

They reached new heights of popularity with the 1983 album Eliminator, boosted to
prominence by memorable music videos for the tracks "Gimme All Your Lovin'", "Legs"
and "Sharp-Dressed Man" each of which featured a small bright red 1934 Ford 3 window
hotrod called The Eliminator and a trio of mysterious, beautiful women who travel
around helping various people. The album also featured a distinctive synthesizer-laced
sound—a rarity in the blues rock genre—which added a modern, electronic edge to the
music, and helped the album become successful and a fan favourite. Eliminator remains
their most successful album to date.
Their next album, Afterburner, mostly featured the same blend of synthesizers, blues rock
and the use of sequencers. Some critics have expressed frustration at this approach. But
on subsequent albums, less and less synth- and sequencer-influenced music is heard. An
occasional song with those elements and instruments is included on recent albums as a
nod to their past.

In 1985, they released the three-disc set, The ZZ Top Six Pack. When Warner chose to
remaster six select albums from 1970 to 1981, they (along with the members of ZZ Top)
remixed the back catalog to make it sound like their new music output. All the drum
tracks were re-recorded and other random digital effects were applied. In trying to fit six
albums on three discs, some tracks were faded out sooner then their original release
versions. At the same time, individual remixed cd releases were released.

In 1994, ZZ Top signed a five-disc deal with RCA Records. Many fans (or, as they refer
to themselves, "fanzz") feel that the recordings of this era are as artistically strong as the
earlier London and Warner Brothers recordings, but have expressed disappointment with
RCA's promotion of these releases.[citation  needed]

In July 2000, while on tour in Europe, Hill was diagnosed with Hepatitis C, which forced
the cancellation of several dates in that tour. Hill has since recovered.

In 2003, a comprehensive collection of recordings from the London and Warner Brother
years entitled Chrome, Smoke & BBQ was released.

In 2004, ZZ Top was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

As of 2006, it is reported that ZZ Top are recording their 15th studio album. On
September 17th 2006 they ended their contract with RCA Records and left their manager
Bill Ham, president of Lone Wolf management. No reasons were given for these changes.
Also, digitally remastered versions of the original un-remixed studio albums from '70's
and '80's are currently in production. Some have been released and the remainder have
yet to be released.

[edit] Discography

London Records

 ZZ Top's First Album (1971)

 Rio Grande Mud (1972)
 Tres Hombres (1973)
 Fandango! (1975)
 Tejas (1977)

Warner Bros. Records

 Degüello (1979)
  El Loco (1981)
 Eliminator (1983)
 Afterburner (1985)
 Recycler (1990)

RCA Records

 Antenna (1994) UK #3
 Rhythmeen (1996)
 XXX (1999)
 Mescalero (2003)

Compilations

 The Best of ZZ Top (1977)

 The ZZ Top Six Pack (1985) (Six early albums remastered on three CDs)
 ZZ Top's Greatest Hits (1992)
 One Foot in the Blues (1994) (Compilation of previously released blues songs)
 Chrome, Smoke & BBQ (2003) (Comprehensive 4-Disc Box Set of London and
Warner Brothers Recordings)
 Rancho Texicano (2004) (2-Disc Greatest Hits Compilation of London and
Warner Brothers recordings)

[edit] Singles
 non-album
o 1970 "Salt Lick"
 from Tres Hombres
o 1973 "Waitin' For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago"
o 1973 "La Grange"
 from Fandango!
o 1975 "Tush" #20 Pop
 from Degüello
o 1979 "Cheap Sunglasses"
o 1979 "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide"
o 1979 "I Thank You" #34 Pop
 from El Loco
o 1981 "Tube Snake Boogie"
o 1981 "Pearl Necklace"
 from Eliminator
o 1983 "Got Me Under Pressure"
o 1983 "Sharp Dressed Man" #2 Rock, #37 Pop
o 1983 "Gimme All Your Lovin'" #37 Pop
o 1983 "TV Dinners"
o 1984 "Legs" #8 Pop, #13 Dance/Club
 from Afterburner
o 1985 "Sleeping Bag" #8 Pop, #1 Rock, #41 Dance/Club
 o 1986 "Woke Up With Wood" #18 Rock
o 1986 "Velcro Fly" #35 Pop, #15 Rock, #43 Dance/Club
o 1986 "Stages" #21 Pop, #1 Rock
o 1986 "Rough Boy" #22 Pop, #5 Rock
o 1986 "Delirious" #15 Rock
 from Recycler
o 1990 "My Head's in Mississippi" #1 Rock
o 1990 "Doubleback" #1 Rock
o 1990 "Concrete and Steel" #1 Rock
o 1991 "Give It Up" #79 Pop, #2 Rock
o 1991 "Decision or Collision" #14 Rock
 from ZZ Top's Greatest Hits
o 1992 "Viva Las Vegas" #16 Rock
o 1992 "Gun Love" #8 Rock
 from Antenna
o 1994 "Pincushion" #1 Rock
o 1994 "Girl in a T-Shirt" #27 Rock
o 1994 "Fuzzbox Voodoo" #30 Rock
o 1994 "Breakaway" #7 Rock
 from Rhythmeen
o 1996 "What's Up With That" #5 Rock
o 1996 "She's Just Killing Me" #12 Rock
o 1997 "Rhythmeen" #35 Rock
o 1997 "Bang Bang" #22 Rock
 from XXX
o 1999 "Fearless Boogie" #13 Rock
o 2000 "36-22-36" #31 Rock

 also, the songs listed under "Music Videos" below

[edit] Music videos

 "Gimme All Your Lovin'"
 "Sharp Dressed Man"
 "Legs"
 "TV Dinners"
 "Sleeping Bag"
 "Stages"
 "Rough Boy"
 "Velcro Fly"
 "My Head's In Mississippi"
 "Give It Up"
 "Burger Man"
 "Doubleback"
 "Viva Las Vegas"
 "Pincushion"
  "Breakaway"
 "World of Swirl"
 "She's Just Killing Me"

[edit] DVDs
 "ZZ Top's Greatest Hits" (2004)
 Eric Clapton's Crossroads Guitar Festival (Nov. 9, 2004) - ZZ Top plays on this
DVD.

[edit] Books
 "ZZ Top: Bad and Worldwide" (1985)
 "ZZ Top" by Mitchell Craven (July 1, 1985)
 "ZZ Top" by Philip Kamin (March 3, 1986)
 "ZZ Top" by Robert Draper (July 1, 1989)
 "Elimination: The ZZ Top Story" (December 1, 1991)
 "Sharp-Dressed Men: Zz Top Behind the Scenes from Blues to Boogie to Beards"
(May 1, 1994)
 "ZZ Top: Elimination" (June 1, 1998)
 "ZZ Top Greatest Hits" (July 1, 1999)
 "The New Best of Zz Top for Guitar (Easy Tab Deluxe)" (July 1, 1999)
 "ZZ Top / XXX (Authentic Guitar-Tab)" (March 1, 2000)
 "ZZ Top - Guitar Anthology" (February 1, 2003)
 "Essential ZZ Top" (April 2003)
 "The Very Best of ZZ Top" (April 1, 2003)
 "The Best of Zz Top: A Step-By-Step Breakdown of the Guitar Styles and
Techniques of Billy Gibbons" (September 1, 2003)
 "Billy F. Gibbons: Rock+Roll Gearhead" (October 15, 2005).

NOTE: Publishing dates were acquired from Amazon.com.

[edit] Awards
 The Living Legends Award - To be given out by The Board of Directors of the
International Entertainment Buyer's Association (IEBA) live between Oct. 15-17,
2006.[2]

[edit] Trivia
 Jimi Hendrix named Billy Gibbons his favorite guitar player during an appearance
on The Tonight Show With Johnny Carson. [3]
 ZZ's first two albums were recorded at Robin Hood Studios in Tyler, Texas. In
1973, they started recording at Ardent Studios in Memphis. [4]
 Punk icons Black Flag were great fans of ZZ Top. Get In The Van (singer Henry
Rollins' tour diary from his stint in Black Flag) makes frequent mention of ZZ
Top.
 Billy Gibbons has often been referred to as The Reverend Willy G. In 2002, he
made that title official and was ordained so he could perform a Dallas wedding.
 In December 1984, Dusty Hill accidentally set off a derringer he kept in his boot
and shot himself in the stomach. He fully recovered.
 "La Grange" is a song about a brothel. The real name of the brothel is "Gracie's
Chicken Farm". This brothel is also the subject of the film The Best Little
Whorehouse in Texas starring Dolly Parton and Burt Reynolds.
 The band appeared in the film Back to the Future Part III playing period (i.e.
1885) equivalents of their instruments. They performed a very "unplugged"
version of "Doubleback"; the original version of the song (recorded with their
customary modern instruments, of course) played over the closing credits of the
film.
 The inside sleeve of the album Fandango, features an overhead shot of U.T.
Memorial Stadium, taken Sept. 1, 1974, where ZZ Top headlined that evening to
a crowd of 80,000 at what was billed as "ZZ Top's First Annual Texas Size
Rompin' and Stompin' Barndance and Barbecue".
 ZZ Top is a sponsor of the Delta Blues Museum.
 In a 1984 episode of Saturday Night Live, Father Guido Sarducci "nominated" ZZ
Top for the Democratic presidential primary. In a national phone-in poll
conducted during the broadcast, the band won by a significant margin.
 In the Simpsons episode The City of New York Vs. Homer Simpson , Bart sees a
pair of presumably Hasidic rabbis on the streets of New York and shouts, "Look,
it's ZZ Top! You guys rock!".
 In keeping with the tejano flavor of the band, Billy Gibbons uses a peso instead of
a guitar pick. It is rumored that the peso helps produce the distinctive chirping
sound prominent on "La Grange" and other songs, but this sound can be achieved
without it (the technique is known as a 'pinch harmonic'). Gibbons is often
credited as inventing this sound, but there are earlier recordings of it (for instance
by Leslie West on his first album).
 In an interview with BBC TV's Later with Jools Holland, when asked the band's
greatest influence, greatest inspiration etc. Billy Gibbons answered every question
by pointing at Bo Diddley.
 ZZ Top did a commercial for Honda in Japan for the (almost coincidental) car, the
Honda Z.
 On December 20, 2005 Billy Gibbons appeared on the Fox TV show Bones,
appearing as the father of character Angela Montenegro (played by Michaela
Conlin).
 On 1 February 2006, Billy Gibbons appeared on the CBS TV show Yes, Dear,
appearing as a guest star, who takes the table in a restaurant which the family is
waiting for.
 The trio's song "Gimme All Your Lovin'" was used in the 1994 hit film The Santa
Clause.
 The trio's song "Gimme All Your Lovin'" was used in the comedy Beverly Hills
Ninja.
 The song "La Grange" features in the Michael Bay film Armageddon, the
documentary Dogtown and Z-Boys, and a modified version appears in the 2004
remake of Walking Tall.
  Ironically, Frank Beard is the only member of the band without a full beard, only
a mustache. He did, however, sport a tidy beard in early 2001 - 2003.
 The song "Velcro Fly" was mentioned in the book The Waste Lands by Stephen
King, which is a part of the popular The Dark Tower series.
 "La Grange" was featured in the 2000 action-comedy, Shanghai Noon.
 "La Grange" was also used in the 1996 film Striptease starring Demi Moore.
 The band has the distinction of being the hard rock band with the most singles to
reach the Hot Dance Music/Club Play, with three. "Legs", "Sleeping Bag", and
"Velcro Fly" are the singles that reached this chart.
 The song "Tush" is featured in the 2000 film The Perfect Storm, at the start of the
Andrea Gail's final fishing trip.
 The song "Tush" is also in the 1993 film Dazed And Confused.
 "Tush" was also used in the 1982 film An Officer and A Gentleman starring
Richard Gere and Debra Winger.
 "Tush" was also used in the 1996 popular comedy film Sgt. Bilko.
 Billy Gibbons collaborated with the Queens Of The Stone Age for their 2005
album, Lullabyes To Paralyze. He also appears in their video for Burn the Witch.
 The band did an appearance at the end of W.A.S.P.´s video for the song "Blind In
Texas", from their album "The Last Command" (1985). In this video, the ZZ Top
guys tell the W.A.S.P. boys which way they must go.
 The 1985 film "American Flyers" featured the song "Dirty Dog" from Eliminator.
 The 1986 John Cusack/Demi Moore comedy "One Crazy Summer" also featured
"Dirty Dog" from Eliminator.
 Jon Glaser does a comedic routine on the Invite Them Up CD/DVD about his
dead father being a former member of ZZ Top.
 In the 1998, Alan Ayckbourn play "Comic Potential" the characters Adam and
Jacie dance to "My Head's In Mississippi." The play is set in the future and Adam,
who has never heard of the group, calls them "Zed Zed Top" (using the British
pronunciation of 'Z') when he comes across an old CD of theirs.

Main Releases


Fandango [Expanded & Remastered]

2006
 Tres Hombres [Expanded & Remastered]
2006  
 ZZ Top - Hi-Five: ZZ Top
2005  
 Rancho Texicano: The Very Best Of ZZ Top
2004  
 Chrome, Smoke & BBQ: The ZZ Top Box Set
2003  
 Mescalero
2003  
 The Steel Guitar Tribute To ZZ Top
2002  
 XXX
1999  
 Rhythmeen
1996  
 One Foot In The Blues
1994  
 Antenna
1994  
 Greatest Hits
1992  
 Recycler
1990  
 Six Pack
1987  
 ZZ Top Six Pack
1987  
 Afterburner
1985  
 Eliminator
1983  
 El Loco
1981  
 Deguello
1979  
 Best Of ZZ Top
1977  
 Tejas
1976  
 Fandango!
1975  
 Tres Hombres
1973  
 Rio Grande Mud
1972  
 ZZ Top's First Album
1970  
 
 Singles
 Give It Up
1990  
 

Compilations
 Teachers
 
 Billboard #1s: The 80's
2004  
 Dogtown & Z-Boys
2002  
 Rolling Stone Presents Classic Rock
2001  
 Legendary Harley-Davidson Road Songs
2000  
 Armageddon: The Album
1998  
 Chronicles
1998  
 Everyday Hurts
1997  
 The Power Of Rock
1997  
 From Dusk Till Dawn
1996  
 Even More Dazed And Confused
1994  
 Rare Rock Mixes
1994  
 Dazed And Confused
1993  
 Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles III
1993  
 Classic Rock Box: Celebrating WNEW-FM 25th...
1992  
 Where The Pyramid Meets The Eye
1990  
 An Officer And A Gentleman
1982  
 
ZZ Top lyrics
Albums 14

  1970   First Album

  1972   Rio Grande Mud
  1973   Tres Hombres
  1975   Fandango!
  1976   Tejas
  1979   Deguello
  1981   El Loco
  1983   Eliminator
  1985   Afterburner
  1990   Recycler
  1994   Antenna
  1996   Rhythmeen
  1999   XXX
  2003   Mescalero

ZZ Top History & Facts

ZZ Top Facts

From: United States

Founded: 1970

You may share facts about ZZ Top.

ZZ Top History

From respected roots rockers to bearded music video age icons, this Texas band maintained a
consistently successful career throughout the 1970s and 1980s, embracing many new trends that
crossed its path. While not as active in the late 1990s as they were in their prime, ZZ Top's three
members (Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill, and Frank Beard on guitar, bass, and drums, respectively)
remain one of the few groups to have its original members intact after 25 years. Existing
throughout the 1970s as a critically acclaimed, popular Texas blues-boogie band, the band updated
its sound to include propulsive synthesizer rhythms. Further, ZZ Top was one of the first pre-music-
video rock bands to immediately take advantage of the advent of MTV.

In the late 1960s, Billy Gibbons played in the Texas psych-punk band The Moving Sidewalks, and
Dusty Hill and Frank Beard were the rhythm section for American Blues. Future ZZ Top manager Bill
Ham brought the three together in 1970 and, due to Ham's plan of constant recording and
ceaseless touring, by the decade's end the group had carved out a sizable niche as a popular blues-
boogie band. In 1970, ZZ Top released ZZ Top's First Album, and by its third album it struck gold
with its first major hit and concert staple, 'La Grange,' a tribute to an infamous whorehouse. 'La
Grange' (whose signature riff was based on the John Lee Hooker song, 'Boogie Chillen') set the fire
that would culminate in one the 1970s most successful tours, the year and a half long 'Worldwide
Texas Tour.'

While their string of hits never abated through the end of the 1970s and into the early 1980s, it
was the group's 1983 Eliminator album that propelled ZZ Top to superstardom. That the group
adopted synthesizers and drum machines to augment their sound didn't hurt, but what perhaps
helped most was their videos. With sunglasses and long beards, ZZ Top had a perfect made-for-
music-video image, and they filled their videos with scantily clad, sexy women—a perfect formula
for early MTV success. Eliminator contained a number of hit singles and videos, including 'Legs,'
'Sharp Dressed Man,' and 'Gimmie All Your Lovin'.' Choosing not to disrupt their successful formula,
the group made their 1985 Afterburner in the image of their multi-platinum predecessor, and the
album spawned the hits 'Sleeping Bag,' 'Velcro Fly,' 'Rough Boy,' and 'Stages.' Predictably, the
group applied its 'if it ain't broke don't fix it' philosophy to Afterburner's videos as well.

ZZ Top never climbed the commercial peaks of its mid-1980s period, but they continued to be a big
concert draw, and their albums continued to sell respectably. The 1996 release of Rhythmeen, a
back-to-basics album, cleared the table of the high production sheen and synthesizers that
characterized their Afterburner and Eliminator period. The album was critically acclaimed and
demonstrated that Billy Gibbons was certainly one of the most talented white blues guitarists this
side of Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Source: http://www.bookrags.com/history/popculture/zz-top-sjpc-05/

more images »
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ZZ TOP
[page in the process of being converted from MP3 status to full status]

Class ?
Main Category: Roots Rock
Also applicable: Hard Rock
Starting Period: The Artsy/Rootsy Years
The Interim Years, The Punk/New Wave Years,
Also active in:
The Divided Eighties, From Grunge To The Present Day

Introduction

ALBUM REVIEWS:

  

Disclaimer: this page is not written from the point of view of a ZZ Top fanatic and is not generally
intended for narrow-perspective ZZ Top fanatics. If you are deeply offended by criticism, non-worshipping
approach to your favourite artist, or opinions that do not match your own, do not read any further. If you
are not, please consult the guidelines for sending your comments before doing so. For information on
reviewing principles, please see the introduction. For specific non-comment-related questions, consult the
message board.

For reading convenience, please open the reader comments section in a parallel browser window.

Introduction

Coming soon.

READER COMMENTS SECTION

ALBUM REVIEWS
FIRST ALBUM ****
Year Of Release: 1970

A nice bluesy debut. I'll tell you this: ZZ Top will certainly never be one of my favourite
bands, but that doesn't mean I'm not able to at least respect them for churning out this
slick, well-crafted music that has as little soul as, well, your average Janet Jackson ditty,
but certainly has a lot of work and creative effort put into it. I mean, there was something
unrepairably wrong with this band from the very start, wasn't it? First Album is almost
entirely blues-based, but it's stiff, by the book, overproduced blues rigidly stuffed into the
tight outfit of a Texas rancher. Well, that's obviously what the so-called "Texas Blues"
was all about and that also explains why music like that is so often used in MGM movie
soundtracks - nothing like a good hard blast o' Da Blooze that sounds nice and
convincing while it's on but will never even begin threatening to overshadow the movie's
plot because it's, well, artificial - I just can't find a better word.

That said, once we overcome the bias that prevents us from enjoying soulless artificial
music (and hey, if all good music has to have soul, I can count the 'classic albums' in one
long gulp), First Album turns out to be consistently enjoyable. The rhythm section is
tight and powerful, just as it suits a hard rock band, and Billy Gibbons has some nice,
cool guitar tones out there - in fact, they either sound as conventional hard rockers
limiting themselves to the blues or like conventional bluesmen trying to ape Blue Cheer's
or Iron Butterfly's approach. That's what makes them special. No "good taste" or "laid
back attitude" - just gruff, mindless hacking away, with a trifle of machismo (not that
much - sure ain't no AC/DC) and with relatively short beards. Maybe none at all; didn't
they start having those down to their navels only in the early Eighties? Well, takes a long
time to grow a beard that long.
I can't find a single bad song on here - but there are hardly any classics either. Billy
Gibbons wrote most of them, often with the aid of the band's producer Bill Ham, and
they're all mostly within one formula. If something stands out, it's hardly because of the
melody. 'Just Got Back From Baby's' is the closest thing to a highlight, I think, because of
the blistering lead guitarwork - the solos are excellently crafted and pack a whole lotta
punch inside of them (and that high trebley echoey tone is one of my favourite guitar
tones ever, so count me happy). Out of the riff-heavy tunes, I'd select 'Neihgbor
Neighbor', with its almost robotic mechanical beat (well, it's ZZ Top, what do you want)
that's great to play air guitar to, and the funny lyrics - I love that line about the neighbor
'floating in the salty brine' at the end.
Out of the more generic numbers, 'Brown Sugar' is probably the most well-known, even
if it's vastly inferior to the Stones song of the same name. It's powerful and crunchy
enough, but so are most of the songs on here, which doesn't really provide much insight
into the song's specific nature. 'Backdoor Love Affair' and 'Certified Blues' are also
good... heck, they're all all right. All fine. All okay. All eminently forgettable in the long
run.
Actually, what's most interesting on here is the Gibbons/Ham/Dusty Hill composition
'Squank'. I suppose 'squank' is just the same mysterious kind of animal that's pictured in
Genesis' 'Squonk' (how could this be a coincidence?), and both probably have something
to do with 'skunk' (some Indian word), but while 'Squonk' featured a very unhappy
animal dissolving itself in a pool of tears when captured, 'Squank' takes the animal in a
completely different aspect - a gruesome smelly monster of a truly apocalyptic character,
threatening the very existence of the universe. Its connotations with "skunk" are far more
explicit here - 'and soon we'll all be breathin' out of tanks/If something ain't done about
the squank'. Anybody has any ideas on the subject? They're welcome. In the meantime,
go out and buy... nah, not this album. Buy the Allman Brothers Band's Idlewild South.
Or some Rolling Stones, for that matter.
And mind you, ZZ Top's First Album ain't really half bad.

READER COMMENTS SECTION

RIO GRANDE MUD ***

Year Of Release: 1972

The high points on this follow-up are indeed higher, but the low points are lower and
overall it's just too much of an uninspired copy of the debut to get a better rating. Still,
Rio Grande Mud rocks out just a wee bit harsher - there are more danceable rhythms on
here, and more classy, if not super-duper, riffs as well. The opening two cuts are probably
the best known songs, and they are indeed worth some attention, if only because you'd
never expect all that rockin' energy judging by the band's debut. 'Francine' is a good old
retro rocker with Seventies' guitar tones with a subject quite in the style of Chuck Berry
and Jerry Lee (love with a thirteen-year old, that is). And 'Just Got Paid' is, well,
menacing as hell, with a typical ZZ-guitar tone to it. Excellent headbanging.

Later on, though, the formula again starts to wear kinda thin. They fall back on the
"polished blues" thing again, with the conventional harmonica lines of 'Mushmouth
Shoutin' not really being all that impressive; go for even more generic boogie on the well-
performed, but strangely lifeless 'Bar-B-Q' (which is actually nothing but a reworking of
Carl Perkins' 'Matchbox' - the only thing deviating from the original are the suggestive
lyrics and the strange guitar twirlings in the middle of the song); and turn out a few more
rockers without any obvious hooks. I mean, 'Chevrolet', 'Ko Ko Blue', and 'Down
Brownie' are all eminently listenable and all, but don't you think they... er... lack
inventiveness, so to speak? I know a good rocker when I hear it, and these just float by
like your average barroom ear-candy. Well, come to think, ZZ Top were average barroom
ear-candy, but still, they were better barroom ear-candy than most, and I just don't hear it
on these songs.
A particular low is the torturing, never-ending dirgey balladeering of 'Sure Got Cold
After The Rain'. I actually know a few people who like this song, but I beg to differ. That
generic instrumental melody can be met on a thousand other songs (see the Stones' 'I Got
The Blues' as the first reference that came into my head), and the vocal melody is at best
clumsy (at worst, I just don't notice it's there at all). This is actually ZZ Top's first effort
at penning a ballad, and it eminently proves that the band should really stick to their
barroom rock instead.
Still, the second side has a couple moments of saving grace. One is the excellent
instrumental 'Apologies To Pearly', with Gibbons letting it rip on slide guitar - I adore a
good slide now and then, and the man sure works out wonders with it; I really can't say if
I ever heard a similar solo passage in my life before; probably not, since I was so
impressed. I mean, usually all the blues and blues-rock guys either just use the slide as a
secondary overdub to add a few "extra touches" to the arrangement, or treat it as a
minimalistic instrument (for creating beautiful solos, of course, but that's not the point
here), or just recreate the solo from Elmore James' 'Dust My Broom' a million times in a
row. 'Apologies To Pearly' also starts with a few Elmore James bars, but then veers on
into a territory of its own: Billy uses the instrument wisely and creatively, and really
makes it rock out, which is so rare. Maybe I'm not making sense, but that's how it seems
to me. And finally, 'Whiskey'n'Mama' is also a very deserving rocker, maybe with the
best riff on the entire record; a little bit of funk out there, which is a soothing bit of
diversion.
Anyway, to use a heavier style, Rio Grande Mud combines the formulaic Texas blues
approach of its predecessor with moderate veerings into the neighbouring territories of
balladeering, funk and retro boogie; an approach which has its extra pluses and extra
minuses that end up annihilating each other. Which means, of course, that the record,
while being one of the band's least famous, is still heavily recommended for any lover of
the ZZ Top style.

READER COMMENTS SECTION

TRES HOMBRES ***1/2

Year Of Release: 1973

And here - dare I say it? - comes creative growth! The band makes just a few little, at first
sight insignificant, twitches in the formula, and comes out with an album that not only
sounds pleasant, but finally seems well worth the effort - a record which I'll be glad to be
putting on some more, that is. The opening cut, 'Waiting For The Bus', is enough to
explain everything: ZZ Top are starting to season their work with real solid hooks. Not
just hooks - HOOKS. Billy Gibbons introduces that strange whiny intonation of his, and
the band isn't just proving that it's tough or that it does know how to play the blues; it
actually attracts your attention. In this song's case, I particularly mean the nagging, catchy
riff and the poisonous wah-wah solo that's... well, definitely no slouch.

The hard, smack-in-yer-face rockers, in fact, are what makes up most of this album's
charm - sorta like the Allman Brothers meet the Who, particularly on the wonderful
speedy rave-up 'Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers'. That train-speed chug-a-chug-a-chug of
Billy's guitar is irresistable, and the blistering solos take you away to rock nirvana in an
instant. (They are pretty monotonous and generic, of course, but whoever said generic
monotonous solos can't get you away to rock nirvana? That wasn't me). And, of course,
there's 'La Grange' - their first big hit, featuring Billy sing about all the pleasures and
comforts of a public house. For one minute only, though: the rest of the song is just an
instrumental boogie, borrowing its riff from the blues classic 'Shake Your Hips' or maybe
its predecessor (isn't that kind of thing sorta passed down through generations?).
The rest of the songs suck as usual, though. Wait, what's that I said? ZZ Top songs don't
really suck - they just... well, if they're good, they kick ass, and if they're bad, they just
sorta sit there and stare at the window. I'm going through a period of silliness, so excuse
me if I'm getting way off the beaten track. Anyway, fact is, I just named the highlights of
this album, but I couldn't really think of any serious stinkers - maybe the closing 'Have
You Heard', a pretty generic and worthless repetitive shuffle, comes close. What I really
don't like, though, is the band's deep passion for gospel at this point: what the heck is
'Hot, Blue And Righteous', for instance? Is it supposed to be a joke? It's set to the same
rhythm that was used on 'Sure Got Cold', and it's very soulful, but the lyrics suggest... eh,
well, I always get the feeling they mean something kinky out there. Weird.
Then there's the stupid 'Jesus Just Left Chicago', a song which everybody seems to like,
but I can't figure out why because apart from Billy's sneering, bizarre vocals it's just
another routine blues stomper with little to redeem it. But who says it sucks? It doesn't.
It's just a cool and forgettable piece of blues.
Likewise, all those other rockers. I like all of 'em - all of 'em, don't you dare flame me -
but I could certainly live without them. I suppose 'Master Of Sparks' has that groovy
Sabbathy vibe going for it (like Master Of Reality, eh?), although I can't get what's
happening in the lyrics worth crap. Some dude getting locked in a steel cage and letting
off sparks, so it seems. I suppose 'Move On Down The Line' is a great song to start a
movie with when the main character is driving along the freeway with cactuses and
canyons floating by and everybody is waiting for the captions to disappear. I suppose
'Precious And Grace' is a mindless clone of 'Master Of Sparks'. I suppose 'Sheik' is kinda
weird. And that's all I suppose.
I also think this review was kinda scattered - I myself don't understand why I gave Tres
Hombres three and a half stars out of five and not, say, one and three quarters, but then
again, you should never distrust your intuition if it starts guiding your hand in the first
place. Oh well, maybe I'm just in a good mood today. Scrap it, maybe I'll get around to
rewriting it some day - when I grow myself a beard as long as Billy Gibbons'.

READER COMMENTS SECTION

FANDANGO ***
Year Of Release: 1975

This is perhaps one of the most easy-going records I've sat through for a long, long time -
it just goes down easy like there was no tomorrow. That's not to say it's one of the best
records I've sat through for a long, long time, so there. The songs are all so short and
straightforward, so thoroughly unpretentious and uncomplex that you can't help liking
these guys. Can you?
There's the little deal of the live side of the album, though. See, it's only half-studio; the
other half is live, where ZZ Top present themselves as the most generic and - dare I say
it? - almost blatantly dumb bar band of all time. Kicking into a frenetic boogie, they
plough through two tolerable numbers - the hilarious 'Thunderbird' and an unnecessary,
but acceptable cover of 'Jailhouse Rock' - and then engage in a nine-minute medley
where they seem more intent on recreating the artificial "kick-ass" atmosphere than
actually playing their instruments. Fast tempo, stupid gibberish, clownish behaviour...
what's not to like? But let's not forget, if there were AC/DC in their place, they would do
the same gibberish and clownade as well, but they'd also play, too. We don't pay you our
hard-earned bucks for trying to pronounce 'got to mellow got to mellow got to mellow' as
fast as you can. I can try this at home myself. Not funny, guys.
The studio numbers are classy, though. Short, compact, precise, these songs are the
quintessential Texan rock for you, which somebody like George W. Bush actually should
have gained some brains to understand, see. (That's about the highest compliment to
Texan rock I can garner at the moment, but I'll be thinking of more in the future). 'Nasty
Dogs And Funky Kings' has a funky riff indeed, and a really mean solo that only a Billy
Gibbons could cut, that's for sure. Don't forget the double-tracked guitars, too, man!
That's what they're they're for. That fat old ZZ Top sound. 'Heard It On The X', then,
kicks some serious ass, and does that for two minutes and twenty six seconds - could you
imagine the Allman Brothers doing that? The Allman Brothers needed two minutes and
twenty six seconds as an intro to any ass-kicking number, that's what I'd say. The radio
hit here was 'Tush', with the memorable refrain ('I ain't asking for much, I said Lord take
me downtown, I'm just lookin' for some tush') and a braggard, hyper-expressive melody
that symbolizes the South! Yahoo!
The humour arrives along in 'Mexican Blackbird', with a very tongue-in-cheek intonation
and slight Dylan overtones (the main melody sure reminds of 'She Belongs To Me',
doesn't it?), and the white boy romance kicks in with 'Blue Jean Blues', a ballad that's as
corny as can be but I take it as it is: intentionally corny. If one day I fall upon proof
irrefutable that Billy Gibbons intended the song as a really mournful and moving
emotional plea, I honestly promise to deprive the album of an entire star, just as a cure for
stupidity (Billy's and my own, that is).
Well, not really much else to say about the album. Truth is, they're just redoing their
'typical' record for the fourth time (or for the third, or for the second, if you're really that
insistent on the vital significance of Gibbons' patented guitar tones that didn't arrive all at
once), and therefore the live half is a nice diversifying touch - should be a nice
diversifying touch, but most of it sucks, so I'm kinda left stuck. I'll still give it three stars
because there's nothing deeply wrong with these records, but it's pitiful that at this stage
the band wasn't even trying to go ahead and deepen or modificate their sound and style in
any way. Heck, they weren't even growing themselves any beards at the time! Isn't that
pathetic? Only Joe Hill has a beard on the cover, and it ain't all that large, too!

READER COMMENTS SECTION

TEJAS ***1/2
Year Of Release: 1976

Now see, it would be easy to totally dismiss this one as yet another easy-going batch of
derivative and pointless barroom boogie/blues-rock crap. Which is what I already was
intending to do when it suddenly struck me: 'Hey! These guys actually put a J in the
album title! That's a J, sure as hell, not an X! They're so dang blatant about their
Spanishness! Perhaps I'll give it another try, what the heck...'

...and it worked, more or less. Tejas isn't the patented world-saving rock classic by any
means, but it definitely IS a record worth hearing if you're just sittin' round wondering
how far these bearded rednecks can go with their guitar experimentation. Mr Gibbons
experimentates with lots of tones and overtones on here, and further perfectionizes ZZ
Top's Texan rock formula, giving it more of that slick, tongue-in-cheek edge than usual.
Slightly more complex rhythmic structures, more and more exaggeration in vocal
intonations, and a whiff of diveristy over here and over there. And over all the slickness,
that goshdarn ZZ Top slickness rules supreme. The guitar tones are so dry they make
your throat go sore and stiff - oh, for a drop o' tequila to wet those strings! Almost like
you were truly and really drivin' through some loony desert, until you just can't take it
any more and drop half-dead after all that insane drive. And then comes 'Asleep In The
Desert' indeed - an atmospheric slow Spanish instrumental with a minimalistic acoustic
pattern throughout. Dry as hell, too. Not that I like the tune: it's a bit too weather-forecast
style for me, so I prefer to concentrate on the rougher material.
Something like 'El Diablo', for instance. Cool riff on that one, and the song is surprisingly
dark and menacing for such a band as ZZ Top. No, wait, scrap that, it's a rather tame
menace by itself (sheez, I heard the Eagles putting out more disturbing stuff than that),
but that's not the main thing. The main thing is that the riff cooks, and the way it kinda
appears out of nowhere and disappears into nowhere, replaced by grumbling echoey
solitary chords, all moody and atmospheric, almost reminds me of Brian Eno and the like.
Actually, while I realize that comparisons with Eno on a ZZ Top review page are more
ridiculous than a [insert your favourite stupid comparison here - I don't have the wit or
the humour to think of one, and I ain't in the mood, either], I can't deny that Tejas is, so
far, the closest that Gibbons and company have come to producing a record that really
Takes You Places - not just sits there and presents you with a couple decent footstompers
and headbangers and penisraisers to go along with your titties 'n' beer, to quote Frank
Zappa.
Plus, some of the tunes are hilarious as well. 'Enjoy And Get It On', for instance, is one of
the best examples of "Absolutely Drunk Blues" I've ever heard (as opposed to
"Absolutely Drunk Rock", best represented by AC/DC's 'You Shook Me All Night
Long'). 'Snappy Kakkie', as evidenced by the title itself, is so dang sh-sh-shakey I can't
help but sh-sh-shake to it. And if the fun factor doesn't draw you in, the exciting guitar
croaks and creaks on 'Ten Dollar Man' definitely will, unless you have a complete alergy
on Texas, Texan rock, Billy Gibbons, long beards, blues, blues rock, power trios,
machismo, sexism, cactuses, oil wells, cowboy hats, or the Electoral College. In which
case, I can only recommend sticking to Strawberry Alarm Clock (the farthest one from all
of these things, I guess. Why the farthest one? Because it has 'strawberries' in it!).
That said, there's still quite a bit of filler on this record - I mean, at least a third part of
these tunes do nothing for me, and I wouldn't even be a-wantin' to name all of the
goddamn suckers, because it would require a far deeper degree of analysis and a far more
complete and detailed insight into ZZ Top's music in general. And would I really want
that? Excuse me; I'm just saying that about a third of these tunes are generic filler, and as
long as Gibbons doesn't play the fool or doesn't feel the need to find yet another cute
guitar trick, they don't draw my attention at all. Now excuse me while I go and hang
myself on the nearest aloe.

READER COMMENTS SECTION

DEGUELLO ***
Year Of Release: 1979

Another year, another ZZ Top album. (Ssh! Don't tell anyone there's been a three year
break! That don't sound cool!). If you want progression and artistic development, go get
out your "Berlin Trilogy" or something - Gilly Bibbons and friends are no experimental
sissies. Thus when you put on Deguello and find out, to your major amazement, that this
is an album recorded by experimental sissies, don't believe your ears, because the only
thing that makes this record a record made by experimental sissies is the self-played
saxophone on 'She Loves My Automobile' ("self-played" as different from "self-playing",
which would actually mean the presence of scientifically unexplainable Texan
mythological spirits on this record, which is, however, somehow hinted at by ZZ Top's
scariest album cover to date - inspired by Judas Priest, no doubt).

This is a good record, anyway, containing some of the band's best known tunes and -
naturally - a serious percentage of filler. What I suddenly start noticing, for once, are the
lyrics, which become sharper and a lot more cynical than before. Eliminator may have
completed this process, but I think it's Deguello that should be taken as the starting point
of ZZ Top's transformation from an unpretentious ass-kicking blues-rock band into a
socially relevant, sarcastic, beard-wielding "scrutinizers of the Southern vices". Then
again, maybe not - the sarcasm and the straightforwardness are very much weaved
together on all their releases - but at least this metamorphosis really struck me over the
process of listening to Deguello and not to any of its predecessors, so let the point stand.
What's most important is that the sarcastic songs kick ass, too. 'Cheap Sunglasses', for
instance - classy riffs, partially borrowed from Blind Faith's 'Had To Cry Today', you
could say, but only partially, and, of course, the trend-mocking lyrics. The little bits of
funky soloing are pretty tasty too, with Billy overdubbing two minimalistic guitars over
each other to good effect (there's the "wicked" guitar and the "gentle" guitar battling with
each other). 'I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide' ain't half bad either, with Gibbons' sarcasm ringing
out of your speakers loud and proud - 'easin' down the highway in a new Cadillac, I had a
fine fox in front, I had three more in the back, they sportin' short dresses, wearin' spike-
heeled shoes, they smokin' Lucky Strikes, wearing nylon too... welcome back, we're
nationwide!' But if you want some really awesome solos, you'll have to get yourself 'A
Fool For Your Stockings', where Billy wields a particularly sharp semi-acoustic guitar
tone and combines cute jazzy licks with basic Elmore James-like bluesy passages to
unique effect.
Speaking of Elmore James, I'll never really understand the need to cover his 'Dust My
Broom' on the record - it just doesn't fit in with the material the band was penning at the
time. It's done well, but who really needs it? I never thought much of the Fleetwood Mac
cover, I don't really need to hear the ZZ Top cover either, even if they do not go out of
themselves to make an exact copy. I guess it was just a kind of a nice gesture to their
earliest brand of fans, the ones who still wanted them to simply play generic blues.
Speaking of covers, on the other hand, their version of Isaac Hayes' 'I Thank You' totally
smokes - hey, why does everybody think so little of Billy Gibbons' singing? He
consciously tries his best to sound like a certified idiot on every second track and more,
and succeeds in that, without actually being a certified idiot, like some particularly
depressing cock rock singers I could, but won't name.
The rest of the tunes are hit-and-miss, though - 'Manic Mechaniac' has a cool
experimental sound (with electronic effects on the vocals and tricky time signatures in
between the verses), but doesn't seem to be making any points, and stereotypic boogie
like 'She Loves My Automobile' (even with the saxes) and equally stereotypic mid-tempo
rock like 'Lowdown In The Street' and 'Esther Be The One' are as forgettable as anything.
You know what? To tell you the truth, ALL of this album is forgettable. And all of its
predecessors, too. Not having listened to Tejas or Tres Hombres or anything else for
more than half a year, I have forgotten how any tune on them goes. Ha! Now that's
consistency for you. But, on the other hand, there's something to be said for spontaneity,
is there not? On an immediate level, all of those records are moderately rewarding, and
that's much more than I could say about Grand Funk Railroad.

READER COMMENTS SECTION

EL LOCO ***1/2
Year Of Release: 1981

Hey, maybe Billy Gibbons and company are experimental sissies after all! This stuff
doesn't sound at all like the preceding album. Gotta give Mr Gibbons his due, he does not
want to get stuck in a rut forever. He gets himself some new guitar tones, dabbles around
in synthesizers... never forgetting the TeJJJJJas roots, of course, but readily willing to tap
into the unknown. How else will you explain the unbelievable experiment 'Heaven, Hell
or Houston'? One thing for sure, it ain't roots rock. It's more like a, uh, psychedelic sci-fi
phantasmagoria with goofy spoken electronically encoded lyrics interrupted by 'Jingle
Bells'-style phrases and only incorporating a (albeit lengthy) bluesy solo in the middle.

Of course, most of the time anyway the band does not wish to be betraying their roots so
goddamn badly. The weird phased guitar tone is preferrably explored on more usual
standards, like the melodically generic blues-rocker 'Tube Snake Boogie' that opens the
record - but it does give the song a totally unusual feel, at least for 1981 (although I don't
seem to remember blues purists taking off after ZZ Top in heaps, you know). Same goes
for 'I Wanna Drive You Home', where the guitar occasionally sounds like it's been given
a Moog treatment or something; sometimes it seems like at this point Mr Gibbons just
totally gave up on writing melodies, entirely concentrating on making these melodies
sound weirder instead. But you know, that's alright by me... isn't that what Led Zeppelin
have been doing for a large part of their career?
I'd say the only seriously catchy song on the entire album is 'Pearl Necklace', which you
just gotta hear from beginning to end, because if you restrict yourself to the first few
seconds (which isn't really a bad tactic with ZZ Top in the regular case), you'll end up
thinking they ripped it off from the Police's 'De Do Do Do De Da Da Da' which they did
not. Instead, they just wrote a song based on a trivial, but not uninteresting, pop melody
and a style of rhythm playing directly taken from the Talking Heads. Or maybe the Cure,
but I can't stand the possibility of ZZ Top borrowing anything from the Cure. For all of
Billy Gibbons' open-mindedness, something like that would still be totally unbelievable.
Unfortunately, El Loco is also the album to feature arguably ZZ Top's worst song of all
time, the cheesy adult contemporary ballad 'Leila' - a song that's not only bad by its own
standards, it also just doesn't fit at all in with the band's style on here. We all know these
lads as moderately intelligent people able to take their entire image tongue-in-cheek, but
'Leila' doesn't betray a single sign of irony, instead, it's just a sappy mid-tempo piece of
"ear candy", much as I hate that particular expression. Granted, even the most sarcastic
band of all time, the Sparks, occasionally used to put surprisingly sincere-sounding and
sentimental ballads on their albums, but at least they were gracing them with unbeatable
hooks and gorgeous vocals. Here, Billy has to let his voice through a vocoder or a warp
machine or something like that, which is all right for the raunchier songs or for freakin'
experiments like 'Heaven, Hell Or Houston', but on 'Leila' it just adds to the general
dumbness. I gotta say that the album's second ballad, 'It's So Hard', is hardly much better.
Maybe it's just the stupid obstinate me who isn't willing to accept any sentiments from
Billy Gibbons, but believe me, there's plenty of people in this world who are able to offer
much better sentiments.
Me, I'll just stick to all these goofy little rockers like the keyboards-laiden 'Groovy Little
Hippie Pad', where the guzzly guitar riff is hidden in the background to make place for
surprisingly effective and novel overlays of little synth noises. Or I can even take the
album's most - and only - straightforward barroom rocker 'Party On The Patio', which
closes the album on a totally hilarious note. That's the way I like my barroom rock, fast,
unpretentious, catchy and F-U-N. And in the end, you might even say that El Loco is a
better attempt at crossing basic blues-rock values with contemporary production and
guitar styles than the unbearably slick and overproduced Eliminator, although that's up
to the concrete listener, I guess.

READER COMMENTS SECTION

ELIMINATOR ****
Year Of Release: 1983
This is ZZ Top's Back In Black: if you keep saying you don't like it, chances are you're
fooling yourself to sound "special", and missing out on a great fun ride in the process.
But it's actually more than Back In Black in some ways, because without this album, ZZ
Top would still essentially be merely an average Southern rock band, albeit with cool
guitar tones and a sharper sense of humour than most Southern rock bands.

With this album, though, ZZ Top becomes the band that revolutionized blues-rock by
merging it with synth-pop elements before a shocked and terrified crowd. Goes without
saying that Eliminator caused blues purists to lose whatever respect they might have had
for the band; with its slick, modernistic production values, synthesizers, and - most
important of all - MTV accompanying videos, it was a nightmare for the anti-
commercially minded crowd, who rushed to buy Stevie Ray Vaughan's albums instead.
Good for them; I like Stevie Ray a lot, too. But I also am not going to fool myself by
saying 'ZZ Top sold out and became an average ordinary MTV-ruled muppet', because
there's nothing average or ordinary about Eliminator.
Okay, so maybe the songs aren't thoroughly memorable. They're not better or worse than
on any other ZZ Top album - same mix of blues, blues-rock, and a ballad or two in the
mix. But it's the sound that's so unique, for its time at least. These double-tracked riffs,
these grim crunchy electronic effects placed on them, this use of the synthesizer as a
metallizing gimmick instead of the more usual 'romantic-atmospheric' emploi of the
thing... man does it ever rule. And the most wonderful thing is, Eliminator still sounds
alive and impressing after all the treatments; it just doesn't sound like what you'd expect
your average blues-rock record to sound. There's not much "soul" left here, but then again
let's remember ZZ Top never really had "soul" as a defining element of their sound.
These guys were mean and lean, dirty and sarcastic, and the more their beards grow, the
more mean and lean they are. So Eliminator is mean and lean, and in a very natural way.
The synth treatment and Eighties-style guitar tones only help them in that endeavour.
So it's not all that diverse stylistically. Neither is Back In Black, big deal - it merely
means it's not the best album of all time. It's actually got one ballad, 'I Need You
Tonight', reason number one why no-one should ever overlook the possibilities of expert
production: record it with a different guitar tone, a different bass amplifier, and a different
feedback procession, and you got The Rock of Boredom for Ages. Instead, here's an
opportunity for you to crank it up loud and dig in to the steady rhythm punch (you gotta
love that never-ending 4/4 which is all over this record - c'mon now, can't live in 27/24
all your life, can you?) and the crafty, juicy, lick-a-licious soloing that echoes all over
your living room. A ballad without a single drop of emotion and yet sounding really cool,
now that's gotta be a special thing. And the only other slightly 'deviating' number is the
bass-heavy 'Thug', where you'll find some fine slappin' technique on display - not exactly
a bass solo in the true sense of the word, but something fairly close.
Everything else merely rocks out, from beginning to end. For me, the faster the song, the
better it gets, and thus I'm more in love with non-hit material like 'I Got The Six', which
just totally kicks the ticks out of Dick's picks - especially check out Billy's overdriven
guitar solo in the last part of the song where he seems to be challenging the spirit of Keith
Richards but channels it into his own guitar tone. No wonder I keep remembering
AC/DC; only a few bands in this world can really rock so hard with break-less guitar
solos to totally blow your mind and get your blood up to boiling point. The mock-live
'Bad Girl' (unless it actually is live) is also a fine chunk of boogie, finishing the record on
a note similar to the one of 'Party On The Patio'.
And then there's all those radio-played MTV-sucked songs like 'Gimme All Your Lovin'
and 'Sharp Dressed Man' which you probably already know without my help. If I describe
one of them, I've pretty much described all of them - similar, but different riffs, the
already mentioned 'metallizing' synths which might actually not be synths at all, just
processed guitars, and Frank Beard going 4/4 like the grim Tejas robot he is. Not a single
sucker, even if it does start getting a bit boring towards the end - but certainly not if
you're in the mood for continuous headbanging rock'n'roll. Man, WHAT a sound. Let the
purists roast me and crucify me and accuse me of being bribed by Billy Gibbons, I don't
care. This album is out there for you to have fun, not to shed tears, and I sure get my fun.
And so will you, once you have managed to disconnect the actual music from the size of
the band's facial hair... boy, if I were a girl, I certainly wouldn't want to make it out with
any of these guys, but then again, I guess it's a special kind of kinkiness to have sex with
somebody like Mr Gibbons, so what do I know?

afterburner
Song List:

can't stop rockin' lyrics

delirious lyrics

dipping low (in the lap of luxury) lyrics

i got the message lyrics

planet of women lyrics

rough boy lyrics

sleeping bag lyrics

stages lyrics

velcro fly lyrics

woke up with wood lyrics

antenna
Song List:

breakaway lyrics

cherry red lyrics

cover your rig lyrics

deal goin' down lyrics

fuzzbox voodoo lyrics

girl in a t-shirt lyrics

head lyrics

lizard life lyrics

pch lyrics

pincushion lyrics

world of swirl lyrics

armageddon
Song List:

la grange lyrics
 dazed and confused
Song List:

tush lyrics

deguello
Song List:

a fool for your stockings lyrics

cheap sunglasses lyrics

dust my broom lyrics

esther be the one lyrics

hi fi mama lyrics
i thank you lyrics

i'm bad, i'm nationwide lyrics

lowdown in the street lyrics

manic mechanic lyrics

she loves my automobile lyrics

el loco
Song List:

don't tease me lyrics

groovy little hippie pad lyrics

heaven, hell or houston lyrics

i wanna drive you home lyrics

it's so hard lyrics

leila lyrics

party on the patio lyrics

pearl necklace lyrics

ten foot pole lyrics

tube snake boogie lyrics

eliminator
Song List:

bad girl lyrics

dirty dog lyrics

gimme all your lovin' lyrics

got me under pressure lyrics

i got the six lyrics

i need you tonight lyrics

if i could only flag her down lyrics

legs lyrics

sharp dressed man lyrics

thug lyrics

tv dinners lyrics

fandango
Song List:

backdoor medley. i. back door love affair lyrics

backdoor medley. ii. mellow down easy lyrics

backdoor medley. iii. backdoor love affair no. 2 lyrics

backdoor medley. iv. long distance boogie lyrics

balinese lyrics

blue jean blues lyrics

heard it on the x lyrics

jailhouse rock lyrics

mexican blackbird lyrics

nasty dogs and funky kings lyrics

thunderbird lyrics

tush lyrics
 from dusk till dawn
Song List:

mexican blackbird lyrics

she's just killing me lyrics

greatest hits
Song List:

cheap sunglasses lyrics

doubleback lyrics

gimme all your lovin' lyrics

give it up lyrics

got me under pressure lyrics

gun love lyrics

i'm bad, i'm nationwide lyrics

la grange lyrics

legs lyrics

my head's in mississippi lyrics

pearl necklace lyrics

planet of women lyrics

rough boy lyrics

sharp dressed man lyrics

sleeping bag lyrics

tube snake boogie lyrics

tush lyrics

viva las vegas lyrics

 one foot in the blues
Song List:

2000 blues lyrics

a fool for your stockings lyrics

bar-b-q lyrics

brown sugar lyrics

certified blues lyrics

heaven, hell or houston lyrics

hi fi mama lyrics

hot, blue and righteous lyrics

i need you tonight lyrics

if i could only flag her down lyrics

just got back from baby's lyrics

lowdown in the street lyrics

my head's in mississippi lyrics

old man lyrics

she loves my automobile lyrics

sure got cold after the rain fell lyrics

recycler
Song List:

2000 blues lyrics

burger man lyrics

concrete and steel lyrics

decision or collision lyrics

doubleback lyrics

give it up lyrics

lovething lyrics

my head's in mississippi lyrics

penthouse eyes lyrics

tell it lyrics

rhythmeen
Song List:

bang bang lyrics

black fly lyrics

hairdresser lyrics

hummbucking part 2 lyrics

loaded lyrics

my mind is gone lyrics

prettyhead lyrics

rhythmeen lyrics

she's just killing me lyrics

vincent price blues lyrics

what's up with that lyrics

zipper job lyrics

 rio grande mud
Song List:

bar-b-q lyrics

chevrolet lyrics

down brownie lyrics

francine lyrics

just got paid lyrics

ko ko blue lyrics

mushmouth shoutin' lyrics

sure got cold after the rain fell lyrics

whiskey'n mama lyrics

 tejas
Song List:

arrested for driving while blind lyrics

avalon hideaway lyrics

el diablo lyrics

enjoy and get it on lyrics

it's only love lyrics

pan am highway blues lyrics

she's a heartbreaker lyrics

snappy kakkie lyrics

ten dollar man lyrics

 tres hombres
Song List:

beer drinkers & hell raisers lyrics

have you heard? lyrics

hot, blue and righteous lyrics

jesus just left chicago lyrics

la grange lyrics

master of sparks lyrics

move me on down the line lyrics

precious and grace lyrics

shiek lyrics
waitin' for the bus lyrics

xxx
Song List:

(let me be your) teddy bear lyrics

36-22-36 lyrics

beatbox lyrics

belt buckle lyrics

crucifixx-a-flatt lyrics

dreadmonboogaloo lyrics

fearless boogie lyrics

hey mr. millionaire lyrics

live intro by ross mitchell lyrics

made into a movie lyrics

poke chop sandwich lyrics

sinpusher lyrics

trippin' lyrics

zz top's first album

Song List:

(somebody else been) shakin' your tree lyrics

back door love affair lyrics

bedroom thang lyrics

brown sugar lyrics

certified blues lyrics

goin' down to mexico lyrics

just got back from baby's lyrics

neighbor, neighbor lyrics

old man lyrics

squank lyrics

Left: ZZ Top performs onstage in Providence, R.I., January 22 2000. Below: The band's
full discography. Click on album covers for larger pictures or on album titles for complete
lyrics. Or... fast forward directly to the latest newzz including info about newly
announced tour dates for 2007, the band's split with RCA records and long-time
manager Bill Ham, and the latest reviews and pictures from recent concerts. Far below:
Photo album, record cabinet and much more about ZZ Top.

[ Click to Fast Forward to... Latest Newzz | Tour Information ]

ZZ Top, the quintessential Texas boogie band, was formed in 1969 in Houston from rival
psychedelic bands, the Moving Sidewalks (guitarist Billy Gibbons) and the American
Blues (bassist Dusty Hill and drummer Frank Beard). While they would eventually
become famous for hits such as "Legs," "Sharp Dressed Man," and "La Grange," the
band's first two albums reflected ZZ Top's blues roots and Texas sense of humor -- as
they struggled to build on their success as a local and regional act. Among their early
influences: Jimi Hendrix, Howlin' Wolf, and Elvis Presley.
 ZZ Top's First Album (1970), ZZ Top's debut album on London Records,
featuring "Shaking Your Tree" and "Brown Sugar," as well as "Back Door Love
Affair," which would later be featured as part of a live concert recording on
Fandango! (1975). D.S. raves about "Neighbor, Neighbor", track six, "Mane, the
trend for guitar was set early. Always loved that solo. And that one fine pull-off
before it explodes. And then taking it all over the world till you get back home
again. And that fine startling chord tug at the end of the solo. Mane, it still be
fine."

Rio Grande Mud (1972), featuring ZZ's first hit single, "Francine," as well as
"Just Got Paid." Other highlights include "Bar-B-Q," "Down Brownie" and
"Mushmouth Shoutin'." A review is available.

By their next album, Billy Gibbons had begun to perfect his unique and distinctively dirty
electric guitar sound. The self-described "Little Ol' Band from Texas" became nationally
known with the release of Tres Hombres, thanks in part to constant touring and favorable
radio exposure.
Tres Hombres (1973), ZZ Top's first gold album, featuring "La Grange," a
signature riff tune and their first Top 40 hit, as well as the twosome "Waitin' For
The Bus" and "Jesus Just Left Chicago." A review is available from Rolling
Stone. D.S. writes, "Waitin' on the Bus is a real favorite. So is Jesus. And ZZ's
signature song, La Grange (one of Billy's hottest, but played on a Strat, not
Pearly. Listen to it.) That whole album is hot, blue, and righteous. The tone is so
incredible it makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up. This album is the
ZZ centerpiece. All the previous cuts led to this, and this led to everything else.
This is the one that established ZZ Top. No question about it. Don't care which is
your favorite, this is the one."

ZZ Top's fame -- along with their reputation for being a great concert band -- grew
throughout the 70s, culminating with the Worldwide Texas Tour, which drew record-
breaking crowds. The tour featured a stage set with live buffalo, a long-horn steer,
rattlesnakes, and buzzards. More information is available on that tour. Also available is a
Rolling Stone article from 1974 covering the band's early history and efforts to grow into
a national act.
Fandango! (1975), a half-studio, half-live album, featuring ZZ's future long-term
live encore, "Tush," which hit the Top 20, as well as "Heard it on the X," a tribute
to the pirate radio stations whose sound lent early influence to the band. In-depth
magazine articles are available from Sound and Circus RAVES.

Tejas (1976), featuring "Arrested for Driving While Blind" and "El Diablo." A
Rolling Stone review and larger Circus Magazine article are available.

The Best of ZZ Top (1977), London's recap of ZZ Top's early work, containing
classic riff-heavy blues rockers like "Jesus Just Left Chicago," "Heard it on the
X," "Tush" and "La Grange."
Exhausted from their aggressive tour schedule, the band took a three-year break. Their
contract with London Records was closed out by that label's release of the 1977
retrospective album. Searching for a better deal, and a better label, they signed with
Warner Brothers. Meanwhile, they began to grow their trademark beards and mystique.
The band returned to action with Deguello and El Loco, both clearly driven from their
roots yet influenced by current trends in pop. The band was turning in a new direction
that would presage the synth-driven 80s, and their image had begun to shift from
cowboys into high-tech showmen.
Deguello (1979), ZZ Top's first new album on Warner, featuring "I Thank You,"
"Cheap Sunglasses" and concert favorite "I'm Bad, I'm Nationwide." This album
is believed by some ZZ Top fans to be the band's strongest release. It also
introduced the "Lone Wolf Horns," a simulcast horn section staffed by the boyzz
themselves. "Deguello" was temporarily pulled from distribution because of a
legal dispute between the members of Elmore James' estate. It had nothing to do
with ZZ, but until they could settle amongst themselves, the family members
enjoined record labels from distributing products containing Elmore James
compositions (James' "Dust My Broom" appears on Deguello). The suit has been
settled, and Deguello has been returned to the shelves.

El Loco (1981), featuring "Party on the Patio," "Pearl Necklace" and "Tube Snake
Boogie." This album also contains "Leila", which some say was the first song to
generate an argument among the trio during the writing process. Also contained is
"Heaven, Hell or Houston," which -- if you believe the story -- was originally a
sound check tune that Billy added the slide part to ten years later. A press release
and Kerrang! magazine article are available.

After touring in support of El Loco, the boys took another short break. Billy had spent
time building a custom hot rod, and the band seized upon it as an icon in launching their
next series of albums. By the release of Eliminator, and its followup, Afterburner, ZZ
Top had harnessed the potential of synthesizers to stunning effect. Combining the
synthesizers with the band's patented blues groove gave their material a contemporary
edge while still retaining its Texas style.
Eliminator (1983), named after Gibbons' 1933 Ford coupe, went multiplatinum,
remaining on the charts for 135 weeks. It featured the hit trio "Gimme All Your
Lovin'," "Sharp Dressed Man" and "Legs." The band didn't neglect its roots,
including "I Need You Tonight," a soulful blues. Nor did they pass up the chance
to include another double-entendre, in "I Got the Six." A review is available.

Afterburner (1985), another worldwide smash album which featured the Top 10
hit "Sleeping Bag," and the bluesy "Rough Boy." The boys gave a nod to space-
age technology with the imagery of the album cover, videos featuring outer-space
scenes, and songs like "I Got the Message" and "Velcro Fly." And of course a
wink to all those in on the joke is included in "Woke Up With Wood." A review is
available.
Sporting their trademark long beards, and riding shiny new hot rods, ZZ Top became the
darling of Mtv. The band embraced music videos, using its polished image to tell its story
to an even wider crowd. Gibbons became known as one of America's finest blues
guitarists, while Hill and Beard continued to to provide the ultimate in tasteful support.
The band as a whole moved with the times, never failing to put their Texas spin on the
latest trends in the music scene.
ZZ Top Six Pack (1987), a three-CD set, contains all the music from ZZ Top's
first six albums: ZZ Top's First Album, Rio Grande Mud (CD 1); Tres Hombres,
Fandango! (CD 2); Tejas and El Loco (CD 3). The set was digitally remixed in
Memphis, Tennessee, and is one of ZZ Top's most controversial projects in that
the music contained within is appreciably different from the original vinyl
releases. While the band undoubtedly did this on purpose, many fans prefer the
sound of the original releases on vinyl to the re-released CD version. The only
way to get the "original" music on CD, with the exception of "Best Of ZZ Top"
and possibly "Deguello", is to purchase the "Chrome Smoke and BBQ" box set
described below. Nothwithstanding these CD's, every other CD reissue of an
original vinyl release has similar remastering.

Recycler (1990), featuring "Doubleback," a theme song created for Back to the
Future III, and "My Head's in Mississippi," a gritty synthesis of ZZ's early blues-
rock and later high-tech gloss, that is taken by many to be a statement of purpose.
A review is available from Rolling Stone and an article with interview is available
from It's Hip!.

Greatest Hits (1992), featuring classic hits and two new singles, "Gun Love" and
"Viva Las Vegas". The version of "Legs" on this CD is also the synthesizer-
enhanced dance remix -- different from the original version which appeared on
Eliminator. "Gun Love" is an upbeat rocker, top shelf, and what collection would
be complete without Dusty's "Viva Las Vegas" tribute to Elvis?

After switching labels to RCA, ZZ Top began a look back at the sounds that influenced
them in their early days. They largely abandoned synthesizers to create a new sound full
of memorable riffs and highly reminiscent of Tres Hombres' sweaty blues-rock. ZZ Top's
newest albums continue to be familiar to fans of their earlier styles, yet the nod to modern
trends like rap is undeniable. Through song lyrics and fundraising appearances, the boyzz
continue to pay tribute to blues originals like Muddy Waters and Lightnin' Hopkins.
Antenna (1994), ZZ Top's debut RCA disc, featuring concert opener
"Pincushion," and the bluesy "Breakaway." "PCH" pays tribute to Beach Boy
Brian Wilson, and P.Z. says "Get down with 'Fuzzbox Voodoo.'" Reviews are
available from Newsweek and Time. Two rarer tracks were also released at the
time -- "Everything", a bonus track only on the European pressing of Antenna,
and "Mary's," on the Breakaway CD single. An audio clip (552k .wav) is available
for "Mary's."
One Foot In The Blues (1994), a compendium of seventeen classic ZZ Top blues
originals. A press release is available.

Rhythmeen was released in the US on September 17, 1996. Singles

released include "She's Just Killing Me," which was also on the "From
Dusk Till Dawn" soundtrack with "Mexican Blackbird." The SJKM
music video premiered 1/24/96 and was featured on the From Dusk
Till Dawn Collectors Edition DVD. Other singles include "What's Up With That"
(released to US radio 8/26/96 on its own CD single along with bonus song "Stop
Breakin' Down Blues"), "Bang Bang" and "Rhythmeen." A press release and
review are available for the album. The Japanese release of Rhythmeen contains a
bonus track, "Isn't Love Amazing," for which an audio clip (750k .wav) is
available.

The album release went hand-in-hand with the announcement of ZZ Top's 1996-
1997 "Continental Safari" tour. Shortly thereafter, ZZ Top embarked on a follow-
up global tour, called "Mean Rhythm." A press release, schedule and reviews and
set list are available for the tour. An article from Guitar Magazine is also
available.

Of special interest...
10/2/96: ZZ Top appeared as guests on the Late Show with David Letterman
playing their new single "What's Up With That."
1/26/97: ZZ Top appeared at the Super Bowl Halftime Show. (Press Release).
10/28/97: ZZ Top appeared as surprise guests on the VH1 Fashion Awards. (Press
Release).
9/30/98: Dusty Hill made a cameo appearance on the Drew Carey Show.

XXX was released on September 28, 1999 in the US. The album's title, XXX,
primarily refers to ZZ Top's 30-year anniversary. The album contains twelve
songs, four of them live cuts recorded in small clubs. Songs include "36-22-36,"
"Trippin'," and a live remake of "Pincushion" entitled "Sinpusher." Reviews are
available from Billboard Magazine, Rolling Stone, VH1.com, Wallofsound.com
and Onradio.com. A promotional photo and poster are also available. The
Japanese release of XXX contains a bonus track, Ninja Shak.

The "Fearless Boogie" single was released to US radio on 9/3/99. An audio clip
(1.3MB .wav) and CD single cover are available. An audio clip (409k .wav) is also
available for "36-22-36," track 4 on the new album.

Of special interest...
9/29/99: ZZ Top was featured on the "Rockline" program.
10/7/99: The band were guests on the Late Show with David Letterman,
performing "Fearless Boogie" with the Late Show band.
3/5/00: ZZ Top hosted an online chat, answering questions and announcing new
tour dates. (Read the chat transcript.)

Over 100 concert dates took place on the "XXX Tour" with special guest Lynyrd
Skynyrd. Billy Gibbons referred to it as "a collision of the rednecks." The tour
was scheduled to continue through July 2000, however, due to Dusty Hill's
serious illness, June and July dates were postponed indefinitely. Please check the
Dusty Update for further details. Available here are the XXX concert schedule,
notes and reviews, and set lists.

1/18/01: ZZ Top performed at the inauguration party of President George W.

Bush. The set list included a new song called "Man Upstairs." Check zztop.com
for plen'y details.
5/8/01: Billy Gibbons is a guest on the John Mayall CD "Along for the Ride,"
released today. Other guests on the album include Jonny Lang, Steve Cropper and
Jeff Healey.
8/01: BFG sat in with Kid Rock on Rock's "If I Were President", on Mtv's 20th
Anniversary special. [video]
2/21/02: ZZ Top played RodeoHouston. Reviews are available from the Houston
Chronicle and from mailing lizzt members Mike Keith and Francene Price. Photos
are available in the Photo Album.

Dusty got married! Check out the press release and pictures on the Dusty
Wedding page.

Country music update: Billy Gibbons is featured on the new Hank Williams III
album Lovesick Broke & Driftin' on the song "Trashville." ZZ Top also appeared
with Brooks & Dunn on the April 21 episode of CMT Crossroads. Their
performance was taped on March 3 in Nashville in front of a studio audience at
the Grand Ole Opry House. Moving right along... Country artists including Willie
Nelson, Alan Jackson, Brooks & Dunn and others pay tribute to ZZ Top with a
new album Sharp Dressed Man: A Tribute to ZZ Top, out on May 7. Consensus:
If you're into country, you might consider it. According to CMT.com, Gibbons
and Hill also backed several country acts at RCA's recent General Jackson
riverboat concert. Lastly, Billy Gibbons makes a brief appearance in the Tim
McGraw video "The Cowboy In Me."

Billy Gibbons has appeared in a Quaker State motor oil commercial. The ad
features some of his hot rods including Eliminator, Cadzzilla and the Hogzzillas.
In the ad, Billy looks for help changing his oil, and a group of women in pit crew
jumpsuits pop out. A video clip [5MB .mpg] is available.

ZZ Top completed a short tour of casinos in the US in May '02. A European tour
leg took place next in October-November 2002. All pertinent information
including dates, set lists, reviews, photos, etc. for both tours can be found on the
Past Tour Info Page. Drummer Frank Beard underwent an operation during the
European tour. Check the Frank Update for details.

The movie "Back to the Future, Part III," wherein ZZ Top made a cameo
appearance as a 3-piece band, was released on DVD in the US on December 17,
2002. The DVD has also been released in Europe. The Doubleback music
video is included as a bonus feature on this DVD.

Billy Gibbons was recently interviewed by Car Crazy on the Speed Channel. The
show first aired Feb. 15, 2003. A video clip (34MB divx encoded .avi) is
available. (Thanks to SV.)

3/4/03: The boyzz played RodeoHouston for the second time. A Houston
Chronicle review and set list are available.

5/26/03: ZZ Top appeared on the USA Network for a 70th birthday tribute to
Willie Nelson, playing "She Loves My Automobile." The show was originally
taped in New York in April. A video clip (25MB divx encoded .avi) is available
thanks to SV.

6/13/03: The Austin Chronicle published this article regarding Clive Davis and
the Mescalero snafu.

6/28/03: ZZ Top played at the Corvette 50th Anniversary in Nashville, Tennessee.

A news article is available, along with an article on B.G.'s Les Paul 50th
Anniversary Corvette guitar. Also check out the recent Corvette print
advertisement featuring lyrics from the song "Chevrolet" off Rio Grande Mud.

A new album entitled Mescalero was released in the US on September 9, 2003

and September 8 internationally. The new album features 17 songs including an
unlisted bonus song after the sixteenth track, "As Time Goes By." There were
numerous reports of the "Piece" single getting radio play for a short time but sadly
no widespread radio play for some of the arguably stronger songs on the album
like Stackin' Paper, Tramp, Crunchy, Dusted, or Liquor. A press release is
available for the new album. Reviews are available from: San Antonio Express-
News and gomemphis.com. (The album was originally to be released in the US on
April 15, 2003 and April 14 internationally. This article has more information on
the album delay.) The Japanese issue of Mescalero, released September 25,
features a bonus track called Sanctify in addition to the aforementioned "As Time
Goes By."

11/6/03: ZZ Top made an appearance on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. Video
clip is available now! [Unless you have a very fast net connection, (right click to)
save the file, then play it when done downloading. Otherwise it may appear
choppy due to your player attempting to play it faster than it can be downloaded.]

Billy Gibbons made a guest appearance on Kid Rock's new album Kid Rock
which came out November 11, 2003.

ZZ Top has been inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. The
ceremony was held March 15th 2003 at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel in New York,
and aired on VH1 on Sunday March 21 at 8pm and 10pm. A video clip (59MB
mpg) is available. About time! The Houston Chronicle article was one of more
than 400 news outlets to mention ZZ Top in this regard. An AP press release on
their nomination and Billboard articles on the induction and the inductees'
reactions.

The "Chrome, Smoke and BBQ" CD box set was released on

October 14, 2003. The standard box set contains four discs and 80
remastered tracks. Yes, that means they sound like they did on the
original vinyl, not like the Six-Pack or the individual CD's which were
controversially remixed. A limited-edition release of 15,000 CSBBQ
sets exists, each of which contains a flip book, "BBQ shack-inspired packaging"
and cardboard cutouts. The CSBBQ box set was originally to be released in
February 2003. For further information check the Billboard article

The 'Beer Drinkers and Hell Raisers' tour, which began in April 2003, wrapped up
in November 2003 but the tour was extended with a series of dates in July-
September 2004. The schedule and full concert information including press
release, review and set lists can be found on the Past Tour Info page. A press
release is also available. Opening most shows were Ted Nugent and Kenny
Wayne Shepherd with Double Trouble. ZZ Top closed the Compaq Center in
Houston, playing the final show there the night of November 22, 2003. The
venue, previously known as the Summit, was to be converted into a church.
Check the press release and Houston Chronicle article for further details. An
advertisement for that show is also available on the Photo Album page.

A two-disc boxed CD set called "Rancho Texicano" and DVD of

"Greatest Hits - The Video Collection" were released on June 15,
2004. The DVD offers Dolby Surround and DTS in addition to
standard stereo audio. DK writes in to advise that "the mixes are the
ones from the CS&B box set, newly remastered from the original tapes, and not
the old Six Pack 'echoey 80s drums' mixes."
7/26/04: Billy Gibbons sat in at a Los Angeles studio for a midnight jam with
Queens of the Stone Age. It was rumored that BFG's contributions might make
QOTSA's new album.

3/15/05: Billy G. does a Q&A in the May 2005 issue of Guitar World. He also
reviews the new Los Super Seven disc "Heard It on the X".

3/22/05: Queens of the Stone Age (QOTSA) released their new album, Lullabies
to Paralyze. Billy G. plays and sings on track 6, "Burn the Witch". It is reported
that the limited edition album contains a DVD with a video clip of BFG and
QOTSA playing & talking.

4/1/05: ZZ Top plays the Discovery Channel's "Biker Build Off Ultimate Chop"
award show at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas. Videos are available for Cheap
Sunglasses and Waitin' for My Bike. Early tickets to the taping were offered to
mailing lizzt members. The show first aired on April 3rd and repeats continued to
air thereafter.

4/20/05: Billy Gibbons makes a cameo appearance on Speedvision's Build or

Bust. Video clips 1 and 2 are available thanks to Ryan Grealy.

8/5/05: BFG collaborates on the score to the new Dukes of Hazzard movie, press
release and photo here.

8/21/05: Star Travel, on the Travel Channel, featured 10 minutes with Billy
Gibbons and his hot rods. 36mb avi thanks to Sean Vincent.

Billy Gibbons is featured on Nickelback's album All the Right Reasons released
October 4th. Gibbons plays on the "Follow You Home" track. BG also appears on
Vivian Campbell's new album Two Sides of If, as musician and writer of the
"Willin' for Satisfaction" song which he reportedly penned minutes before it was
recorded. Further, BG appears on a track called "Tired of your Jive" on the new
B.B. King album 80 released September 13th. Lastly, Gibbons will be a part of
the Les Paul & Friends album American Made World Played released August 30,
playing on the "Bad Case of Lovin' You" track. [mp3]

Billy's autobiography, "Billy F. Gibbons: Rock + Roll Gearhead" was

released on October 15, 2005. Press coverage is available from Rubber Magazine.
Lister Jerry says, "The content is AWESOME! Lots of pictures of Billy, his cars,
hot women and guitars. It doesn't get much better. Billy's story telling ability is in
overdrive." For further information visit the Photo Album and Books pages under
More About ZZ Top.

Nov. 11, 2005: ZZ Top completed their 2005 "Whack Attack" tour. Check the
tour page for full details.
 Billy appeared for book signings at the following locations:

 11/14/05 - B&N, 555 Fifth Av., New York - 1pm

 11/16/05 - Indigo Books Eaton Ctr., 220 Yonge St., Toronto - Noon
 11/17/05 - Borders, 150 N. State, Chicago - 12:30pm
 11/29/05 - Peterson Automotive Museum, 6060 Wilshire Blvd., Los
Angeles - 6p m to 8pm
 11/30/05 - Sam Goody Universal Citywalk, 1000 Universal Center Dr.,
Los Angeles - 6:30pm

Nov. 28, 2005: Billy appeared on Leno with Queens of the Stone Age. Fan
reviews were mixed with widespread confusion about BFG's interest in QOTSA
alongside appreciation of his strong guitar performance.

Warner released reissues of "Tres Hombres" and "Fandango!" on February 28,

2006. According to this article each album features three additional live tracks.

April 23, 2006: Billy Gibbons was featured in an interview on the T-Bird Show.

According to 96kzel.com, ZZ Top was inducted into the City of Houston's Hall of
Fame at a gala dinner on August 23 at the Worthham Theater. For full details see
the article on 96kzel.com.

August 31, 2006: BFG made a guest appearance on the MTV Video Music
Awards, joining the Raconteurs for "Cheap Sunglasses". Check out the Buck
Owens guitar in this video clip.

The following newzz is the most recent information that's available, and is updated
regularly as new information is released:
According to an interview on therockradio.com, ZZ Top was planning to begin
work on a new album in late 2005. Billy Gibbons was quoted as saying, "We'll
probably go back to our studio. We've got a nice room in Hollywood, California,
and then of course the old standby Foam Box Recordings there in Houston,
Texas. We're hoping our traditional layover through the holidays might give us
some time to get into the studio, sometime after Thanksgiving and before
Christmas."

ZZ Top received the International Entertainment Buyer's Association's Lifetime

Achievement Award at their conference in Nashville, October 15-17, 2006. For
further details see this article from Entertainment Magazine.

Sept. 11, 2006: Jim Slotek & Jane Stevenson write in this article in the Toronto
Sun that BFG may lend his voice to one of the cars in the new car culture
documentary "Tales of the Rat Fink."
 Sep. 18, 2006: ZZ Top is parting ways with manager Bill Ham and the
RCA label. Ham, president of Austin-based Lone Wolf Management, played a
central role in the formation of the band around 1969 and was, according to many
accounts, a key player in the band's development for much of their early years.
His style was undoubtedly key to building ZZ Top's mystique as an act. Articles
from Reuters and The Austin American Statesman are available.

10/24/06: Restless Records will release "Butchering the Beatles", featuring Billy
Gibbons singing and playing guitar on "Revolution". For further information see
this Market Wire article.

November 30, 2006: Tour dates are starting to leak out for an early 2007 US
Tour. Few details have been released yet but at least six dates have been
announced by venues in February - April 2007. Check the concerts page for more
details!

December 6, 2006: The Austin American Statesman has reported that ZZ Top has
signed the Sanctuary Group to be their new management. Stay tuned for more
details..

Stay tuned to the mailing lizzt and newzzfeed for more in depth information!

Soundzz from the Record Cabinet

some of the old stuff, some of the new, and a little in between...
From the April 21 2002 episode of CMT Crossroads:
"La Grange" Taped 3/3/02 in Nashville at the Grand Ole Opry House.
From the 1999 album XXX:
"36-22-36" (409k .wav)
"Fearless Boogie" (1.3 MB .wav)
From the ZZ Top International Fan Club:
Billy Gibbons on the answering machine!
From the Japanese release of Rhythmeen (1996):
"Isn't Love Amazing" (750k .wav)
From the European release of Antenna:
"Everything" (503k .wav)
From the Breakaway CD single:
"Mary's" (552k .wav)
From the album Where the Pyramid Meets the Eye, a tribute to Roky Erickson:
"Reverberation (Doubt)" (556k .wav)
From Salt Lick/Miller's Farm, ZZ Top's first released vinyl single:
"Miller's Farm" (459k .wav) - The Salt Lick/Miller's Farm 7" vinyl, released prior
to ZZ Top's First Album, can be very difficult to find. It was released only twice:
 once on Bill Ham's Scat label, and shortly thereafter by London Records,
probably in 1970. (For more details look at the discographies under Potatoe
Salad.) Your best bet on finding the real thing is to go to record shows or check
out Goldmine magazine.

More About ZZ Top

 ZZ Top Internet Mailing Lizzt and NewzzFeed
 Tour schedule/notes/reviews: [ Current | Past ]
 Set lists: [ Current and Past ]
 The Guitar Case (Guitar Tablatures to ZZ Top songs new and old)
 Snapshots from Pete's Photo Album de ZZ Top
 ZZ Top International Fan Club (keychains!)
 Books about ZZ Top
 The ZZ Tour de Texas -- a pictorial tour through the history and legend of the
Lone Star State
 Potatoe Salad (other ZZ Top related information and links)

What's new? Guitar tab updates to Sunglasses, Manic, Asleep, Avalon, and Paid. More
Whack Attack '05 pics posted to the Photo Album de ZZ Top. Added links to the MTV
Video Music Awards appearance clip and article about BFG's participation in a new
documentary by Ron Mann. Gibbons autobiography photos posted to the Photo Album
and book info posted to the Books page under More About ZZ Top. Hard-coded the page
header size for 800x600 to accomodate broken Microsoft browsers. Pictures and guitar
tablatures moved to separate pages under "More About ZZ Top". The Little ol' Web Page
from Texas has been visited by people in every state in the US and over 50 countries
around the world!

Technical problems, suggestions or contributions - please contact me! My email address

is at the bottom of this page. Thanks to AR, JHS, UW, CS, AH, MC, MB, WB, MH, BA,
SJ, MT, JJ, PS, TPW, JC, GG, RG, ED, CC, FJ, MD, PB, SK, TR, GP, FM, JR, TM, NB,
MT, GP, DO, RH, MK, GJS, FP, CG, PHH, FB, JM, FM, MM and JL for their generous
contributions and to Lone-Wolf Management for their support of this effort. Images,
lyrics, and names are copyright and trademark of their respective owners.

Copyright (c) 1994-2006 Peter Zurich - All rights reserved.

Last modified on December 7 at 7PM Texas time.
pbz@lowpft.com - Have mercy! Please do not email me asking for lyrics, concert dates,
information about the ZZ Top Fan Club, or where you can buy a ZZ Top keychain. All
that information can be found above.

Gimme All Your Lovin

I got to have a shot of what you got is oh so sweet.

You got to make it hot, like a boomerang I need a repeat,
 Gimme all your lovin', all your hugs and kisses too,
Gimme all your lovin', don't let up until we're through,

You got to whip it up and hit me like a ton of lead,

If I blow my top will you let it go to your head?

Gimme all your lovin', all your hugs and kisses too,
Gimme all your lovin', don't let up until we're through.
You got to move it up and use it like a scrweball would.
You got to pack it up, work it like a new boy should.

Gimme all your lovin', all your hugs and kisses too.
Gimme all your lovin', don't let up until we're through.

- Billy Gibbons, Dusty Hill & Frank Beard

4 Non Blondes
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Jump to: navigation, search

4 Non Blondes were an early 1990s American alternative rock band. The band chose its
name because none of its members had blonde hair, which they considered significant.
Lead vocalist Linda Perry went solo in 1996 and the group disbanded after recording, but
not releasing, their second album. Perry has since released solo work, and produced songs
on hit albums by Pink and Christina Aguilera.

4 Non Blondes
4 Non Blondes had a huge hit single in 1993 with "What's Up". A year later, DJ Miko
covered the track as a dance song, and it became a hit again, on radio and in clubs.

In 1995, 4 Non Blondes contributed the song "Misty Mountain Hop" to the Encomium
tribute album to Led Zeppelin.

Contents
[hide]
 1 Members
 2 Discography
o 2.1 Album
o 2.2 Single

 3 External links

[edit] Members
 Linda Perry -- Vocals
 Roger Rocha -- Guitar
 Christa Hillhouse -- Bass guitar
 Dawn Richardson -- Drums
 Wanda Day -- Drums (pre "Bigger, Better, Faster, More" Release)
 Shaunna Hall - guitarist 1989-1992, appears on some album tracks

[edit] Discography
[edit] Album

 Bigger, Better, Faster, More! (1992)

[edit] Single

 "What's Up" (1993)

 "Spaceman (1993)

4 Non Blondes howled their way onto the charts in 1993 with "What's Up?" and then vanished without a whisper.
Formed in 1989 with
Linda Perry (vocals), Roger Rocha (guitar), Christa Hillhouse (bass), and Dawn Richardson (drums), 4 Non
Blondes had no problems attracting major labels, but they didn't know how to market them. The band was
eventually signed to Interscope Records and released Bigger, Better, Faster, More? in 1992. Dominated by
Perry's high-pitched singing, "What's Up?" was slowly added to modern rock stations and then crossed over into
the mainstream, peaking at number 11 on the Billboard Top 200. The video for "What's Up?" became a smash on
MTV, propelling sales of the album to over six-million copies worldwide. "What's Up?" was selected as Best Song
by the Bay Area Music Awards; moreover, Perry was chosen as Best Female Vocalist and Bigger, Better, Faster,
More? won for Best Album. The group toured with Neil Young, Pearl Jam, and Bob Dylan. The band recorded
tunes for the soundtracks to Wayne's World 2 and Airheads. However, Perry felt that the group had become too
pop; consequently, she left 4 Non Blondes. She released her solo debut, In Flight, in 1995. Perry departed from
Interscope Records in 1998 and recorded her second full-length, After Hours, for her own label, Rockstar
Records. ~ Michael Sutton, All Music Guide
Twenty-five years and my life is still
Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination

And I realized quickly when I knew I should

That the world was made up of this brotherhood of man
For whatever that means
And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I am feeling a little peculiar
And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream at the top of my lungs
What's going on?
And I say, hey hey hey hey
I said hey, what's going on?

ooh, ooh ooh

and I try, oh my god do I try
I try all the time, in this institution
And I pray, oh my god do I pray
I pray every single day
For a revolution
And so I cry sometimes
When I'm lying in bed
Just to get it all out
What's in my head
And I am feeling a little peculiar
And so I wake in the morning
And I step outside
And I take a deep breath and I get real high
And I scream at the top of my lungs
What's going on?
And I say, hey hey hey hey
I said hey, what's going on?

Twenty-five years and my life is still

Trying to get up that great big hill of hope
For a destination

4 Non Blondes History & Facts

4 Non Blondes Facts

From: United States

Founded: 1989

You may share facts about 4 Non Blondes.

 4 Non Blondes History

4 Non Blondes were formed in San Francisco in 1989 by Linda Perry, already celebrated in the Bay
City's blues clubs for her Janis Joplin-style roar, for her doleful acoustic guitar and her open
homosexuality. In 1990 the band had a local hit with Mr President, but it was the album Bigger
Better Faster More (Interscope, 1992) that climbed the charts. The material is eclectic and not
always original, often recalling an amateurish Jefferson Starship, nervous when incorporating funk
(Calling All The People) or rockabilly (Old Mr Heffer). Perry's vision was best displayed in the cogent
ballad What's Going On (their hit) and in the blues Train. Perry's tormented soul agonized in
Drifting and Spaceman.
Her first solo album, In Flight (Interscope, 199), was a slick production aiming at the charts (In My
Dreams, Knock Me Out).

From: United States

Styles: Alternative Rock
Members:
  Linda Perry - vocals
  Christa Hillhouse - bass
  Roger Rocha - guitar
  Dawn Richardson - drums

Founded 1989

Yngwie Malmsteen
    Nascut: Lars Johann Yngwie Lannerback in Stockholm, Suedia, in 1963.
Perioada de activitate: 1978 - prezent
Stiluri abordate: Neo-classical metal, shred
  » Yngwie Malmsteen discografie

    Yngwie (Johann) Malmsteen este fara indoiala unul dintre cei mai tehnici chitaristi
de hard rock ai perioadei anilor '80. Combinand o tehnica deosebita, specifica lui,
caracterizata prin solo-uri rapide, cu enorma dragoste pentru compozitori clasici ca
Bach, Beethoven si Paganini, Malmsteen a rescris cartea
heavy metal, cu ajutorul puternicelor influente Baroc si
Gotic. Amplul sau album de debut, "Rising Force" a
reprezentat intrarea lui oficiala pe scena chitaristilor de hard
rock, pe atunci cuprinsi de fenomenul cunoscut sub numele
de 'shredding'. Pentru elaborarea albumului de debut,
Malmsteen s-a concentrat mai mult pe perfectionarea in
arpegiile extrem de rapide, decat pe compunerea propriu-zisa
a pieselor. Malmsteen a lansat o serie de albume in cursul
anilor '80, care - in ciuda unor diferente minore de executie a
pieselor - erau similare cu albumul de debut 'Rising Force',
fapt pentru care, criticii au considerat ca progresul artistului
era neinsemnat. De asemenea se ajunsese la concluzia ca,
setea cu care dorea sa-si imbunatateasca tehnica daduse
nastere unei muzici masturbatoare, mecanice si plictisitoare,
care nu lasa loc pentru subtilitate sau emotie. Malmsteen a raspuns criticilor
afirmand ca... odata ce canta muzica pe care o iubeste, nu doreste sa evolueze sau
sa schimbe ceva. De asemenea a insistat cu vehementa ca nu el, ci imitatorii lui au
redus compozitiile la simple demonstratii de virtuozitate instrumentala.
    Catre sfarsitul deceniului, devenise aproape o figura nedorita printre admiratorii
heavy metal, si chiar si cei apropiati lui erau obositi de obsesia lui
pentru repetitii, care pareau sa nu se mai termine. Urmand o
serie de drame personale si chiar accidente, Malmsteen parea sa-
si revina, colaborand cu mici case de productie, la inceput intr-un
ritm greoi si odata cu trecerea timpului, din ce in ce mai prolific si
mai creator, continuand sa cante ceea ce iubea, si anume stilul
neo-clasic, patentat de el.
    Yngwie (pronuntie - "ING-vay") Malmsteen s-a nascut ca Lars
Johann Yngwie Lannerback, la Stockholm (Suedia) in 1963, mai
tarziu adoptand numele de fata al mamei lui, imediat dupa
divortul parintilor sai. Fiind un copil neastamparat, mama lui
incercase, initial fara succes, sa trezeasca in el interesul pentru
muzica. Pe cand avea 7 ani Yngwie vazuse un reportaj asupra
mortii lui Jimi Hendrix si cateva secvente din multele concerte in
care Hendrix obisnuia sa-si dea foc chitarei. Brusc, dupa acest eveniment, Yngwie a
devenit obsedat de chitara incepand sa invete a interpreta piese ale artistilor lui
preferati, Hendrix si Deep Purple. Pornind de la stilul diatonic in care Ritchie
Blackmore combina riff-uri simple de blues cu scale minore, Malmsteen ia drumul
muzicii clasice, datorita sorei lui care-l expune compozitorilor ca Bach, Beethoven,
Vivaldi, Mozart. Exersa obsesiv, uneori pana cand degetele incepeau sa-i sangereze,
iar la varsta de 10 ani, mama lui ii permite sa renunte la scoala - unde devenise un
cosmar pentru
cadrele didactice - pentru a-si exersa talentul muzical.
    Yngwie se indragosteste in aceasta perioada de
muzica violonistului/compozitorului Niccolo Paganini, dar
si de imaginea rebela a muzicianului. In jurul varstei de
18 ani, Malmsteen canta in Suedia cu diverse trupe
incercand sa acapareze atentia acelora care erau
interesati de pura tehnica instrumentala. Frustrat -
pentru ca majoritatea prefera muzica pop, mai accesibila
- trimite catorva companii producatoare, casete
demonstrative. In 1981, Malmsteen primeste de la Mike
Varney (presedinte al companiei Sharpnel Records),
invitatia de a merge in S.U.A., pentru a intra in formatia
Steeler.
    Steeler inregistreaza un album, cu Malmsteen ca si
chitarist, dar nefiind satisfacut de stilul comun al trupei, o
paraseste pentru a se inrola in grupul Alcatrazz, unde
gaseste confortul oferit de influentele trupelor ca Deep Purple si Rainbow. Totusi,
nesatisfacut pe deplin, Malmsteen fondeaza formatia Rising Force, cu vechiul lui
prieten clapar, Jens Johansson. Primul album al formatiei, este eliberat in 1984
poarta numele trupei si consta intr-o ampla aventura instrumentala. Albumul face
valuri in cercurile de chitaristi, castigand nenumarate topuri in revistele de tehnica
muzicala si chitare, ajungand chiar pe locul 60 in topul Billboard (ceea ce era notabil
pentru un album instrumental).
    De asemenea albumul a fost nominalizat la premiul Grammy pentru 'Best Rock
Instrumental Performace'. Albumele ulterioare, Marching Out si Trilogy, s-au vandut
de asemenea destul de bine si i-au consolidat lui
Yngwie reputatia si influenta ca si compozitor dar si ca
chitarist. Pe data de 22 Iunie, 1987, Malmsteen are un
accident de masina cu Jaguarul sau, in urma unui
exces de viteza. In urma impactului, reuseste sa rupa
volanul cu capul si isi zdrobeste nervii de la mana
dreapta. In perioada de recuperare, mama lui moare
iar managerul sau il escrocheaza pana aproape de
faliment. Yngwie nu se lasa descurajat si, cu oarece
eforturi recastiga dexteritatea mainii drepte si
inregistreaza albumul Odyssey; cel mai usor album
realizat pana atunci, caracteristic muzicii de radio din
perioada aceea.
    Single-ul 'Heaven Tonight' castiga auditoriul de
dincolo de acela cu pasiune pentru chitara si duce
albumul pe pozitia 40 in top Billboard. La putin timp
dupa un turneu mondial ce avea sa includa si statele
din blocul sovietic, proiectul Rising Force se destrama,
iar Malmsteen pune pe picioare o trupa, in tara lui
natala si inregistreaza albumul Eclipse (1990).
    Albumul are mare succes in Europa si Japonia, dar rateaza publicul american, din
lipsa promovarii. In 1992, Yngwie rupe violent contractul cu PolyGram si isi fixeaza
ca prioritati inregistrarea albumului Fire and Ice. Dupa lansare, albumul debuteaza ca
si cap de afis in topurile japoneze si Malmsteen porneste intr-un nou tur mondial. In
perioada imediat urmatoare, trece prin diverse experiente foarte neplacute. Uraganul
Andrew ii distruge locuinta din Miami; managerul lui, cu care colabora deja de 4 ani,
moare de atac de cord; isi rupe o mana intr-un accident banal. In August 1993,
femeia ce avea sa-i fie soacrã se opune casatoriei lui cu fiica ei si obtine arestarea
acestuia, sub falsa acuzatie ca o tinea pe fiica ei ostatica amenintand-o cu o arma.
Malmsteen este scos imediat de sub acuzatie, incidentul ia sfarsit iar acesta
semneaza un contract cu compania Japoneza, Pony Canyon, cu atat mai mult cu cat
bratul era complet vindecat.
    Yngwie se intoarce in studio si lanseaza The Seventh Sign (1994), doua mini-
albume (Power and Glory si I Can't Wait), Magnum Opus (1995) si albumul
Inspiration (1996), compus totalmente din cover-uri.
    In timp ce popularitatea lui in U.S. se estompeaza, - datorita noilor pretentii ale
vechilor fani ai shredding-ului perioadei '80 - Malmsteen devine din ce in ce mai
popular in Europa, dar mai ales in Japonia si restul Asiei.

Discografie Yngwie Malmsteen:

Rising Force (1984)
Marching Out (1985)
Trilogy (1986)
Odyssey (1988)
Trial By Fire: Live in Leningrad (1989)
Eclipse (1990)
Collection (1991)
Fire and Ice (1992)
The Seventh Sign (1994)
Magnum Opus (1995)
Inspiration (1996)
 Facing the Animal (1997)
LIVE! (1998)
Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar and Orchestra in Em, Opus 1 (1998)
Alchemy (1999)
War to End All Wars (2000)
Concerto Suite LIVE (2002)
Attack!! (2002)
Unleash The Fury (2005)

Yngwie J. Malmsteen
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

(Redirected from Yngwie Malmsteen)

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Yngwie Malmsteen
Born June 30, 1963
Stockholm, Sweden

Alias(es) Lars Johan Yngve Lannerbäck

Genre(s) Neoclassical metal

Power metal
Shred[1]

Affiliation(s) Steeler (1983)

Alcatrazz (1983)

Label(s) Polydor
Polygram
Elektra

Notable guitars Fender Stratocaster

Years active 1982 - Present

Official site www.yngwie.org

Yngwie Johann Malmsteen (born Lars Johann Yngve Lannerbäck, June 30, 1963) is a
Swedish guitarist, composer and bandleader.

Widely recognised for his guitar skills, Malmsteen achieved widespread acclaim in the
1980s due to his technical proficiency and his pioneering of the neo-classical metal genre.
Contents
[hide]
 1 Biography
 2 1980s
 3 1990s
 4 2000s
 5 Specialized guitar
 6 Live Equipment
 7 Strings & Picks
 8 Band members/Backing musicians
o 8.1 Current lineup
o 8.2 Previous members
 9 Discography
o 9.1 Steeler
o 9.2 Alcatrazz
o 9.3 Yngwie Solo
 10 References
 11 See also

 12 External links

[edit] Biography

Born into a musical family in Stockholm, Malmsteen was the youngest child in the
family. On September 18, 1970, at age seven, he saw a TV special on the death of Jimi
Hendrix that made him obsessed with the guitar. To quote his official website, "The day
Jimi Hendrix died, the guitar-playing Yngwie was born".

At the age of 10 he took his mother's maiden name Malmsteen as his surname, and
"Americanized" his given name Yngve to "Yngwie".

He claims that Yngwie (pronounced "ING-VAY") means "young Viking chief" in

Swedish. Technically it is a variation of Yngvi, who founded the House of Yngling,
which is the oldest known Swedish dynasty.

Malmsteen was in his teens when he first encountered the music of the 19th century
violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, whom he cites as his biggest classical influence. It has
been rumoured that Yngwie believes himself to be the reincarnation of the
temperamental, often criticized, and widely misunderstood violinist from Genoa.
[citation  needed]
Through his emulation of Paganini concerto pieces on guitar, Malmsteen
developed a prodigious technical fluency. Malmsteen also cites Jimi Hendrix, Brian May
of Queen, Steve Hackett of Genesis, Uli Jon Roth, and Ritchie Blackmore of Deep Purple
as influences.
Malmsteen broke new ground and contributed to the evolution of modern rock guitar,
particularly with his embracing of modal progressions and classically-influenced
techniques not widely used in rock music. He is often credited, along with Randy
Rhoads, with increasing the popularity of the neoclassical heavy metal genre and
inspiring a new generation of electric guitarists including Paul Gilbert and Tony
MacAlpine.

His appearance on the guitar scene in the early 80's was notable in that he brought and
popularized techniques typified by Eddie Van Halen and Randy Rhoads. These new
techniques, often called "shredding", included fast lines using rapid alternate picking of
every note (as opposed to extensive hammer-ons and pull-offs), which had previously
only been featured by jazz fusion guitarists (such as Al Di Meola and John McLaughlin),
as well as very rapid sweep picking of arpeggios (typically in Malmsteen's characteristic
harmonic minor).

[edit] 1980s

In late 1982 Malmsteen was brought to the USA by Mike Varney of Shrapnel Records,
who had heard a demo tape of Malmsteen's playing. He had brief engagements with
Steeler, for their self-titled album of 1983, then Alcatrazz, for their 1983 debut No Parole
From Rock N' Roll, and the 1984 live album Live Sentence. He left Alcatrazz in 1984, to
embark on his solo career, and was replaced by Steve Vai.

Malmsteen released his first solo album "Rising Force" in 1984. It was a success; it was
the winner of Guitar Player Magazine's Best Rock Album and was also nominated for a
Grammy for 'Best Rock Instrumental', achieving #60 on the Billboard album chart. This
was followed by "Marching Out" (1985). Jeff Scott Soto filled vocal duties on these
initial albums.

His third album, Trilogy, was released in 1986. In 1987, former Rainbow vocalist Joe
Lynn Turner joined his band. That year, Malmsteen was in a serious car accident,
smashing his Jaguar XKE into a tree and putting him in a coma for a week. Nerve
damage to his right hand was reported. In a tragic twist of fate, during his time in the
hospital, Malmsteen's mother died from cancer.

In the summer of 1988 he released his fourth album, Odyssey. Odyssey would be his
biggest hit album, mainly because of its first single "Heaven Tonight". Shows in Russia
during the Odyssey tour were recorded, and released in 1989 as his fifth album Trial By
Fire: Live in Leningrad. The concert in Leningrad was the largest ever by a western artist
in the Soviet Union, and Malmsteen's record sales in Russia totalled 27 million.[citation  needed]

In late 1988, Malmsteen's signature Fender Stratocaster guitar was released, making him
and Eric Clapton the first artists to be honored by Fender.

Malmsteen's style "Neo-classical" became moderately popular during the mid 1980s,
with notable contemporaries such as Paul Gilbert, Marty Friedman, Tony MacAlpine and
Vinnie Moore all reaching prominence after Yngwie. However, only Paul Gilbert
claimed Yngwie as an influence, with MacAlpine coming to the neoclassical/shred field
by applying his classical piano training to his guitar playing and Moore arriving at a
similar style because he shared Yngwie's major influences, Ritchie Blackmore of Deep
Purple and Al Di Meola, American jazz fusion great of Return to Forever fame.

[edit] 1990s

In the early 1990s Malmsteen released the albums Eclipse (1990), The Yngwie
Malmsteen Collection (1991), Fire and Ice (1992) and The Seventh Sign (1994).

Despite his early success, and continuous success in Europe and Asia, by the early 1990s
stylings of 1980s heavy metal had become unfashionable in the USA. It was quickly
displaced by the Seattle grunge movement, where technical ability was replaced by
simpler songs. The grunge rock movement arose in part as a backlash to the overly
technical music produced by Malmsteen and his contemporaries, which was now
regarded by many as ponderous, excessive, and self-indulgent.

In the 1990s, Malmsteen continued to record and release albums under the Japanese
record label Pony Canyon, and maintained a devoted following from some fans in Europe
and Japan, and to a lesser extent in the USA. In 2000, he once again acquired a contract
with a US record label, Spitfire, and released his 1990s catalog into the US market for the
first time, including what he regards as his masterpiece Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar
and Orchestra, recorded with the Czech Philharmonic Orchestra in Prague.

In 1993, Malmsteen's mother-in-law, who was opposed to his engagement with her
daughter, had him falsely arrested for threatening her with a shotgun and holding her
daughter against her will [2]. However, Malmsteen denied this and the charges were
rapidly dropped.

[edit] 2000s

After the release of War to End All Wars in 2000, singer Mark Boals left the band.
Yngwie went on tour with former Ark vocalist Jorn Lande. Due to various tensions on
tour, Jorn left before the recording of Yngwie's next album, Attack!!. He was replaced by
former Rainbow vocalist Doogie White. White's vocals were well received by fans, and it
seems that he has become a permanent member of the band.

In 2003, Malmsteen joined Joe Satriani and Steve Vai as part of the G3 supergroup.
Yngwie made two rare guest appearances on keyboardist Derek Sherinian's albums Black
Utopia (2003), and Blood of the Snake (2006) where Yngwie is heard on the same tracks
as Al Di Meola and Zakk Wylde.

Yngwie released Unleash the Fury in 2005. As stated in an issue of "Guitar World"
magazine, he titled this album after the infamous 'airline incident', which occurred in a
flight to Japan for the 'Odyssey' tour. He was drunk and behaving obnoxiously, until he
fell asleep and was roused by a woman pouring a jug of iced water on him. Enraged, he
shouted, "You've released the fucking fury!" The audio from this moment was caught on
tape by a fellow band member.

He is married to April and has a son named Antonio after Antonio Vivaldi. A noted
Ferrari enthusiast, he owns a black 1985 308 GTS[1] and a red 1962 250 GTO.[2] In recent
years, Yngwie has given up both smoking and drinking. The Malmsteen family lives in
Miami.

[edit] Specialized guitar

Aside from technical prowess, distinctions of Malmsteen's guitar style include a wide,
violin-like vibrato inspired by classical violinists, and use of such minor scales as the
Harmonic minor, and minor modes such as Phrygian, and Aeolian. Malmsteen cites the
Fender Stratocaster and the single coil pickups (of which he uses his custom design by
DiMarzio, a vertically-stacked humbucker mounted in a single coil housing; Malmsteen
sought to combine the tone of a single coil with the reduced noise of a humbucker) as
being instrumental to his unique tone. The Malmsteen signature model Stratocaster made
by Fender is based accurately upon this combination. Malmsteen prefers vintage Fender
Stratocasters from 1968 through 1972. On all his guitars, the tone is completely
disconnected along with the middle pickup. Yngwie only uses the bridge (DiMarzio HS-
3) and neck pickups (DiMarzio YJM) on his guitars and allows the low output DiMarzio
HS-3 on the bridge pickup to be driven by the floor pedals for his unique rich sound. All
Malmsteen's Stratocasters have brass nuts and are all refretted with Dunlop 6000 super
jumbo fretwire. According to Fender, Yngwie has one of the most impressive collection
of vintage Fender Stratocasters known. He has well over 200 Stratocasters, including one
original Fender Stratocaster actually signed by Leo Fender.

The guitars he uses are recognizable by the addition of a custom scalloped fretboard. This
is similar to a regular fretboard, but with wood 'scalloped' or scooped away to form a
concave shape in between the frets. Malmsteen allegedly conceived this design as a
teenager while working in a music store in Stockholm, Sweden when he came across a
17th century lute with a scalloped neck using the raised wood as frets. However, this can
also be viewed as an influence from Ritchie Blackmore, one of his most readily admitted
idols, who also favors scalloped neck Fender Stratocasters. Malmsteen himself has said
he learned most from Ritchie Blackmore's guitar riffs and solos as a beginning guitarist.
Also, jazz-fusion guitarist John McLaughlin used scalloped fingerboards long before
Malmsteen came on the scene.

Even for the experienced guitar player, the scalloped fingerboard proves very difficult to
perform on, as there is no surface contact between finger and wood to aid in the feel of
the vibrato motion. The strings of the guitar, when fretted, are easily pushed sharp and
out of tune. The highly accurate, delicate yet controlled touch required to play properly
with Malmsteen's modified Stratocaster is elusive for most, and an integral part of
Malmsteen's technique.
[edit] Live Equipment

Throughout the years, Malmsteen has stayed true to the basic equipment he uses on stage.
Malmsteen continues to use strictly vintage 1971 Marshall amplifiers for his live
performances. Often wowing his audiences with his vintage Marshall collection,
Malmsteen regularly performs with a literal wall of up to 27 vintage Marshall 4x12
Cabinets with G30 Celestion speakers (30 Watt). All of the 24 heads on the cabinets are
Vintage 1971 Mark II Marshall 50 Watt heads. All wireless units are Samson. Floor
pedals consist of a Boss CS-3 Compression Sustainer, Roland DC-10 analog echo pedal,
vintage Dunlop Cry-Baby Wah Pedal, Roland PK-5 MIDI pedal, Boss OC-2 Octave,
DOD 250 Overdrive Pre-Amp pedal, Boss NS-2 Noise Suppressor and a floor switch box
for his effects rack by Bob Bradshaw. Yngwie's guitars onstage are strictly 1968-1972
Fender Stratocasters. Yngwie has claimed in an instructional video when asked why he
chooses the Stratocasters from the late 1960s & early 1970s that the "bullet" truss rod in
the neck and the large headstock design added a richer, fuller tone to the guitar that set it
apart from Stratocasters from other eras. Fender discontinued the large headstock in the
late 1970s and has since produced a re-issue of the "70s Series" Stratocaster. For his
acoustic sets, Yngwie uses a nylon stringed electro-acoustic black or white Ovation
Viper. These guitars are equipped with Piezo pickups run into the Boss CS-3 pedal direct
into the mixing desk, out to the PA and stage monitors. Prior to the Ovations, Yngwie
used Aria, Alvarez & Gibson classical acoustics on stage. All live microphones are Shure
SM57's.

[edit] Strings & Picks

Over the years, Malmsteen has used various brands of strings from Ernie Ball, Fender
and now recently, he has his own signature string sets available from Dean Markley
entitled "Electric Magic." The string weights vary, but Malmsteen regularly performs
onstage with .08 through .48 gauge. Malmsteen's picks are Jim Dunlop 1.5mm white with
his signature on them. Yngwie regularly goes through hundreds of picks during a live
show which he flicks out into the audience after performing solos during his songs.

[edit] Band members/Backing musicians

[edit] Current lineup

 Yngwie J. Malmsteen - Guitars

 Doogie White - Vocals
 Derek Sherinian - Keyboards
 Mick Cervino - Bass
 Patrik Johansson - Drums

[edit] Previous members

Vocals:
  Jeff Scott Soto
 Mark Boals
 Joe Lynn Turner
 Goran Edman
 Mike Vescera
 Mats Leven
 Jørn Lande (touring only)

Keyboards:

 Jens Johansson
 Mats Olausson
 David Rosenthal
 Joakim Svalberg

Bass:

 Marcel Jacob
 Randy Coven
 Bob Daisley
 Barry Dunaway
 Svante Henrysson
 Barry Sparks
 Wally Voss

Drums:

 Barriemore Barlow
 Anders Johansson
 Michael Von Knorring
 Bo Werner
 Mike Terrana
 Shane Gaalaas
 Tommy Aldridge (touring only)
 Cozy Powell
 Jonas Ostman (touring only)
 John Macaluso

[edit] Discography
[edit] Steeler

Album Cover Date of Release Title Label Chart positions US sales

 Steele
1983 Shrapnel
r

[edit] Alcatrazz

Album Date of Chart US

Title Label
Cover Release positions sales

No Parole from Rock N'

1984 Polydor
Roll

1984 Live Sentence Polydor

[edit] Yngwie Solo

Album Date of Chart US

Title Label
Cover Release positions sales

1984 Rising Force Polydor

October
Marching Out Polydor
1985

1986 Trilogy Polydor

March, 1988 Odyssey Polydor

October,
Trial By Fire: Live in Leningrad Polydor
1989

1990 Eclipse Polydor

November,
Collection PolyGram
1991

1992 Fire and Ice Elektra

CMC
May 9, 1994 The Seventh Sign
International

October 17, Import

Magnum Opus
1995 Records

November
Inspiration Foundation
5, 1996

1997 Facing the Animal Foundation

1998 Double LIVE! Foundation

June 30, Concerto Suite for Electric Guitar Import

1998 and Orchestra in Em, Opus 1 Records

November
Alchemy Pony Canyon
23, 1999

November
War to End All Wars Pony Canyon
7, 2000

Concerto Suite LIVE - NOTE: this

is actually a double Video CD
2002 Pony Canyon
album featuring Yngwie and the
Japan Philharmonic Orchestra

2002 The Genesis Pony Canyon

October 15, Import

Attack!!
2002 Records

2004 G3: Rockin' in the Free World Epic

 2005 Unleash the Fury

Emerson, Lake & Palmer

     Emerson, Lake & Palmer - formata in anul 1970 in Bournemouth, Dorset,
Anglia
Perioada de activitate: 1970 - 1978.
Membrii trupei: Keith Emerson - clape, Greg Lake - bass, Carl Palmer - tobe.
Stiluri abordate: Progressive / Art Rock.
* Emerson, Lake & Palmer - discografie

    Acest supertrio a fost precedat de un grup a carui afirmare mondiala avea sa

soseasca mai tarziu, dupa desfiintare. Nice a fost o formatie care in perioada de
dominatie a rockului, intr-o mai mica masura a bluesului si, mai putin, a jazzului a
ales sa cante compozitii de 20 de minute, folosindu-se de acompaniamentul unei
orchestre simfonice. Sufletul si inima acestui grup a fost tanarul claviaturist Keith
Emerson, un talent deosebit. El compunea tot materialul original, el facea
orchestratiile si adaptarile din repertoriul clasic si tot el era principalul show-man.
Chiar daca in plina ascensiune, Emerson a desfiintat grupul Nice in ideea de a forma
si lansa un proiect nou.
    In acelasi an in care Emerson a intregistrat Five Bridges Suite, in 1969, a aparut
inca un disc care se numara intre realizarile de varf ale acelei perioade, albumul
grupului King Crimson intitulat In The Court Of The Crimson King. Pe acest disc al
formatiei conduse de Robert Fripp a participat si Greg Lake in calitate de solist vocal
si bassist. In acelasi an, Emerson si Lake s-au intalnit la San
Francisco unde au concertat cu grupurile lor Nice, respectiv
King Crimson. De atunci, cei doi s-au vazut de mai multe ori
discutand la un moment dat si de perspectiva formarii unui
grup nou. La sfarsitul anului atat Emerson cat si Lake parasesc
formatiile in care activau (cu aceata ocazie Nice s-a si
desfiintat) si incep sa caute noi membrii pentru frupul pe care
aveau de gand sa-l intemeieze. S-au purtat discutii preliminare
cu chitaristul Randy Bachman, pe atunci in Guess Who, cu Jimi Hendrix si Mitch
Mitchell, cu Carl Palmer de la Atomic Rooster, insa nici unul nu a acceptat oferta celor
doi. Interesant este in acest sens cazul lui Carl Palmer, un baterist foarte tehnic care
din The Crazy World Of Arthur Brown a trecut la Atomic Rooster. Acestuia nu i-a fost
clar de ce Emerson dupa ce a desfiintat un trio vrea sa formeze o componenta
asemanatoare (claviaturi, bass-voce, tobe), asa ca, avand un loc sigur in trupa pe
care o conducea Vincet Crane, a refuzat oferta lui Keith. Nu doar Plamer a fost
contrariat de intentiile celui care in urma dezmembrarii unui grup de succes, cum a
fost Nice, a mai si dat unele declaratii controversate, de genul acesteia: "Trei ani
constituie perioada normala de viata a unui grup, inainte ca aceasta sa se
"descarce". Este absolut normal ca noi din Nice ne-am despartit".
     Problema viitorului baterist a devenit acuta dupa ce in urma numeroaselor auditii
organizate in acest scop nu au fost multumiti de nici unul dintre candidati. Dupa ce i-
au epuizat pe toti cei pe care i-au avut in vedere, Greg si Keith si-au reamintit de
Palmer. Lake l-a sunat si l-au luat tare cu o propozitie care avea sa fie des pomenita
in presa muzicala: "Daca nu vii cu noi, te vei distruge nu doar pe tine, dar si pe mine
si asta este ceea ce ma ingrijoreaza". Intrigat de indrazneala lui Greg el a acceptat sa
faca o proba cu ceilalti doi. Iata cum isi aminteste Carl de acest prim session: "La
prima intalnire, Keith mi s-a parut foarte morocanos, scump la vorba. A zis doar: Hai
sa cantam. Eu am raspuns: Bine, orice doriti. Se pare ca asta i-a cam incurcat, caci
toti care au fost pana atunci la auditiile lor le-ar fi propus sa cante ba una, ba alta... "
(La astfel de probe-concurs se canta de obicei dupa niste sabloane cunoscute, legate
de anumite curente muzicale, sau se abordeaza un repertoriu universal alcatuit din
melodiii binecunoscute tuturor.) In orice caz, nu a trecut mult timp de la aceasta
prima intalnire pana cand Palmer a parasit Atomic Rooster, alaturandu-se lui
Emerson si Lake. Astfel, la inceputul anului 1970, ia fiinta supergrupul Emerson, Lake
And Palmer.
     Debutul oficial al celor ce aveau sa fie, mai tarziu, numiti "dinozauri ai rockului",
s-a produs, in 1970, la cea de-a treia editie a Festivalului de pe Insula Wright, dar cu
o saptamana inainte de eveniment ei au cantat la Plymouth. Aveau deja pregatite
cateva compozitii ce vor fi apoi incluse pe primul lor album, o versiune proprie a
"Tablourilor dintr-o expozitie" a renumitului compozitor Modest Musorgski, precum si
piesa Rodeo, o adaptare a lucrarii cu acelasi titlu a compozitorului american Aaron
Copland, pe care Emerson a aranjat-o pentru grup rock inca din perioada activitatii
grupului Nice. Aceasta a constituit unul din punctele forte in showurile ambelor
grupuri. Prima aparitie in public a fost si primul succes. Au fost bisati de trei ori. Pe
Insula Wright au fost de asemenea primiti foarte bine, insa criticii, suspiciosi, s-au
impartit in doua, fiind mai zgarciti cu laudele. Unele jurnale au titrat: "In sfarsit au
sosit!", altele au scris: "A fost prezentat un nou grup zgomotos, Emerson, Lake And
Palmer, care continua traditia distrugerii muzicii clasice pe care el (Emerson) a
inceput-o deja cu Nice". (Carl Dallas)
     Pe parcursul anului 1970 grupul a inregistrat si
editat primul album intitulat Emerson, Lake And
Palmer, publicat prin casa de discuri Island cu care
au reusit sa semneze destul de usor un contract
favorabil datorita renumelui anterior al celor trei
componenti. Discul este deschis de Barbarian si
incheiat de Lucky Man a lui Greg Lake. Aceste doua
piese reprezinta, in acelasi timp, si antipozii dintre
agresivitatea lui Emerson si tendinta lui Lake spre
compozitii lirice, asa ca toate celelalte piese se
situeaza si formal si stilistic intre ele. In dreptul
primei sunt trecuti ca autori toti membrii grupului,
dar este clar ca ideea si cea mai mare parte a
pieselor apartine lui Keith; unii critici au descoperit
ca tema principala este imprumutata de la
compozitorul maghiar, de orine romana Bela Bartok.
Este impresionant sunetul metalic de orga intalnit la
grupurile de hard-rock din acea perioada. In partea
mediana desfasurarea temeinica este preluata de
pian fara a se pierde din dinamism, ceea ce este un
merit atribuit vituozitatii lui Emerson. Spre
deosebire de aceasta, Lucky Man este un cantec
semi -acustic compus dupa principiul clasic melodie-
refren, repetate de cateva ori, pentru ca in final, pe
baza refrenului, Emerson sa adauge niste exhibitii
de efect interpretate la unul din cele mai
spectaculoase instrumente ale rockului de atunci - Moog synthesizer. Lucky Man a
"prins" imediat la public asa ca a fost editat cu succes si pe disc single. (A fost una
din cele mai solicitate piese in emisiunea "By Request" a postului radio "Europa
Libera", sectia romana.) Lake a mai inclus o compozitie proprie pe acest LP. Take A
Pebble incepe cu o atingere a corzilor in interiorul pianului pentru ca apoi sa fie
expusa tema principala. Dupa o accelerare a tempoului, redata de Emerson la pian,
melodia este preluata de chitara acustica a lui Lake care o poarta spre punctul
culminant. Finalul apartine unui splendid solo de pian peste care Lake va mai canta o
data tema introductiva finalizand astfel structura piesei, pe care unii o considera o
capodopera a colaborarii dintre cei doi muzicieni.
     Pentru piesele cu partitura vocala continutul poetic este creatia lui Greg Lake (cu
toate ca mai tarziu avea sa recurga si la serviciile fostului sau companion din King
Crimson, Pete Sinfield). Pe langa compozitie si chitara bass el a inceput sa cante, cu
succes, la chitara acustica si electrica, devenind si producatorul de baza al grupului
(in prima faza de activitate). O contragreutate a piesei Take A Pebble (in traducere:
"Ia o pietricica") este compozitia lui Emerson intitulata The Three Fates (Trei
destine). Aceasta lucrare ambitioasa, cum indica si titlul, este compusa din trei parti.
Prima este interpretata la orga de catedrala, a doua la pian, iar a treia alaturi de pian
participa si Lake si Palmer cu instrumentele lor. Spatiul de desfasurare a lui Carl
Palmer s-a numit Tank, a carei sonoritate se aseamana cu Barbarian fiind abordat
acelasi sound metalic, solo-ul de tobe fiind "acoperit" si preluat de sintetizator.
     In 1970 Keith Emerson a inceput sa experimenteze serios cu un instrument nou
pentru muzica scenica, sintetizatorul de sunet fiind pana atunci folosit doar in studio
pentru obtinerea unor efecte sonore speciale. (In 1969 a fost realizat primul disc
interpretat integral cu instrumentul conceput de Robert Moog. Este vorba de mai
mult de un experiment tehnic si demonstrativ intitulat Switched-On Bach. Autor:
muzicianul Walter Carlos, asistat de inginerul Benjamin Folkman.) Moog a reusit sa
simplifice si sa micsoreze dimensiunile noului sau generator de sunet putand fi astfel
adaptat si pentru nevoile scenice. Spre deosebire de celelalte instrumente cu
claviaturi acesta ofera posibilitati mult mai ample pentru transpunerea in sunet a
imaginatiei interpretului. Teoretic se putea obtine aproape orice ton si orice sunet
perceput de auzul uman existand, in plus, si posibilitatea unor nelimitate variatii si
modulatii tonale, a sintetizarii altor instrumente si chiar ale unor voci umane.
Dezavantajul consta in faptul ca nu se puteau obtine simultan doua sau mai multe
tonuri, ceea ce se putea surmonta prin folosirea a doua sau mai multe sintetizatoare,
lucru pe care Emerson l-a si facut. Iata ca astfel Keith a intrat in posesia unei "arme
secrete" redutabile, perfecta pentru temperamentul sau. Intre timp, a devenit si
prieten personal cu creatorul acestui instrument beneficiind astfel de toate inovatiile
tehnice provenite din laboratorul lui Robert Moog, care a primit in schimb, cea mai
buna reclama pentru produsul sau. Exemplul lui a fost urmat de o serie de alti
muzicieni (Rick Wakeman, Frank Zappa).
     Timpul a dovedit ca Emerson a avut dreptate cand a decis sa infiinteze un grup
nou. Emerson, Lake And Palmer s-au afirmat foarte rapid cucerind in scurt timp o
faima mondiala. Primul LP a cucerit "Discul de aur", iar in clasamentul cititorilor
revistei Melody Maker au fost desemnati pe primul loc in categoria "sperante" pentru
anul 1971. In timp ce Yes creau o muzica de un inalt nivel artistic insa mai putin
spectaculoasa, King Crimson au ales calea cautarilor, iar Genesis faceau primii pasi
pe taramul rockului progresiv, Emerson, Lake And Palmer se pregateau sa dea marea
lovitura. 1971 avea sa fie anul lor de gratie.
      In prima parte a anului au sustinut o serie de
concerte in Europa si America unde au
entuziasmat publicul atat prin muzica
prezentata, cat, mai ales, prin spectacolul
scenic. Showul lor avea sa fie unul dintre cele
mai mari atractii live in urmatorii ani. In acelasi
timp cei trei muzicieni pregateau materialul
pentru un nou disc.
   Albumul Tarkus, din 1971 a fost intitulat dupa
piesa centrala care ocupa intreaga fata A, o
lucrare impresionanta, compusa din sapte parti.
Interesant este strory-ul purtat cu atata
imaginatie de muzica. Aceasta misterioasa
creatura numita Tarkus se naste in craterul unui
vulcan, cu proprietati de animal-masina si cu
porniri extrem de distructive. I se opune insa o
alta creatura, un leu enorm cu chip de om, numit
Manticore (numele lui s-ar putea traduce ca
"cititor al destinului"). Acesta a fost unul dintre
cele mai ambitioase proiecte pe care le-a realizat
grupul, cea mai mare parte revenindu-i lui
Emerson, caruia i-a apartinut conceptul.
     Partea a doua a discului este mult mai lejera prin continut si forma decat prima
fiind compusa din mai multe piese. Jeremy Bender se remarca printr-un text
provocator, iar Are You Ready, Eddie? este un rock'n'roll usurel, dedicat inginerului
de sunet Eddie Offord, cu care au inregistrat toate discurile pana cand acesta s-a
transferat la Yes. Celelalte patru piese sunt mult mai complexe, putand fi privite ca si
un tot unitar. Si pe acest disc se remarca vocea placuta a lui Greg Lake, ale carui
posibilitati vocale sunt limitate, dar compensate de o foarte buna dictie si o
expresivitate si sensibilitate deosebite, ideale pentru interpretari cu caracter liric. De
aceea se remarca imediat ca deranjant stilul ceva mai agresiv abordat uneori
(precum in Bitches Crystal). Si pe acest album pe care s-a reusit alaturarea muzicii
serioase, a barocului, in special, a rockului si a jazzului, a obtinut un succes si un
tiraj remarcabul.
     Urmatorul pas discografic al grupului a fost ceva mai controversat pentru ca cei
trei au hotarat sa editeze pe un disc unul din punctele de atractie ale showului lor,
propria viziune a lucrarii compozitorului Modest Musorgski, Pictures At An Exhibition.
In martie 1971 a fost inregistrat concertul lor din Newcastle, in cadrul caruia au
interpretat si compozitia amintita. Au fost, din start, foarte multumiti de rezultat,
insa niste complicatii financiare aparute in timpul efectuarii mixajelor au amanat
putin lansarea albumului. Muzicienii doreau ca discul sa se vanda la un pret, popular,
mai mic decat un album obisnuit, asa ca au avut de infruntat o oarecare rezistenta
din partea casei de discuri. Albumul a aparut la sfarsitul anului 1971, bucurandu-i
tocmai de sarbatori pe fanii tot mai numerosi ai grupului.
     In vremea cand a fost compusa aceasta splendida suita s-a nascut un alt mare
compozitor, Maurice Ravel, care a fost, mai tarziu, fascinat de cele zece piese pentru
pian ale marelui compozitor rus din secolul al XIX-lea. Autorul impresionat si inspirat
de lucrarile unui prieten decedat, pictorul Victor Hartman, i-a daruit acestuia
neuitarea prin muzica. Fiecare piesa prezinta un tablou, intre ele fiind o tema
caracteristica intitulata Plimbarea (The Walk), care de fiecare data imbraca o forma
variata exprimand dispozitiile sufletesti. Ravel a transpus aceasta lucrare solistica
adaptand-o si aranjand-o pentru orchestra. Dupa aproape o suta de ani (97, mai
precis) de cand a fost prezentata in premiera publicului, compozitorul, pianistul si
claviaturistul englez Keith Emerson a fost fascinat de aceasta lucrare. Cum Musorgski
a scris-o doar pentru pian, iar Ravel a aranjat-o pentru orchestra, lui nu-i ramanea
decat sa faca o prelucrare intre cele doua variante - un aranjament pentru grup mai
mic. Impreuna cu Lake si cu Palmer, a audiat de mai multe ori versiunile amintite si
au inceput lucrul la conceperea propriei versiuni. Din cele zece "picturi" sonore ale lui
Musorgski, au alese doar patru, primele doua, Gnome si The Old Castle, a noua, The
Curse Of Baba Yaga si o parte din ultima The Great Gate Of Kiew, la care au adaugat
Promenade (interludiu din varianta originala), cateva piese proprii - Saga (Lake),
Blues Improvisation (Emerson) si aplauzele si ovatiile publicului prezent la concertul
inregistrat. "Grija" interpretilor fata de public a amendat intr-o oarecare masura
calitatea muzicii, aceasta indepartandu-se prea mult de ceea ce a dorit sa exprime
compozitorul rus. Spre final, de exemplu, Emerson uita de "Marile porti ale Kiewului"
si se lanseaza in niste improvizatii la moog si orga pe care o rasuceste, o tranteste,
in care baga si un cutit, toate acestea fiind componentele deja faimosului show cu
care grupul si-a obisnuit publicul. Dar lasand la o parte concesiile facute publicului,
se desprinde concluzia ca ceea ce se afla pe acest disc de aur nu sunt Picturile dintr-o
expozitie, ale lui Musorgski, in ciuda titlului de pe coperta. Pe langa reducerea
drastica a materialului muzical, la aproape un sfert din cel original, este distrus in
totalitate caracterul pragmatic al muzicii, conceptul ei de baza si chiar sensul
acesteia. Pe album sunt pastrate doar doua compozitii in dimensiunile lor originale:
Gnome si Baba Yaga. In rest, folosindu-se de materiale vechi, s-a creat ceva nou. Nu
a fost, deci, pastrata calitatea autentica si nici nu s-a creat alta noua, muzicienii fiind
preocupati ca ceea ce fac sa fie totusi Pictures At An Exhibiton, infranandu-si astfel
libertatea creativa. Albumul grupului Emerson, Lake And Palmer va ramane, oricum,
printre discurile importante ale muzicii rock datorita influentei remarcabile pe care a
avut-o asupra unui mare numar de tineri carora le-a deschis curiozitatea si calea
catre lucrarea originala, catre universul muzicii clasice.
     Inca de la inceputul carierei, grupul
Emerson, Lake And Palmer s-a remarcat
in primul rand prin aparitiile live extrem
de spectaculoase. Daca pentru primele lor
concerte foloseau doar 5 tone de
echipament tehnic, in urmatorii ani au
ajuns sa care in turnee peste 40 de tone,
un amanunt impresionant pentru acea
perioada. Caravana lor, formata din
cateva automobile si trei camioane de
tonaj greu pe care erau inscrise, in ordine,
numele celor trei, serpuia pe autostrazile
europene. Concertele erau sonorizate
quadrofonic, la ordinul zecilor de mii de
wati, prin intermediul unei mese de mixaj de 30 de canale. Scena demontabila avea
20 de metri pe ea fiind instalate instrumentele: doua orgi electronice, un pian cu
coada si unul electric, impresionantul Maxi-Moog cu monitor si cateve modele mai
mici de sintetizatoare, un set de tobe proiectat de Palmer, compus din 15 elemente,
inclusiv clopote tubulare, gonguri si un clopot... de biserica de 60 de kilograme! Doar
percutia cantarea doua tone si jumatate, la care contribuia si primul sintetizator
pentru tobe, construit special pentru grup.
     Lake dispunea de (cate) o chitara electrica si una acustica pentru solistici si
acompaniament si un bass dublu Zemaitis, pentru fiecare instument fiind angajat si
un roadie. Trei asistenti se ocupau de baterie si alti doi de claviaturi. La acestia se
adauga trei ingineri de sunet ajutati de sase ingineri - experti ai firmei Moog. Vreo
zece oameni se ocupau de iluminat. Impreuna cu cei de la transport, cu caratorii de
scule, cu bodyguardzii si managerii, echipa ajungea la vreo 50 de oameni care
realizau unul dintre cele mai mari showuri ale vremii. Muzicienilor le era tot mai greu
sa-si gaseasca locul ideal in acest Babilon tehnic si intre atatia oameni, aceasta fiind
una dintre problemele majore cu care s-a confruntat grupul, mai cu seama Emerson.
Au ajung in situatia de a fi subjugati de tehnica, de a-si pierde scopul in mijloace. Tot
mai frecvent solisticile lui Keith se rezumau la "ce poate sintetizatorul meu si ce stiu
eu", spontaneitatea spectacolelor avand de suferit. Avand in urma sa o echipa de
tehnicieni si ingineri trebuia sa fie totul strict planificat. Emerson, care sare pe scena
si se lupta cu orga, a devenit doar o simpla rotita in masinaria propriului show.
     In timp ce opiniile "pro" si "contra" privind discul cu prelucrarile dupa Musorgski
erau inca in plina desfasurare, grupul si-a definitivat materialul pentru cel de-al
treilea album de studio. In iulie 1972 a aparut Trilogy - titlul cu o dubla semnificatie
simbolica. Dupa mai multe meandrari in cautarea conceptiei si a stilului, se parea ca
cei trei au gasit ceea ce au cautat. Grupul s-a maturizat, a devenit mult mai unitar in
expresie si mai preocupat de finalitate. Conceptual, Trilogy s-a bazat pe forma
primului album. S-a renuntat la piesele lungi, Lake a compus From The Beginning,
asemanatoare ca structura cu Lucky Man, iar lista similitudinilor ar putea sa continue.
Important este faptul ca, fata de primul album, s-a facut un pas inainte pe planul
expresiei stilistice. Daca pe debutul lor discografic se putea delimita destul de usor
aportul fiecaruia, aici era deja mai dificila aceata operatiune. In mai multe piese
comune a aparut o calitate noua: contopirea agresivitatii lui Emerson cu lirismul lui
Lake, primul nefiind atat de radical, iar celalalt renuntand la patetism in exprimare.
Albumul Trilogy a demonstrat ca Emerson, Lake And Palmer nu renunta usor la
principiul includerii experientelor proprii din domeniul muzicii clasice, chiar daca au
fost deseori criticati din aceasta cauza. Pe prima fata a discului ei au inclus piesa
Hoedown, un fragment al compozitiei Rodeo a Aaron Copland, pe care l-au
interpretat live (daca va amintiti de inceputul acestui story) cu ocazia primului lor
concert. Este greu de explicat de ce au facut-o dupa atata timp, dar includerea pe
disc a acestui fragment a fost foarte inspirata. Toti cei care nu au avut ocazia sa
asculte interpretarea concertistica au putut acum sa audieze o lucrare parca anume
croita pentru Emerson si pentru aranjamentele lui rock ale unor lucrari clasice. In
plus, piesa a fost si foarte apropiata temperamentului sau exploziv. A doua lucrare
aranjata dupa aceasta conceptie a fost Bolero. Bolero-ul desemneaza o lucrare
muzicala in care o tema, melodic schimbata, se repeta pe intreaga durata a piesei,
cu variatii armonice, dinamice si ritmice. Maurice Ravel a fost cel care a impus
aceasta forma ca pe o categorie muzicala distincta, Bolero-ul re-aranjat de el, fiind si
cel mai cunoscut si apreciat exemplu de acest gen. Interesant este faptul ca o astfel
de forma constituie o provocare serioasa pentru un muzician, el fiind obligat sa-si
etaleze talentul si stiinta intr-un cadru extrem de limitat. Ascultatotul nu este atat de
legat de continutul piesei si se poate concentra mai bine in urmarirea modalitatilor de
expresie muzicala. Prima includere a Bolero-ului in rock ii aparine lui Jeff Beck, pe
albumul Truth din 1968 (la a doua chitara solo, Jimmy Page). Daca sunteti in posesia
ambelor inregistrari, ar fi interesant sa le comparati. Albumului Trilogy i se pot aduce
o serie de critici, insa, in ansamblu, acesta este discul care s-a apropiat cel mai mult
de gusturile publicului si exigentele criticii, obtinand, in acest sens, cel mai mare
succes. Multi sunt de parere ca aceasta este cea mai reusita colectie de cantece a
grupului. Chiar daca nu s-a atins complexitatea structurala din Tarkus, stilistic, a fost
totul mai bine conturat, pe acest album protagonistii dovedind maturitate atat pe
plan muzical, cat si pe cel al personalitatii. Din punct de vedere al productiei si al
partii tehnice, cu Trilogy s-au apropiat cel mai mult de perfectiune. Emerson, Lake
And Palmer au fost la apogeul gloriei, apreciati si respectati de ascultatoti ca
reprezentantii de varf ai muzicii rock europene, ai laturii ei serioase.
      In clasamentele anuale ale revistei Melody Maker, pentru
anul 1972, trioul a cucerit primul loc in categoria celor mai
bune formatii, primele pozitii in clasamentul intrumentistilor,
au fost printre primii compozitori, producatori etc. In total,
au cucerit sapte trofee, ceea ce, trebuie sa recunoastem,
este mult, chiar si pentru un supertrio. O situatie
asemanatoare a fost si in alte poll-uri anuale ale presei de
specialitate. In iunie 1972 au intreprins primul mare turneu
in Japonia, devenind, aproape instantaneu, cea mai populara
formatie in Orientul Indepartat. De atunci dateaza si
renumita si scandaloasa declaratie a lui Lake: "Ii respect pe
cei ce lucreaza la nivel inalt, tipi ca Muhamed Ali si Bertrand
Russel. Il respect pe Isus Cristos care a fost cel mai mare
show-man al tuturor timpurilor. El pleca in turneu cu 12
roadies si facea cu ei niste cascadorii de lasau lumea masca"
     Cand a spus asta, Lake era un demiurg al epocii rockului progresiv, grupul sau
calatorea in jurul lumii cu un Jumbo Jet inchiriat, umplea sali si stadioane, vindea
milioane de dicuri, se bucura de aprecierile criticii de specialitate. Iata si una din
curiozitatile acelei perioade de glorie pentru E, L & P: Greg avea un rodie pe covor!
Totul a pornit de la un mic incident scenic, in Germania, cand Lake s-a electrocutat la
un microfon. Pentru a evita astfel de pericole i-a cerut asistentului sau sa acopere
portiunea de langa stativul microfonului cu un linoleum, dar, pentru ca acesta nu era
prea aspectuos, a fost in curand inlocuit cu un covor. Un splendid persan de 10. 000
de dolari era, cu regularitate, inaintea fiecarei reprezentatii, intins pe scena si curatat
demonstrativ cu aspiratorul, in vazul publicului spectator! Aspiratorul a mai fost
folosit si in alte ocazii. Unul din punctele de atractie ale concertelor grupului il
constituia aparitia unei creaturi asemanatoare monstrului de pe coperta albumului
Tarkus, care, la un moment dat, scuipa din gura-i de fier un nor de zapada din
polistiren. Fiind, intr-o seara, gresit directionat, "monstrul" a umplut pianul lui
Emerson cu plistiren. Show-ul a fost intrerupt intervenind tehnicienii cu aspiratorul in
pian. In afara scenei, Lake parea sa fie responsabil de extravagantele atat de gustate
de presa. Fiind un gurmand, amator de peste, isi tinea cada plina cu somoni vii.
Odata si-a scos prietenii la un restaurant rusesc si fiind, probabil, in regim alimentar,
a comandat caviar pentru toata lumea, sau, altadata, intrebat de un amic cunoscator
intr-ale vinului, ce vin prefera, a raspuns fara ezitare: "Cel mai scump!"
     Dupa o capodopera ca Trilogy, multi si-au pus intrebarea - ce ar putea sa
urmeze? Era de asteptat ca expresia stilistica descoperita sa fie aplicata la unele
forme muzicale mai complexe, ceea ce ar fi fost, probabil, ultimul lor cuvant in
directia pe care au ales-o. S-au putut auzi, insa, si unele pareri sceptice in privinta
viitorului lor.
     Drumul spre succes al grupului ELP nu a fost spinos si plin de obstacole, in
comparatie cu ascensiunea altor formatii. Ei s-au afirmat destul de rapid. Nu trebuie
uitat ca tot ce au obtinut se datoreaza unor eforturi deosebite, unei perfectionari
continue si unor studii individuale foarte serioase. Cand au ajuns in varf si au obtinut
aproape tot ce se poate obtine in domeniul muzicii rock, cei trei au simtit nevoia unei
relaxari de care n-avusesera parte de trei ani. Palmer s-a tuns scurt si a inceput sa
studieze la modul cel mai serios percutia, inscriindu-se la niste cursuri speciale, de
inalt nivel profesional si artistic. Emerson a fost preocupat de intregirea arsenalului
sau electronic. S-a vorbit de colaborarea sa cu Robert Moog in vederea inventarii
unui nou instrument. Lake, care a fost producatorul tuturor discurilor grupului si s-a
ocupat si de partea financiara a activitatii lor, s-a gandit sa produca si alte formatii. A
fost infiintata, in acest scop, propria lor casa de dicuri, Manticore (va amintiti de leul
cu "fara umana" din Tarkus?). Toate preocuparile individuale ale muzicienilor au dat
apa la moara zvonurilor despre niste viitoare proiecte solistice. Presa muzicala dadea
ca aproape sigure aceste perspective, mai ales dupa ce a fost scoasa din arhiva si
acea declaratie a lui Emerson privind durata de trei ani a unei formatii. Mai multe
indicii duceau la concluzia ca grupul a ajuns la un firesc sfarsit. Insa n-a fost sa fie.
Multi critici si admiratori adevarati ai grupului regreta si astazi ca n-a fost asa, ca nu
s-au desfiintat dupa albumul Trilogy. ELP nu au mai fost atat de singuri ca-n primii 2
ani de activitate.
     S-au maturizat si s-au dezvoltat, insa, alaturi de ei
s-au ridicat si altii. La doar doua luni dupa Trilogy au
aparut Close To The Edge al grupului Yes, Genesis au
lansat Foxtrot, a aparut si Focus III. Yes, care inca din
1971 au atras atentia asupra talentului lor, au inceput
sa straluceasca, despre Genesis se vorbea cu
superlative, iar sintetizatorul, pe care se baza sunetul
deosebit al grupului ELP, a fost descoperit si de alti
muzicieni. Concurenta a devenit extrem de aspra, iar cei
trei, parca, adormisera pe lauri. Tocmai in cel mai
nepotrivit moment a aparut multumirea de sine. De
aceasta situatie au profitat, intai Yes, apoi Genesis si
iata ca "dinozaurii" au fost detronati. Popularitatea lor n-
a avut, insa, de suferit cand e vorba de activitatea
concertistica; biletele pentru spectacolele lor se vindeau
cu mult inainte de data concertului. Inca nu aveau
concurenta prea serioasa in privinta show-urilor.
     Anul 1973 i-a gasit lucrand la urmatorul proiect discografic, dar grupul a
intreprins si un turneu mondial ce a cuprins Japonia, SUA si Europa. Peste tot au fost
primiti triumfal. La Milano au fost, de exemplu, programate doua concerte, dar in
prima zi a plouat, iar a doua seara l-a surprins pe Lake cu un guturai ce nu i-a
permis sa cante. Fanii grupului au luat cu asalt hotelul Hilton, unde au fost cazati
muzicienii, si o asemenea isterie de masa n-a mai fost vazuta la Milano de pe vremea
grupului The Beatles. Daca publicul nu i-a parasit, a facut-o in schimb, critica.
Revistele muzicale se intreceau in cronici negative la adresa grupului. Criticile pentru
cel de-al cincilea album au fost dezarmante. Discul a fost pregatit pe parcursul anului
1973, lansarea lui fiind de mai multe ori amanata din ratiuni comerciale. Brain Salad
Surgery a aparut in rafturile magazinelor abia la sfarsitul anului. Nu a atins nivelul
celorlalte trei discuri de studio ale grupului ceea ce nu insemna ca a fost lucrat in
mod superficial. Din punct de vedere tehnic, totul a fost perfect, fiind tratate cu
seriozitate maxima toata detaliile. De altfel, grupul avea deja o experienta bogata in
producing asa ca nu a putut realiza nicidecum, asa, deodata, un disc slab. Ce a
deranjat cel mai mult a fost lipsa insufletirii artistice. Principalul vinovat: Greg Lake.
El parca nu ar fi fost deloc interesat de acest album. In '73 el a fost preocupat de
descoperirea italiana, grupul de rock progresiv Premianta Foneria Marconi, care a
semnat un contract cu Manticore si caruia se straduia sa-i asigure reusita. Se pare
ca-l interesa mai mult asta decat ceea ce pregateau Emerson si Palmer. Pentru noul
album el a compus balada Still... You Turn Me On, al carei text explica, intr-o
oarecare masura, starea lui Greg. A mai participat la realizarea piesei Benny The
Bouncer, un divertisment sonor in stilul unor bucati mai putin serioase precum
Sheriff sau Are You Ready, Eddie? L-a mai ajutat putin pe Emerson in scrierea celei
de-a treia parti a suitei Karn Evil 9. Asta a fost tot! A renuntat chiar si la compunerea
versurilor insracinandu-l cu aceasta pe fostul sau coleg din King Crimson, Pete
Sinfield. Chiar si partile vocale sunt aici sub standardurile impuse pe discurile
anterioare. Brain Salad Surgery este compus dupa formula albumelor cu numarul
unu si trei: o balada a lui Lake, doua prelucrari din muzica serioasa, un cantec vesel,
iar restul spatiului rezervat pentru experimente noi serioase. Acest ultim capitol l-a
constituit Karn Evil 9, compusa din trei parti, care coupau mai mult de doua treimi
din durata totala a discului. Pentru prima parte, intitulata First Impression, Emerson
a compus muzica, iar Lake doar linia vocala, Second Impression este creatia lui
Keith, in care alterneaza pianul si un sunet cu totul nou al sintetizatorului, care
reproduce un efect de vibrato. Partea mediana a acestei piese suna foarte ciudat in
contextul muzicii rock, fiind mai degraba, un exemplu de muzica contemporana
experimentala, Third Impression este realizata in maniera deja abordata pe Trilogy,
fiind cel mai fin fragment al intregului album. Dupa Trilogy, era de asteptat un astfel
de proiect. Ciclul Karn Evil 9 a fost o lucrare ampla si de calitate, la urma urmei.
Totusi se simtea lipsa unor sclipiri, care sa finalizeze opera lor, cum se asteptau sau,
mai precis, sperau ca-i urmarea indeaproape evolutia grupului. Emerson nu a reusit
sa duca la bun sfarsit totul. Lipsa sensibilitatii si a unei inaltari spirituale de care s-a
dovedit de mai multe ori capabil Lake, s-a facut din plin simtita. Daca Greg ar fi
colaborat mai profund la realizarea suitei Karn Evil 9, aceasta ar fi dobandit, desigur,
alte dimensiuni estetice. S-a remarcat, in schimb, pe acest disc o mai puternica
implicare si un real progres al bateristului Carl Palmer, ceea ce se poate observa in
adaptarea unui fragment din Concertul pentru pian nr. 1 al compozitorului
contemporan latino - american Ginastera - Toccata. Insusi autorul s-a declarat
multumit de adaptarea realizata de Emerson, Lake And Palmer, cu toace ca aceasta
s-a indepartat mult de lucrarea originala.
     In ciuda calitatilor reale, Brain Salad Surgery a
primit mai mult cronici negative decat referinte
pozitive. Din pacate, presa nu s-a limitat doar la
expunerea parerilor celor, mai mult sau mai putin,
avizati, ci a continuat sa bombardeze grupul cu
tot felul de pareri sarcastice, sa interpreteze
tendentios toate declaratiile lor, ceea ce i-a
determinat pe muzicieni intreruperea tuturor
relatiilor cu presa. Aceasta hotarare a declansat
un nou val de articole denigratoare in care au fost
numiti infatuati, egocentrici, multumiti de sine,
profitori pe seama nestiintei altora. In aceasta
atmosfera a aparut albumul lor triplu cu
inregistrari
din concert, intitulat Welcome Back My Friends To The Show That Never Ends, Ladies
And Gentlemen, care este, de fapt, un vers din textul piesei First Impression. Acest
album trebuia sa incheie o perioada, sa prezinte o sinteza a tot ceea ce s-a intamplat
pana atunci. Ceva aseamanator au realizat si Yes cu un an inainte editand Yessongs.
In ambele cazuri s-a contat si pe un efect comercial. Criticile au fost devastatoare:
rutina, perfectiune tehnica, lipsa emotiilor, robotizarea interpretarilor etc. Unii s-au
hazardat chiar sa critice realizarile anterioare ale grupului, ceea ce nu era cazul.
Muzica grupului ELP este complexa si ca atare trebuie sa fie foarte bine stapanita de
interpreti. De altfel, multe grupuri cu o componenta mai numeroasa nu au reusit sa
obtina un sound atat de plin si de variat. Pe de alta parte, orice muzica mai
complicata necesita un efort mai mare din partea ascultatorului, ceea ce o face mai
putin directa si spontana. Dar, oricat de bine stapanita, muzica nu poate fi lipsita de
emotii. In acest caz concertele de muzica clasica ar fi fost lipsite de sens.
     Chiar daca acest pretentios set live a dezamagit
intr-o oarecare masura, multi s-au impacat cu gandul
ca nici nu se poate astepta mai mult de la un astfel de
proiect discografic. Cine este fascinat de showurile lor
va astepta cu nerabdare urmatorul concert, iar cine
este dispus sa analizeze mai profund muzica lor, va
astepta noile inregistrari. Iata, deci, ca interesul
pentru noul album de studio a fost, in continuare,
ridicat. Mult asteptatul disc avea sa fie dublu. Works -
Opere, a aparaut in 1977, in perioada cand intreaga
scena a rockului era inca naucita de punk. Pentru fanii
grupului, pentru critici, aceasta a fost o noua
dezamagire. Dupa o perioada de timp unii cronicari au
revenit afirmand ca albumul este, totusi, bun, dar nu
corespunde renumelui "celui mai mare trio din lume".
Cele patru fete ale discurilor au fost impartite intre cei
trei componenti, fiecaruia revenindu-i cate una, iar
ultima realizand-o impreuna. Keith Emerson si-a

prezentat primul sau Concert pentru pian, o lucrare de nivel destul de ridicat, care
nu-l va plasa pe autorul ei printre nemuritori, dar sigur va imbogati bilantul pozitiv al
realizarilor sale muzicale. Carl Palmer a dovedit inca o data ca este un instrumentist
de exceptie, dar slab la capitolul compozitie. Greg Lake si-a folosit bine sansa, partea
lui fiind muzical variata si echilibrata, la un nivel calitativ destul de inalt. Lake nu este
un mare compozitor, dar, constient si sigur de asta, stie foarte bine sa-si valorifice
ideile. Un exemplu in acest sens ar fi splendida balada C'est la vie. Fata de disc
comuna a confirmat ca cei trei nu mai sunt o unitate, nu mai sunt un grup, totul
sunand mai degraba ca un cocktail a ceea ce a fost servit pe cele trei parti anterioare
ale setului. Devastatoare financiar si moral, s-a dovedit si decizia lor de a intreprinde
un turneu american insotiti de o orchestra de 70 de instrumentisti.
     In 1978 a aparut Work Volumes II, care a trecut aproape
neobeservat. ELP apartinea deja de domeniul trecutului.
"Epuizati din punct de vedere creativ", dupa cum recunoaste
Lake, care, privit din perspectiva timpului scurs, pare sa fie mai
degraba o datorie achitata fata de casa de discuri Atlantic, care
a mai investit in ei, sperand la o revenire. La sfarsitul turneului
in 1978, la 30 decembrie, grupul s-a desfiintat. Anii '80 n-au
fost prielnici pentru ELP. Emerson a compus cateva teme pentru
coloanele sonore ale unor filme uitate, Palmer a avut o scurta
perioada de stralucire cu supergrupul Asia, Lake a incercat, fara
succes, sa lanseze un album solo. Au fost si tentative de a
reinvia formula magica: Emerson, Lake And Powell in 1986, sau
Emerson, Lake And Robert Berry in '88, dar vechea glorie nu se
lasa recucerita.
     In 1992 a avut loc, in sfarsit, mult asteptata reuniune, cei trei protagonisti ai
acestui interesant story muzical realizand impreuna albumul Black Moon. Discul
contine piese mai scurte, sunetul este dominat de tonul inconfundabil al orgii
Hammond, iar din repertoriul clasic este preluata o tema a lui Prokofiev pentru
baletul Romeo si Julieta. Alaturi de Emerson, Lake si Palmer a fost, si de aceasta
data, managerul lor din zilele bune, Stewart Young, care a organizat si turneul
promotional. Chiar daca discul a fost primit caldut de catre specialisti, care nu s-au
intrecut in a-l critica, dar n-au excelat in laude, succesul a fost nesemnificativ.
      De exemplu, in revista britanica Q, renumita prin
recenziile publicate, discul a primit calificativul "bun".
Nu de acelasi tratament s-a bucurat si urmatorul lor
album, In The Hot Seat din 1994, care in afara
standardelor interpretative ridicate, ceea ce, de altfel
era normal din partea unor muzicieni cu o astfel de
reputatie, n-a adus nimic nou. Chiar dimpotriva:
jumatate din materialul prezentat pe acest disc este
reciclat. Avem ocazia sa auzim o reinterpretare
neinsufletita a suitei Pictures At An Exhibition si o
reluare neinspirata a unei exceptionale piese a lui Bob
Dylan, Man In The Long Black Coat. Aceasta a fost,
probabil, ideea lui Lake, dar daca va este cunoscuta
varianta originala, probabil ca nu veti rezista sa
ascultati, in intregime, versiunea ELP.
     Unul din momentele mai bune ale acestui disc, o frumoasa melodie de dragoste
parinteasca, Daddy, ii apartine, de asemenea lui Greg Lake. Sclipirea lui Emerson,
daca nu luam in considerare cateva scurte solouri ce decoreaza piesele preponderent
vocale, sau reinventeaza      Tablouri dintr-o expozitie, s-a consumat, departe de
intensitatea de altadata, in piesa Hand Of Truth. Despre Palmer nu se poate spune
nimic mai mult decat ca este, in continuare, un tehnician exceptional, insa aportul
sau depinde de gradul de inspiratie si insufletire al celorlalti, dar parteneri, care
compun materialul muzical si liric. Viitorul acestui, candva, mare grup, este inca o
data incert si n-ar fi exclus ca aceasta sa fie chiar o ultima zvacnire in tentativa
redobandirii pozitiilor demult pierdute.
     Pe parcursul carierei sale, grupul Emerson, Lake And Palmer a avut perioade de
glorie, a fost idolatrizat, membrii sai considerati "vrajitori" ai instrumentelor lor (mai
ales Keith si Carl), apreciati ca aranjori si compozitori, showmen fara pereche,
vizionari sensibili (Lake), mega vedete, dinozauri ai rockului. Au avut parte de o serie
de cronici negative, au avut caderi, momente de proasta inspiratie, cautari, reveniri
la trecut etc. Nu trebuie insa uitat ca acesta a fost grupul care a realizat astfel de
capodopere cum ar fi Take A Pebble, Tarkus, Trilogy. Cel putin timp de doi ani,
Emerson, Lake And Palmer au fost liderii necontestati ai avangardei rock europene.

     Keith Emerson este cel care a pus bazele grupului in 1969. Canta la toate
instrumentele cu claviaturi specifice rockului (mai putin la melotron), este principalul
instrumentist al trioului, compozitor si aranjor, lider si atractie majora a spectacolelor
scenice. S-a nascut la 2 noiembrie 1944 in localitatea Todmorden, Anglia, unde s-au
refugiat parintii lui de bombardamentele germane. Provine dintr-o familie foarte
muzicala; ambii parinti au cantat, iar bunica a fost profesoara de pian. La 7 ani
incepe studiul pianului, iar la 10 ani participa la un concurs local de intrepretare unde
cucereste locul trei. Educatia sa in domeniul clasic dureaza pana la primele contacte
cu jazzul, cu toate ca a mai luat niste "ore zburatoare" si in timpul celei mai mari
popularitati. Nu a frecventat niciodata o scoala de muzica, iar zvonurile ca ar fi
absolvit conservatorul sunt false. Odata i-a si scapat o remarca interesanta:
"Conservatorul nu e pentru creatori". La inceput a cantat jazz din pur hobby. Popul si
rockul nu l-au interesat. Dupa absolvirea liceului, lucreaza ca functionar la o banca,
seara cantand prin cluburi. Devenind somer, se alatura primului sau grup
profesionist, T. Bones, unde-l intalneste pe bassistul Lee Jackson cu care pleaca in
grupul de acompaniament al solistei de culoare Pat Arnold. In noul grup dau de
chitaristul David O'List, apoi impreuna cu bateristul Brian Davidson, formeaza Nice,
cu care atrag atentia datorita reusitelor prelucari ale unor teme extrase din tezaurul
muzicii clasice, fiind si primii reprezentanti de seama ai fuziunii dintre sonoritatile
rock si cele clasice.
     Gregory "Greg" Lake, canta, interpreteaza la bass, chitara acustica si electrica
solo, este compozitor si textier, lider spiritual, producator. Nascut la 10 noiembrie
1947 la Bournemouth, Anglia, primul contact direct cu muzica l-a avut printr-o
chitara daruita de mama lui (pianista). Primul sau idol a fost Hank B. Marvin. Primul
sau grup mai cunoscut a fost The Gods, unde a trecut de la chitara la bass.
Renumele si l-a castigat apoi in formula de baza a grupului King Crimson, iar
maturitatea si apogeul artistic in ELP.
     Carl Palmer a fost unul din cei mai apreciati bateristi din rock. S-a nascut la 20
martie 1950. Tatal lui a fost un mare iubitor de jazz si stia sa bata la tobe, asa ca i-a
cumparat fiului un mini set de tobe din plastic cu cinel. Toti au fost surprinsi cand
micutul Carl a pus un disc si a acompaniat primul cantec fara sa piarda nici o clipa
ritmul. In curand a primit o baterie completa si un profesor. Deja ca adolescent a dat
dovada de o tehnica exceptionala. Primul angajament serios a fost cu grupul The
Crazy World Of Arthur Brown din care a trecut la Atomic Rooster. Paralel cu
activitatea din grupul ELP a studiat percutia la Gidhall School Of Music din Londra.

Discografie Emerson, Lake & Palmer:

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Emerson, Lake & Palmer (1970)

Track list:
1. "The Barbarian" - 4:27
2. "Take a Pebble" - 12:32
3. "Knife-Edge" - 5:04
4. "The Three Fates" (Emerson) - 7:46
    * "Clotho" Royal Festival Hall Organ
    * "Lachesis" Piano Solo
    * "Atropos" Piano Solo
5. "Tank" - 6:49
6. "Lucky Man" - 4:36

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Tarkus (1971)

Track list:
1. "Tarkus" - 20:35
    * "Eruption" - 2:43
    * "Stones of Years" - 3:44
    * "Iconoclast" - 1:15
    * "Mass" - 3:11
    * "Manticore" - 1:52
    * "Battlefield" - 3:51
    * "Aquatarkus" - 3:59
2. "Jeremy Bender" - 1:46
3. "Bitches Crystal" - 3:55
4. "The Only Way" - 3:48
5. "Infinite Space" - 3:18
6. "A Time and a Place" - 2:57
7. "Are You Ready Eddy?" - 2:10
 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Pictures at an Exhibition (1971)

Track list:
01. "Promenade" - 1:58
02. "The Gnome" - 4:18
03. "Promenade" ) - 1:23
04. "The Sage" - 4:42
05. "The Old Castle" - 2:33
06. "Blues Variation" - 4:22
07. "Promenade" - 1:29
08. "The Hut of Baba Yaga" - 1:12
09. "The Curse of Baba Yaga" - 4:10
10. "The Hut of Baba Yaga" - 1:06
11. "The Great Gates of Kiev/The End" - 6:37
12. "Nutrocker" - 4:26
13. "Pictures at an Exhibition" - 15:28
    1. "Promenade"
    2. "The Gnome"
    3. "Promenade"
    4. "The Sage"
    5. "The Hut of Baba Yaga"
    6. "The Great Gates of Kiev"
 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Trilogy (1972)

Track list:
1. "The Endless Enigma Part One" 6:37
2. "Fugue" 1:57
3. "The Endless Enigma Part Two" 2:00
4. "From the Beginning" 4:14
5. "The Sheriff" 3:22
6. "Hoedown" (from Aaron Copland's Rodeo) 3:48
7. "Trilogy" 8:54
8. "Living Sin" 3:11
9. "Abaddon's Bolero" 8:13

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Brain Salad Surgery (1973)

Track list:
1. "Jerusalem" - 2:44
2. "Toccata (An Adaptation of Ginastera's 1st Piano
Concerto, 4th Movement)" - 7:22
3. "Still...You Turn Me On" - 2:53
4. "Benny the Bouncer" - 2:21
5. "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 1" - 8:43
6. "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression, Pt. 2" - 4:46
7. "Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression" - 7:07
8. "Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression" - 9:03

Emerson, Lake & Palmer -

Welcome Back My Friends to the Show That Never Ends (1974)
Track list:
Disc one
1. "Hoedown" - 04:27
2. "Jerusalem" - 02:51
3. "Toccata" - 07:22
4. "Tarkus" - 27:24
5. "Take a Pebble", including "Still...You Turn Me
On" / "Lucky Man" -11:06
Disc two
1. "Piano Improvisations" - 11:53
2. "Take a Pebble (Conclusion)" - 03:14
3. "Jeremy Bender" / "The Sheriff" - 05:05
4. "Karn Evil 9: 1st Impression" - 17:26
5. "Karn Evil 9: 2nd Impression" - 07:36
6. "Karn Evil 9: 3rd Impression" - 10:17
 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Works Volume 1 (1977)

Track list:
Disc One
Keith Emerson:
1. "Piano Concerto No. 1"
1. First Movement: "Allegro Giojoso" 9:21
2. 2nd Movement: "Andante Molto Cantabile" 2:09
3. Third Movement: "Toccata Con Fuoco" 6:48
Greg Lake:
1. "Lend Your Love To Me Tonight" 4:01
2. "C'Est La Vie" 4:16
3. "Hallowed Be Thy Name" 4:35
4. "Nobody Loves You Like I Do" 3:56
5. "Closer To Believing" 5:33
Disc Two
Carl Palmer:
1. "The Enemy God Dances With The Black Spirits"
2. "L.A. Nights" 5:42
3. "New Orleans" 2:45
4. "Two Part Invention In D Minor" 1:54
5. "Food For Your Soul" 3:57
6. "Tank" 5:09
Emerson, Lake & Palmer:
1. "Fanfare For The Common Man" 9:40
2. "Pirates" 13:19
 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Works Volume 2 (1978)

Track list:
01. "Tiger in a Spotlight" 4:32
02. "When the Apple Blossoms Bloom in the
Windmills of Your Mind I'll Be Your Valentine" 5:36
03. "Bullfrog" 3:49
04. "Brain Salad Surgery" 3:07
05. "Barrelhouse Shake-Down" 3:37
06. "Watching Over You" 3:54
07. "So Far To Fall" 4:55
08. "Maple Leaf Rag" 2:00
09. "I Believe in Father Christmas" 3:17
10. "Close But Not Touching" 3:18
11. "Honky Tonk Train Blues" 3:09
12. "Show Me The Way To Go Home" 3:30
 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Love Beach (1978)

Track list:
1. "All I Want Is You" 2:35
2. "Love Beach" 2:46
3. "Taste Of My Love" 3:33
4. "The Gambler" 3:23
5. "For You" 4:28
6. "Canario (From Fantasia Para Un Gentilhombre)"
7. "Memoirs Of An Officer And A Gentleman"
(20:16)
    1. Prologue / The Education Of A Gentleman
    2. Love At First Sight
    3. Letters From The Front
    4. Honourable Company (A March)
 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer -

Emerson, Lake and Palmer In Concert (1979)

Track list:
Side One
1. "Introductory Fanfare" 00:52
2. "Peter Gunn" 03:33
3. "Tiger in a Spotlight" 04:10
4. "C'est La Vie" 04:14
5. "The Enemy God" 02:46
6. "Knife Edge" 05:03
Side Two
1. "Piano Concerto No. 1 (Third Movement)" 06:42
2. "Pictures at an Exhibition" 15:42

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Black Moon (1992)

Track list:
01. "Black Moon" - 6:56
02. "Paper Blood" - 4:26
03. "Affairs of the Heart" - 3:46
04. "Romeo and Juliet" - 3:40
05. "Farewell to Arms" - 5:08
06. "Changing States" - 6:01
07. "Burning Bridges" - 4:41
08. "Close to Home" - 4:27
09. "Better Days" - 5:33
10. "Footprints in the Snow" - 3:50

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - Live at the Royal Albert Hall (1993)
 Track list:
01. "Karn Evil 9" 01:50
02. "Tarkus Medley:" 09:26
    * "Eruption"
    * "Stones of Years"
    * "Iconoclast"
03. "Knife Edge" 05:26
04. "Paper Blood" 04:09
05. "Romeo and Juliet" 03:41
06. "Creole Dance" 03:20
07. "Still...You Turn Me On" 03:13
08. "Lucky Man" 04:38
09. "Black Moon" 06:31
10. "Pirates" 13:21
11. "Finale" 14:40
    * "Fanfare for the Common Man"
    * "America"
    * "Rondo"
 

Emerson, Lake & Palmer - In The Hot Seat (1994)

Track list:
01. "Hand Of Truth" 05:22
02. "Daddy" 04:42
03. "One By One" 05:07
04. "Heart On Ice" 04:19
05. "Thin Line" 04:45
06. "Man In The Long Black Coat" 04:12
07. "Change" 04:43
08. "Give Me A Reason To Stay" 04:14
09. "Gone Too Soon" 04:11
10. "Street War" 04:24
11. "Pictures At An Exhibition" 14:47
 

     Katatonia - s-a formata in 1991, in orasul Stockholm, Suedia

Perioada de Activitate : 1991 - prezent.
Componenta:
    Jonas P Renkse - voce, compozitie
    Anders "Blakkheim" Nyström - chitara, compozitie, backing vocals
    Fredrik “North” Norrman - chitara
    Mattias "Kryptan" Norrman - chitara bas
    Daniel Liljekvist - baterie
Ex-Membri:
    Mikael Åkerfeldt - Voce
    Dan Swanö- baterie
    Israphel Wing (Guillaume Le Huche) - chitara bas
    Mikael Oretoft - chitara bas
Gen: Doom/Death Metal
» Discografie Katatonia

     Katatonia a luat nastere in 1991 in Stockholm, Suedia, la initiativa unor prieteni vechi,
Anders Nyström (aka Blakkheim) si Jonas Renkse (aka Lord Seth). Dupa un an
de compus si repetat, primele roade ale muncii lor
s-au concretizat intr-un demo, Jhva Elohim Meth,
inregistrat in Gorysound Studio si produs de Dan
Swanö. Demo-ul s-a vandut imediat, lucru care a
atras atentia casei de discuri olandeze Vic
Records care a lansat demo-ul ca un mini cd sub
numele Jhva Elohim Meth – the Revival. Avand
mare succes, cei 2 mebri au ajuns la concluzia ca
au nevie de o componenta mai complexa pentru a
putea continua, astfel l-au cooptat pe basistul
Guillaume Le Huche (aka Israphel Wing).
     In aprilie 1993 Katatonia inregistreaza primul
album full-length, Dance of December Souls la
Gorysound (cunoscut acum drept Unisound) sub
productia lui Dan Swanö. Desi au existat
probleme si la un moment dat se credea ca
albumul nu va vedea lumina zilei, a fost lansat la
sfarsitul anului, in decembrie.
    Acesta a fost un succes imediat atat in randul ascultatorilor
cat si a criticilor. Succesul i-a facut sa intre imediat in studio,
compunand epopeea goth de 10 minute Scarlet Heavens, care a
aparut in cele din urma in 1996 pe un split cu Primordial scos
sub Mysanthropy Records.
     L-a inceputuli lui 1995 lanseaza Ep-ul For Funerals to
Come sub Avantgarde Musici, iar dupa un an in care se ocupa
cu alte proiecte, la inceputul lui '96 se pun iar pe treaba
impreuna cu un nou membru permanent, chitaristul Fred
Norrman. Acestia intra in studioul Unisound si inregistreaza
albumul Brave Murder Day cu care isi reinventeaza sound-ul
(acesta avand sa fie influenta pentru multe trupe viitoare). La
acest album participa ca vocalist Mikael Åkerfeldt, de la trupa
Opeth.
     In toamna aceluiasi an au un turneu European de mare
succes, lucru care-i face pe membrii Katatonia entuziasti sa
reintre in studio la inceputul anului 1997 pentru a scoate un
nou material. Pentru ca Unisound s-a inchis intre timp, acestia
aleg Sunlight Studio(aflat in orasul lor, Stockholm).
     Scot sub Avantgarde Music un mini-album - Sounds of
Decay - produs si mixat de Tomas Skogsberg, din nou cu
participarea vocalului Mikael Åkerfeldt. Basistul Mikael
Oretoft se alatura trupei iar la mijlocul lui '97 Katatonia incepe
lucrul la al 3lea album full-length Discouraged Ones. Acesta
este albumul pe care Renkse isi va face cunoscute talentele
vocale, trupa definindu-si un nou stil, care il va aborda in
viitor. Desi le-a urmarit carierea de la inceput, albumul
Discouraged Ones ii face pe cei de la Peaceville Records sa le
ofere un contract pe 5 albume.
    Incantati sa lucreze cu o casa de discuri de notorietatea
acesteia, membrii Katatonia se pun pe treaba pentru al 4-lea
album de studio, in 1999, intitulat Tonight's Decision. Din nou au
colaborat cu Åkerfeldt la partea vocala si au fost asistati la mixaj
de Tomas Skogsberg. Dan Swanö, care pana acum se ocupa de
producerea materialelor, ii ajuta acum la partea de baterie.
Albumul are succes imediat, trupa deschizand intr-o noua
componenta (Mattias Norrman la chitara bas si Daniel Liljekvistla
la baterie) turneele scandinavice ale legendarei formatii Paradise
Lost.
    Katatonia si-a ocupat anul 2000 concertand in Polonia si SUA
impreuna cu Opeth si inregistrand al 5-lea album. Last Fair Deal
Gone Down este lansat la inceputul verii anului urmator, fiind
precedad de un single de 3 piese intitulat Teargas (dupa o piesa de
pe albumul Last Fair Deal Gone Down) avand 2 piese compuse
special pentru acesta: Sulfur si March 4. Katatonia se implica in
producerea acesti album, reusind sa ilustreze prin el perfect starile
emotionale ale cantecelor si atragand atentia ascultatorilor de gen
asupra
acestei trupe. Renske devine prin acest album unul din cei mai
buni vocalisti ai momentului, transmitand prin vocea lui atat
vulnerabilitate cat si credibilitate. Sustinut de geniul chitarii lui
Nyström, Katatonia isi face loc intre cele mai bune trupe ale
momentului respectiv.
     In 2001 participa la o serie de concerte impreuna cu Opeth in
Marea Britanie si in Europa Centrala, in acelasi timp lansand si
cel de-al 2-lea single, Tonight's Music - continand 2 piese noi,
special compuse pentru acest EP Help Me Disappear si O How I
Enjoy the Light.
    Anul 2002 este unul silentios pentru Katatonia ocupandu-se in
mare parte de compunerea pieselor pentru urmatorul album.
     In aprilie 2003 Katatonia lanseaza cel de-al 6lea album din
cariera, Viva Emptiness, un album pentru sufletele si inimile
goale. Materialul este inregistrat in 301 Studios in Stockholm si
Fascination Street in Örebro, produs de Nyström si Renkse si
mixat de Jens Bogren. Cu acest album formatia a dovedit ca aduce
intr-adevar intotdeauna ceva nou, nelimitandu-se la un singru gen.
Muzica in sine spune mai mult deca 1000 de cuvinte ce ar putea
cataloga. Albumul e sustinut de un turneu European cu trupa drept
cap de afis in aprilie si mai 2003.
    In 2004 Katatonia face 2 turnee scandinavice, si un mini turneu
european, participa la mai multe festivale in diverse colturi ale
lumii,iar intre aceste activitati live isi face planurile pentru
urmatoarele miscari si pentru urmatoarea capodopera.
    La inceputul lui 2005 Katatonia apare pe 2 compilatii si
lanseaza un DVD continant un concert de promovare a albumului
Viva Emptiness din 2003 filmat in Polonia, sigle-uri, b-sides, plus
o selectie a celor mai bune piese din '98 pana in '04. In martie se
alatura listei de trupe care concerteaza la Metalmania sustinand
cateva concerte in Europa de Est. Renkse and Nyström se intorc
acasa pentru a incepe lucrul la al 7-lea album iar la sfarsitul anului
trupa ajunge pentru prima
data in Rusia, sustinand doua concerte - de ambele dati
aflandu-se in fata unui public ce ii astepta nerabdator
de mai bine de 10 ani.

     The Great Cold Distance, al saptelea album al

grupului Katatonia este lansat la inceputul anului
2006. Acesta a fost inregistrat in Fascination Street
Studios din Örebro, produs de Nyström si Renkse,
mixat de Jens Bogren & David Castillo. Albumul este
categoric cel mai dinamic material al trupei si este
caracterizat de o raceala care este menita sa tina la
distanta tot si toate.

It's a devious life. And this is a soundtrack to it.

DISCOGRAFIE KATATONIA
Full Length Studio Albums
» 1993 - Dance of December Souls
» 1997 - Brave Murder Day
» 1998 - Discouraged Ones
» 1999 - Tonight's Decision
» 2001 - Last Fair Deal Gone Down
» 2003 - Viva Emptiness
» 2006 - The Great Cold Distance

DEMO, EP

» Rehearsal (1991) DEMO

» Jhva Elohim Meth (1992) DEMO
» Jhva Elohim Meth... The Revival (1992) EP
» For Funerals to Come (1995) EP
» Sounds of Decay (1997) EP
» Saw You Drown (1998) EP
» Teargas (2001) EP
» Tonight's Music (2001) EP

Compilations

» W.A.R. Compilation Vol. 1 (1994)

» Identity Five (1999) Century Media (features "Deadhouse")
» Brave Yester Days (2004)
» The Black Sessions (2005)
» Split 10" (1996)
Genre(s)
Melodic Black Metal
Lyrical theme(s)
Darkness, nature, occult, winter
Origi Formed Current Statu
n in label s
Finlan Massacre
d 1995 Active
Records
(Oulu)
Current line-up
Olli-Jukka Mustonen - Vocals (Dorotha, ex-
Wrathage)
Riku Hopeakoski - Guitar
Ari Nissilä - Guitar
Toni Kansanoja - Bass (Black Swan
(Fin), Burning Point)
Veikko Jumisko - Drums (Dorotha)
Former/past member(s)
Toni Tervo - Drums
Sampo Ukkola - Guitar
Heidi Riihinen - Keyboard (1995-2002) (ex-
Dolorian)
Sir Luttinen - Drums (ex-Beherit, ex-The
Black League, ex-Impaled Nazarene,
ex-Isänmaa, ex-Legenda, ex-Plan E,
Terveet Kädet)
Juho Raappana - Drums (Impish, ex-
Mythos)
Janne Kusmin - Drums (2001-2002)
(Kalmah, Mental Voice, Wrathage)
Mika Tönning - Vocals (ex-Dawn of Relic,
Solacide)
Timo Lehtinen - Bass (1995-2003) (End
of
You, ex-Impish, Kalmah, ex-Mythos)
Mikko Hepo-oja - Bass
Tero Nevala - Keyboard (2002-2006) (ex-
Blodsoffer, Dead Man's Grip,
Dorotha, National Napalm Syndicate,
ex-Wrathage)
Kimmo Luttinen - Drums (1999-2001)
Additional notes
Due to Mustonen's throat injury, they are
using Antti Haapsamo of Mors Subita as a
session vocalist for the new album.
Submitted by On
Skyklad July 21st, 2002
Last modified
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Discography

Demo '95 Demo, 1995

Winds Demo, 1996

Halls of Frozen North Full-length, 1998 [2 reviews, average 84%]

Shape Edition EP, 1999
Morning Crimson Full-length, 1999 [3 reviews, average 51%]
Eternal Winter´s Prophecy Full-length, 2000 [1 review, 70%]
Eskhata Full-length, 2002 [3 reviews, average 88%]
Chaos Born Full-length, 2003 [4 reviews, average 92%]
Winternight Tragedies Full-length, 2005 [2 reviews, average 75%]
Location:COLD Full-length, 2006 [2 reviews, average 92%]
Bringing The Cold To Poland DVD DVD, 2006

Dee Snider
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search

Dee Snider (on right)

Dee Snider in his Twisted Sister persona

Daniel "Dee" Snider (born March 15, 1955 in Massapequa, New York, United States).
He grew up in Baldwin and graduated from Baldwin High School in 1973. [1] Snider is
the frontman for American hard rock band Twisted Sister. He is somewhat of a cult icon
in the heavy metal community.

As a child he sang in a church choir, several school choruses, and Baldwin HS Concert
Choir. He also was selected for the All State Chorus by singing Henry Purcell's ``Strike
the Viol. [2] He developed a habit of dressing differently from his peers and a strong
desire to become a singer in a makeup band. In 1975 Snider changed several rock bands,
and in early 1976 he joined the recently formed Twisted Sister and became the only song
writer of the band thereafter.

On MTV in the 80's before Headbanger's Ball, the first Heavy Metal show to feature all
metal videos was called Heavy Metal Mania. The first show aired in June of 1985. Metal
mania was hosted by Dee Snider and featured metal news, interviews with metal artists,
in studio co-hosts, etc..
In the late 1980s, after Twisted Sister was disbanded, he formed Desperado, a band
featuring ex-Iron Maiden drummer Clive Burr, ex-Gillan guitarist Bernie Torme, and
bassist Marc Russel. The group's only album Ace has never been officially released but
was heavily bootlegged on CD (under the title Bloodied But Unbowed).

In 1985 Dee testified in the Senate hearing instigated by the Parents Music Resource
Center to introduce warnings albums about possibly offensive content. He was supported
by other musicians such as John Denver and Frank Zappa who were also opposed to
censorship.

In the 1990s, he formed Widowmaker, with Joe Franco (good friend to Twisted Sister,
and drummed on the Love Is For Suckers album, Al Pitrelli, and Marc Russel.They
recorded two albums with limited underground success, titled Blood and Bullets, and
Standby For Pain.

In the late 1990s, he toured with a "self-tribute" band called Dee Snider's SMFs,
sometimes featuring ex-Twisted Sister drummer A.J. Pero. The usual line up included
Dee Snider, Derek Tailer, Charlie Mills, Keith Alexander, and Spike.

In 1998, he wrote and starred in the horror film Strangeland. He has also penned the
script to a sequel which has the working title of Strangeland 2: Cult of Personality. As of
October 2006, it has yet to receive a greenlight by any major studio. The project remains
a top priority of Snider's.

From June 1999 to August 2002, he hosted a morning radio show on a Hartford,
Connecticut Clear Channel station, Radio 104 (104.1 FM WMRQ), called Dee Snider
Radio. His show returned to the air at night in August 2004 on 93.3 WMMR in
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania until June 2005. He fondly referred to his listeners as his
"Peeps", and "DEE" euro stickers, printed by the station, could be seen on the bumpers of
his fans' cars throughout Connecticut, New York, and Massachusetts. Other members of
the morning show included Nick Lentino, Beth Lockwood, "Psycho Dan" Williams, Sean
Robbins, and "Darkside Dave" Wallace. He frequently featured high-profile guests,
including his friend and KISS singer/bassist Gene Simmons.

In 2001 he was the voice of Gol Acheron, the main villain for the PlayStation 2
videogame Jak and Daxter: The Precursor Legacy.

In 2002 he re-joined with the reunited Twisted Sister.

Snider played himself in the 2002 TV-movie Warning: Parental Advisory.

In 2003 he appeared with actor Arnold Schwarznegger, during his drive to recall
incumbent California Governor Gray Davis. Snider sang the Twisted Sister hit, "We're
Not Gonna Take It," which was adopted by the Schwarzenegger campaign.
In 2004 and 2005 he was the narrator for a live show known as Van Helsing's Curse
which tours the US around Halloween giving a mix of famous music with dark overtones
and an occasional part of a storytelling to accompany the music. The concert has also
been released on CD.

Dee Snider at the 2005 Sturgis Motorcycle Rally

As of 2005 Snider is the host of the nationally syndicated House of Hair radio show. He
currently lives part-time in East Setauket, New York.

Snider is also a narrator for many shows and specials on VH1.

Snider was featured as the 'voice' in the bumpers for MSNBC's 2001/2002 "Fiercely
Independent" branding campaign.

Snider returned to radio in June 2006 with Fangoria Radio on Sirius Satellite Radio.

Snider has been married to his wife Suzette since 1981. They have 4 children. They are
Jesse, Shane, Cody, and Cheyenne.

[edit] Projects

Bands
Twisted Sister
Desperado (heavy metal group)
Widowmaker
S.M.F.'s

Books
Dee Snider's Teenage Survival Guide, Doubleday, 1987 - available in hardcover &
softcover

Solo Albums
Never Let the Bastards Wear You Down, 2000

Guest Appearances
"Go to Hell" on Humanary Stew: A Tribute To Alice Cooper, 1999
"Go to Hell" on Welcome to My Nightmare: A All Star Tribute To Alice Cooper, 1999
"Eleanor Rigby" on Eddie Ojeda's Axes 2 Axes, 2005
"Wasted Years" on Numbers of the Beast: An All Star Tribute to Iron Maiden, 2005

Other
Strangeland (1998)
VanHelsing's Curse

Oi, Oi, Oi)

(Oi, Oi, Oi)
(Oi, Oi, Oi)
(Oi, Oi, Oi)
(Oi, Oi, Oi)

See me ride out of the sunset,

On your colour TV screen
Out for all that I can get,
If you know what I mean
Women to the left of me,
And women to the right
Ain't got no gun, ain't got no knife,
Don't you start no fight...

REFRAIN
Cause I'm T.N.T., I'm dynamite!
(T.N.T.) And I'll win the fight!
(T.N.T.) I'm a power load!
(T.N.T.) watch me explooooode!

I'm dirty, mean, and mighty unclean,

I'm a wanted man
Public enemy number one,
Understand?
So, lock up your daughter, and lock up your wife,
Lock up your backdoor, and run for your life
The man is back in town,
So, don't you mess me 'round...

REFRAIN
'Cause I'm T.N.T., I'm dynamite!
(T.N.T.) And I'll win the fight!
(T.N.T.) I'm a power load!
(T.N.T.) Watch me explooode!

SOLO

REFRAIN
T.N.T. (Oi, Oi, Oi)
T.N.T. (Oi, Oi, Oi)
T.N.T. (Oi, Oi, Oi)
T.N.T. (Oi, Oi, Oi)
T.N.T., I'm dynamite! (Oi, Oi, Oi)
(T.N.T.) And I'll win the fight! (Oi, Oi, Oi)
(T.N.T.) I'm a power load! (Oi, Oi, Oi)
(T.N.T.) Just Watch me exploooooode!

EVANESCENCE LYRICS
"Breathe No More"

[Piano Solo Opening]

I've been looking in the mirror for so long.
That I've come to believe my soul's on the other side.
All the little pieces falling, shatter.
Shards of me,
Too sharp to put back together.
Too small to matter,
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces.
If I try to touch her,
And I bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe no more.

Take a breath and I try to draw from my spirits well.

Yet again you refuse to drink like a stubborn child.
Lie to me,
Convince me that I've been sick forever.
And all of this,
Will make sense when I get better.
But I know the difference,
Between myself and my reflection.
I just can't help but to wonder,
Which of us do you love.
So I bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe no...
Bleed,
I bleed,
And I breathe,
I breathe,
I breathe-
I breathe no more.

[Piano Solo Ending]

EVANESCENCE LYRICS
"Even In Death"

Give me a reason to believe that you're gone

I see your shadow so I know they're all wrong
Moonlight on the soft brown earth
It leads me to where you lay
They took you away from me but now I'm taking you home

[CHORUS:]
I will stay forever here with you
My love
The softly spoken words you gave me
Even in death our love goes on

Some say I'm crazy for my love, Oh my love

But no bonds can hold me from your side, Oh my love
They don't know you can't leave me
They don't hear you singing to me

[Chorus]

And I can't love you, anymore than I do

People die, but real love is forever.

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Iron Maiden (1980)

1. Prowler
2. Sanctuary
3. Remember Tomorrow
4. Running Free
5. Phantom Of The Opera
6. Transilvania
7. Strange World
8. Charlotte The Harlot
9. Iron Maiden

1. Prowler

[Steve Harris]

Walking through the city, looking oh so pretty,

I've just got to find my way.
See the ladies flashing. All there legs and lashes.
I've just got to find my way.

Well you see me crawling through the bushes with it open wide.
What you seeing girl?
Can't you believe that feeling, can't you believe it,
Can't you believe your eyes?
It's the real thing girl.

Got me feeling myself and reeling around,

Got me talking but feel like walking around.
Got me feeling myself and reeling a...
Got me talking but nothing's with me...
Got me feeling myself and reeling around.

2. Sanctuary

[Harris / Murray/ Di'Anno]

Out of winter came a warhorse of steel

I've never killed a woman before
But I know how it feels
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

I met up with a stranger last night

To keep me alive
He spends all his time on gambling
And guns to survive
I know you'd have gone insane if you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for Sanctuary from the law

[CHORUS]
So give me Sanctuary from the law
And I'll be alright
Just give me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight...tonight

I know you'd have gone insane if you saw what I saw

So now I've got to look for Sanctuary from the law

[CHORUS]

I can laugh at the wind

I can howl at the rain
Down in the canyon or out on the plains

I know you'd have gone insane if you saw what I saw

So now I've got to look for Sanctuary from the law

[CHORUS]

3. Remember Tomorrow
[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

Unchain the colours before my eyes,

Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.

Tears for rememberance, and tears for joy,

Tears for somebody and this lonely boy.
Out in the madness, the all seeing eye,
Flickers above us, to light up the sky.

Unchain the colours before my eyes,

Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.

4. Running Free

[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

Just sixteen, a pickup truck, out of money, out of luck.

I've got nowhere to call my own, hit the gas, and here I go.

[Chorus]
I'm running free yeah, I'm running free.
I'm running free yeah, Oh I'm running free.

Spent the night in an L. A. jail, and listened to the sirens wail.

They ain't got a thing on me, I'm running wild, I'm running free.

[Chorus]

Puller here at the Bottle Top, whiskey, dancing, disco hop.

Now all the boys are after me, and that's the way it's gonna be

[Chorus]

5. Phantom Of The Opera

[Steve Harris]
I've been looking so long for you now you won't get away from my
grasp.
You've been living so long in hiding in hiding behind that false mask.
And you know and I know that you ain't got long now to last.
Your looks and your feelings are just the remains of your past.

You're standing in the wings, there you wait for the curtain to fall.
Knowing the terror and holding you have on us all.
Yeah, I know that you're gonna scratch me, maim me and maul.
You know I'm helpless from your mesmerising cat call.

Keep your distance, walk away, don't take his bait.

Don't you stray, don't fade away.
Watch your step, he's out to get you, come what may.
Don't you stray, from the narrow way.

I'm running and hiding in my dreams you're always there.

You're the Phantom of the Opera, you're the devil, you're just out to
scare.
You damaged my mind and my soul it just floats through the air.
Haunt me, you taunt me, you torture me back at your lair.

6. Transilvania

[Instrumental]

7. Strange World

[Steve Harris]

The only place where you can dream, living here is not what it seems.
Ship of white light in the sky, nobody there to reason why.
Here I am, I'm not really there, smiling faces ever so rare.
A let's walk in deepest space, living here just isn't the place.

Stalks of light come from the ground, when I cry there isn't a sound.
All my feelings cannot be held, I'm happy in my new strange world.
Shades of green grasses twine, girls drinking plasma wine.
A look at love, a dream unfolds, living here, you'll never grow old.

Don't you hear me call? Ooh

8. Charlotte The Harlot

[Dave Murray]

Giving a swish with your arse in the air, don't you know what they're
saying?
Charlotte you're so refined when you take all the love that they're
giving.
Sticking with every man that you find, don't you know what they're
after?
Charlotte you've got your legs in the air, don't you hear all the
laughter?

[Chorus]
Charlotte the Harlot show me your legs,
Charlotte the Harlot take me to bed.
Charlotte the Harlot let me see blood,
Charlotte the Harlot let me see love.

Taking so many men to your room, don't you feel no remorse?

You charge them a "fiver", It's only for starters.
And ten for the main course.
And you've got no feelings, they died long ago.
Don't you care who you let in?
And don't you know you're breaking the law with the service you're
giving.

[Chorus]

There was a time when you left me standing there,

Picking up pieces of love off the floor.
Well Charlotte you left me alone in there,
To make your ends as a bloody whore.
Well Charlotte you told me you love me true,
Picking up pieces of love yesterday.
Well Charlotte you're draws are off color too
'Cause you're making love all day.

Giving a swish with your arse in the air, don't you know what they're
saying?
Charlotte you're so refined when you take all the love that they're
giving.
Sticking with every man that you find, don't you know what they're
after?
Charlotte you've got your legs in the air, don't you hear all the
laughter?

[Chorus]

9. Iron Maiden

[Steve Harris]

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

[Chorus]
Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,
Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be fought, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Women In Uniform (1980 SINGLE)

1. Women In Uniform
2. Invasion
3. Phantom Of The Opera

1. Women In Uniform

Beehive hairdo, 45 on the hip

Patrolwoman Saunders, don't you give her no whip
Took me to the station for a breathtest
then back to the bedroom for some house-arrest
[CHORUS:]
Women in uniform, sometimes they look so cold
Women in uniform, but, Oh! They feel so warm
Coming back to London on a 747
Stewardess made me feel like I'm in heaven
Looking up the aisle to see what I could see
She leaned over said; Give it to me
White apron, brown leather shoes
The nurse at the clinic left my heart all bruised
Gave me a massage, sprained my right
Now she takes my temperature every night

[REPEAT CHORUS]

Women in uniform, Women in uniform

Women in uniform, Women in uniform
Commando raid on the Lebanese border
Sergeant Anita, she gives the order
Khaki jacket and a love gun
Baby, I surrender, let's have some fun

[REPEAT CHORUS]
[SOLO]
[REPEAT CHORUS]

Women in uniform, Women in uniform

Women in uniform, Women in uniform
Women in uniform, Khaki, white and blue
Women in uniform, coming after you
Women, women, Women in uniform
Women, women, Women in uniform

[REPEAT CHORUS (fading away)]

2. Invasion

[Harris]

The Vikings are coming

You'd better get ready for we're having a fight
The longboats are coming
It's looking like their ? in the dead of the night
Muster the men from all the villages
You'd better get ready to fight with your enemies

Beacons are burning

I'm giving the word to get ready to fight
The battle is nearing
You'd better get ready to fight for your lives

The Norsemen are coming

The Norsemen are coming
The warnings are given
The Norsemen are coming

Raping and pillaging

Robbing and looting the land

Viking raiders from afar

***

3. Phantom Of The Opera

[Steve Harris]

I've been looking so long for you now you won't get away from my
grasp.
You've been living so long in hiding in hiding behind that false mask.
And you know and I know that you ain't got long now to last.
Your looks and your feelings are just the remains of your past.

You're standing in the wings, there you wait for the curtain to fall.
Knowing the terror and holding you have on us all.
Yeah, I know that you're gonna scratch me, maim me and maul.
You know I'm helpless from your mesmerising cat call.

Keep your distance, walk away, don't take his bait.

Don't you stray, don't fade away.
Watch your step, he's out to get you, come what may.
Don't you stray, from the narrow way.

I'm running and hiding in my dreams you're always there.

You're the Phantom of the Opera, you're the devil, you're just out to
scare.
You damaged my mind and my soul it just floats through the air.
Haunt me, you taunt me, you torture me back at your lair.

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Killers (1981)

1. The Ides Of March

2. Wrathchild
3. Murders In The Rue Morgue
4. Another Life
5. Innocent Exile
6. Genghis Khan
7. Killers
8. Twilight Zone
9. Prodigal Son
10. Purgatory
11. Drifter

1. The Ides Of March

[Instrumental]

2. Wrathchild

[Steve Harris]

I was born into a scene of angriness and greed, and dominance and
persecution.
My mother was a queen, my dad I've never seen, I was never meant
to be.
And now I spend my time looking all around,
For a man that's nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

[Chorus]
'Cos I'm a wrathchild, well I'm a wrathchild.
Yeah I'm a wrathchild. I'm coming to get you, oooh yeah.

Say it doesn't matter ain't nothin' gonna alter the course of my

destination.
I know I've got to find some serious piece of mind, or I know I'll go
crazy.
But now I spend my time looking all around,
For a man thats nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

[Chorus]

3. Murders In The Rue Morgue

[Steve Harris]

I remember it as plain as day

Although it happened in the dark of the night.
I was strolling through the streets of Paris
And it was cold it was starting to rain.
And then I heard a piercing scream
And I rushed to the scene of the crime
But all I found was the butchered remains
Of two girls lay side by side.

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Someone call the Gendarmes
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Run before the killers go free

There's some people coming down the street

At last there's someone heard my call
I can't understand why they're pointing at me
I never done nothing at all.
But I must have got some blood on my hands
Because everyone's shouting at me
I can't speak French so I couldn't explain
And like a fool I started running away.

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Someone call the Gendarmes
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Am I ever gonna be free.

And now I've gotta get away from the arms of the law.
All France is looking for me.
I've gotta find my way across the border for sure
Down the south to Italy.

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Someone call the Gendarmes
Murders in the Rue Morgue
I'm never going home.

Well I made it to the border at last

But I can't erase the scene from my mind
Anytime somebody stares at me, well
I just start running blind
Well I'm moving through the shadows at night
Away from the staring eyes
Any day they'll be looking for me
'Cause I know I show the signs of...

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Running from the Gendarmes
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Running from the arms of the law

Murders in the Rue Morgue

Running from the Gendarmes
Murders in the Rue Morgue
Am I ever gonna be free

It took so long and I'm getting so tired

I'm running out of places to hide
Should I return to the scene of the crime
Where the two young victims died
If I could go to somebody for help
It'd get me out of trouble for sure
But I know that it's on my mind
That my doctor said I've done it before.

Murders in the Rue Morgue

They're never gonna find me
Murders in the Rue Morgue
I'm never going home.

4. Another Life

[Steve Harris]
As I lay here lying on my bed, sweet voices come into my head.
Oh what it is, I wanna know, please won't you tell me it's got to go.
There's a feeling that's inside me, telling me to get away.
But I'm so tired of living, I might as well end today.

[Repeat twice]

5. Innocent Exile

[Steve Harris]

My life is so empty, nothing to live for.

My mind is all confusion, 'cos I defied the law.
When you weren't there to help me, I lost my mind and ran.
I never had no trouble before this all began.

My life is so empty, nothing to live for.

My mind is all confusion, 'cos I defied the law.
When you weren't there to help me, I lost my mind and ran.
I never had no trouble before this all began.

I'm running away, no where to go.

I'm lost and tired and I just don't know. Yeah...
They say I killed a woman, they know it isn't true.
They're just trying to frame me, and all because of you. Yeah...

6. Genghis Khan

7. Killers

[Paul Di'Anno, Steve Harris]

You walk through the subway, his eyes burn a hole in your back,
A footstep behind you, he lunges prepared for attack.
Scream for mercy, he laughs as he's watching you bleed,
Killer behind you, his blood lust defies all his needs.

My innocent victims are slaughtered with wrath and despise,

The mocking religion of hatred that burns in the night.
I have no one, I'm bound to destroy all this greed,
A voice inside me compelling to satisfy me.

I can see what a life's meant to be,

And you'll never know how I came to forsee, see, see.

My faith in believing is stronger than lifelines and ties,

With the glimmer of metal my moment is ready to strike.

Death call arises, a scream breaks the still of the night,

Another tomorrow, remember to walk in the light!
I have found you, and now there is no place to run,
Excitement shakes me, oh God help me what have I done?!
Oooh yeah, I've done it!
YEEEEAAAAAAAAHHHH!

You walk through the subway, my eyes burn a hole in your back,
A footstep behind you, he lunges prepared for attack.
Scream for mercy, he laughs as he's watching you bleed,
Killer behind you, my blood lust defies all my needs.
Oooh look out, I'm coming for you!
Ahahahaha!

8. Twilight Zone

[Steve Harris, Dave Murray]

She lays in bed at night and that is when I make my call.

But when she stares at me, she can't see nothing at all,
Because, you see, I can't take no shape or form.
It's been three long years since I've been gone.

I can't get used to purgatory, you know it really makes me cry.

I'll never know the reason why I had to go.
Oh, oh, I'm crying,
Oh, oh, oh, deep inside of me.
Oh, oh, oh, can't you see me?
Ah can't you see me?

I'm looking forward to her spirit coming over to me.

I feel tempted to bring her over to see just what it's
Like to be hanging on the other side.
I feel so lonely, it's a long time since I died.
I try to show her that she's never gonna be alone,
Because my spirit is imprisoned in the twilight zone.
Oh, oh, I'm crying,
Oh, oh, oh, deep inside of me.
Oh, oh, oh, can't you see me?
Ah can't you see me?

9. Prodigal Son

[Steve Harris]

Listen to me Lamia, listen to what I've got to say.

I've got these feelings, and they won't go away.
I've got these fears inside that'll bring me to my knees.
Oh help me Lamia or I'm sure I'll die, oh please.

I feel unsettled, now I know that I've done wrong.

I've messed around with mystic things and magic for too long.
I feel I'm being paid with this nightmare inside me,
The devil's got a hold on my soul and he just won't let me be.

I'm on my knees, oh help me please.

I'm on my knees, help me please.

Oh Lamia please try to help me.

The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be.
Lamia I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad.
The devil's got a hold of my soul, and it's driving me mad. Oh

Oh Lamia please try to help me.

The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be.
Lamia I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad.
The devil's got a hold of my soul, and it's driving me mad. Oh

10. Purgatory

[Steve Harris]

Thinking of an age old dream, places I have never seen,

Fantasies lived times before.
I split my brain, melt through the floor.
Over clouds my mind will fly, forever now I can't think why.
My body tries to leave my soul.
Or is it me, I just don't know.
Mem'ries rising from the past, the future's shaddow overcast.
Something's clutching at my head, through the darkness I'll be led.

Oh another time, another place.

Oh another smile on another face.
When you see me floating up beside you,
You get the feeling that all my love's inside of you.

Please take me away, take me away, so far away.

Please take me away, take me away, so far away.
Please take me away, take me away, so far away.

Thinking of an age old dream, places I have never seen,

Fantasies lived times before.
I split my brain, melt through the floor.

Over clouds my mind will fly, forever now I can't think why.
My body tries to leave my soul.
Or is it me, I just don't know.
Mem'ries rising from the past, the future's shaddow overcast.
Something's clutching at my head, through the darkness I'll be led.

Oh another time, another place.

Oh another smile on another face.
When you see me walking up beside you,
You get the feeling that all my love's inside of you.

Please take me away, take me away, so far away.

Please take me away, take me away, so far away.
Please take me away, take me away, so far away.

11. Drifter

[Steve Harris]

Walk away!

Look out now, baby won't you take me away,

Sittin' here its gonna be a new day.
Gotta sing my song and I can't go wrong,
Gotta keep on roaming, gotta sing my song.

What you feeling when you hold me tight?

I'm gonna cuddle up with you tonight, gonna get you feeling so
secure.
Listen child don't you see there's a cure?
Anywhere got to get you away, feels so good think it's gonna be a new
day.
I'm gonna get my song till I can't go on,
I'm gonna keep on roaming gonna sing my song.

I want you to sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it along.
I want you to sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it along.

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

The Number Of The Beast (1982)

1. Invaders
2. Children Of The Damned
3. The Prisoner
4. 22 Acacia Avenue
5. The Number Of The Beast
6. Run To The Hills
7. Gangland
8. Total Eclipse
9. Hallowed Be Thy Name

1. Invaders

[Harris]

Longboats have been sighted the evidence of war has begun

Many Nordic fighting men their swords and shields all gleam in the sun
Call to arms defend yourselves get ready to stand and fight for your
lives
Judgement day has come around so be prepared don't run stand your
ground

They're coming in from the sea

they've come the enemy
beneath the blazing sun
the battle has to be won
Invaders ... Pillaging
Invaders ... Looting

Set ablaze the campfires alert the other men from inland
Warning must be given there's not enough men here for a stand
The Vikings are too many too powerful to take on our own
We must have reinforcements we cannot fight this battle alone

They're coming over the hill

they've come to attack
they're coming in for the kill
there's no turning back
Invaders ... Fighting
Invaders ... Marauding

Axes grind and maces clash as wounded fighters fall to the ground
Severed limbs and fatal woundings bloody corpses lay all around
The smell of death and burning flesh the battle weary light to the end
The Saxons have been overpowered victims of the mighty Norsemen

You'd better scatter and run

the battle's lost and not won
you'd better get away
to fight another day
Invaders ... Raping
Invaders ... Plundering

2. Children Of The Damned

[Steve Harris]

He's walking like a small child

But watch his eyes burn you away
Black holes in his golden stare
God knows he wants to go home
Children of The Damned [x3]

He's walking like a small child

But watch his eyes burn you away
Black holes in his golden stare
God knows he wants to go home
Children of The Damned
He's walking like a dead man
If he had lived he would crucified us all
Now he's standing on his last step
He thought oblivion well it beckons us all
Children of The Damned [x3]

Now it's burning his hands he's turning to laugh

Smiles as the flame sears the flesh
Melting his face screaming in pain
Peeling the skin from his eyes
Watch him die according to plan
He's dust on ground what did we learn

You're Children of The Damned

Your back's against the wall
You turn into the light
You're burning in the night
You're Children of The Damned
Like candles watch them burn
Burning in the light
You'll burn again tonight
You're Children of The Damned

3. The Prisoner

[Steve Harris and Adrian Smith]

I'm on the run, I kill to eat

I'm starving now, feeling dead on my feet
Going all the way, I'm natures beast
Do what I want and do as I please

Run - Fight - To breathe - It's tough

Now you see me now you don't
Break the walls I'm coming out

Not a prisoner I'm a free man

And my blood is my own now
Don't care where the past was
I know where I'm going ...out!

If you kill me it's self defense

And if I kill ya' then I call it vengeance
Spit in your eye I will defy
You'll be afraid when I call out your name

Run - Fight - To breathe - It's gonna be tough

Now you see me now you don't
Break the walls I'm coming out

Not a prisoner I'm a free man

And my blood is my own now
Don't care where the past was
I know where I'm going

I'm not a number I'm a free man

Live my life where I want to
You'd better scratch me from your black book
Coz' I'll run rings around you

4. 22 Acacia Avenue

[Steve Harris and Adrian Smith]

[the continuing saga of Charlotte the Harlot]

If you're feeling down depressed and lonely

I know a place where we can go
22 Acacia Avenue meet a lady that I know
So if you're looking for a good time
And you're prepared to pay the price
Fifteen quid is all she asks for
Everybody's got their vice

If you're waiting for a long time for the rest to do their piece
You can tell her that you know me and you might even get it free
So any time you're down the East End don't you hesitate to go
You can take my honest word for it she'll teach you more than you can
know

Charlotte can't you get out from all of this madness

Can't you see it only brings you sadness
When you entertain your men don't you know the risk of getting
disease

Some day when you're reaching the age of forty

I bet you'll regret the days when you were laying
Nobody then will want to know
You won't have any beautiful wares to show any more

22 the avenue that's the place where we all go

You will find it's warm inside the red light's burning bright tonight

Charlotte isn't it time you stopped this mad life

Don't you ever think about the bad times
Why do you have to live this way
Do you enjoy your lay or is it the pay

Sometimes when you're strolling down the avenue

The way you walk it makes men think of having you
When you're walking down the street
Everybody stops and turns to stare at you

22 the avenue that's the place where we all go

You will find it's warm inside the red light's burning bright tonight

Beat her mistreat her do anything that you please

Bite her excite her make her get down on her knees
Abuse her misuse her she can take all that you've got
Caress her molest her she always does what you want

You're running away don't you know what you're doing

Can't you see it'll lead you to ruin
Charlotte you've taken your life and you've thrown it away
You believe that because what you're earning
Your life's good don't you know that you're hurting
All the people that love you don't cast them aside
All the men that are constantly drooling
It's no life for you stop all that screwing
You're packing your bags and you're coming with me

5. The Number Of The Beast

[Steve Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the
beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the
beast for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and
sixty six."

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw

that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they

reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

'Cos in my dream it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

'Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
Was this all for real or some kind of hell
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

As they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
The ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or just some crazy dream
But I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
They seem to mesmerise me ... can't avoid their eyes
666 the number of the beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take it's course

6. Run To The Hills

[Steve Harris]
White man came across the sea
He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes killed our creed
He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom the stab in the back
Women and children are cowards attack

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Soldier blue in the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills, run for your lives

[repeat to end]

7. Gangland

[Adrian Smith and Clive Burr]

Shadows may hide you but also may be your grave

You're running today maybe tomorrow you'll be saved
You pray for daylight to save you for a while
You wonder if your children will face the killer's smile

Dead men - tell no tales

In Gangland - murders up for sale
Dead men - tell no tales
In Gangland - where jail birds die

Face at the window leers into your own

But it's only your reflection still you tremble in your bones
How long can you hide? How long 'till they come?
A rat in a trap but you've got to survive

Once you were glad to be free for a while

The air tasted good and the world was your friend
Then came the day when the hard times began
Now you're alone but alive for how long?

Dead men - tell no tales

In Gangland - murders up for sale
Dead men - tell no tales
In Gangland - where jail birds die

A knife at your throat another body on the pile

A contract to keep and it's service with a smile
Murder for vengeance or murder for gain
Death on the streets or a blacked out jail

Dead men - tell no tales

In Gangland - murders up for sale
Dead men - tell no tales
In Gangland - where jail birds die

In Gangland you tell no tales

8. Total Eclipse

[Steve Harris, Dave Murray and Clive Burr]

Cold as steel the darkness waits its hour will come.

A cry of fear from our children worshipping the sun.
Mother natures' black revenge on those who wasted her life.
War babies in the garden of Eden,
Shall turn our ashes to ice.

Sunrise has gone, freezing up the fires.

Sunrise has gone, numbing our desires.

Around the world the people stop,

With terror stricken eyes.
A shadow cast upon them all,
To crush them like a fly.
In the icy rain and whiplashed seas,
There's nowhere left to run.
The hammer blows of winter fall like a hurricane.

Sunrise has gone, freezing up the fires.

Sunrise has gone, numbing our desires.

Around the world the nations wait,

For some wise word from their leading light.
You know it's not only madmen who listen to fools.
Is this the end, the millions cried,
Clutching their riches as they died.
Those who survive must weather the storm.

Gone are the days when man looked down.

They've taken away his sacred crown.
To be set free, it took so long.
It's not journey's end, it's just begun.

9. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Harris]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cuase at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites

I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be there's been some sort of an error

Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream

Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming

It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying?
After all am I not afraid of dying
Don't believe that there never is an end

As the guards march me out to the courtyard

Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God then why has he let me die?

As I walk all my life drifts before me

And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on

Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to see the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand

Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Hallowed be Thy name
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hallowed be Thy name

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the
beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the
beast for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and
sixty six."

Revelations Ch. XIII v.18

BRUCE DICKINSON - vocals

DAVE MURRAY - lead guitar
ADRIAN SMITH - lead guitar
STEVE HARRIS - bass guitar
CLIVE BURR – drums

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Piece Of Mind (1983)

1. Where Eagles Dare

2. Revelations
3. Flight Of Icarus
4. Die With Your Boots On
5. The Trooper
6. Still Life
7. Quest For Fire
8. Sun And Steel
9. To Tame A Land

1. Where Eagles Dare

[Harris]

It's snowing outside the rumbling sound

of engines roar in the night,
The mission is near the confident men
are waiting to drop from the sky.

The Blizzard goes on but still they must fly

No one should go where eagles dare.

Bavarian alps that lay all around

they seem to stare from below,
The enemy lines a long time passed
are lying deep in the snow.

Into the night they fall through the sky

No one should fly where eagles dare.

They're closing in the fortress is near

it's standing high in the sky,
The cable car's the only way in
it's really impossible to climb.

They make their way but maybe too late

They've got to try to save the day.

The panicking cries the roaring of guns

are echoing all round the valley,
The mission complete they make to escape
away from the Eagles Nest.

They dared to go where no one would try

they chose to fly where eagles dare.

2. Revelations
[Dickinson]

"O God of Earth and Altar,

Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride."
(G.K. Chesterton: English Hymnal)

Just a babe in the black abyss,

No reason for a place like this,
The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain,
An easy way for the blind to go,
A clever path for the fools who know
The secret of the Hanged Man - the smile of his lips.

The light of the Blind - you'll see,

The venom that tears my spine,
The Eyes of the Nile are opening - you'll see.

She came to me with a serpent's kiss,

As the Eye of the Sun rose on her lips,
Moonlight catches silver tears I cry,
So we lay in a black embrace,
And the Seed is sown in a holy place
And I watched, and I waited for the Dawn.

The light of the Blind - you'll see,

The venom that tears my spine,
The Eyes of the Nile are opening - you'll see.

Bind all of us together,

Ablaze with Hope and Free,
No storm or heavy weather
Will rock the boat you'll see.
The time has come to close your eyes
And still the wind and rain,
For the one who will be King
Is the Watcher in the Ring.
It is You.
3. Flight Of Icarus

[Smith/Dickinson]

As 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 way, like an eagle,
Fly and touch the sun.

Now the crowd breaks and young boy appears

Looks the old man in the eye
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 turn to ashes to ashes his grave

Fly, on your way, like an eagle,

Fly as high as the sun,
On your way, like an eagle,
Fly as high as the sun.

4. Die With Your Boots On

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Another Prophet of Disaster

Who says the ship is lost,
Another Prophet of Disaster
Leaving you to count the cost.
Taunting us with Visions,
Afflicting us with fear,
Predicting War for millions,
In the hope that one appears.

No point asking when it is,

No point asking who's to go,
No point asking what's the game,
No point asking who's to blame,
'Cos if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die,
'Cos if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die,

If you're gonna die, die with your boots on,

If you're gonna try, just stick around,
Gonna cry, just move along,
If you're gonna die, if you're gonna die.

In 13 the Beast is Rising,

The Frenchman did surmise,
Through earthquakes and starvation,
The Warlord will arise,
Terror, Death, Destruction,
Pour from the Eastern sands,
But the truth of all predictions,
Is always in your hands.

If you're gonna die, die with your boots on,

If you're gonna try, just stick around,
Gonna cry, just move along,
If you're gonna die, if you're gonna die.

5. The Trooper

[Harris]

You'll take my life but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The Bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.
The horse he sweats with fear we break to run
The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall.

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky

My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan.

6. Still Life

[Murray/Harris]

Take a look in the pool and what do you see

In the dark depths there faces beckoning me
Can't you see them it's plain for all to see
They were there oh I know you don't believe me.

Oh.....I've never felt so strange

But.....I'm not going insane.

I've no doubt that you think I'm off my head

You don't say but it's in your eyes instead
Hours I spend out just gazing into that pool
Something draws me there I don't know what to do.

Oh.....they drain my strength away

Oh.....they're asking me to stay.

Nightmares.....spirits calling me
Nightmares.....they won't leave me be.
All my life's blood is slowly draining away
And I feel that I'm weaker every day
Somehow I know I haven't long to go
Joining them at the bottom of the pool.

Now.....I feel they are so near

I.....begin to see them clear

Nightmares.....coming all the time

Nightmares.....Will give me peace of mind.

Now it's clear and I know what I have to do

I must take you down there to look at them too
Hand in hand then we'll jump right into the pool
Can't you see not just me they want you too.

Oh.....we'll drown together

It.....will be forever.

Nightmares.....forever calling me
Nightmares.....Now we rest in peace.

7. Quest For Fire

[Harris]

In a time when dinosaurs walked the earth

When the land was swamp and caves were home
In an age when prize possession was fire
To search for landscapes men would roam.

Then the tribes they came to steal their fire

And the wolves they howled into the night
As they fought a vicious angry battle
to save the power of warmth and light.

Drawn by Quest for fire

They searched all through the land
Drawn by Quest for fire
Discovery of man.

And they thought that when the embers died away

That the flame of life had burnt and died
Didn't know the sparks that made the fire
Were made by rubbing stick and stone.

So they ploughed through forest and swamps of danger

And they fought the cannibal tribes and beasts
In the search to find another fire
To regain the power of life and heat.

Drawn by Quest for fire

They searched across the land
Drawn by Quest for fire
Discovery of man.

8. Sun And Steel

[Dickinson/Smith]

You killed your first man at 13,

Killer instinct, Animal supreme,
By 16 you had learned to fight
The way of the warrior, you took it as your right.

Sunlight, falling on your steel,

Death in life is your ideal,
Life is like a wheel, rolling on and on.

Through earth and water, fire and wind,

You came at last - nothing was the end,
Make a cut by fire and stones,
Take you and your blade and break you both
in two - break you both in two.

Sunlight, falling on your steel,

Death in life is your ideal,
Life is like a wheel - and it's rolling still.

9. To Tame A Land

[Harris]

He is the King of all the land

In the Kingdom of the sands
Of a time tomorrow.

He rules the sandworms and the Fremen

In the land amongst the stars
Of an age tomorrow.

He is destined to be a King
He rules over everything
On the land called planet Dune.

Bodywater is your life

Anfd without in you would die
On the desert the planet Dune.

Without a stillsuit you would fry

On the sands so hot and dry
In a world called Arrakis.

It is a land that's rich in spice

The sandriders and the `mice'
That they call the `Muad' Dib'.

He is the Kwizatz Haderach.

He is born of Caladan
And will take the Gom Jabbar.

He has the power to forsee

Or to look into the past
He is the ruler of the stars.

The time will come for him

to lay claim his crown,
And then the foe yes
they'll be cut down,
You'll see he'll be the
best that there's been,
Messiah supreme
true leader of men,
And when the time
for judgement's at hand,
Don't fret he's strong
and he'll make a stand,
Against evil the fire
that spreads through the land,
He has the power
to make it all end.

Bruce Dickinson - vocals

Dave Murray - lead guitars
Adrian Smith - lead guitars
Steve Harris - bass guitar
Nicko McBrain - drums

"And God shall wipe away all tears from

their eyes; and there shall be no more
Death. Neither sorrow, nor crying.
Neither shall there be anymore Brain;
for the former things are passed away."

Revelations Ch. XXI V4

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Powerslave (1984)

1. Aces High
2. 2 Minutes To Midnight
3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)
4. Flash Of The Blade
5. The Duellists
6. Back In The Village
7. Powerslave
8. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

1. Aces High

[Harris]

There goes the siren that warns off the air raid
Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne
Got to get up for the coming attack.

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines

Remove all the wheel blocks
there's no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Gotta get airborne before it's too late

Running, scrambling, flying

Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high

Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers

Let off a sharp burst and then turn away
Roll over, spin round and come in behind them
Move to their blindsides and firing again

Bandits at 8 o'clock move in behind us

Ten ME-109's out of the sun
Ascending and turning out spitfires to face them
Heading straight for them I press my guns.

Rolling, turning, diving

Rolling, turning, diving, goin' again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high.

2. 2 Minutes To Midnight

[Smith/Dickinson]

Kill for gain or shoot to maim

But we don't need a reason
To Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout "Let the creatures out

We'll show the unbeliverers."
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast ... yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two

And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on
you
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

3. Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)

[Harris]

[instrumental]

4. Flash Of The Blade

[Dickinson]

As a young boy chasing Dragons

with your wooden sword so mighty,
You're St. George or you're David and you always
killed the beast
Times change very quickly
And you had to grow up early
A house in smoking ruins and the bodies at your feet

[Chorus:]
You'll die as you lived
In a flash of the blade
In a corner forgotten by no-one
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his Honour.

The smell of resined leather

The steely iron mask
As you cut and thrust and parried at the
fencing master's call
He taught you all he ever knew
To fear no mortal man
And now you'll wreak your vengeance in the
Screams of evil man.

[Chorus:]
[Repeat chorus]

5. The Duellists

[Harris]

He threw down a glove you made the mistake

Of picking it up now you're gone
The choosing of guns or figthing with swords
The choise of weapons is gone
He'll tear you apart as soon as you start
You know you don't have a chance

[Chorus:]
OH...OH... Fight for the Honour
Fight for the Splendour
Fight for the Pleasure
OH...OH... Fight for the Honour
Fight for the Splendour
Fight for your Life!

Ready to start the duel begins

the best man wins in the end
A lunge and a feint, a parry too late
A cut to the chest and you're down
Seeing the stain then feeling the pain
Feeling the sweat on your brow

[Chorus:]
The fighting resumes, a silence looms the
Swordsman move 'gainst each other
A cut and a thrust, a parry, a blow
a stab to the heart and you're down
The Angel of Death hears your last breath
Meanwhile the reaper looks on

OH...OH... Fought for the Honour

Fought for the Splendour
Fought for the Pleasure
OH...OH... Fought for the Honour
Fought for the Splendour
Fought to the Death

6. Back In The Village

[Smith/Dickinson]

Turn the spotlights on the people

Sitch the dial and eat the worm
Take your chances, kill the engine
Drop your bombs and let it burn
White flags shot to ribbons,
The truce in black and burned.
Shellshock in the kitchen.
Tables overturned

[Chorus:]
Back in the village again
In the village,
I'm back in the village again.

Throwing dice now, rolling loaded

I see sixes all the way,
In a black hole and I'm spinning
As my wings get shot away.

Questions are a burden

And answers are a prison for oneself
Shellshock in the kitchen
Tables start to burn.

[Chorus:]
Back in the village again
In the village,
I'm back in the village again.

No breaks on the inside,

Paper cats and burning barns,
There's fox among the chickens,
And a killer in the hounds.

Questions are a burden

And answers are a prison for oneself
Shellshock in the kitchen
Tables start to burn.

[Chorus:]
Back in the village again
In the village,
I'm back in the village again.

But still we walk into the valley

And others try to kill the inner flame
We're burning brighter and before
I don't have a number, I'M A NAME!

Back in the village again

In the village
I'm back in the village again
Back in the village again
In the village

I'm back in the village

Back in the village
Back in the village again.

7. Powerslave

[Dickinson]

Into the Abyss I'll fall - the eye of Horus

Into the eyes of the night - watching me go
Green is the cat's eye that glows -
In this Temple
Enter the risen Osiris - risen again.

[Chorus:]
Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die, I'm a God,
Why can't I live on?
When the Life Giver dies,
All around is laid waste,
And in my last hour,
I'm a Slave to the Power of Death.

When I was living this lie - Fear was my Game

People would worship and fall -
Drop to their knees.
So bring me the blood and
Red wine for the one to succeed me,
For he is a man and a God -
And He will die too.

[Chorus:]

Now I am cold but a ghost lives in my veins,

Silent the terror that reigned -
Marbled in stone
A Shell of a man God preserved -
From thousand ages,
But open the gates of my hell -
I'll strike from the grave

[Chorus:]
Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die, I'm a God,
Why can't I live on?
When the Life Giver dies,
All around is laid waste,
And in my last hour,
I'm a Slave to the Power of Death.
Slave to the Power of Death...
Slave to the Power of Death...

8. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

[Harris]

Hear the rime of the Ancient Mariner

See his eye as he stops one of three
Mesmerises one of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen to the nightmares
of the Sea

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by

Caught by his spell and
the Mariner tells his tale.

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice

To a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross
Hailed in God's name,
hoping good luck it brings.

And the ship sails on, back to the North

Through the fog and ice and
the albatross follows on

The mariner kills the bird of good omen

His shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears, they justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime.

Sailing on and on and North across the sea

Sailing on and on and North 'till all is calm

The albatross begins with its vengeance

A terrible curse a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung.

And the curse goes on and on at sea

And the curse goes on and on for them and me.

"Day after day, day after day,

we stuck nor breath nor motion
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere and
all the boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."

[SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1798-1834)]

There, calls the mariner

there comes a ship over the line
But how can she sail with no wind
in her sails and no tide.

See... onward she comes

Onwards she nears, out of the sun
See... she has no crew
She has no life, wait but there's two

Death and she Life in Death,

they throw their dice for the crew
She wins the Mariner and he belongs to her now.
Then ... crew one by one
They drop down dead, two hundred men
She... She, Life in Death.
She lets him live, her chosen one.

[NARRATIVE]
"One after one by the star dogged moon,
too quick for groan or sigh
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang
and cursed me with his eye
Four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan),
With heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
they dropped down one by one."

[SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1798-1834)]

The curse it lives on in their eyes

The Mariner he wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures
But they lived on, so did he.

And by the light of moon

He prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them
God's creatures all of them too.

Then the spell starts to break

The albatross falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the Sea
Then down in falls comes the rain.

Hear the groans od the long dead seamen

See them stir and they start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits
None of them speak
and they're lifeless in their eyes

And revenge is still sought, penance starts again

Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on.

Now the curse is finally lifted

And the Mariner sights his home
Spirits go from the long dead bodies
Form their own light and
the Mariner's left alone

And then a boat came sailing towards him

It was a joy he could not believe
The Pilot's boat, his son and the hermit
Penance of life will fall onto Him.
And the ship it sinks like lead into the sea
And the hermit shrieves the mariner of his sins

The Mariner's bound to tell of his story

To tell his tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example
That we must love all things that God made.

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man

And the tale goes on and on and on.

Adrian Smith - Lead and Rhythm Guitars

Bruce Dickinson - Vocals
Dave Murray - Lead and Rhythm Guitars
Nicko McBrain - Drums
Steve Harris – Bass

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Live After Death (1985)

1. Intro: Churchill's Speech

2. Aces High
3. 2 Minutes To Midnight
4. The Trooper
5. Revelations
6. Flight Of Icarus
7. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
8. Powerslave
9. The Number Of The Beast
10. Hallowed Be Thy Name
11. Iron Maiden
12. Run To The Hills
13. Running Free

1. Intro: Churchill's Speech

[From Winston Churchill's Speech "We shall fight them on the

beaches"]

"We shall go on to the end, we shall fight in France, we shall fight on

the seas and oceans, we shall fight with growing confidence and
growing strength in the air, we shall defend our Island, whatever the
cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the
landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall
fight in the hills; we shall never surrender..."

2. Aces High

[Harris]

There goes the siren that warns off the air raid
Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble we've got to get airborn
Got to get up for the coming attack.

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines

Remove all the wheelblocks
theres no time to waste
Gathering speep as we head down the runway
Gotta get airborne before it's too late.

Running, scrambling, flying

Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high.

Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers

Let of a sharp burst and then turn away
Roll over, spin round and come in behind them
Move to their blindsides and firing again.

Bandits at 8 O'clock move in behind us

Ten ME-109's out of the sun
Ascending and turning our spitfires to face them
Heading straight for them I press down my guns.

Rolling, turning, diving

Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high.

3. 2 Minutes To Midnight

[Smith, Dickinson]
Kill for gain or shoot to maim
But we don't need a reason
The Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of Season.
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

[Chorus:]
The killer's breed or the Deamon's seed,
The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain,
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.
2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that threaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout let the creatures out

We'll show the unbelievers,
The Napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast...YEAH!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat
and lick the gravy,
We oil the jaws of the war machine
and feed it with our babies.

[Chorus:]

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two,

And the jellied brains of those whow remain
to put the finger right on you.
As the Madmen play on words and make us all
dance to their song,
To the tune of starving millions
to make a better kind of gun.

[Chorus:]
Midnight...all night...
[repeat]

4. The Trooper
[Harris]

You'll take my life but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The Bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run

The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall.

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky

My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan.

5. Revelations

[Dickinson]

"O God of Earth and Altar,

Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride."
[G.K Chesterton: English Hymnal]

Just a babe in a black abyss,

No reason for a place like this,
The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain,
An easy way for the blind to go,
A clever path for the fools who know
The Secret of the Hanged Man - the smile on his lips.

The light of the Blind - you'll see,

The venom that tears my spine,
The Eyes of the Nile are opening - you'll see.

She came to me with a serpent's kiss,

As the Eye of the Sun rose on her lips,
Moonlight catches silver tears I cry,
So we lay in a black embrace,
And the Seed is sown in a holy place
And I watched, and I waited for the Dawn.

The light of the Blind - you'll see,

The venom that tears my spine,
The Eyes of the Nile are opening - you'll see.

Blind all of us together,

Ablaze with Hope and Free,
No storm or heavy weather
Will rock the boat you'll see.
The time has come to close your eyes
And still the wind and rain,
For the one who will be King
Is the Watcher in the Ring.
It is You.

6. Flight Of Icarus

[Smith Dickinson]

As 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 way, like an eagle,
Fly and touch the sun.

Now the crowd breaks and a young boy appears

Looks the old man in the eye
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 turn to ashes to ashes his grave.

Fly, on your way, like an eagle,

Fly as high as the sun,
On your way, like an eagle,
Fly as high as the sun.

7. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

[Harris]

Hear the rime of the Ancient Mariner

See his eye as he stops one of three
Mesmerises one of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen the nightmares
of the Sea.

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by

Caught by his spell and
the Mariner tells his tale.

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice

To a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross
Hailed in God's name,
hoping good luck it brings.

And the ship sails on, back to the North

Through the fog and ice and
the albatross follows on

The mariner kills the bird of good omen

His shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears, they justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime.

Sailing on and on and North across the sea

Sailing on and on and North 'til all is calm

The albatross begins with its vengeance

A terrible curse a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung.

And the curse goes on and on at sea

And the curse goes on and on for them and me.

"Day after day, day after day,

we stuck nor breath nor motion
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere and
all the boards did shrink
Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."
[SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE(1798-1834)]

There, calls the Mariner,

there comes a ship over the line
But how can she sail with no wind
in her sails and no tide.

See...onward she comes

Onward she nears, out of the sun
See...she has no crew
She has no life, wait but there's two.

Death and she Life in Death.

they throw their dice for the crew
She wins the Mariner and he belong to her now.
Then...crew one by one
They drop down dead, two hundred men
She...She Life in Death.
She lets him live, her chosen one.

[Narrative]
"One after one by the star dogged moon,
too quick for groan or sigh
each turned his face with a ghastly pang,
and cursed me with his eye
four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan),
with heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
they dropped down one by one."
[SAMUEL TAYLOR COLERIDGE (1798-1834)]

The curse it lives on in their eyes

The Mariner he wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures
But they lived on, so did he.

And by the light of the moon

He prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them
God's creatures all of them too.

Then the spell starts to break

The albatross falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the Sea
Then down in falls comes the rain.

Hear the groans of the long dead seamen

See them stir and they start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits
None of them speak
and they're lifeless in their eyes.

And revenge is still sought, penance starts again

Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on.

Now the curse is finally lifted

And the Mariner sights his home
Spirits go from the long dead bodies
Form their light and
the Mariner's left alone.
And then a boat came sailing towards him
It was a joy he could not believe
The Pilot's boat, his son and the hermit.
Penance of life will fall onto Him.

And the ship it sinks like lead into the sea

And the hermit shrieves the mariner of his sins.

The Mariner's bound to tell of his story

To tell his tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example
That we must love all things that God made.

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man

And the tale goes on and on and on...and on

8. Powerslave

[Dickinson]

Into the Abyss I'll fall - the eye of Horus

Into the eyes of the night - watching me go
Green is the cat's eye that glows -
In this Temple
Enter the risen Osiris - risen again.

[Chorus:]
Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die, I'm a God,
Why can't I live on?
When the Life Giver dies,
All around is laid waste,
And in my last hour,
I'm a Slave to the Power of Death.

When I was living this lie - Fear was my Game

People would worship and fall -
Drop to their knees.
So bring me the blood and
Red wine for the one to succeed me,
For he is a man and a God -
And He will die too.
[Chorus:]

Now I am cold but a ghost lives in my veins,

Silent the terror that reigned -
Marbled in stone
A Shell of a man God preserved -
From thousand ages,
But open the gates of my hell -
I'll strike from the grave

[Chorus:]
Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die, I'm a God,
Why can't I live on?
When the Life Giver dies,
All around is laid waste,
And in my last hour,
I'm a Slave to the Power of Death.
Slave to the Power of Death...
Slave to the Power of Death...

9. The Number Of The Beast

[Harris]

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time think to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw

that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they

reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

Cos in my dreams it's always there

the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
was this all for real or just some kind of hell
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

as they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
the ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or just some crazy dream
but I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
they seem to mesmerise me...can't avoid their eyes
666 the number of the beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take it's course

10. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Harris]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cuase at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites

I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be there's been some sort of an error

Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream

Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming

It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying?
After all am I not afraid of dying
Don't believe that there never is an end

As the guards march me out to the courtyard

Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God then why has he let me die?

As I walk all my life drifts before me

And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on

Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to see the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand

Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Hallowed be Thy name
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hallowed be Thy name

11. Iron Maiden

[Harris]

Won't you come into my room,

I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood,
I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow
as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught,
Iron Maiden can't be sought.

[Chorus:]
Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,
Iron Maiden's gonna get you,
no matter how far.
See the blood flow
watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won't you come into my room,

I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood,
I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow
as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught,
Iron Maiden can't be sought.

12. Run To The Hills

[Harris]

White man came across the sea

Brought us pain and misery
Killed our tribes killed our creed
Took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came to much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom the stab in the back
Women and children and cowards attack

Run to the hills run for your lives

Run to the hills run for your lives

Soldier blue in the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old
Run to the hills run for your lives
[Repeat to end]
13. Running Free

[Harris, Di'anno]

Just sixteen, a pickup truck,

out of money, out of luck.
I've got nowhere to call my own,
hit the gas, and here I go.

[Chorus:]
I'm running free yeah, I'm running free.
I'm running free yeah, Oh I'm running free.

Spent the night in an L. A. jail,

and listened to the sirens wail.
They ain't got a thing on me,
I'm running wild, I'm running free.

[Chorus:]

Puller here at the Bottle Top,

whiskey, dancing, disco hop.
Now all the boys are after me,
and that's the way it's gonna be

[Chorus:]

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Somewhere In Time (1986)

1. Caught Somewhere In Time

2. Wasted Years
3. Sea Of Madness
4. Heaven Can Wait
5. The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner
6. Stranger In A Strange Land
7. Deja-Vu
8. Alexander The Great

1. Caught Somewhere In Time

[(Harris) 7:22]

If you had the time to lose

An open mind and time to choose
Would you care to take a look
Or can you read me like a book

Time is always on my side

Time is always on my side

Can I tempt you come with me

Be Devil may care fulfill your dream
If I said I'd take you there
Would you go would you be scared

Time is always on my side

Time is always on my side

Don't be afraid you're safe with me

Safe as any soul can be... honestly
Just let yourself go

[Chorus:]
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time... oh oh
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time... oh oh

Like a wolf in sheep's clothing

You try to hide your deepest sins
Of all the things that you've done wrong
And I know where you belong

Time is always on my side

Time is always on my side

Make you an offer you can't refuse

You've only got your soul to lose...
Eternally... let yourself go!

[Chorus:]
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time... oh oh
Caught somewhere in time
Caught somewhere in time
Caught now in two minds!

2. Wasted Years

[(Smith) 5:06]

From the coast of gold, across the seven seas

I'm travellin' on, far and wide
But now it seems, I'm just a stranger to myself
And all the things I sometimes do, it isn't me but
someone else

I close my eyes, and think of home

Another city goes by in the night
Ain't it funny how it is, you never miss it 'til it's
gone away
And my heart is lying there and will be 'til my
dying day

[Chorus:]
So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for
those wasted years
Face up... make your stand
And realise you're living in the golden years

Too much time on my hands, I got you on my mind

Can't ease this pain, so easily
When you can't find the words to say it's hard to
make it through another day
And it makes me wanna cry and throw my
hands up to the sky

[Chorus:]

3. Sea Of Madness
[(Smith) 5:42]

Out in the street somebody's crying

Out in the night the fires burn
Maybe tonight somebody's crying
Reached the point of no return
Oh - my eyes they see but I can't believe
Oh - my heart is heavy as I turn my back and leave

[Chorus:]
Like the eagle and the dove
Fly so high on wings above
When all you see can only bring you sadness
Like a river we will flow
On towards the sea we go
When all you do can only bring you sadness
Out on the sea of madness

Somewhere I hear a voice that's calling

Out in the dark there burns a dream
You got to hope when you are falling
To find the world that you have seen
Oh - my eyes they see but I can't believe
Oh - my heart is heavy as I turn my back and leave

[Chorus:]

It's madness
The sun don't shine
On the sea of madness
There ain't no wind to fill your sails
Madness when all you see can only bring you sadness
On towards the sea we go...

Out in the street somebody's crying

Out in the night the fires burn
Maybe tonight somebody's crying
Reached the point of no return
Oh - my eyes they see but I can't believe
Oh - my heart is heavy as I turn my back and leave

[Chorus:]
4. Heaven Can Wait

[(Harris) 7:24]

Can't understand what is happening to me

This isn't real this is only a dream
But I never have felt, no I never have felt this
way before
I'm looking down on my body below
I lie asleep in the midst of a dream
Is it now could it be the Angel of Death has come for me
I can't believe that really my time has come
I don't feel ready there's so much left undone
And it's my soul and I'm not gonna let it get away

[Chorus:]
Heaven can wait / Heaven can wait
Heaven can wait / Heaven can wait til another day

I have a lust for the Earth below

And Hell itself is my only foe
'Cause I've no fear of dying
I'll go when I'm good and ready
I snatch a glimpse of the lights eternal rays
I see a tunnel I stand amazed
At all of the people standing there in front of me
Into the paths of rightness I'll be led
Is this the place where the living join the dead
I wish I knew this was only just a nightmare

[Chorus:]

Take my hand I'll lead you to the promised land

Take my hand I'll give you immortality
Eternal youth I'll take you to the other side
To see the truth the path for you is decided

My body tingles I feel so strange

I feel so tired I feel so drained
And I'm wondering if I'll ever be the same again
Is this in limbo or Heaven or Hell
Maybe I'm going down there as well
I can't accept my soul will drift forever
I feel myself floating back down to Earth
So could this be the hour of my rebirth
Or have I died or will I wake from dreaming?

[Chorus:]

5. The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner

[(Harris) 6:31]

The tough of the track

With the wind
And the rain that's beating down on
Your back
Your heart's beating loud
And goes on getting louder
And goes on even more 'til the
Sound is ringing in your head
With every step you tread
And every breath you take
Determination
Makes you run never stop
Got to win got to run 'til you drop
Keep the pace hold the race
Your mind is getting clearer
You're over half way there
But the miles they never seem to end
As if you're in a dream
Not getting anywhere
It seems so futile

[Chorus]
Run on and on
Run on and on
The loneliness of the long distance runner

I've got to keep running the course

I've got to keep running and win at
All costs
I've got to keep going be strong
Must be so determined and push myself on

Run over stiles across fields

Turn to look at who's on your heels
Way ahead of the field
The line is getting nearer but do
You want the glory that goes
You reach the final stretch
Ideals are just a trace
You feel like throwing the race
It's all so futile

[Chorus:]

6. Stranger In A Strange Land

[(Smith) 5:43]

Was many years ago that I left home and came this way
I was a young man, full of hope and dreams
But now it seems to me that all is lost and
nothing gained
Sometimes things ain't what they seem
No brave new world, no brave new world
No brave new world, no brave new world

Night and day I scan horizon, sea and sky

My spirit wanders endlessly
Until the day will dawn and friends from home
discover why
Hear me calling, rescue me
Set me free, set me free
Lost in this place, and leave no trace

[Chorus:]
Stranger in a strange land
Land of ice and snow
Trapped inside this prison
Lost and far from home

One hundred years have gone and men again

they came that way
To find the answer to the mystery
They found his body lying where it fell that day
Preserved in time for all to see
No brave new world, no brave new world
Lost in this place, to leave no trace
What became of the man that started
All are gone and their souls departed
Left me here in this place
So all alone

[Chorus:]

What became of the man that started

All are gone and their souls departed
Left me here in this place
So all alone

[Chorus:]

7. Deja-Vu

[(Murray-Harris) 4:55]

When you see familiar faces

But you don't remember where they're from
Could you be wrong?

When you've been particular places

That you know you've never seen before
Can you be sure?

'Cause you know this has happened before

And you know that this moment in time is for real
And you know when you feel deja-vu

[Chorus:]
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before

Ever had a conversation

That you realise you've had before
Isn't it strange

Have you ever talked to someone

And you feel you know what's coming next
It feels pre-arranged

'Cause you know that you've heard it before

And you feel that this moment in time is surreal
'Cause you know when you feel deja-vu

[Chorus:]

8. Alexander The Great

[(Harris) 8:35]

"My son ask for thyself another

Kingdom, for that which I leave
is too small for thee"
(King Philip of Macedonia - 339 B.C.)

Near to the east

In a part of ancient Greece
In an ancient land called Macedonia
Was born a son
To Philip of Macedon
The legend his name was Alexander

At the age of nineteen

He became the Macedon King
And he swore to free all of Asia Minor
By the Aegian Sea
In 334 B.C.
He utterly beat the armies of Persia

[Chorus:]
Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
Became a legend 'mongst mortal men

King Darius the third

Defeated fled Persia
The Scythians fell by the river Jaxartes
Then Egypt fell to the Macedon King as well
And he founded the city called Alexandria
By the Tigris river
He met King Darius again
And crushed him again in the battle of Arbela
Entering Babylon
And Susa, treasures he found
Took Persepolis the capital of Persia

[Chorus:]
Alexander the Great
His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
Became a God amongst mortal men

A Phrygian King had bound a chariot yoke

And Alexander cut the 'Gordian knot'
And legend said that who untied the knot
He would become the master of Asia

Helonism he spread far and wide

The Macedonian learned mind
Their culture was a western way of life
He paved the way for Christianity

Marching on, marching on

The battle weary marching side by side
Alexander's army line by line
They wouldn't follow him to India
Tired of the combat, pain and the glory

Alexander the Great

His name struck fear into hearts of men
Alexander the Great
He died of fever in Babylon

Bruce Dickinson - Vocals

Dave Murray - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Guitar Synth
Adrian Smith - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Guitar Synth, Backing Vocals
Steve Harris - Bass, Bass Synth
Nicko McBrain - Drums

'Raised on Infinity... somewhere down the pub'.

Up The Irons!

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son (1988)
1. Moonchild
2. Infinite Dreams
3. Can I Play With Madness?
4. The Evil That Men Do
5. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
6. The Prophecy
7. The Clairvoyant
8. Only The Good Die Young

1. Moonchild

[Smith / Dickinson]

Seven deadly sins

Seven ways to win
Seven holy paths to hell
And your trip begins

Seven downward slopes

Seven bloodied hopes
Seven are your burning fires,
Seven your desires...

I am he the bornless one

The fallen angel watching you
Babylon, the scarlet whore
I'll infiltrate your gratitude
Don't you dare to save your son
Kill him now and save the young ones
Be the mother of a birth strangled babe
Be the devils own, Lucifer's my name

Moonchild - hear the mandrake scream

Open the seventh seal
Moonchild - You'll be mine soon child
Moonchild - take my hand tonight

I count the heads of those unborn

The accursed ones I'll find them all
If you die by your own hand
As a suicide you shall be damned
And if you try to save your soul
I will torment you - you shall not grow old
With every second and passing breath
You'll be so alone your soul will bleed to death

The twins they are exhausted, seven is the night

Gemini is rising as the red lips kiss to bite
Seven angels seven demons battle for his soul
When Gabriel lies sleeping, this child was born to die

One more dies one more lives

One baby cries One mother grieves
For all the sins you will commit
You'll beg forgiveness and none I'll give
A web of fear shall be your coat
To clothe you in the night
A lucky escape for now young man
But I see you damned in endless night.

2. Infinite Dreams

[Harris]

Infinite dreams I can't deny them

Infinity is hard to comprehend
I couldn't hear those screams
Even in my wildest dreams

Suffocation waking in a sweat

Scared to fall asleep again
In case the dream begins again
Someone chasing I cannot move
Standing rigid nightmare's statue
What a dream when will it end
And will it transcend?

Restless sleep the minds in turmoil

One nightmare ends another fertile
Getting to me so scared to sleep
But scared to wake now, in too deep.

Even thought its reached new heights

I rather like the restless nights
It makes me wonder it makes me think
There's more to this I'm on the brink
It's not the fear of what's beyond
It's just that I might not respond
I have an interest almost craving
But would I like to get too far in?

It can't all be coincidence

Too many things are evident
You tell me you're an unbeliever
Spirtualists? Well me I'm neither
But wouldn't you like to know
The truth
Oh what's out there to have the proof
And find out just which side
You're on
Where would you end in Heaven or
In Hell?

Help me. Help me to find my true

Self without seeing the future
Save me, save me from tortuning
Myself even within my dreams

There's got to be just more to it

That this
Or tell me why do we exist
I'd like to think that when I die
I'd get a chance another time
And to return and live again
Reincarnate, play the game
Again and again and again.

3. Can I Play With Madness?

[Smith / Dickinson / Harris]

Can I play with madness?

Give me the sense to wonder

To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place

[Chorus]
Can I play with madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness?
There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness?
The prophet looked at me and laughed at me (ha ha) He said:
Can I play with madness?
He said you're blind, too blind to see

Said you're too blind to see

I screamed aloud to the old man

I said don't lie, don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for this mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hellfires raged in his eyes
He said you wanna know the truth son?
Lord, I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in a lake of fire

[Chorus]

Listen to me, said the prophet

[Chorus]

Can I play with madness?

4. The Evil That Men Do

[Smith / Dickinson / Harris]

Love is a razor and I walked the line on that silver blade

Slept in the dust with his daughter, her eyes red with
The slaughter of innocence
But will pray for her.
I will call her name out loud.
I would bleed for her.
If only I could see her now.

Living on a razors edge.

Balancing on a ledge.
Living on a razors edge.

The evil that men do lives on and on....[4 times]

Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems

The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me.
But I will pray for you.
And some day I may return.
Don't you cry for me.
Beyond is where I learn.

5. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

[Harris]

Here they stand brothers them all

All the sons divided they'd fall
Here await the birth of the son
The seventh, the heavenly, the chosen one.

Here the birth from the unbroken line

Born the healer the seventh, his time
Unknowingly blessed and as his life unfolds
Slowly unveiling the power he holds

[Chorus:]
Seventh son of a seventh son [4 times]

Then they watch the progress he makes

The Good and the evil which path will he take
Both of them trying to manipulate
The use of his powers before it's too late

[Chorus:]

Today is born the seventh one

Born of woman the seventh son
And he in turn of a seventh son
He has the power to heal
He has the gift of the second sight
He is the chosen one
So it shall be written
So it shall be done

6. The Prophecy

[Murray / Harris]

Now that I know that the right time has come

My prediction will surely be true
The impending disaster it looms
And the whole of the village is doomed
Why won't you listen to me
Is it so hard to understand
That I am the real seventh son
Your life or death on me depends

Suffering and pain impending disaster

Souls crying the devil's laughter
Heard the cry of the seventh whistlers
Lucifer smiles looks on and waits

I'll take your life in my hands

Your fate your fortune's in my visions
Heed what I say and you'll see what
What will be
Please listen to me

Now that they see the disaster is done

Now they put all the blame unto me
They feel I brought on a curse
Don't they know that the torment
It stays with me knowing that I walk alone
Through the eyes of the future I see
They don't even know what fear is
Don't they know I'm the one who is cursed

Purgatory beckons souls lost forever

Life after death or heaven hereafter
Heard the call of the seven whistlers again
Now Lucifer laughs hell awaits

I had their lives in my hands

Their fates their fortunes in my visions
No one believed in my true prophecy
And now it's too late.

7. The Clairvoyant

[Harris]

Feel the sweat break on my brow

Is it me or is it shadows that are
Dancing on the walls.
Is this dream or is it now
Is this a vision or normality I see
Before my eyes.

I wonder why I wonder how

That it seems the powers getting stronger
Every day
I feel a strength an inner fire
But I'm scared I won't be able to control it anymore

There's a time to live and a time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying.

Just by looking through your eyes

He could see the future penetrating right
In through your mind
See the truth and see your lies
But for all his power couldn't foresee his own demise

There's time to live and time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying...
...and reborn again??

8. Only The Good Die Young

[Harris / Dickinson]

The demon in your mind will rape you in your bed at night
The wisdom of ages, the lies and outrages concealed
Time it waits for no man
My future is revealed
Time it waits for no man
My fate is sealed

If I cancel tomorrow the undead will thank me today

Fly in the face of the prophets I mock your morality plays
The moon is red and bleeding
The sun is burned and black
The book of life is silent
No turning back

[Chorus:]
Only the good die young
All the evil seem to live forever
Only the good die young
All the evil seem to live forever
Only the good die young
Only the good die young

Mystery madman, a victim of cruel charade

Some innocent pawn in an end game, one more stalemate
Is death another birthday?
A way to kiss your dreams goodbye?
Do the undead live within us?
And look through our eyes?

Walking on water are miracles all you can trust

Measure your coffin does is measure up to your lust?
So I think I'll leave you
With your bishops and your guilt
So until the next time
Have a good sin

[Chorus:]

Seven deadly sins

Seven ways to win
Seven holy paths to hell
Seven downward slopes
Seven bloodied hopes
Seven are your burning fires
Seven your desires.....

BRUCE DICKINSON - Vocals

DAVE MURRAY - Lead & Rhythm Guitars
ADRIAN SMITH - Lead and Rhythm Guitars, Synth
STEVE HARRIS - Bass, String Synth
NICKO McBRAIN – Drums

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Can I Play With Madness (1988 SINGLE)

1. Can I Play With Madness

2. Black Bart Blues
3. Massacre

1. Can I Play With Madness

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Give me the sense to wonder

To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strenght to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place

[Chorus:]
Can I play with madness - the prophet started at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laught at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

I screamed aloud to the old man

I said don't lie don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for your mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freesing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said do you want to knowthe truth son
- I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in the lake of fire

[Chorus 2 times]

2. Black Bart Blues

[Harris/Dickinson]

(spoken into)
[Bruce] 'What the fuck is that?'
[Nerd] 'Hi, guys, are you in a band or something? I mean it
would be so cool if you were in a band 'cos you're Driving a
big bus with band on the front of it'
[Bruce] 'Why don't you shut up and get on board will ya?'
[Nerd] 'Wow! I have it here you got a stereo and a microwave
And, and you got a beer, I'd like a Heineken if you've got
one' that's real cool, that's great, yeah!'
[Bruce] 'Would you like to see Black Bart?'
[Nerd] 'Who's Black Bart?'
[Bruce] 'Let me introduce you'

Black Bart's seen it

Black Bart knows
Black Bart's done it
The Black Bart blues
Suspended in suspension
Many evil nights in Tennessee, and elsewhere
We all got to try the Black Bart blues

Black Bart's truckin' ain't what it seems

Black Bart's lookin'
Don't know where she's been
Maybe she's an acrobat
Spends her evenings dancing on a pole
We all got to try the Black Bart blues
Black Bart tried most anything
Black Bart liked it but he couldn't sing
So he asked me to tell ya
Try it for yourself and you will see
We all got to try the Black Bart blues

[spoken]
[Bruce] 'What did you do that for?'
[Nerd] 'I'm sorry, I just..., I guess I'm not used to...
[Bruce] 'Shut up and get on with it will you'

Black Bart's livin' across the ocean now

Black Bart's lookin' to come back somehow
So if you are a dancer,
You could dance his pole in May
That's a maypole

Black Bart's coming

Now Black Bart's gone
Black Bart did it so I wrote this song
Whatever and however,
In and out or several at a time mmm yes!
We all got to do the Black Bart blues
Here comes the guitar solo

We all got to try the Black Bart blues

Yowsa! Yowsa! Yowsa!

3. Massacre

[Lynott/Gorham/Downey, recorded by Thin Lizzy in the album Johnny

The Fox]

At a point below zero

There's no place left to go
Six hundred unknown heroes
Were killed like sleeping buffalo
Through the devil's canyon
Across the battlefield
Death has no companion
The spirit is forced to yield
There goes the bandolero
Through the hole in the wall
He's a coward but doesn't care though
In fact, he doesn't care at all
The general that's commanding
He's defending what he fears
While the troops they are depending
On reinforcements from the rear
If God is in the heavens
How can this happen here?
In His name, they used the weapons
For the massacre
There is a point below zero
Where the sun can see the land
Six hundred unknown heroes
Lay dead in the sand

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

No Prayer For The Dying (1990)

1. Tailgunner
2. Holy Smoke
3. No Prayer For The Dying
4. Public Enema Number One
5. Fates Warning
6. The Assassin
7. Run Silent Run Deep
8. Hooks In You
9. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter
10. Mother Russia

1. Tailgunner

[Harris/Dickinson]

Trace your way back 50 years

To the Glow of Dresden - blood and tears
In the black above by the cruel searchlight
Men will die and men will fight - yeah!
Who shot who and who fired first?
Dripping death to whet the bloodthirst
No radar lock on - skin and bone
The bomber boys are going home

[Chorus]
Climb into the sky never wonder why - Tailgunner
You're a Tailgunner
[repeat]
Nail that Fokker kill that son,
Gonna blow your guts out with my gun,
The weather forecasts good for War
Cologne and Frankfurt? have some more!
Tail end Charlie in the boiling sky
The Enola Gay was my last try
Now that this Tailgunner's gone
No more Bombers (just one big bomb)

[Chorus]

2. Holy Smoke

[Harris/Dickinson]

Believe in me - send no money

Died on the cross and that ain't funny
But my so called friends are making me a joke
They missed out what I said like I never spoke
They choose what they wanna hear - they don't tell a lie
They just leave out the truth as they're watching you die
Saving your souls by taking your money
Flies round shit, bees around honey.

[Chorus]
Holy Smoke, Holy Smoke, plenty bad preachers for
The Devil to stoke
Feed'em in feet first this is no joke
This is thirsty work making Holy Smoke

Jimmy Reptile and all his friends

Say they gonna be with you at the end
Burning record burning books
Holy soldiers Nazi looks
Crocodile smiles just wait a while
Till the TV Queen gets her make up clean
I've lived in filth I've lived in sin
And I still smell cleaner than the shit you're in

[Chorus]

They ain't religious but they ain't no fools

When Noah built his Cadillac it was cool
Two by two they're still going down
And the satellite circus just left town
I think they're strange and when they're dead
They can have a Lincoln for their bed
Friend of the President - trick of the tail
Now they ain't got a prayer - 100 years in jail

[Chorus]

3. No Prayer For The Dying

[Harris]

There are times when I've wondered

And times when I've cried
When my prayers they were answered
At times when I've lied
But if you asked me a question
Would I tell you the truth
Now there's something to bet on
You've got nothing to lose

When I've sat by the window

And gazed at the rain
With an ache in my heart
But never feeling the pain
And if you would tell me
Just what my life means
Walking a long road
Never reaching the end

God give me the answer to my life

God give me the answer to my dreams
God give me the answer to my prayers
God give me the answer to my being

4. Public Enema Number One

[Murray/Dickinson]

When it all comes down the line,

And the lights they turn to greed
And you race off with your tires screaming
Rolling Thunder,
And the people choke with poison
Children cry in fear
But you've got your fast bullet,
One way ticket outta here

[Chorus]
Fall on your knees today
And pray the world will mend its way
Get to your feet again
Refugees from the heartbreak and the pain

In the cities in the streets

There's a tension you can feel
The breaking strain is fast approaching
Guns and Riots
Politicians gamble and lie to save their skins
And the Press get fed the scapegoats
Public Enema number one

[Chorus]

A million network slaves

In an advertising new age
I don't need a crystal ball to sell ya
Your children have more brains
Than your drug infested remains
California dreaming as the Earth dies screaming

[Chorus]

5. Fates Warning

[Murray/Harris]

Why is it some of us are destined to stay alive

And some of us are here just so that we'll die
How come the bullet hits the other guy
Do we have to try and reason why

[Chorus]
Be it the Devil or be it him
You can count on just one thing
When the time is up you'll know
Not just one power runs the show

Are we the lucky ones saved for another day

Or they the lucky ones who are taken away
Is it a hand on your shoulder from the Lord above
Or the Devil himself come to give you a shove.

[Chorus]

A volcano erupts and sweeps a town away

A hurricane devastates the cities in its way
The grief and misery for the ones that are left behind
The worst is yet to come a hell to face mankind

[Chorus]

6. The Assassin

[Harris]

Now the contracts out

They've put the word about
I'm coming after you

It's not the money I make

It's the thrill of the chase
And I'm coming after you

I watch your every move

Study the things you do
And the pattern of your ways

I watch the way you walk

I hear your telephone talk
I want to understand the way you think

[Chorus]
Better watch out, cos I'm the Assassin
Better watch out, Better watch out
Assassin
I'm in a cold cold sweat
I taste the smell of death
I know the moment's getting closer

And as you walk to the light

I feel my hands go tight
Excitement running through my veins

I've got you in my sights

I've got you dead to rights
The triggers waiting for my finger

I feel adrenalin rush

It's just the final touch
You can kiss your arse goodbye

[Chorus]

7. Run Silent Run Deep

[Harris / Dickinson]

The convoy lights are dead ahead

The Merchantmen lay in their bed,
The trump of... diesels hammers down,
In the oily sea - the killing ground,
His knuckles white his eyes alight,
He slams the hatch on the deadly night,
A cunning fox in the chickens lair
A hound of hell and the devil don't care

[Chorus]
Running silent, Running deep, we are your final prayer,
Warriors in secret sleep, a merchantman's nightmare,
A silent death lies waiting, for all of you below,
Running silent, Running deep, sink into your final sleep

Chill the hearts of fighting men,

In open ocean wondering when?
The lethal silver fish will fly
The boat will shiver - men will die
A cast of millions - a part of play
Killer? Victim? or fool for a day
Obeying an order - men have to die
Us or them - a well rehearsed lie

[Chorus]

The lifeboats shattered the hull is torn,

The tar black smell of burning oil,
On the way down to Davy Jones,
Every man for himself - you're on your own
The wolf eyes watch the crosswire
"Stern tubes ready", "Aim and fire!"
They can pin some medal on your chest,
But in two more weeks - dead like the rest

[Chorus]

8. Hooks In You

[Dickinson/Smith]

I got the keys to view at number 22

Behind my Green door there's nothing to see
Stone cold sober and sitting in silence, laid
back and looking for sympathy
I like a girl who knows where she's bound
I don't like girls who've been hanging around

[Chorus]
Hooks in you, hooks in me, hooks in the ceiling
For that well hung feeling
No big deal, no big sin, strung up on love I
Got the hooks screwed in

[Chorus]

She's tied up she can't come to the phone,

You must have got your wires crossed cos she ain't home
Knock on wood - you know I like that sound
She never could keep her feet on the ground

[Chorus]
Hooks in you, I've got those hooks in you
Hooks in you, in you

Right on the money got it wrapped up tight

New ideas for the decor tonight
Gonna make this house a preservation zone
Gonna set her in concrete set her up on her own

[Chorus]

9. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter

[Dickinson]

Honey it's getting close to midnight

And all the myths are still in town
True love and lipstick on your linen
Bite the pillow make no sound
If there's some living to be done
Before your life becomes your tomb
You'd better know that I'm the one
So unchain your back door invite me around

[Chorus]
Bring your daughter, bring your daughter to the slaughter
Let her go, let her go, let her go

Honey it's getting close to daybreak

The sun is creeping in the sky
No patent remedies for heartache
Just empty words and humble pie
So get down on your knees honey
Assume an attitude
You just pray that I'll be waiting
Cos you know I'm coming soon

So pick up your foolish pride, no going back

No where, no way, no place to hide

[Chorus]

10. Mother Russia

[Harris]

Mother Russia how are you sleeping

Middle winter cold winds blow
From the trees the snowflakes drifting
Swirling round like ghosts in the snow

Mother Russia poetry majestic

Tells the time of a great empire
Turning round the old man ponders
Reminiscing an age gone by

Mother Russia
Dance of the Tsars
Hold up your heads
Be proud of what you are
Now it has come
Freedom at last
Turning the tides of history
And your past

Mother Russia
Dance of the Tsars
Hold up your heads
Remember who you are
Can you release
The anger the grief
Can you be happy
Now your people are free

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Fear Of The Dark (1992)

1. Be Quick Or Be Dead
2. From Here To Eternity
3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
4. Fear Is The Key
5. Childhood's End
6. Wasting Love
7. The Fugitive
8. Chains Of Misery
9. The Apparition
10. Judas Be My Guide
11. Weekend Warrior
12. Fear Of The Dark

1. Be Quick Or Be Dead

[Dickinson/Gers]

Covered in sinners and dripping with gilt

Making you money from slime and from filth
Parading your bellies in ivory towers
Investing our lives in your schemes and your powers

You got to wacth them - Be quick or be dead

Snake eyes in heaven - The thief's in your head
You've got to watch them - Be quick or be dead
Snake eyes in heaven - The thief's in your head....

Be quick !
Or be dead !
Be quick !
Or be dead

See... what's rulling all our lives

See... who pulling the strings...
I bet you won't fall on your face
Your belly will hold you in place

The serpent is crawling inside of your ear

He says must vote for what you want to hear
Don't matter what's wrong as long as you're alright
So pull yourself stupid and rob yourself blind.

You got to wacth them - Be quick or be dead

Snake eyes in heaven - The thief's in your head
You've got to watch them - Be quick or be dead
Snake eyes in heaven - The thief's in your head....

Be quick!
Or be dead!
Be quick!
Or be dead!
2. From Here To Eternity

[Harris]

She fell in love with his greasy machine

She leaned over wiped his kickstart clean
She'd never seen the beast before
But she left there wanting more more more

But when she was walking on down the road

She heard a sound that made her heart explode
He whispered to her to get on the back
"I'll take you on ride from here to eternity"

[Chorus: (2 times)]
Hell ain't a bad place
Hell is from here to eternity

She must be having one of her crazy dreams

She'd never sat on a piece so mean
It've made her feel like's she's on cloud nine
She even thought she heard the engine sign

But like all dreams that come to an end

They took a tumble at the devil's bend
The beast and Charlotte they were two of a kind
They'd always take the line... from here to eternity

[Chorus 2 times]

3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers

[Harris]

Lying awake at night I wipe the sweat from my brow

But it's not fear 'cos I'd rather go now
Trying to visualise the horrors that will lay ahead
The desert sand mound a burial ground

When it comes to the time

Are we partners in crime ?
When it comes to the time
We'll be ready to die

God let us go now and finish what's to be done

Thy Kingdom come
Thy shall be done... on earth

Trying to justify to ourselves the reasons to go

Should we live and let live
Forget or forgive

But how can we let them go on this way ?

The reign of terror corruption must end
And we know deep down there's no other way
No trust, no reasoning, no more to say

Afraid to shoot strangers

Afraid to shoot strangers.

4. Fear Is The Key

[Dickinson/Gers]

We live our lives in fever

In chooking sweat of fear
In the heat of the night you can feel so much
In the heat of the night I scream "Don't touch"

[Chorus:]
I remember a time when we used and abused
And we fought all our battles in vain
I remember a time we thought that passion was free
In the heat of the night... bodies aflame

We live in fever...

I hear your secret heartbeat

I can hear your silent cries
The kids have lost their freedom
And nobodey cares till somebodey famous dies...

[Chorus:]

Now we live, in a world of uncertainty

Fear is the key - to what you whant to be
You don't get a say the majority gets it's way
You're outnumbered by the bastards till the day you die...

5. Childhood's End

[Harris]

I'd sail across the ocean

I'd walk a hundred miles
If I could make it to the end
Oh just to see a smile

You see it in their faces

The sadness in their tears
The despereation and the anger
Madness and the fear

[Chorus:]
No hope, no life, just pain and fear
No food, no love, just greed is here

Starvation and the hunger

The suffering and the pain
The agonies of all-out war
When will it come again ?

The struggle for the power

A tyrant tries again
Just what the hell is going on ?
When will it ever end ?

[Chorus:]

You see the full moon float

You watch the red sun rise
We take these things for granted
But somewhere someone's dying

Contaminated waters
Pollution and decay
Just waiting for disease to strike
Oh will we learn someday ?
No hope, no life, just pain and fear
No food, no love, no seed, childhoods end.

6. Wasting Love

[Dickinson/Gers]

Maybe one day I'll be an honest man

Up till now I'm doing the best I can
Long roads.Long days, of sunrise, to sunset
Sunrise to sunset

Dream on brothers while you can

Dream on sisters I hope you will find the one
All of our lives, covered up quickly by the tides of time

Spend your days full of emptiness

Spend your years full of loneliness
Wasting love, in a desperate caress
Rolling shadows of night

Dream on brothers while you can

Dream on sisters I hope you will find the one
All of our lives, covered up quickly by the tides of time

Sands are flowing and the lines are in your hand

In your eyes I see the hunger, and the desperate cry that tears the
night

Spend your days full of emptiness

Spend your years full of loneliness
Wasting love, in a desperate caress
Rolling shadows of night

7. The Fugitive

[Harris]

On a cold October morning

As frost lay on the ground
Waiting to make my move
I made no sound

Waiting for the mist to cover all around

I carefully picked my time then took the wall

I'm sick and tired of running

The hunger and the pain
A stop to look about then off again

Being at the wrong place

And at the wrong time
Suspected of a hit that was my crime

[Chorus:]
I am a fugitive being hunted down like game
I am a fugitive but I've got to clear my name

Always looking 'round me

Forever looking back
I'll always be a target for attack

Every morning onwards

Always on the run
Waiting for a sivght of a loaded gun

[Chorus:]

Even if I find them

And get to clear my name
I know that things can never be the same

But if I ever prove

My innocence some day
I've got to get them all to make them pay

[Chorus:]

8. Chains Of Misery

[Dickinson/Murray]

There's a madman in the corner of your eye

He likes to pry-into your sunlight
He whants to burst into the street with you and I
A world of shadows and of rain
He's seen what love is...
He wants to pay you back with guilt...

[Chorus:]
He lies to you he won't let you be
He's got your Chains of misery
He won't be still till he's turned your key
He holds your Chains of misery

There's prophet in the gutter in the street

He say "You're damned !" - and you believe him...
He's got a vision but it shines out through your eyes
A world of hatred and fear...
He's felt what love means...
He whants to pay you back with pain

[Chorus:]

It's only love that holds the key to our hearts... only love...

[Chorus 2 times]

9. The Apparition

[Harris/Gers]

Now I'm here can you see me

'Cos I'm out on my own
When the room goes cold tell me you can feel me
..........'cos I'm here

Here I am, can you see me

Passing through, on my way
To a place I'd been to only in my dreams... before

In a world of delusion
Never turn your back on a friend
'Cause you can count your real true friends on one hand
..........through life

There are those that deceive you

There are those That'll let you down
Is there someone out there that would die for you
..........thought not

Live your life with a passion

Everything you do, do well
You only get out of life what you put in
..........so they say

In a world of confusion
People never say that what they mean
If you want a straight answer go look for one
..........right now

In a room full of strangers

Do you stand with your back to the wall
Do you sometimes feel like you're on the outside
..........looking in ?

You can make your own luck

You create your destiny
I believe you have the power if you want to
..........it's true

You can do what you want to

If you try a little bit harder
A little bit of faith goes a long way
..........it does

Are we here for a reason ?

I'd like to know just what you think
It would be nice to know what happened when we die
..........wouldn't it ?

There are some who are wise

There are some who are born naive
I believe that there are some that must have lived before
..........don't you ?

As for me, well I'm thinking

You gotta keep an open mind
But I hope that my life's not an open and shut case.

Extra Sensory Perception

Life After Death, telepathy
Can the soul live on and travel through space and time ?

You know I feel so clated

'Cause I'm about to find it out
And when I know all the answers
Maybe then I'll come back
..........to feel you in

You don't be alarmed now

If I try to contact you
If things go missing or get moved around ...it's me

And don't disbelieve it

No matter what your `friends' might say
We'll meet up again some place some way
..........one day

10. Judas Be My Guide

[Dickinson/Murray]

Lights out - We live in a world of darkness

No doubt - Everything's up for sale
We sleep - All of the world is burning
We pray - To god for better deal
Nothing is sacred - Back then or now
Everything's wasted...
Is that all there is ?
Can I go now ?

[Chorus:]
Judas my guide
Whisperes in the night
Judas my guide

Fight wars - Die in a blaze of glory

Come home - Meat in a plastic sack
Fall down - Better pray to your god for mercy
So kneel - and help the blade cut clean
Nothing is sacred - Back then or now
Everyone's wasted...
Is that all there is ?
Is that it now ?

I live in the black

I have no guiding light
I'm whispering in your dreams...

[Chorus 2 times]

11. Weekend Warrior

[Harris/Gers]

The rebel of yesterday, tommorow's fool

Who are you kidding being that cool ?

Trying to break away from running with the pack

But they ain't listening so you've gotta go back

You're a weekend warrior when you're one of the crowd

But it's over, just look at you now...

You're not so brave the way you behave

It makes you sick, gotta get out quick
It's all bravado when you're out with your mates
It's like a different person goes through those gates
And the game begins, the adrenalin's high
Feel the tension maybe someone will die...

[Chorus:]
A weekend warrior lately
A weekend warrior sometimes
A weekend warrior maybe you ain't that way anymore

You've gotta get out gotta get away

But you're in with a cligue it's not easy to stray
You've gotta admit you're just living a lie
It didn't take long to workout why

It's hard to say why you got involved

Just waiting to be part, just waiting to belong...

[Chorus:]
Some of the things that you've done you feel so ashamed
After all it's only a game... isn't it ?
And after all the adrenalin's gone
What you gonna do on monday ?

A weekend warrior lately

A weekend warrior sometimes
A weekend warrior maybe you were never like that at all.

12. Fear Of The Dark

[Harris]

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark.

Fear of the dark,fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark,fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall

And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light ?
Sometimes when you're scared to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's watching you.

Have you ever been alone at night

Thought you heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no-one's there ?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's someone there

Watching horror films the night before

Debating witches and folklore
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense,and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there.

When I'm walking a dark road

I am a man who walks alone

Bruce Dickinson - Vocals

Dave Murray - Guitar
Janick Gers - Guitar
Steve Harris - Bass Guitar
Nicko McBrain - Drums

Other:
Michael Kenney – Keyboards

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

A Real Live One (1993)

1. Be Quick Or Be Dead
2. From Here To Eternity
3. Can I Play With Madness
4. Wasting Love
5. Tailgunner
6. The Evil That Men Can Do
7. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
8. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter
9. Heaven Can Wait
10. The Clairvoyant
11. Fear Of The Dark

1. Be Quick Or Be Dead

Covered in sinners and dripping with gilt

Making your money from slime and from filth
Parading you bellies in ivory towers
Investing our lives in your schemes and your powers

You got to watch them - Be quick or be dead

Snake eyes in heaven - The thief's in your head
You've got to watch them - Be quick or be dead
Snake eyes in heaven - The thief's in your head...
Be quick!
Or be dead!
Be quick!
Or be dead

See... what's ruling all our lives

See... who's pulling the strings
I bet you won't fall on your face...
Your belly will hold you in place

The serpent is crawling inside of your ear

He says you must vote for what you want to hear
Don't matter what's wrong as long as you're alright
So pull yourself stupid and rob yourself blind

2. From Here To Eternity

She fell in love with his greasy machine

She leaned over wiped his kickstart clean
She'd never seen the beast before
But she'd left there wanting more more more

But she was walking on down the road

She heard a sound that made her heart explode
he whispered to her to get on the back
"I'll take you on a ride from here to eternity"

Hell ain't a bad place

Hell is from here to eternity
Hell ain't a bad place
Hell is from here to eternity

She must be having one of her crazy dreams

She'd never sat on a piece so mean
It made her feel like's she's on cloud nine
She even thought she heard the engine sigh

But like all dreams that come to an end

They took a tumble at the Devil's bend
The beast and Charlotte they were two of a kind
They'd always take the line... from here to eternity

3. Can I Play With Madness

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Give me the sense to wonder

To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

I screamed aloud to the old man

I said don't lie don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for your mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said do you want to know the truth son
- I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in the lake of fire

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

4. Wasting Love
Maybe one day I'll be an honest man
Up till now I'm doing the best I can
Long roads, long days, of sunrise, to sunset
Sunrise to sunset

Dream on brother, While you can

Dream on sister, I hope you find the one
All of our lives, covered up quickly by these tides of time

Spend your days full of emptiness

Spend your years full of loneliness
Wasting love, in a desperate caress
Rolling shadows of nights

Dream on brother, While you can

Dream on sister, I hope you find the one
All of our lives, covered up quickly by these tides of time

Sands are flowing and the lines are in your hand

In your eyes I see the hunger, and the desperate cry that tears the
night

5. Tailgunner

[HARRIS/DICKINSON]

TRACE YOUR WAY BACK 50 YEARS

TO THE GLOW OF DRESDEN-BLOOD AND TEARS
IN THE BLACK ABOVE BY THE CRUEL SEARCHLIGHT
MEN WILL DIE AND MEN WILL FIGHT-YEAH|
WHO SHOT WHO AND WHO FIRED FIRST?
DRIPPING DEATH TO WHET THE BLOODTHIRST
NO RADAR LOCK ON-SKIN AND BONE
THE BOMBER BOYS ARE GOING HOME

[CHORUS]

CLIMB INTO THE SKY NEVER WONDER WHY-TAILGUNNER

YOU'RE A TAILGUNNER

[REPEAT]
NAIL THAT FOKKER KILL THAT SON.
GONNA BLOW YOUR GUTS OUT WITH MY GUN
THE WEATHER FORECASTS GOOD FOR WAR
COLOGNE AND FRANKFURT?HAVE SOME MORE|
TAIL END CHARLIE IN THE BOILING SKY
THE ENOLA GAY WAS MY LAST TRY
NOW THAT THIS TAILGUNNER'S GONE
NO MORE BOMBERS (JUST ONE BIG BOMB)

[CHORUS]

6. The Evil That Men Can Do

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Love is a razor and I walked the line on that silver blade

Slept in the dust with his daughter, her eyes red with
The slaughter of innocence
But I will pray for her
I will call her name out loud
I would bleed for her
If only I could see her now

Living on a razors edge

Balancing on a ledge
Living on a razors edge

The evil that men do lives on and on.....

The evil that men do lives on and on.....
The evil that men do lives on and on.....
The evil that men do lives on and on.....

Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems

The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me
But I will pray for you
And some day I may return
Don't you cry for me
Beyond is where I learn

7. Afraid To Shoot Strangers

Lying awake at night I wipe the sweat from my brow

But it's not the fear 'cos I'd rather go now

Trying to visualise the horrors that will lay ahead

The desert sand mount a burial ground

When it comes to the time

Are we partners in crime?
When it comes to the time
We'll be ready to die

God let us go now and finish what's to be done

Thy Kingdom Come
Thy shall be done... on earth

Trying to justify to ourselves the reasons to go

Should we live and let live
Forget or forgive

But how can we let them go on this way?

The reign of terror corruption must end
And we know deep down there's no other way
No trust, no reasoning, no more to say

Afraid to shoot strangers

Afraid to shoot strangers

8. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter

[DICKINSON]

HONEY ITS GETTING CLOSE TO MIDNIGHT

AND ALL THE MYTHS ARE IN TOWN
TRUE LOVE AND LIPSTICK ON YOUR LINEN
BITE THE PILLOW MAKE NO SOUND
IF THERE'S SOME LIVING TO BE DONE
BEFORE YOUR LIFE BECOMES YOUR TOMB
YOU'D BETTER KNOW THAT I'M THE ONE
SO UNCHAIN YOUR BACK DOOR INVITE ME AROUND

HONEY ITS GETTING CLOSE TO DAYBREADK

THE SUN IS CREEPING IN THE SKY
NO PATENT REMEDIES FOR HEARTACHE
JUST EMPTY WORDS AND HUMBLE PIE
SO GET DOWN ON YOUR KNEEES HONEY
ASSUME AN ATTITUDE
YOU JUST PRAY THAT I'LL BE WAITING
COS YOU KNOW I'M COMING SOON

SO PICK UP YOUR FOOLISH PRIDE,NO GOING BACK

NO WHERE,NO WAY,NO PLACE TO HIDE

BRING YOUR DAUGHTER,BRING YOUR DAUGHTER TO THE SLAUGHTER

LET HER GO,LET HER GO,LET HER GO

9. Heaven Can Wait

[Harris]

Can't understand what is happening to me,

This isn't real, this is only a dream,
But I never have felt, no I never have felt this way before,
I'm looking down on my body below,
I lie asleep in the midst of a dream,
Is it now could it be that the angel of death has come for me?
I can't believe that really my time has come,
I don't feel ready, there's so much left undone,
And it's my soul and I'm not gonna let it get away.

[Chorus:]
Heaven can wait,
Heaven can wait,
Heaven can wait,
Heaven can wait til another day.

[Reapeat chorus]

I have a lust for the Earth below

And Hell itself is my only foe,
'Cause I've no fear of dying,
I'll go when I'm good and ready,
I snatch a glimpse of the light's eternal rays,
I see a tunnel, I stand amazed,
At all of the people standing there in front of me,
Into the paths of rightness I'll be led,
Is this the place where the living join the dead?
I wish I knew this was only just a nightmare.

[Chorus *2]

Take my hand, I'll lead you to the promised land,

Take my hand, I'll give you immortality,
Eternal youth, I'll take you to the other side,
To see the truth, the path for you is decided.

Oh Oh * lots.

My body tingles, I feel so strange,

I feel so tired, I feel so drained,
And I'm wondering if I'll ever be the same again,
Is this in limbo or in Heaven or Hell?
Maybe I'm going down there as well,
I can't accept my soul will drift forever.
I feel myself floating back down to Earth,
So could this be the hour of my rebirth?
Or have I died or will I wake from dreaming?

[Chorus]

10. The Clairvoyant

[Harris]

Feel the sweat break on my brow

Is it me or is it shadows that are
Dancing on the walls
Is this a dream or is it now
Is this a vision or normality I see
Before my eyes

I wonder why I wonder how

That it seems the powers getting stronger
Every day
I feel a strength an inner fire
But I'm scared I won't be able to control it anymore

There's a time to live and a time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's a time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying

Just by looking through your eyes

He could see the future penetrating right
In through your mind
See the truth and see your lies
But for all his power couldn't foresee his own demise

There's a time to live and a time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's a time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying...
... and reborn again?

11. Fear Of The Dark

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall

And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light?
Sometimes when you're scared to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's watching you

Have you ever been alone at night

Thought you heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no-one's there?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's someone there
Watching horror films the night before
Debating witches and folklore
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix on dancing shadows from behind

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there

When I'm walking a dark road

I am am man who walks alone...

[Transcipted by LSlasher (yea, a part of the Society Words Team)]

[More to come!]

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

A Real Dead One (1993)

1. The Number Of The Beast

2. The Trooper
3. Prowler
4. Transylvania
5. Remember Tomorrow
6. Where Eagles Dare
7. Sanctuary
8. Running Free
9. Run To The Hills
10. 2 Minutes To Midnight
11. Iron Maiden
12. Hallowed Be Thy Name

1. The Number Of The Beast

[Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the beast
with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast
for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and sixty
six."
Revelations ch. xiii v. 18

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw

that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they

reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

Cos in my dreams it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
was all this for real or some kind of hell
666 the Number of the Beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

as they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
the ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the Number of the Beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or some crazy dream
but I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
they seem to mesmerise me...can't avoid their eyes
666 the Number of the Beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course

2. The Trooper

[Harris]
You'll take my life but I'll take yours too
You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run

The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky

My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan

3. Prowler

[Steve Harris]

Walking through the city, looking oh so pretty,

I've just got to find my way.
See the ladies flashing. All there legs and lashes.
I've just got to find my way.

Well you see me crawling through the bushes with it open wide.
What you seeing girl?
Can't you believe that feeling, can't you believe it,
Can't you believe your eyes?
It's the real thing girl.

Got me feeling myself and reeling around,

Got me talking but feel like walking around.
Got me feeling myself and reeling a...
Got me talking but nothing's with me...

Got me feeling myself and reeling around.

4. Transylvania

[INSTRUMENTAL]

5. Remember Tomorrow

[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

Unchain the colours before my eyes,

Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.

Tears for rememberance, and tears for joy,

Tears for somebody and this lonely boy.
Out in the madness, the all seeing eye,
Flickers above us, to light up the sky.

Unchain the colours before my eyes,

Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.

6. Where Eagles Dare

[Harris]

It's snowing outside the rumbling sound

of engines roar in the night.
The mission is near the confident men
are waiting to drop from the sky.
The Blizzard goes on but still they must fly
No one should go where eagles dare.

Bavarian alps that lay all around

they seem to stare from below.
The enemy lines a long time passed
are lying deep in the snow.

Into the night they fall through the sky

No one should fly where eagles dare.

They're closing in the fortress is near

it's standing high in the sky.
The cable car's the only way in
it's really impossible to climb.

They make their way but maybe too late

They've got to try to save the day.

The panicking cries the roaring of guns

are echoing all around the valley.
The mission complete they make to escape
away from the Eagles Nest.

They dared to go where no one would try

they chose to fly where eagles dare.

7. Sanctuary

[Steve Harris, Paul Di'anno and Dave Murray]

Out of winter came a warhorse of steel

I've never killed a woman before
But I know how it feels
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

I met up with a stranger last night

To keep me alive
He spends all his time on gambling
And guns to survive
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I can laugh at the wind

I can howl at the rain
Down in the Canyon
Or out on the plain

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

8. Running Free

[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

Just sixteen, a pickup truck, out of money, out of luck.

I've got nowhere to call my own, hit the gas, and here I go.
I'm running free yeah, I'm running free.
I'm running free yeah, Oh I'm running free.

Spent the night in an L. A. jail, and listened to the sirens wail.

They ain't got a thing on me, I'm running wild, I'm running free.

Puller here at the Bottle Top, whiskey, dancing, disco hop.

Now all the boys are after me, and that's the way it's gonna be

9. Run To The Hills

[Harris]

White man came across the sea

Brought us pain and misery
Killed our tribes killed our creed
Took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom a stab in the back
Women and children and cowards attack

Run to the hills run for your lives

Run to the hills run for your lives

Soldier blue on the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whisky and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills run for your lives

10. 2 Minutes To Midnight

[Adrian Smith/Bruce Dickinson]

Kill for gain or shoot to maim

But we don't need a reason
To Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout "Let the creatures out

We'll show the unbeliverers."
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast ... yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two

And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on
you
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

11. Iron Maiden

[Steve Harris]

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,

Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

12. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Harris]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cuase at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites

I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be there's been some sort of an error

Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream

Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming

It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying?
After all am I not afraid of dying
Don't believe that there never is an end

As the guards march me out to the courtyard

Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God then why has he let me die?

As I walk all my life drifts before me

And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on

Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to see the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand

Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Hallowed be Thy name
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hallowed be Thy name
IRON MAIDEN LYRICS
Live At Donington (1993)

1. Be Quick Or Be Dead
2. The Number Of The Beast
3. Wrathchild
4. From Here To Eternity
5. Can I Play With Madness
6. Wasting Love
7. Tailgunner
8. The Evil That Men Do
9. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
10. Fear Of The Dark
11. Bring You Daughter... To The Slaughter
12. The Clairvoyant
13. Heaven Can Wait
14. Run To The Hills
15. 2 Minutes To Midnight
16. Iron Maiden
17. Hallowed Be Thy Name
18. The Trooper
19. Sanctuary
20. Running Free

1. Be Quick Or Be Dead

[Dickinson / Gers]

Covered in sinners and dripping

with gilt
Making you money from slime
and from filth
Parading your bellies in ivory towers
Investing our lives in your schemes
and your powers

You got to watch them - Be quick

or be dead
Snake eyes in heaven - The thief
in your head
You've got to watch them - Be quick
or be dead
Snake eyes in heaven - The thief
in your head...
Be quick!
Or be dead!
Be quick!
Or be dead

See... what's ruling all our lives

See... who's pulling the strings...
I bet you won't fall on your face...
Your belly will hold you in place

The serpent is crawling inside of

your ear
He says you must vote for what you
want to hear
Don't matter what's wrong as long as you're
alright
So pull yourself stupid and rob
yourself blind

2. The Number Of The Beast

[Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the beast
with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast
for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and sixty
six."
Revelations ch. xiii v. 18

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw

that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they

reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

Cos in my dreams it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair
The night was black was no use holding back
Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
was all this for real or some kind of hell
666 the Number of the Beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

as they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
the ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the Number of the Beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or some crazy dream
but I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
they seem to mesmerise me...can't avoid their eyes
666 the Number of the Beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course

3. Wrathchild

[Steve Harris]

I was born into a scene

of angriness and greed
of dominance and persecution

My mother was a queen

my dad I'd never seen
I was never meant to be.

Now I spend my time

looking all around
For a man that's nowhere to
be found,
Until I find him, I'm never
gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man,
gonna travel round

Cos I'm a wrathchild

Well I'm a wrathchild
Yeah I'm a wrathchild

Some say it shouldn't matter,

ain't nothing gonna alter
the course of my destination

But I know I've gotta find

some serious peace of mind
or I know I'll just go crazy.

4. From Here To Eternity

[Harris]

She fell in love with his greasy machine

She leaned over wiped his head
kickstart clean
She'd never seen the beast before
But she left there wanting
more more more
But when she was walking on
down the road
She heard a sound that made
her heart explode
He whispered to her to get on the back
"I'll take you on a ride
from here to eternity"

Hell ain't a bad place

Hell is from here to eternity
Hell ain't a bad place
Hell is from here to eternity

She must be having one of her

crazy dreams
She'd never sat on a piece so mean
It made her feel like she's on cloud nine
She even thought she heard the
engine sigh

But like all dreams that come to an end

They took a tumble at the devil's bend
The beast and Charlotte they were
two of a kind
They'd always take the line...
from here to eternity

Hell ain't a bad place

Hell is from here to eternity
Hell ain't a bad place
Hell is from here to eternity

5. Can I Play With Madness

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Give me the sense to wonder

To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

I screamed aloud to the old man

I said don't lie don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for your mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said do you want to know the truth son
- I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in the lake of fire

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

6. Wasting Love

[Dickinson/Gers]

Maybe one day I'll be an honest man

Up till now I'm doing the best I can
Long roads, long days, of sunrise, to sunset
Sunrise to sunset

Dream on brother, while you can

Dream on sister, I hope you find the one
All of our lives, covered up quickly
by the tides of time

Spend your days full of emptiness

Spend your years full of loneliness
Wasting love, in a desperate caress
Rolling shadows of nights

Dream on brother, while you can

Dream on sister, I hope you find the one
All of our lives, covered up quickly
by the tides of time

Sands are flowing and the lines

are in your hand
In your eyes I see the hunger, and the
desperate cry that tears the night

7. Tailgunner
[Harris - Dickinson]

Trace your way back 50 years

To the Glow of Dresden - blood and tears
In the black above by the cruel searchlight
Men will die and men will fight - yeah !
Who shot who and who fired first ?
Dripping death to whet the bloodthirst
No radar lock on - skin and bone
The bomber boys are going home

Climb into the sky never wonder why - Tailgunner

You're a Tailgunner

Nail that Fokker kill that son.

Gonna blow your guts out with my gun
The weather forecasts good for War
Cologne and Frankfurt ? have some more !
Tail end Charlie in the boiling sky
The Enola Gay was my last try
Now that this Tailgunner's gone
No more Bombers ( just one big bomb )

8. The Evil That Men Do

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Love is a razor and I walked the line on that silver blade

Slept in the dust with his daughter, her eyes red with
The slaughter of innocence
But I will pray for her
I will call her name out loud
I would bleed for her
If only I could see her now

Living on a razors edge

Balancing on a ledge
Living on a razors edge

The evil that men do lives on and on.....

The evil that men do lives on and on.....
The evil that men do lives on and on.....
The evil that men do lives on and on.....

Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems

The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me
But I will pray for you
And some day I may return
Don't you cry for me
Beyond is where I learn

9. Afraid To Shoot Strangers

[Harris]

Lying awake at night I wipe the sweat

from my brow
But it's not the fear 'cos
I'd rather go now

Trying to visualize the horrors that

will lay ahead
The desert sand mound a burial ground

When it comes to the time

Are we partners in crime?
When it comes to the time
Will be ready to die

God let us go now and finish what's

to be done
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy shall be done... on earth

Trying to justify to ourselves the

reasons to go
Should we live and let live
Forget or forgive

But how can we let them go on this way?

The reign of terror corruption must end
And we know deep down there's
no other way
No trust, no reasoning, no more to say
Afraid to shoot strangers
Afraid to shoot strangers

10. Fear Of The Dark

[Harris]

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's
always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's
always there

Have you run your fingers down

the wall
And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light?
Sometimes when you're scared
to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's
watching you

Have you ever been alone at night

Thought you heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no one's there?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's
someone there
Watching horror films the night before
Debating witches and folklores
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's
always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's
always there

When I'm walking a dark road

I am a man who walks alone

11. Bring You Daughter... To The Slaughter

[Dickinson]

Honey its getting close to midnight

And all the myths are in town
True love and lipstick on your linen
Bite the pillow make no sound
If there's some living to be done
Before your life becomes your tomb
You'd better know that i'm the one
So unchain your back door invite me around

Honey its getting close to daybreadk

The sun is creeping in the sky
No patent remedies for heartache
Just empty words and humble pie
So get down on your kneees honey
Assume an attitude
You just pray that I'll be waiting
Cos you know I'm coming soon

So pick up your foolish pride, no going back

No where, no way, no place to hide

Bring your daughter, bring your daughter to the slaughter

Let her go, let her go, let her go

12. The Clairvoyant

[Harris]

Feel the sweat break on my brow

Is it me or is it shadows that are
Dancing on the walls
Is this a dream or is it now
Is this a vision or normality I see
Before my eyes

I wonder why I wonder how

That it seems the powers getting stronger
Every day
I feel a strength an inner fire
But I'm scared I won't be able to control it anymore

There's a time to live and a time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's a time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying

Just by looking through your eyes

He could see the future penetrating right
In through your mind
See the truth and see your lies
But for all his power couldn't foresee his own demise

There's a time to live and a time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's a time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying...
... and reborn again?

13. Heaven Can Wait

[Harris]

Can't understand what is happening to me,

This isn't real, this is only a dream,
But I never have felt, no I never have felt this way before,
I'm looking down on my body below,
I lie asleep in the midst of a dream,
Is it now could it be that the angel of death has come for me?
I can't believe that really my time has come,
I don't feel ready, there's so much left undone,
And it's my soul and I'm not gonna let it get away.

Heaven can wait,

Heaven can wait,
Heaven can wait,
Heaven can wait til another day.

I have a lust for the Earth below

And Hell itself is my only foe,
'Cause I've no fear of dying,
I'll go when I'm good and ready,
I snatch a glimpse of the light's eternal rays,
I see a tunnel, I stand amazed,
At all of the people standing there in front of me,
Into the paths of rightness I'll be led,
Is this the place where the living join the dead?
I wish I knew this was only just a nightmare.

Take my hand, I'll lead you to the promised land,

Take my hand, I'll give you immortality,
Eternal youth, I'll take you to the other side,
To see the truth, the path for you is decided.

Oh Oh [lots]

My body tingles, I feel so strange,

I feel so tired, I feel so drained,
And I'm wondering if I'll ever be the same again,
Is this in limbo or in Heaven or Hell?
Maybe I'm going down there as well,
I can't accept my soul will drift forever
I feel myself floating back down to Earth,
So could this be the hour of my rebirth?
Or have I died or will I wake from dreaming?

14. Run To The Hills

[Harris]

White man came across the sea

Brought us pain and misery
Killed our tribes killed our creed
Took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom a stab in the back
Women and children and cowards attack

Run to the hills run for your lives

Run to the hills run for your lives

Soldier blue on the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whisky and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills run for your lives

15. 2 Minutes To Midnight

[Adrian Smith/Bruce Dickinson]

Kill for gain or shoot to maim

But we don't need a reason
To Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout "Let the creatures out

We'll show the unbeliverers."
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast ... yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two

And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on
you
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night
Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

16. Iron Maiden

[Steve Harris]

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,

Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

17. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Harris]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cuase at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites

I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be there's been some sort of an error

Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream
Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming
It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying?
After all am I not afraid of dying
Don't believe that there never is an end

As the guards march me out to the courtyard

Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God then why has he let me die?

As I walk all my life drifts before me

And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on

Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to see the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand

Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Hallowed be Thy name
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hallowed be Thy name

18. The Trooper

[Harris]

You'll take my life but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run

The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky

My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan

19. Sanctuary

[Steve Harris, Paul Di'anno and Dave Murray]

Out of winter came a warhorse of steel

I've never killed a woman before
But I know how it feels
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

I met up with a stranger last night

To keep me alive
He spends all his time on gambling
And guns to survive
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I can laugh at the wind

I can howl at the rain
Down in the Canyon
Or out on the plain

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight... tonight

20. Running Free

[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

Just sixteen, a pickup truck, out of money, out of luck.

I've got nowhere to call my own, hit the gas, and here I go.

I'm running free yeah, I'm running free.

I'm running free yeah, Oh I'm running free.

Spent the night in an L. A. jail, and listened to the sirens wail.

They ain't got a thing on me, I'm running wild, I'm running free.

Puller here at the Bottle Top, whiskey, dancing, disco hop.

Now all the boys are after me, and that's the way it's gonna be
IRON MAIDEN LYRICS
The X-Factor (1995)

1. Sign Of The Cross

2. Lord Of The Flies
3. Man On The Edge
4. Fortunes Of War
5. Look For The Truth
6. The Aftermath
7. Judgement Of Heaven
8. Blood On The World's Hands
9. The Edge Of Darkness
10. 2 A.M.
11. The Unbeliever

1. Sign Of The Cross

[Steve Harris]

Eleven saintly shrouded men

Silhouettes stand against the sky
One in front with a cross held high
Come to wash my sins away

Standing alone in the wind and rain

Feeling the fear that is growing
Sensing the change in the tide again
Caught by the storm that is brewing
Feel the anxiety hold off the fear
Some of the doubt in the things you beleive
Now that your faith will be put to the test
Nothing to do but await that is coming

Why then is god still protecting me

Even when I don't deserve it
Thought I am blessed with an inner strenght
Some they would call it a penance
Why am I meant to face this alone
Asking the question time and again
Praying to god won't keep me alive
Inside my head feel the fear start to rise...
They'll be saying their prayers when the moment comes
There'll be penace to pay when it's judgement day
And the guilty'll be bleedwhen that moment comes
They'll be coming to claim, take your soul away

The sign of the cross

The name of the rose, a fire in the sky
The sign of the cross

They'll bve coming to bring the eternal flame

They'll be bringing us all immortality
Holding communion so the world be blessed
My creator, my god'll lay my soul to rest

The sign of the cross

The name of the rose, a fire in the sky
The sign of the cross

Lost the love of father above

Chose the lust of the earth below
Eleven saintly shrouded men
Come to wash my sins away

2. Lord Of The Flies

[Steve Harris and Janick Gers]

I don't care for this world anymore

I just want to live my own fantasy
Faith has brought me to these shores
What was meant to be is now happening

I've found that I like this living in danger

Living on the edge it feels... it makes me feel as one
Who cares now what's right or wrong it's reality
Killing so we survive wherever we may roam
Wherever we may hide we've got to get away

I don't want existence to end

We must prepare ourselves for the elements
I just want to feel like we're strong
We don't need a code of morality
I like all the mixed emotion and anger
It brings out the animal the power you can feel
And feeling so high on this much adrenalin
Excited but scary to beleive what we've become

Saints and sinners

Something within us
We are lord of the flies

Saints and sinners

Something willing us
To be lord of the flies

3. Man On The Edge

[Blaze Bayley and Janick Gers]

The freeway is jammed and it's backed up for miles

The car is an over and baking is wild
Nothing is ever the way it should be
What we deserve we just don't get you see

A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge

Each step gets closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven are they looking down
'Cause nothing is fair just you look around

Falling down

He's sick of waiting of lying like this

There's a hole in the sky for the angels to kiss
Branded a leper because you don't fit
In the land of the free you can live by your wits

Once he built missiles a nation's defence

Now he can't even give birthday presents
Across the city he leaves in his wake
A glimpse of the future a cannibal state

Falling down

The freeway is jammed and it's backed up for miles

The car is an over and baking is wild
Nothing is ever the way it should be
What we deserve we just don't get you see

A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge

Each step gets closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven are they looking down
'Cause nothing is fair just you look around

Falling down

4. Fortunes Of War

[Harris]

After the war and now that they've sent us homeward

I can't help but feel that I'm on my own
No one can see just what this conflict has done to
The minds of the man who are on their way home

I'm scared for life but it's not my flesh that's wounded
So how can I face the torment alone
The vivid scenes and all the recurring nightmares
I lay there and sweat until it gets light...

People say "Don't worry"

Say that time's a perfect healer
That the nightmares they will come to pass
Can't hear what they're saying
I am living in my own world
And I'm feeling trance like all the time

I hear voices in my head

Could I really be going crazy
In the night the visions seem so real
Do you care if you live or die
When you laugh are you really crying
You're not sure what's feel anymore

Fortunes of war
Fortunes of war no pain anymore

Sometimes I wake
I feel that my spirit's broken
I wonder if I've the strenght... to carry on.

5. Look For The Truth

[Blaze Bayley, Janick Gers and Steve Harris]

All my dark dreams drift like smoke in the breeze

The fear grips me as I fall towards my sleep
Here comes the nightmare that never ends
Here is the dream that makes monsters of men

In the house of my soul

In rooms of ugliness and cold
Memories locked away
All the doubts and fears I never faced

Now they come again

I am falling down to meet with them
Fears within us all
Mine awake and they stand up tall

Look for the truth

Deepest cut of all from you
Knife of the truth
Blade of haterd slicing through

I pray my sleep will break

Maybe this time I won't wake
Weakness I hide so well
This dagger in my mind will tell

It's my final stand

I make a fist out of each hand
To shadowds of the past
Take a breath and I scream attack

Look for the truth

Deepest cut of all from you
Knife of the truth
Blade of haterd slicing through

Here is the truth

Deepest cut of all from you
Knife of the truth
Blade of haterd slicing through

6. The Aftermath

[Steve Harris, Blaze Bayley and Janick Gers]

Silently to silence fall

In the fields of futile war
Toys of death are spitting lead
Where boys that were our soldiers bled
War horse and war machine

Curse the name of liberty

Marching on as if they should
Mix in the dirt our brothers' blood

In the mud and rain

What are we fighting for
Is it worth the pain
Is it worth dying for
Who will take the blame
Why did they make a war
Questions that come again
Should we be fighting at all

Once a ploughman hitches his team

Here he sowed ? his little dream
Now bodies arms and legs are strewn
Where mustard gas and barbwire bloom
Each moment's like a year
I've nothing legt ? inside for tears
Comrades dead or dying lie
I'm left alone asking why

In the mud and rain

What are we fighting for
Is it worth the pain
Is it worth dying for
Who will take the blame
Why did they make a war
Questions that come again
Should we be fighting at all
After the war
Left feeling no one has won
After the war
What does a soldier become

War is over and battles are gone

After the war no one has won
I'm just a soldier

7. Judgement Of Heaven

[Steve Harris]

A lonely cry for help peaching out for help to anymore

A silent prayer to god to help you on your way
I've been depressed so long
It's hard to remember when I was happy
I've felt like suicide a dozen times or more
But that's the easy way, that's the selfish way
The hardest part is to get on with your life

You're searching in the dark clutching at straws to find a way

You take the tarot cards and throw them to the wind
You ? question your beliefs your inner thoughts,
Your whole existence
And if there is a good then answer if you will
And tell me of my fate, tell me of my place
Tell me if I'll ever rest in peace

If you could live your life again

Would you change a thing or leave it all the same
If you had the chance again
Would you change the thing at all
When you look back at your past
Can you say that you are proud of what you've done
Are there times when you believe
That the right you thought was wrong

All of my life I have believed

Judgement of heaven is waiting for me

All of my life now I have believed

Judgement of heaven awaits for me...

8. Blood On The World's Hands

[Harris]

Sometimes it makes me wonder

Sometimes it makes me question
Sometimes it makes me saddened
Always it makes me angry but...

When you can see it happening

The madness that's all around you
Nobody seems to worry
The world seems so powerless to act...

It's out of control

Blood on the world's hands
Each day a new toll

Another assassination
The same day a new creation
But what are they coming into
Security of a world that brings...

One day another killing

Somewhere there's someone starying
Another a savage raping
Meanwhile there's someone laughing at us

It's out of control

Blood on the world's hands
Each day it goes on

Brutality and aggression

Tomorrow another lesson
Expecting another air raid
Praying for a geaserfire

They say things are getting better

No need to be complacent
There's chaos across the border
And one day it could be happening to us
It's out of control
Blood on the world's hands
It's our epitaph
It's out of control
Someone should know
Blood on the world's hands

9. The Edge Of Darkness

[Harris / Bayley / Gers]

I've looked into the heart of darkness

Where the blood red journey ends
When you've faced the heart of darkness
Even your soul begins begins to bend

For a week I have been waiting

Still I am only in saigon
The walls moves in a little closer
I feel the jungle call me on

Every minute I get weaker

While in the jungle they grow strong
What I wanted was a mission
And for my sins they gave me one

They brought it up just like room service

'Cause everyone gets what they want
And when that mission was all over
I'd never want another one

I know, captain, that you've done this work before

We've got a problem you can help us I'm sure
The Colonel's gone rogue, and his methods are unsound
You'll take a PBR up river; Track Him Drown!

There's a conflict in every human heart

And the temptation is to take it all too far
In this war things get so confused
But there are some things which cannot be excused

He's acting [?] like a god - an insane lunatic

Your mission - exterminate with extreme prejudice
The route is dangerous and your progress may be slow
Here is the file and it's all you need to know

Here I am the knife in my hand

And now I understand why the genius must die

Now I stand alone in the darkness

With his blood upon my hands
Where sat the warrior the poet
Now lie the framents of a man

10. 2 A.M.

[Blaze Bayley, Janick Gers and Steve Harris]

I get in from work at 2 a.m. and sit down with beer

Turn on late night TV and then wonder why I'm here
It's meaningless and trivial and it washes over me
And once again I wonder is this all there is for me

Here I am again
Look at me again
Here I am Again
On my own
Trying hard to see
What there is for me
Here I am again
On my own

Life seems so pathetic I wish I could leave it all behind

This canvas chair, this bed, these walls that fall in on my mind
Hold on for something better
That just drags you through the dirt
Do you just let go or carry on and try to take the hurt

Here I am again
Look at me again
Here I am Again
On my own
Trying hard to see
What there is for me
Here I am again
On my own

11. The Unbeliever

[Steve Harris and Janick Gers]

When you start to take a look within

Do you feel at ease with what you see
Do you think you can have peace of mind
And have self-belief or be satisfied

Do you think you even like yourself

Or really think you could be someone else
Is there something that you'd rather be
Never thought you'd be had the chance to see

All my life I've run away

All my life I tried to hide away

Feel the paranoia creeping in

Like a cancer eating at the skin
Do you feel you've lost yourself esteem
And your self respect, what can you expect

All my life...I've run away

All my life I tried to hide away

All my life...I've run astray

Let my faith...slip away
All my life...I've run astray
Allowed my faith...to drift away

Are you scared to look inside your mind

Are you worried just at what you'll find
Do you really want to face the truth
Does it matter now, what have you got to lose

Try to release the anger from within

Forgive yourself a few immortal sins
Do you really care what people think
Are you strong enough to release the guilt

All my life...I've run away

All my life I tried to hide away

All my life...I've run astray

Let my faith...slip away
All my life...I've run astray
Allowed my faith...to drift away

BLAZE BAYLEY - Vocals

STEVE HARRIS - Bass
DAVE MURRAY - Guitar
JANICK GERS - Guitar
NICKO McBRAIN – Drums

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Man On The Edge (1995 SINGLE)

1. Man On The Edge

2. The Edge Of Darkness
3. Justice Of The Peace
4. Judgement Day
5. I Live My Way

1. Man On The Edge

[Bayley, Gers]

The freeway is jammed

And it's backed up for miles
The car is an oven and baking is wild
Nothing is ever the way it should be
What we deserve we just don't get you see

A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge

Each step gets closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven, are they looking down
Nothing is fair just you look around

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

He's sick of waiting of lying like this

There's a hole in the sky for the angels to kiss
Branded a leper because you don't fit
In the land of the free
You just live by your wits

Once he built missiles a nation's defense

Now he can't even give birthday presents
Across the city he leaves in his wake
A glimpse of the future, a canibal state

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

The freeway is jammed

And it's backed up for miles
The car is an oven and baking is wild
Nothing is ever the way it should be
What we deserve we just don't get you see

A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge

Each step gets closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven, are they looking down
Nothing is fair just you look around

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down
Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

2. The Edge Of Darkness

[Bayley, Gers, Harris]

I've looked into the heart of darkness

Where the blood-red journey ends
When you've faced the heart of darkness
Even your soul begins to bend

For a week I have been wating

Still I am only in Saigon
The walls move in a little closer
I feel the jungle call me on

Every minute I get weaker

While in the jungle they grow strong
What I wanted was a mission
And for my sins they gave me one

They brought it up just like room service

'Cause everyone gets what they want
And when that mission was all over
I'd never want another one

Ooooh!

I know, captain,
That you've done this work before
We've got a problem
You can help us all I'm sure
The colonel's gone rogue
And his methods are unsound
You'll take a PBR up river track him down

There's a conflict in every human heart

And the temptation is to take it all to far
In this war things get so confused
But there are some things
Which cannot be excused
He's acting like a God - an insane lunatic
Your mission - exterminate
With extreme prejudice
The route is dangerous
And your progress may be slow
Here is the file and it's all you need to know

Oooh! Oooh!

Here I am the knife in my hand

And now I understand why the genius must die

Now I stand alone in the darkness

With his blood upon my hands
Where sat the warrior the poet
Now lie the fragments of a man

I've looked into the heart of darkness

Where the blood-red journey ends
When you've faced the heart of darkness
Even your soul begins to bend

3. Justice Of The Peace

[Harris, Murray]

Have you heard on the news

Another let off madman
Another screw on the loose
Is it the judge or the badman

What's the matter these days

No one has the courage to put them away
Nobody has any faith
'Cause there's a breakdown of justice and order

Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace

Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace

When I remember back the memories of yesterday

With all the friends and all the times
When people were carefree
And walking down the street
When everyone knew everyone
And all the houses doors were open
No had to care, those days are gone
Those days are gone
Those days are gone

Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace

Oooh!
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace

I long for the times when you could

Wander down the street unharmed
When poeple didn't have much money
But didn't seem to care
It must be the cynic in me
But I don't really like things now
The violence, the attitudes
Aggression that you see everyday
A sick society looks the other way, Yeah!

4. Judgement Day

[Bayley, Gers]

There are no marks upon a man

That can say he's good or bad
No label and no tell tale sign
That can show he's full of lies

By your deeds you will be known

Time will tell truth will show
As we exhale every breath
We all got closer to our death

What will you say

What will you say
On judgement day
On judgement day
When you look into their eyes
You don't know what they hide
No label and no tell tale sign
That can show he's full of lies

By your deeds you will be known

Time will tell truth will show
As we exhale every breath
We all got closer to our death

What will you say

What will you say
On judgement day
On judgement day

Ignorance is bliss is that the reason

We can not read another's mind
If we knew what thoughts were dancing
Through each others heads
Would we all be driven mad
Would we all be dead

By your deeds you will be known

Time will tell truth will show
As we exhale every breath
We all got closer to our death

What will you say

What will you say
On judgement day
On judgement day

5. I Live My Way

[Bayley, Ger, Harris]

Sometimes when I feel the anger

Sometimes when I'm all alone
Sometimes when I feel surrounded
Like all the doors are closed
I feel like I've been a prisoner
I feel like I've been a tool
Let people try to judge me
When they're not in my shoes

I've lived on my knees

Trying to please
It's time to change

Some people are only happy

When they can watch you fail
And to them every day is
Another coffin nail
I think that I've found the answer
I think that at last I know
We've only got one lifetime
I'll make my life my own

I've lived on my knees

Trying to please
It's time to change
To live my own way

I live my way
Living for today
Don't care what they say

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Virus (1996)

1. Virus
2. Sanctuary
3. Wrathchild
4. My Generation
5. Doctor, Doctor

1. Virus

[Harris/Gers/Murray/Bayley]

There's an evil virus that's threatening mankind

Not state of the art, a serious state of the mind
The muggers, the backstabbers, the two faced elite
A menace to society, a social disease
Rape of the mind is a social disorder
The cynics, the apathy oneupmanship order

Watching beginnings of social decay

Gloating or sneering at life's disarrey
Eating away at your own self esteem
Pouncing on every word that you might be saying

Rape of the mind is a social disorder

The cynics, the apathy oneupmanship order

Superficially smiling a shake of the hand

As soon as the back is turned treachery is planned

Rape of the mind is a social disorder

The cynics, the apathy oneupmanship order

Watching beginnings of social decay

Gloating or sneering...at life's disarrey

When every good thing's laid to waste

By all the jealuosy and hate
By all the acid wit and rapier lies

And every time you think you're safe

And when you go to turn away
You know they're sharpening all their paper knives

All in your mind

All in your head
Try to relate it

All in your mind

All in your head
Try to escape it

Without a conscience they destroy

And that's thing that they enjoy
They're a sickness that's in all our minds

They want to sink the ship and leave

The way they laugh at you and me
You know it happens all the time
All in your mind
All in your head
Try to relate it

All in your mind

All in your head
Try to escape it

The rats in the cellar you know who you are...

Or do you?

Watching beginnings of social decay........

2. Sanctuary

[Harris, Di'Anno, Murray]

Out of winter came a warhorse of steel

I've never killed a woman before
But I know how it feels
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

I met up with a stranger last night

To keep me alive
He spends all his time on gambling
And guns to survive
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law
So give me Sanctuary from the law
And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I can laugh at the wind

I can howl at the rain
Down in the Canyon
Or out on the plain

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

3. Wrathchild

[Harris]

I was born into a scene of angriness and greed, and dominance and
persecution.
My mother was a queen, my dad I've never seen, I was never meant
to be.

Now I spend my time looking all around,

For a man that's nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

'Cause I'm a wrathchild, well I'm a wrathchild.

Yeah I'm a wrathchild. I'm coming to get you, oooh yeah.

Oooh yeah

Say it doesn't matter ain't nothin' gonna alter the course of my

destination.
I know I've got to find some serious piece of mind, or I know I'll go
crazy.

But now I spend my time looking all around,

For a man thats nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

'Cause I'm a wrathchild, well I'm a wrathchild.

Yeah I'm a wrathchild. I'm coming to get you, oooh yeah.

4. My Generation

[Pete Townsend]

People try to put us d-down. Talking about my generation

Just because we get around. Talking about my generation
Things they do look awful c-c-cold. Talking about my generation
I hope I die before I get old. Talking about my generation
This is my generation,
This is my generation, baby.

Why don't you all f-fade away? Talking about my generation

Don't try and dig what we all s-s-say. Talking about my generation
I'm not tryin' to cause a big s-s-sensation, Talking about my
generation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my generation. Talking about my generation
It's my generation,
It's my generation, baby.
It's my generation, baby.

Talking about my generation

Talking about my generation
Talking about my generation
Talking about my generation

It's my generation,
It's my generation, baby.

Why don't you all f-fade away? Talking about my generation

Yeah, don't try d-dig what we all s-s-s-s-s-say. Talking about my
generation
Not tryin' to cause a big sensation, Talking about my generation
Just talkin' 'bout my g-generation. Talking about my generation
Yeah, my generation,
My generation, baby,
My generation, baby,

People try to put us d-down Talking about my generation

Just because we g-g-g-get around. Talking about my generation
Things they do look awful c-c-cold. Talking about my generation
I hope I die before I get old. Talking about my generation

It's my generation,
This is my generation, baby,
This is my generation, my generation baby,
This is my generation, my generation baby,
This is my generation, my generation baby,
This is my generation, my generation baby,

People try to put us d-down, my generation

Just because we g-g-g-get around, my generation
Things they do look awful c-c-cold, my generation
I hope I die before I get old, my generation
ma-ma-my generation.

This is my generation, my generation baby,

This is my generation, my generation baby,
This is my generation, my generation baby,
This is my generation, my generation baby,
People try to put us d-down

5. Doctor, Doctor

[Schenker, Mogg]

Doctor doctor, please

Don't ypu know I'm goin' fast
Doctor doctor, please oh, the mess I'm in
She walked up to me and really stole my heart
And then she started to take my body apart

Livin' lovin' I'm on the run

So far away from you
Livin' lovin' I'm on the run
So far away from you
Doctor doctor, please
Don't ypu know, I'm goin' fast
Doctor doctor, please, Don't ypu know, I'm goin' fast
It's only just a moment
She's turning paranoid
That's not a situation for a nervous boy

Doctor doctor, please

Don't ypu know, I'm goin' fast
Doctor doctor, please oh, the mess I'm in
But you look so angry as I crawled across your floor
She's got the strength, and I just can't take any more

Livin' lovin' I'm on the run

So far away from you
Livin' lovin' I'm on the run
So far away from you

Oooh! I'm on the run

BLAZE BAYLEY - vocals

STEVE HARRIS - bass
DAVE MURRAY - guitar
JANICK GERS - guitar
NICKO McBRIAN – drums

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Best Of The Beast (1996)

1. Virus
2. Sign Of The Cross
3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers
4. Man On The Edge
5. Be Quick Or Be Dead
6. Fear Of The Dark
7. Holy Smoke
8. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter
9. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son
10. Can I Play With Madness
11. The Evil That Men Do
12. The Clairvoyant
13. Heaven Can Wait
14. Wasted Years
15. 2 Minutes To Midnight
16. Running Free
17. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner
18. Aces High
19. Where Eagles Dare
20. The Trooper
21. The Number Of The Beast
22. Revelations
23. The Prisoner
24. Run To The Hills
25. Hallowed Be Thy Name
26. Wrathchild
27. Killers
28. Remember Tomorrow
29. Phantom Of The Opera
30. Sanctuary
31. Prowler
32. Invasion
33. Strange World
34. Iron Maiden

1. Virus

[Harris/Gers/Murray/Bayley]

There's an evil virus that's threatening mankind

Not state of the art, a serious state of the mind
The muggers, the backstabbers, the two face elite
A menace to society, a social disease.

Rape of the mind is a social disorder

The cynics, the apathy oneupmanship order

Watching beginnings of social decay

Gloating or seering at life's disarray
Eating away at your own self esteem
Pouncing on every word that you might be saying

Rape of the mind is a social disorder

The cynics, the apathy oneupmanship order

Superficially smiling a shake of the hand

As soon as the back is turned treachery is planned
Rape of the mind is a social disorder
The cynics, the apathy oneupmanship order

Watching beginnings of social decay

Gloating or seering...at life'ss disarray

When every good thing?s laid to waste

By all the jealousy and hate
By all the acid wit and rapier lies

And every time you think you're safe

And when you go to turn away
You know they're sharpening all their papers knives

All in your mind

All in your head
Try to relate it

All in your mind

All in your head
Try to escape it

Without a conscience they destroy

And that's a thing that they enjoy
They're a sickness that's in all our minds

They want to sink the ship and leave

The way they laugh at you and me
You know it happens all the time

All in your mind

All in your head
Try to relate it

All in your mind

All in your head
Try to escape it

The rats in the cellar you know who you are..

Or do you?
Try to relate it

Watching beginnings of social decay...

2. Sign Of The Cross

[Harris]

Eleven saintly shrouded mem

Silhouettes stand against the sky
One in front whit a cross held high
Come to wash my sins away

Standing alone in the wind and rain

Feeling the fear that is growing
Sensing the change in the tide again
Brought by the storm that is brewing
Feel the anxiety hold off the fear

Some of the doubt in the things you believe

Now that your faith will be put to the test
Nothing to do but await what is coming

3. Afraid To Shoot Strangers

[Harris]

Lying awake at night I wipe the sweat

from my brow
But it's not the fear 'cos
I'd rather go now

Trying to visualize the horrors that

will lay ahead
The desert sand mound a burial ground

When it comes to the time

Are we partners in crime?
When it comes to the time
Will be ready to die

God let us go now and finish what's

to be done
Thy Kingdom Come
Thy shall be done... on earth
Trying to justify to ourselves the
reasons to go
Should we live and let live
Forget or forgive

But how can we let them go on this way?

The reign of terror corruption must end
And we know deep down there's
no other way
No trust, no reasoning, no more to say

Afraid to shoot strangers

Afraid to shoot strangers

4. Man On The Edge

[Bayley/Gers]

The freeway is jammed

and it's backed up for miles
The car is an oven and baking is wild
Nothing is ever the way it should be
What we deserve we just don't get you see

A briefcase a lunch and a man on the edge

Each step gets closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven are they looking down
Cause nothing is fair just you look around

Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

He's sick of waiting of lying like this

There's a hole in the sky for the angels to kiss
Branded a leper because you don't fit
In the land of the free
you can live by your wits

Once he built missiles a nation's defence

Now he can't even give birthday presents
Accross the city he leaves in his wake
A glimpse of the future a cannibal state
Falling down
Falling down
Falling down

5. Be Quick Or Be Dead

[Dickinson / Gers]

Covered in sinners and dripping

with gilt
Making you money from slime
and from filth
Parading your bellies in ivory towers
Investing our lives in your schemes
and your powers

You got to watch them - Be quick

or be dead
Snake eyes in heaven - The thief
in your head
You've got to watch them - Be quick
or be dead
Snake eyes in heaven - The thief
in your head...
Be quick!
Or be dead!
Be quick!
Or be dead

See... what's ruling all our lives

See... who's pulling the strings...
I bet you won't fall on your face...
Your belly will hold you in place

The serpent is crawling inside of

your ear
He says you must vote for what you
want to hear
Don't matter what's wrong as long as you're
alright
So pull yourself stupid and rob
yourself blind
6. Fear Of The Dark

[Harris]

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's
always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's
always there

Have you run your fingers down

the wall
And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light?
Sometimes when you're scared
to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's
watching you

Have you ever been alone at night

Thought you heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no one's there?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's
someone there
Watching horror films the night before
Debating witches and folklores
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have constant fear that something's
always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's
always there

When I'm walking a dark road

I am a man who walks alone

7. Holy Smoke

[Harris - Dickinson]

Believe in me send no money

I died on the cross and that ain't funny
But my so called friends they're making me a joke
They missed out what I said like I never spoke
They choose what they wanna hear they don't tell a lie
They just leave out the truth as they're watching you die
They're saving your souls by taking your money
Flies around shit bees around honey

Holy Smoke, Holy Smoke

There's plenty bad preachers for the Devil to stoke
Feed 'em in feet first this is no joke
This is thirsty work making Holy Smoke yeah
Making Holy Smoke

Jimmy Reptile and all his friends

Say they gonna be with you at the end
Burning records burning books
Holy soldiers Nazi looks
Crocodile smiles just wait a while
Till the TV Queen gets her make - up clean
I've lived in filth I've lived in sin
And I still smell cleaner than the shit you're in

[Chorus:]
They ain't religious but they ain't no fools
When Noah built his Cadillac it was cool
Two by two they're still going down
And the satellite circus just left town
I think they're strange and when they're dead
They can have a Lincoln for their bed
Friend of the President trick of the tail
Now they ain't got a prayer 100 years in jail

8. Bring Your Daughter... To The Slaughter

[Dickinson]

Honey its getting close to midnight

And all the myths are in town
True love and lipstick on your linen
Bite the pillow make no sound
If there's some living to be done
Before your life becomes your tomb
You'd better know that i'm the one
So unchain your back door invite me around

Honey its getting close to daybreadk

The sun is creeping in the sky
No patent remedies for heartache
Just empty words and humble pie
So get down on your kneees honey
Assume an attitude
You just pray that I'll be waiting
Cos you know I'm coming soon

So pick up your foolish pride, no going back

No where, no way, no place to hide

Bring your daughter, bring your daughter to the slaughter

Let her go, let her go, let her go

9. Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son

[Harris]

Here they stand brothers them all

All the sons divided they'd fall
Here await the birth of the son
The seventh, the heavenly, the chosen one
Here the birth from an unbroken line
Born the healer the seventh, his time
Unknowingly blessed and as his life unfolds
Slowly unveiling the power he holds

Seventh son of a seventh son

Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son

Then they watch the progress he makes

The Good and the Evil which path will he take
Both of them trying to manipulate
The use of his powers before it's too late

Seventh son of a seventh son

Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son
Seventh son of a seventh son

Today is born the seventh one

Born of woman the seventh son
And he in turn of a seventh son
He has the power to heal
He has the gift of the second sight
He is the chosen one
So it shall be written
So it shall be done

10. Can I Play With Madness

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Give me the sense to wonder

To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place
Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

I screamed aloud to the old man

I said don't lie don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for your mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said do you want to know the truth son
- I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in the lake of fire

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

Can I play with madness - the prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laughed at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

11. The Evil That Men Do

[Smith/Dickinson/Harris]

Love is a razor and I walked the line on that silver blade

Slept in the dust with his daughter, her eyes red with
The slaughter of innocence
But I will pray for her
I will call her name out loud
I would bleed for her
If only I could see her now

Living on a razors edge

Balancing on a ledge
Living on a razors edge

The evil that men do lives on and on.....

The evil that men do lives on and on.....
The evil that men do lives on and on.....
The evil that men do lives on and on.....

Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems

The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me
But I will pray for you
And some day I may return
Don't you cry for me
Beyond is where I learn

12. The Clairvoyant

[Harris]

Feel the sweat break on my brow

Is it me or is it shadows that are
Dancing on the walls
Is this a dream or is it now
Is this a vision or normality I see
Before my eyes

I wonder why I wonder how

That it seems the powers getting stronger
Every day
I feel a strength an inner fire
But I'm scared I won't be able to control it anymore

There's a time to live and a time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's a time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying

Just by looking through your eyes

He could see the future penetrating right
In through your mind
See the truth and see your lies
But for all his power couldn't foresee his own demise

There's a time to live and a time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's a time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying...
... and reborn again?

13. Heaven Can Wait

[Harris]

Can't understand what is happening to me,

This isn't real, this is only a dream,
But I never have felt, no I never have felt this way before,
I'm looking down on my body below,
I lie asleep in the midst of a dream,
Is it now could it be that the angel of death has come for me?
I can't believe that really my time has come,
I don't feel ready, there's so much left undone,
And it's my soul and I'm not gonna let it get away.

Heaven can wait,

Heaven can wait,
Heaven can wait,
Heaven can wait til another day.

I have a lust for the Earth below

And Hell itself is my only foe,
'Cause I've no fear of dying,
I'll go when I'm good and ready,
I snatch a glimpse of the light's eternal rays,
I see a tunnel, I stand amazed,
At all of the people standing there in front of me,
Into the paths of rightness I'll be led,
Is this the place where the living join the dead?
I wish I knew this was only just a nightmare.

Take my hand, I'll lead you to the promised land,

Take my hand, I'll give you immortality,
Eternal youth, I'll take you to the other side,
To see the truth, the path for you is decided.

Oh Oh [lots]

My body tingles, I feel so strange,

I feel so tired, I feel so drained,
And I'm wondering if I'll ever be the same again,
Is this in limbo or in Heaven or Hell?
Maybe I'm going down there as well,
I can't accept my soul will drift forever
I feel myself floating back down to Earth,
So could this be the hour of my rebirth?
Or have I died or will I wake from dreaming?

14. Wasted Years

[Smith]

From the coast of gold, across the seven seas,

I'm travelling on, far and wide,
But now it seems, I'm just a stranger to myself,
And all the things I sometimes do, it isn't me but someone else.

I close my eyes, and think of home,

Another city goes by, in the night,
Ain't it funny how it is, you never miss it til it's gone away,
And my heart is lying there and will be til my dying day.

So understand Don't waste your time always searching for those

wasted years,
Face up...make your stand,
And realise you're living in the golden years.

Too much time on my hands, I got you on my mind,

Can't ease this pain, so easily,
When you can't find the words to say, it's hard to make it through
another day,
And it makes me wanna cry, and throw my hands up to the sky.

So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years,
Face up...make your stand,
And realise you're living in the golden years.

15. 2 Minutes To Midnight

[Adrian Smith/Bruce Dickinson]

Kill for gain or shoot to maim

But we don't need a reason
To Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout "Let the creatures out

We'll show the unbeliverers."
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast ... yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two

And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on
you
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.
2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

16. Running Free

[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

Just sixteen, a pickup truck, out of money, out of luck.

I've got nowhere to call my own, hit the gas, and here I go.

I'm running free yeah, I'm running free.

I'm running free yeah, Oh I'm running free.

Spent the night in an L. A. jail, and listened to the sirens wail.

They ain't got a thing on me, I'm running wild, I'm running free.

Puller here at the Bottle Top, whiskey, dancing, disco hop.

Now all the boys are after me, and that's the way it's gonna be

17. Rime Of The Ancient Mariner

[Steve Harris]

Hear the rime of the ancient mariner

See his eye as he stops one of three
Mesmerises one of the wedding guests
Stay here and listen to the nightmares of the sea.

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by

Caught by his spell and the mariner tells his tale.

Driven south to the land of the snow and ice

To a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross
Hailed in God's name, hoping good luck it brings.

And the ship sails on, back to the North

Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on.

The mariner kills the bird of good omen

His shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears, they justify him
And make themselves a part of the crime.

Sailing on and on and north across the sea

Sailing on and on and north 'til all is calm.

The albatross begins with its vengeance

A terrible curse a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the mariner
About his neck, the dead bird is hung.

And the curse goes on and on at sea

And the curse goes on and on for them and me.

"Day after day, day after day,

we stuck nor breath nor motion
as idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water, water everywhere and
all the boards did shrin
Water, water everywhere nor any drop to drink."

There calls the mariner

There comes a ship over the line
But how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no tide.
See...onward she comes
Onward she nears out of the sun
See, she has no crew
She has no life, wait but here's two.

Death and she Life in Death,

They throw their dice for the crew
She wins the mariner and he belongs to her now.
Then...crew one by one
they drop down dead, two hundred men
She...she, Life in Death.
She lets him live, her chosen one.

"One after one by the star dogged moon,

too quick for groan or sigh
each turned his facce with a ghastly pang
and cursed me with his eye
four times fifty living men
(and I heard nor sigh nor groan)
with heavy thump, a lifeless lump,
they dropped down one by one."

The curse it lives on in their eyes

The mariner wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures
But they lived on, so did he.

and by the light of the moon

He prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them
God's creatures all of them too.

Then the spell starts to break

The albatross falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the sea
Then down in falls comes the rain.

Hear the groans of the long dead seamen

See them stir and they start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits
None of them speak and they're lifelesss in their eyes

And revenge is still sought, penance starts again

Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on.

Now the curse is finally lifted

And the mariner sights his home
spirits go fromhe long dead bodies
Form their own light and the mariner's left alone.

And then a boat came sailing towards him

It was a joy he could not believe
The pilot's boat, his son and the hermit,
Penance of life will fall onto him.

And the ship sinks like lead into the sea

And the hermit shrieves the mariner of his sins.

The mariner's bound to tell of his story

To tell this tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example
That we must love all things thaat God made.

And the wedding guest's a sad and wiser man

And the tale goes on and on and on.

18. Aces High

[Steve Harris]

There goes the siren that warns off the air raid
Then comes the sound of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne
Got to get up for the coming attack.

Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines

Remove all the wheelblocks there's no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway
Gotta get airborne before it's too late.

Running, scrambling, flying

Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live. Aces high.

Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers

Let off a sharp burst and then turn away
Roll over, spin round and come in behind them
Move to their blindsides and firing again.

Bandits at 8 O'clock move in behind us

Ten ME-109's out of the sun
Ascending and turning our spitfires to face them
Heading straight for them I press down my guns
Rolling, turning, diving
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Run, live to fly, fly to live, Aces high.

19. Where Eagles Dare

[Harris]

It's snowing outside the rumbling sound

of engines roar in the night.
The mission is near the confident men
are waiting to drop from the sky.

The Blizzard goes on but still they must fly

No one should go where eagles dare.

Bavarian alps that lay all around

they seem to stare from below.
The enemy lines a long time passed
are lying deep in the snow.

Into the night they fall through the sky

No one should fly where eagles dare.

They're closing in the fortress is near

it's standing high in the sky.
The cable car's the only way in
it's really impossible to climb.

They make their way but maybe too late

They've got to try to save the day.

The panicking cries the roaring of guns

are echoing all around the valley.
The mission complete they make to escape
away from the Eagles Nest.

They dared to go where no one would try

they chose to fly where eagles dare.

20. The Trooper

[Harris]

You'll take my life but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run

The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky

My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan

21. The Number Of The Beast

[Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the beast
with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast
for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and sixty
six."
Revelations ch. xiii v. 18
I left alone my mind was blank
I needed time to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw

that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they

reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

Cos in my dreams it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
was all this for real or some kind of hell
666 the Number of the Beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

as they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
the ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the Number of the Beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or some crazy dream
but I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
they seem to mesmerise me...can't avoid their eyes
666 the Number of the Beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course

22. Revelations

[Dickinson]
"O God of Earth and Altar,
Bow down and hear our cry,
Our earthly rulers falter,
Our people drift and die,
The walls of gold entomb us,
The swords of scorn divide,
Take not thy thunder from us,
But take away our pride."
(G. K. Chesterton; English Hymnal)

Just a babe in the black abyss,

No reason for a place like this,
The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain,
An easy way for the blind to go,
A clever path for the fools who know
the Secret of the Hanged Man-the smile on his lips.
The light of the Blind-you'll see,
The venom that tears my spine,
The Eyes of the Nile are opening-you'll see.

She came to me with a serpent's kiss,

As the Eye of the Sun Rose on her lips,
Moonlight catches silver tears I cry,
So we lay in the black embrace,
And the Seed is sown in a holy place
And I watched, and I waited for the dawn.

The light of the Blind-you'll see,

The venom that tears my spine,
The Eyes of the Nile are opening-you'll see.

Bind all of us together,

Ablaze with Hope and Free,
No storm or heavy weather
Will rock the boat you'll see.
The time has come to close your eyes
And still the wind and rain,
For the one who will be King
Is the Watcher in the Ring,
It is You.

23. The Prisoner

[Smith/Harris]

On the run kill to eat

You're starving now you're dead on your feet
Going all the way nature's beast
Do what I want as I please

Run fight to breathe it's tough

Now you see me now you don't
Break the walls I'm coming out

Not a prisoner I'm a free man

And my blood is my own now
Don't care where the past was
I know where I'm going ... out

If you kill me it's self defence

If I kill you then I call it vengeance
Spit in your eye I will defy
You'll be afraid when I call out your name

I'm not a number I'm a free man

I'll live my life how I want to
You'd better scratch me from your black book
Cos I'll run rings round you

24. Run To The Hills

[Harris]

White man came across the sea

Brought us pain and misery
Killed our tribes killed our creed
Took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom a stab in the back
Women and children and cowards attack

Run to the hills run for your lives

Run to the hills run for your lives

Soldier blue on the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whisky and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills run for your lives

25. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Harris]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cuase at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites

I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be there's been some sort of an error

Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream

Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming

It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying?
After all am I not afraid of dying
Don't believe that there never is an end

As the guards march me out to the courtyard

Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God then why has he let me die?
As I walk all my life drifts before me
And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on

Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to see the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand

Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Hallowed be Thy name
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hallowed be Thy name

26. Wrathchild

[Steve Harris]

I was born into a scene

of angriness and greed
of dominance and persecution

My mother was a queen

my dad I'd never seen
I was never meant to be.

Now I spend my time

looking all around
For a man that's nowhere to
be found,
Until I find him, I'm never
gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man,
gonna travel round

Cos I'm a wrathchild

Well I'm a wrathchild
Yeah I'm a wrathchild
Some say it shouldn't matter,
ain't nothing gonna alter
the course of my destination

But I know I've gotta find

some serious peace of mind
or I know I'll just go crazy.

27. Killers

[Paul Di'Anno and Steve Harris]

You walk through the subway, his eyes burn a hole in your back,
A footstep behind you, he lunges prepared for attack.
Scream for mercy, he laughs as he's watching you bleed,
Killer behind you, his blood lust defies all his needs.

My innocent victims are slaughtered with wrath and despise,

The mocking religion of hatred that burns in the night.
I have no one, I'm bound to destroy all this greed,
A voice inside me compelling to satisfy me.

I can see what a knife's meant to be,

And you'll never know how I came to forsee, see, see.

My faith in believing is stronger than lifelines and ties,

With the glimmer of metal my moment is ready to strike.

Death call arises, a scream breaks the still of the night,

Another tomorrow, remember to walk in the light!
I have found you, and now there is no place to run,
Excitement shakes me, oh God help me what have I done?!
Oooh yeah, I've done it!

You walk through the subway, my eyes burn a hole in your back,
A footstep behind you, he lunges prepared for attack.
Scream for mercy, he laughs as he's watching you bleed,
Killer behind you, my blood lust defies all my needs.
Oooh look out, I'm coming for you!

28. Remember Tomorrow

[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

Unchain the colours before my eyes,

Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.

Tears for rememberance, and tears for joy,

Tears for somebody and this lonely boy.
Out in the madness, the all seeing eye,
Flickers above us, to light up the sky.

Unchain the colours before my eyes,

Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.

29. Phantom Of The Opera

[Steve Harris]

I've been looking so long for you now you won't get away from my
grasp.
You've been living so long in hiding in hiding behind that false mask
And you know and I know that you ain't got long now to last.
Your looks and your feelings are just the remains of your past.

You're standing in the wings, there you wait for the curtain to fall.
Knowing the terror and holding you have on us all.
Yeah, I know that you're gonna scratch me, maim me and maul.
You know I'm helpless from your mesmerising cat call.

Keep your distance, walk away, don't take his bait.

Don't you stray, don't fade away.
Watch your step, he's out to get you, come what may.
Don't you stray, from the narrow way.

I'm running and hiding in my dreams you're always there.

You're the Phantom of the Opera, you're the devil, you're just out to
scare.
You damaged my mind and my soul it just floats through the air.
Haunt me, you taunt me, you torture me back at your lair.
30. Sanctuary

[Steve Harris, Paul Di'anno and Dave Murray]

Out of winter came a warhorse of steel

I've never killed a woman before
But I know how it feels
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

I met up with a stranger last night

To keep me alive
He spends all his time on gambling
And guns to survive
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I can laugh at the wind

I can howl at the rain
Down in the Canyon
Or out on the plain

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

31. Prowler

[Steve Harris]

Walking through the city, looking oh so pretty,

I've just got to find my way.
See the ladies flashing. All there legs and lashes.
I've just got to find my way.

Well you see me crawling through the bushes with it open wide.
What you seeing girl?
Can't you believe that feeling, can't you believe it,
Can't you believe your eyes?
It's the real thing girl.

Got me feeling myself and reeling around,

Got me talking but feel like walking around.
Got me feeling myself and reeling a...
Got me talking but nothing's with me...

Got me feeling myself and reeling around.

32. Invasion

[Harris]

The Vikings are coming

You'd better get ready for we're having a fight
The longboats are coming
It's looking like their? in the dead of the night

Muster the men from all the villages

You'd better get ready to fight with your enemies
Beacons are burning
I'm giving the word to get ready to fight
The battle is nearing
You'd better get ready to fight for your lives

The Norsemen are coming

The Norsemen are coming
The warnings are given
The Norsemen are coming

Raping and pillaging

Robbing and looting the land

Viking raiders from afar

33. Strange World

[Steve Harris]

The only place where you can dream, living here is not what it seems.
Ship of white light in the sky, nobody there to reason why.
Here I am, I'm not really there, smiling faces ever so rare.
A let's walk in deepest space, living here just isn't the place.

Stalks of light come from the ground, when I cry there isn't a sound.
All my feelings cannot be held, I'm happy in my new strange world.
Shades of green grasses twine, girls drinking plasma wine.
A look at love, a dream unfolds, living here, you'll never grow old.

Don't you hear me call? Ooh

34. Iron Maiden

[Steve Harris]

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,

Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Virtual XI (1998)

1. Futureal
2. The Angel And The Gambler
3. Lightning Strikes Twice
4. The Clansman
5. When Two Worlds Collide
6. The Educated Fool
7. Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger
8. Como Estais Amigos

1. Futureal

[Harris/Bayley]

I'm running of my time, I'm running out of breath

And now it's getting, so I can't sleep at night
in the day, I feel like death

I'm getting in far too deep, I feel they closing in

I've got to say that I'm scared, I know they'll win
Even so, I prepared

[Chorus:]
Do you believe, what you hear
Can you believe, what you see
Do you believe, what you feel
Can you believe

What is real?
Futureal
What is real?
Futureal
Wherever anyone seems to treat me like a freak
It makes me see I'm only one who feels
That I know what is real

Sometimes it feels like a game of deadly hide and seek

And when you reading this, then I will be gone
Maybe then, you will see

[Chorus 2 times]

2. The Angel And The Gambler

[Harris]

Roll of the dice

Take a spin of the wheel
Out of your hands now
So how do you feel but you're never gonna win
You'd better go back again

Do you feel lucky?

Or do you feel scared
Take that luck brings
And the devil may care
But you're down on your luck
Will the next day bring?

Adrift on the ocean

Afloat on the daydream
Or lost in a maze
Or blind in the haze
So what does it matter
So why don't you answer
So why did you send
An angel to mend

Best make decisions

Before it's too late
Take all your chances
Take all hold of the reins
A roll of the dice
Ahead of the game again
Nothing to lose
But so much to gain
A little danger
It goes without saying
But what do you care
You're gonna go in the end

Gate open to heaven

Is ready and waiting
Or straight down to hell
Can go there as well

I'll suffer my craving

My soul not worth saving
So why don't you go
Just leave well alone

Don't you think I'm a saviour

Don't you think I could save you
Don't you think I could save your life

There's like a hunger

That knocks on your door
You've had a taste of it
Still you want more
You've made your mistakes
Won't play it same again

You have been warned

But still you plunge in
You play high stakes
But there's nothing to win
You've only one life
And so many things to learn

The angel on one side

The devil the other
Which path do you take
Decisions to make

Arrive on the crossroads

You know where you're going
And what if you wait
It maybe too late

Don't you think I'm a saviour

Don't you think I could save you
Don't you think I could save Your life

3. Lightning Strikes Twice

[Murray / Harris]

I feel the breeze on my face in expectance

Not very long before the storm reaches here
Off in the distance the lightning is flashing again
Feel something strong as the power draws near

Is it the rolling thunder that scares you

Is it the crashing of clouds that hold fear
But all I know as I sit in a corner alone
It takes me back to my childhood again

And as I wait and look for an answer

To all the things going round in my head
I ask myself could it be a disaster and when
It's maybe threatening to happen again

As the ominous light draws near

There's a lone dog howls in the park
All the people hurry inside
As the lightning flash lights dark
The storm is nearly here
Only god will know

You're sitting alone you watch

As the wind is blowing treetops
And the swaying rusting of leaves
Plenty all time to perceive
As you wait for rain to fall
Only god knows
The whole sky glows

Maybe lightning strikes twice

Maybe lightning strikes Twice
4. The Clansman

[Steve Harris]

Wake alone in the hills

With the wind in your face
It feels good to be proud
And be free and a race
That is part of a clan
And to live on highlands
And the air that you breathe
So pure and so clean

When alone on the hills

With the wind in your hair
With a longing to feel
Just to be free

It is right to believe
In the need to be free
It's a time when you die
And without asking why
Can't you see what they do
They are grinding us down
They are taking our land
That belongs to the clans

Not alone with a dream

Just a want to be free
With a need to belong
I am a clansman...

Freedom [x4]

It's a time wrough with fear

It's a land wrough with change
Ancestors could hear
What is happening now
They would turn in their graves
They would all be ashamed
That the land of the free
Has been written in chains
And I know what I want
When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman

And I swear to defend

And we'll fight to the end
And I swear that I'll never
Be taken alive
And I know that we'll stand
And we'll fight for our land
And I swear that my bairns
Will be born free

And I know what I want

When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman...

Freedom [x4]

[x2]
No, no we can't let them take anymore
No we can't let them take anymore
We've the land of the free

No, no we can't let them take anymore

No we can't let them take anymore
No we can't let them take anymore
We've the land of the free

Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

Freedom [x4]

It is right to believe
In the need to be free
It's a time when you die
And without asking why
Can't you see what they do
They are grinding us down
They are taking our land
That belongs to the clans

Not alone with a dream

Just a want to be free
With a need to belong
I am a clansman...

And I know what I want

When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman...

Freedom [x4]

And I know what I want

When the timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman...

5. When Two Worlds Collide

[Dave Murray, Blaze Bayley and Steve Harris]

My telescope looks out

Into the stars tonight
A little speck of light
Seems twice the size tonight
The calculations are so fine
Can it be growing all the time?

Now I can't belive it's true

And I don't know what to do
For the hundredth time
I check the declination

Now the fear starts to grow

Even my computer shows
There are no errors in the calculations

Now it's happened take no other view

Collusion course, you must believe it's true
Now there's nothing left that we can do
When Two Worlds collide
The anger and the pain
Of all those who remain
Two Worlds collide
Who will be left alive
No place to hide

When Two Worlds collide

The anger, the pain
Of those who remain
When Two Worlds collide
So who will survive
There's no place to hide
When two worlds collide

Now it's happened take no other view

Collusion course, you must believe it's true
Now there's nothing left that we can do

When Two Worlds collide

The anger, the pain
Of all those who remain
Two Worlds collide
Who will be left alive
No place to hide
There's no place to hide
When Two Worlds collide

6. The Educated Fool

[Steve Harris]

I am an educated fool
So I don't know what it is I'm supposed to do
About this awkward situation
That's been forced down right upon me

As I'm walking down into

On my own into the Valley of life
Got a lifetime of experience
Yeah I've got so much to give

Open the page at chapter one

Could this just be that life's just begun
Forever within your darker thoughts
Reflecting on everything you've been taught

Never felt this way before

Seems that somebody's just opened the door
To the book of life... or is it death
Is there ever anyway out

Someone's looking down on me

To the very inner core of my soul
They won't tell me what they see
But I really want to know

I want to leave my life on my own

I want to lift the unturned stone
I want to walk right into the fire
I want to live out all my desires
I want to go and see the fire burn
I want to see and feel my world turn
I want to know what more there's to learn
I want to pass the point of no return

Do you really wanna be

Just another one statistic or feel
That you really should aspire
That you really do deserve more

Do you ever really feel

That you have so much potential inside
What you really have to give
Could be realised so much more

I want to leave my life on my own

I want to lift the unturned stone
I want to walk right into the fire
I want to live out all my desires
I want to go and see the fire burn
I want to see and feel my world turn
I want to know what more there's to learn
I want to pass the point of no return

Time will flow

And I will follow
Time will go
But I will follow

I want to feel what life's like respond

I want to meet my father beyond
I want to walk right into the light
I want to feel no fear but delight

I want to leave my life on my own

I want to lift the unturned stone
I want to walk right into the fire
I want to live out all my desires

Time will flow

And I will follow
Time will go
But I will follow

[at 6:33:] The educated fool

7. Don't Look To The Eyes Of A Stranger

[Steve Harris]

Don't look to the eyes of a stranger

Don't look through the eyes of a fool
Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Somebody's watching when the light goes down

Don't look to the eyes of a stranger

Don't look through the eyes of a fool
Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Somebody's watching when the night comes down

Feel someone's watching you

You gotta get away
It is the first time
You've ever felt this scared

Feel the adrenalin pump

Your heart begins to race
Begin to run now
The sweat runs down your face
Don't know which way to run
You'd better hide yourself
He's getting closer now
You'd better improvise

Just hope you never reach

The point of no return
Could be the last time
You see the light of day

Don't look to the eyes of a stranger

Don't look through the eyes of a fool
Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Somebody's watching when the night comes down

Don't look to the eyes of a stranger

Don't look through the eyes of a fool
Don't look to the eyes of a stranger
Somebody's watching when the light goes down

8. Como Estais Amigos

[Janick Gers and Blaze Bayley]

Como esta amigo

For the death of those we don't know
Shall we kneel and say a prayer
They will never know we care
Shall we keep the fires burning
Shall we keep the flames alight
Should we try to remember
What is wrong and what is right

No more tears, no more tears

If we live for a hundred years
Amigos no more tears

If we do forget them and

The sacrifice they made
Will the wickedness and sadness
Come to visit us again
Shall we dance a dance in sunlight
Shall we drink a wine of peace
Shall our tears be of joy
Shall we keep at bay the beast

No more tears, no more tears

If we live for a hundred years
Amigos no more tears

Inside the scream is silent

Inside it must remain
No victory and no vanquishment
Only horror, only pain

No more tears, no more tears

If we live for a hundred years
Amigos no more tears

Steve Harris - Bass

Blaze Bayley - Vocals
Dave Murray - Guitar
Janick Gers - Guitar
Nicko McBrain – Drums

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Brave New World (2000)

1. The Wicker Man

2. Ghost Of The Navigator
3. Brave New World
4. Blood Brothers
5. The Mercenary
6. Dream Of Mirrors
7. The Fallen Angel
8. The Nomad
9. Out Of The Silent Planet
10. The Thin Line Between Love And Hate

1. The Wicker Man

[Smith, Harris, Dickinson]

Hand of fate is moving and the finger points to you

He knocks you to your feet and so what are you gonna do
Your tongue has frozen now you've got something to say
The piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way

You watch the world exploding every single night

Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Say goodbye to gravity and say goodbye to death
Hello to eternity and live for every breath

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

The ferryman wants his money you ain't going to give it back
He can push his own boat as you set up off the track
Nothing you can contemplate will ever be the same
Every second is a new spark, sets the universe aflame

You watch the world exploding every single night

Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Brothers and their fathers joining hands and make a chain
The shadow of the Wicker Man is rising up again

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come

2. Ghost Of The Navigator

[Gers, Dickinson, Harris]

I have sailed to many lands, now I make my final journey

On the bow I stand, west is where I go
Through the night I plough, still my heart, calculate and pray
As the compass swings, my will is strong, I will not be led astray
Mysteries of time clouds that hide the sun
But I know, but I know, but I know

I see the ghosts of navigators but they are lost

As they sail into the sunset they'll count the cost
As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea
The sirens of the rocks, they beckon me

Take my heart and set it free, carried forward by the waves

Nowhere left to run, navigator's son,
Chasing rainbows all my days

Where I go I do not know, I only know the place I've been

Dreams they come and go, ever shall be so,
Nothing's real until you feel

I steer between the crashing rocks, the sirens call my name

Lash my hands onto the helm, blood surging with the strain
I will not fail now as sunrise comes the darkness left behind
For eternity I follow on there is no other way
Mysteries of time clouds that hide the sun
But I know, I know

I see the ghosts of navigators but they are lost

As they sail into the sunset they'll count the cost
As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea
The sirens of the rocks, they beckon me

Take my heart and set it free, carried forward by the waves

Nowhere left to run, Navigator's son
Chasing rainbows all my days

Where I go I do not know, I only know the place I've been

Dreams they come and go, ever shall be so
Nothing's real until you feel

I see the ghosts of navigators but they are lost

As they sail into the sunset they'll count the cost
As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea
The sirens of the rocks, they beckon me

Take my heart and set it free, carried forward by the waves

Nowhere left to run, Navigator's son
Chasing rainbows all my days

Where I go I do not know, I only know the place I've been

Dreams they come and go, ever shall be so
Nothing's real until you feel
3. Brave New World

[Murray, Harris, Dickinson]

Dying swans twisted wings, beauty not needed here

Lost my love, lost my life, in this garden of fear
I have seen many things, in a lifetime alone
Mother love is no more, bring this savage back home

Wilderness house of pain, makes no sense of it all

Close this mind dull this brain, Messiah before his fall
What you see is not real, those who know will not tell
All is lost sold your souls to this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

Dragon kings dying queens, where is salvation now

Lost my life lost my dreams, rip the bones from my flesh
Silent screams laughing here, dying to tell you the truth
You are planned and you are damned in this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

Dying swans twisted wings, bring this savage back home

4. Blood Brothers

[Harris]

And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life

What do you think you'd expect you would see?
Just like a mirror reflecting the moves of your life
And in the river reflections of me

Just for a second a glimpse of my father I see

And in a movement he beckons to me
And in a moment the memories are all that remain
And all the wounds are reopening again

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

And as you look all around at the world in dismay

What do you see, do you think we have learned
Not if you're taking a look at the war-torn affray
Out in the streets where the babies are burned

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

There are time when I feel I'm afraid for the world
There are times I'm ashamed of us all
When you're floating on all the emotion you feel
And reflecting the good and the bad

Will we ever know what the answer to life really is?

Can you really tell me what life is?
Maybe all the things that you know that are precious to you
Could be swept away by fate's own hand

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

When you think that we've used all our chances

And the chance to make everything right
Keep on making the same old mistakes
Makes untipping the balance so easy
When we're living our lives on the edge
Say a prayer on the book of the dead

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life....

5. The Mercenary

[Gers, Harris]

Pay to kill, die to lose, hunted, hunter which are you

Diablo come again to make trophies out of men
Lose your skin, lose your skull, one by one the sack is full
In the heat dehydrate, know which breath will be your last

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive

Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain

Human heart, human mind, intellect intertwined

Focus sharp in the night, watch the jungle burning bright
Toe to toe throw the line, everyone's caught hand tied
Iron will iron fist, how could it have come to this?

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay live

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive

Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain

6. Dream Of Mirrors

[Gers, Harris]

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'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, 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 away 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
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

7. The Fallen Angel

[Smith, Harris]

Azazel is beside you and he's playing the game

Demons are inside you and they're making their play
Watching and they're hiding as they wait for the time
For a devil to get ready and take over your mind

You and only god would know what could be done

You and only god will know I am the only one
You and only god would know what could be done
You and only god will know I am the chosen one

Could it be it's the end of our world?

All the things that we cherish and love
Nothing left but to face this all on my own
Cause I am the chosen one

Could it be it's the end of our world?

All the things that we cherish and love
Nothing left but to face this all on my own
Cause I am the chosen one

Beaten fallen angel but I've risen again

And the power is inside me, I've decided to pray
As I wait for Armageddon and it's coming my way
It's an honour to be chosen and I wait for the day
You and only god would know what could be done
You and only god will know I am the only one
You and only god would know what could be done
You and only god will know that I am the chosen one

Could it be it's the end of my world?

All the things that we cherish and love
Nothing left but to face all this on my own
Cause I am the chosen one

Could it be it's the end of our world?

All the things that we cherish and love
Nothing left but to face this all on my own
Cause I am the chosen one

Could it be it's the end of our world?

All the things that we cherish and love
Nothing left but to face this all on my own
Cause I am the chosen one

Could it be it's the end of our world?

All the things that we cherish and love
Nothing left but to face this all on my own
Cause I am the chosen one

8. The Nomad

[Murray, Harris]

Like a mirage riding on the desert sand

Like a vision floating with the desert winds
Know the secret of the ancient desert lands
Your are the keeper of the mystery in your hands

Nomad, rider of the ancient east

Nomad, rider that men know the least
Nomad, where you come from no one knows
Nomad, where you go to no one tells

Undercover of the veil of your disguise

The men that fear you are the ones that you despise
No one's certain what you future will behold
You're a legend you own story will be told
Nomad, rider of the ancient east
Nomad, rider that men know the least
Nomad, where you come from no one knows
Nomad, where you go to no one tells

No one dares to even look or glance your way

Your reputation goes before you they all say
Like a spirit that can disappear at will
Many claim of things but no one's seen you kill

Nomad, you're the rider so mysterious

Nomad, you're the spirit that men fear in us
Nomad, you're the rider of the desert sands
No man's ever understood your genius

Those who see you in horizon desert sun

Those who fear your reputation hide or run
You send before you a mystique that's all your own
Your silhouette is like a statue carved in stone

Nomad, you're the rider so mysterious

Nomad, you're the spirit that men fear in us
Nomad, you're the rider of the desert sands
No man ever understood your genius

Legend has it that you speak an ancient tongue

But no one's spoke to you and lived to tell the tale
Some may say that you have killed a hundred men
Others say that you have died and live again

Nomad, you're the rider so mysterious

Nomad, you're the spirit that men fear in us
Nomad, you're the rider of the desert sands
No man ever understood your genius

9. Out Of The Silent Planet

[Gers, Dickinson, Harris]

Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are

Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are
Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are
Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are

Withered hands, withered bodies begging for salvation

Deserted by the hand of gods of their own creation
Nations cry underneath decaying skies above
You are guilty, the punishment is death for all who live
The punishment is death for all who live

Out of the silent planet, dreams of desolation

Out of the silent planet, Come the demons of creation
Out of the silent planet, dreams of desolation
Out of the silent planet, Come the demons of creation

The killing fields, the grinding wheels crushed by equilibrium

Separate lives no more disguise, no more second chances
Haggard wisdom spitting out the bitter taste of hate
I accuse you before you know the crime it's all too late
Before you know the crime it's all too late

Out of the silent planet, dreams of desolation

Out of the silent planet, Come the demons of creation
Out of the silent planet, dreams of desolation
Out of the silent planet, Come the demons of creation

Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are

Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are

Out of the silent planet, dreams of desolation

Out of the silent planet, Come the demons of creation
Out of the silent planet, dreams of desolation
Out of the silent planet, Come the demons of creation

Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are

Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are
Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are
Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are
Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are
Out of the silent planet, out of the silent planet we are

10. The Thin Line Between Love And Hate

[Murray, Harris]
When a person turns to wrong, is it a want to be, belong?
Part of things at any cost, at what price a life is lost

At what point do we begin, fighter spirit a will to win

But what makes a man decide, take the wrong or righteous road

There's a thin line between love and hate

Wider divide that you can see between good and bad
There's a grey place between black and white
But everyone does have the right to choose the path that he takes

We all like to put the blame on society these days

But what kind of good or bad a new generation brings

Sometimes take just more than that to survive be good at heart

There is evil in some of us no matter what will never change

I will hope, my soul will fly, so I will live forever

Heart will die, my soul will fly, and I will live forever

Just a few small tears between someone happy and one sad
Just a thin line drawn between being a genius or insane

At what age begin to learn of which way out we will turn

There's a long and winding road and the trail is there to burn

There's a thin line between love and hate

Wider divide that you can see between good and bad
There's a grey place between black and white
But everyone does have the right to choose the path that he takes

I will hope, my soul will fly, so I will live forever

Heart will die, my soul will fly, and I will live forever

I will hope, my soul will fly, so I will live forever

Heart will die, my soul will fly, and I will live forever

The thin line between love and hate

The thin line between love and hate

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Rock In Rio (2002)
1. Intro
2. The Wicker Man
3. Ghost Of The Navigator
4. Brave New World
5. Wrathchild
6. 2 Minutes To Midnight
7. Blood Brothers
8. Sign Of The Cross
9. The Mercenary
10. The Trooper
11. Dream Of Mirrors
12. The Clansman
13. The Evil That Men Do
14. Fear Of The Dark
15. Iron Maiden
16. The Number Of The Beast
17. Hallowed Be Thy Name
18. Sanctuary
19. Run To The Hills

1. Intro

2. The Wicker Man

[Smith, Harris, Dickinson]

Hand of fate is moving and the finger points to you

He knocks you to your feet and so what are you gonna do
Your tongue has frozen now you've got something to say
The piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way

You watch the world exploding every single night

Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Say goodbye to gravity and say goodbye to death
Hello to eternity and live for every breath

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

The ferryman wants his money you ain't going to give it back
He can push his own boat as you set up off the track
Nothing you can contemplate will ever be the same
Every second is a new spark, sets the universe aflame

You watch the world exploding every single night

Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Brothers and their fathers joining hands and make a chain
The shadow of the Wicker Man is rising up again

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come

3. Ghost Of The Navigator

[Gers, Dickinson, Harris]

I have sailed to many lands, now I make my final journey

On the bow I stand, west is where I go
Through the night I plough, still my heart, calculate and pray
As the compass swings, my will is strong, I will not be led astray
Mysteries of time clouds that hide the sun
But I know, but I know, but I know

I see the ghosts of navigators but they are lost

As they sail into the sunset they'll count the cost
As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea
The sirens of the rocks, they beckon me

Take my heart and set it free, carried forward by the waves

Nowhere left to run, navigator's son,
Chasing rainbows all my days

Where I go I do not know, I only know the place I've been

Dreams they come and go, ever shall be so,
Nothing's real until you feel

I steer between the crashing rocks, the sirens call my name

Lash my hands onto the helm, blood surging with the strain
I will not fail now as sunrise comes the darkness left behind
For eternity I follow on there is no other way
Mysteries of time clouds that hide the sun
But I know, I know

I see the ghosts of navigators but they are lost

As they sail into the sunset they'll count the cost
As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea
The sirens of the rocks, they beckon me

Take my heart and set it free, carried forward by the waves

Nowhere left to run, Navigator's son
Chasing rainbows all my days

Where I go I do not know, I only know the place I've been

Dreams they come and go, ever shall be so
Nothing's real until you feel

I see the ghosts of navigators but they are lost

As they sail into the sunset they'll count the cost
As their skeletons accusing emerge from the sea
The sirens of the rocks, they beckon me

Take my heart and set it free, carried forward by the waves

Nowhere left to run, Navigator's son
Chasing rainbows all my days

Where I go I do not know, I only know the place I've been

Dreams they come and go, ever shall be so
Nothing's real until you feel

4. Brave New World

[Murray, Harris, Dickinson]

Dying swans twisted wings, beauty not needed here

Lost my love, lost my life, in this garden of fear
I have seen many things, in a lifetime alone
Mother love is no more, bring this savage back home

Wilderness house of pain, makes no sense of it all

Close this mind dull this brain, Messiah before his fall
What you see is not real, those who know will not tell
All is lost sold your souls to this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

Dragon kings dying queens, where is salvation now

Lost my life lost my dreams, rip the bones from my flesh
Silent screams laughing here, dying to tell you the truth
You are planned and you are damned in this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

Dying swans twisted wings, bring this savage back home

5. Wrathchild

[Harris]

I was born into a scene of angriness and greed, and dominance and
persecution.
My mother was a queen, my dad I've never seen, I was never meant
to be.
And now I spend my time looking all around,
For a man that's nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

[Chorus]
'Cos I'm a wrathchild, well I'm a wrathchild.
Yeah I'm a wrathchild. I'm coming to get you, oooh yeah.

Say it doesn't matter ain't nothin' gonna alter the course of my

destination.
I know I've got to find some serious piece of mind, or I know I'll go
crazy.
But now I spend my time looking all around,
For a man thats nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

[Chorus]

6. 2 Minutes To Midnight

[Smith, Dickinson]

Kill for gain or shoot to maim

But we don't need a reason
To Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout "Let the creatures out

We'll show the unbeliverers."
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast... yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.
2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two

And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on
you
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that treaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

7. Blood Brothers

[Harris]

And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life

What do you think you'd expect you would see?
Just like a mirror reflecting the moves of your life
And in the river reflections of me

Just for a second a glimpse of my father I see

And in a movement he beckons to me
And in a moment the memories are all that remain
And all the wounds are reopening again

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

And as you look all around at the world in dismay

What do you see, do you think we have learned
Not if you're taking a look at the war-torn affray
Out in the streets where the babies are burned

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

There are time when I feel I'm afraid for the world
There are times I'm ashamed of us all
When you're floating on all the emotion you feel
And reflecting the good and the bad

Will we ever know what the answer to life really is?

Can you really tell me what life is?
Maybe all the things that you know that are precious to you
Could be swept away by fate's own hand

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

When you think that we've used all our chances

And the chance to make everything right
Keep on making the same old mistakes
Makes untipping the balance so easy
When we're living our lives on the edge
Say a prayer on the book of the dead

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers

And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life....

8. Sign Of The Cross

[Harris]
Eleven saintly shrouded men
Silhouettes stand against the sky
One in front with a cross held high
Come to wash my sins away

Standing alone in the wind and rain

Feeling the fear that is growing
Sensing the change in the tide again
Caught by the storm that is brewing
Feel the anxiety hold off the fear
Some of the doubt in the things you beleive
Now that your faith will be put to the test
Nothing to do but await that is coming

Why then is god still protecting me

Even when I don't deserve it
Thought I am blessed with an inner strenght
Some they would call it a penance
Why am I meant to face this alone
Asking the question time and again
Praying to god won't keep me alive
Inside my head feel the fear start to rise...

They'll be saying their prayers when the moment comes

There'll be penace to pay when it's judgement day
And the guilty'll be bleedwhen that moment comes
They'll be coming to claim, take your soul away

The sign of the cross

The name of the rose, a fire in the sky
The sign of the cross

They'll bve coming to bring the eternal flame

They'll be bringing us all immortality
Holding communion so the world be blessed
My creator, my god'll lay my soul to rest

The sign of the cross

The name of the rose, a fire in the sky
The sign of the cross

Lost the love of father above

Chose the lust of the earth below
Eleven saintly shrouded men
Come to wash my sins away

9. The Mercenary

[Gers, Harris]

Pay to kill, die to lose, hunted, hunter which are you

Diablo come again to make trophies out of men
Lose your skin, lose your skull, one by one the sack is full
In the heat dehydrate, know which breath will be your last

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive

Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain

Human heart, human mind, intellect intertwined

Focus sharp in the night, watch the jungle burning bright
Toe to toe throw the line, everyone's caught hand tied
Iron will iron fist, how could it have come to this?

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay live

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide, you've got to kill to stay alive

Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain

Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain
Show them no fear, show them no pain

10. The Trooper

[Harris]

You'll take my life but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The Bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run

The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall.

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky

My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan.

11. Dream Of Mirrors

[Gers / Harris]

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'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, 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 away 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
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

12. The Clansman

[Harris]

Wake alone in the hills

With the wind in your face
It feels good to be proud
And be part of a race
That is part of a clan
And to live on highlands
And the air that you breathe
So pure and so clean

When alone on the hills

With the wind in your hair
With a longing to feel
Just to be free

It is right to believe
In the need to be free
It's a time when you die
And without asking why
Can't you see what they do
They are grinding us down
They are taking our land
That belongs to the clans

Not alone with a dream

Just a want to be free
With a need to belong
I am a clansman...

Freedom [x4]

It's a time wrough with fear

It's a land wrough with change
Ancestors could hear
What is happening now
They would turn in their graves
They would all be ashamed
That the land of the free
Has been written in chains

And I know what I want

When is timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman

And I swear to defend

And we'll fight to the end
And I swear that I'll never
Be taken alive
And I know that we'll stand
And we'll fight for our land
And I swear that my bairns
Will be born free

And I know what I want

When is timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman...

Freedom [x4]

No, no we can't let them take anymore

No we can't let them take anymore
We've the land of the free

No, no we can't let them take anymore

No we can't let them take anymore
We've the land of the free

No, no we can't let them take anymore

No we can't let them take anymore
No we can't let them take anymore
We've the land of the free

Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh
Oh, oh-oh-oh-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh

Freedom [x4]

It is right to believe
In the need to be free
It's a time when you die
And without asking why
Can't you see what they do
They are grinding us down
They are taking our land
That belongs to the clans

Not alone with a dream

Just a want to be free
With a need to belong
I am a clansman...

And I know what I want

When is timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman...

Freedom [x4]

And I know what I want

When is timing is right
Then I'll take what is mine
I am the clansman...

[This song is dedicated to "Braveheart" and the Scottish patriots]

13. The Evil That Men Do

[Smith, Dickinson, Harris]

Love is a razor and I walked the line on that silver blade

Slept in the dust with his daugter, her eyes red with
The slaughter of innocence
But will pray for her.
I will call her name out loud.
I would bleed for her.
If only I could see her now.
Living on a razors edge.
Balancing on a ledge.
Living on a rasors edge.

The evil that men do lives on and on....[4 times]

Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems

The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me.
But I will pray for you.
And some day I may return.
I would die for you.
Beyond is where I learn.

14. Fear Of The Dark

[Harris]

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear thas something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall

And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light?
Sometimes when you're scared to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's watching you.

Have you ever been alone at night

Throuh your heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no-one's there?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's someone there

Watching horror films the night before

Debating witches and folklore
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there.

When I'm walking a dark road

I am a man who walks alone

15. Iron Maiden

[Harris]

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

[Chorus]
Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,
Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be fought, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

16. The Number Of The Beast

[Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the
beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the
beast for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and
sixty six."

[Revelations Ch. XIII v.18]

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw

that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they

reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

'Cos in my dream it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

'Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
Was this all for real or some kind of hell
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

As they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
The ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or just some crazy dream
But I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
They seem to mesmerise me... can't avoid their eyes
666 the number of the beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take it's course
17. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Harris]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cuase at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites

I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be there's been some sort of an error

Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream

Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming

It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying?
After all am I not afraid of dying
Don't believe that there never is an end

As the guards march me out to the courtyard

Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God then why has he let me die?

As I walk all my life drifts before me

And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on

Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to see the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand

Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Hallowed be Thy name
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hallowed be Thy name

18. Sanctuary

[Harris, Di'anno, Murray]

Out of winter came a warhorse of steel

I've never killed a woman before
But I know how it feels
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

I met up with a stranger last night

To keep me alive
He spends all his time on gambling
And guns to survive
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I know you'd have gone insane

If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

I can laugh at the wind

I can howl at the rain
Down in the Canyon
Or out on the plain
I know you'd have gone insane
If you saw what I saw
So now I've got to look for
Sanctuary from the law

So give me Sanctuary from the law

And I'll be alright
Just me Sanctuary from the law
And love me tonight ... tonight

19. Run To The Hills

[Harris]

White man came across the sea

He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes killed our creed
He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom the stab in the back
Women and children are cowards attack

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Soldier blue in the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old
Run to the hills, run for your lives
[repeat to end]

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Edward The Great: Greatest Hits (2002)

1. Run To The Hills

2. The Number Of The Beast
3. Flight Of Icarus
4. The Trooper
5. 2 Minutes To Midnight
6. Wasted Years
7. Can I Play With Madness
8. The Evil That Men Do
9. The Clairvoyant
10. Infinite Dreams
11. Holy Smoke
12. Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter
13. Man On The Edge
14. Futureal
15. The Wicker Man
16. Fear Of The Dark (Live At Rock In Rio)

1. Run To The Hills

[Harris]

White man came across the sea

He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes killed our creed
He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dust clouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom the stab in the back
Women and children are cowards attack

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Soldier blue in the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills, run for your lives

[repeat to end]

2. The Number Of The Beast

[Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the
beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the
beast for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and
sixty six."
[Revelations CH. XIII v.18]

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw

that night was real and not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they

reflections of my warped mind staring back at me

'Cos in my dream it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

'Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
Was this all for real or some kind of hell
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

As they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
The ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or just some crazy dream
But I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
They seem to mesmerise me ... can't avoid their eyes
666 the number of the beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course

3. Flight Of Icarus

[Smith / Dickinson]

As 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 way, like an eagle,
Fly and touch the sun.

Now the crowd breaks and young boy appears

Looks the old man in the eye
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 turn to ashes to ashes his grave

Fly, on your way, like an eagle,

Fly as high as the sun,
On your way, like an eagle,
Fly as high as the sun.

4. The Trooper

[Harris]

You'll take my life but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The Bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses' breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run

The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall.

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky

My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan.
5. 2 Minutes To Midnight

[Smith / Dickinson]

Kill for gain or shoot to maim

But we don't need a reason
To Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Some blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that threatens doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout "Let the creatures out

We'll show the unbelievers."
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast ... yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that threatens doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two

And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on
you
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,

The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
But don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that threatens doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

6. Wasted Years

[Smith]

From the coast of gold, across the seven seas

I'm travellin' on, far and wide
But now it seems, I'm just a stranger to myself
And all the things I sometimes do, it isn't me but
someone else

I close my eyes, and think of home

Another city goes by in the night
Ain't it funny how it is, you never miss it 'til it's
gone away
And my heart is lying there and will be 'til my
dying day

[Chorus:]
So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for
those wasted years
Face up... make your stand
And realise you're living in the golden years

Too much time on my hands, I got you on my mind

Can't ease this pain, so easily
When you can't find the words to say it's hard to
make it through another day
And it makes me wanna cry and throw my
hands up to the sky

[Chorus:]

7. Can I Play With Madness

[Smith / Dickinson / Harris]

Give me the sense to wonder

To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place

[Chorus:]
Can I play with madness - the prophet started at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laught at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

I screamed aloud to the old man

I said don't lie don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for your mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said do you want to know the truth son
- I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in the lake of fire
[Chorus 2 times]

8. The Evil That Men Do

[Smith / Dickinson / Harris]

Love is a razor and I walked the line on that silver blade

Slept in the dust with his daughter, her eyes red with
The slaughter of innocence
But will pray for her.
I will call her name out loud.
I would bleed for her.
If only I could see her now.

Living on a razors edge.

Balancing on a ledge.
Living on a razors edge.

The evil that men do lives on and on....[4 times]

Circle of fire my baptism of joy at an end it seems

The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me.
But I will pray for you.
And some day I may return.
I would die for you.
Beyond is where I learn.

9. The Clairvoyant

[Harris]

Feel the sweat break on my brow

Is it me or is it shadows that are
Dancing on the walls.
Is this dream or is it now
Is this a vision or normality I see
Before my eyes.

I wonder why I wonder how

That it seems the powers getting stronger
Every day
I feel strength an inner fire
But I'm scared I won't be able to control it anymore

There's a time and time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying.

Just by looking through your eyes

He could see the future penetrating right
In through your mind
See the truth and see your lies
But for all his power couldn't foresee his own demise

There's time to live and time to die

When it's time to meet the maker
There's time to live but isn't it strange
That as soon as you're born you're dying...
...and reborn again ??

10. Infinite Dreams

[Harris]

Infinite dreams I can't deny them

Infinity is hard to comprehend
I couldn't hear those screams
Even in my wildest dreams

Suffocation waking in a sweat

Scared to fall asleep again
In case the dream begins again
Someone chasing I cannot move
Standing rigid nightmare's statue
What a dream when will it end
And will it transcend ?

Restless sleep the minds in turmoil

One nightmare ends another fertile
Getting to me so scared to sleep
But scared to wake now, in too deep.

Even thought its reached new heights

I rather like the restless nights
It makes me wonder it makes me think
There's more to this I'm on the brink
It's not the fear of what's beyond
It's just that I might not respond
I have an interest almost craving
But would I like to get too far in ?

It can't all be coincidence

Too many things are evident
You tell me you're an unbeliever
Spiritualists ? Well me I'm neither
But wouldn't you like to know
The truth
Oh what's out there to have the proof
And find out just which side
You're on
Where would you end in Heaven or
In Hell ?

Help me. Help me to find my true

Self without seeing the future
Save me, save me from fortuning
Myself even within my dreams

There's got to be just more to it

That this
Or tell me why do we exist
I'd like to think that when I die
I'd get a chance another time
And to return and live again
Reincarnate, play the game
Again and again and again.

11. Holy Smoke

[Harris / Dickinson]

Believe in me - send us money

Died on the cross and that ain't funny
But my so called friends are making me a joke
They missed out what I said like I never spoke
They choose what they wanna hear - they don't tell a lie
They just leave out the truth as they're watching you die
Saving your soul by taking your money
Flies round shit, bees around honey.

[Chorus]
Holy Smoke, Holy Smoke, plenty bad preachers for
The Devil to stoke
Feed'em in feet first this is no joke
This is thirsty work making Holy Smoke

Jimmy Reptile and all his friends

Say they gonna be with you at the end
Burning record burning books
Holy soldiers Nazi looks
Crocodile smiles just wait a while
Till the TV Queen gets her make up clean
I've lived in filth I've lived in sin
And I still smell cleaner than the shit you're in

[Chorus]

They ain't religious but they ain't no fools

When Noah built his Cadillac it was cool
Two by two they're still going down
And the satellite circus just left town
I think they're strange and when they're dead
They can have a Lincoln for their bed
Friend of the President - trick of the tail
Now they ain't got a prayer - 100 years in jail

[Chorus]

12. Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter

[Dickinson]

Honey it's getting close to midnight

And all the myths are still in town
True love and lipstick on your linen
Bite the pillow make no sound
If there's some living to be done
Before your life becomes your tomb
You'd better know that I'm the one
So unchain your back door invite me around

[Chorus]
Bring your daughter, bring your daughter to the slaughter
Let her go, let her go, let her go

Honey it's getting close to daybreak

The sun is creeping in the sky
No patent remedies for heartache
Just empty words and humble pie
So get down on your knees honey
Assume an attitude
You just pray that I'll be waiting
Cos you know I'm coming soon

So pick up your foolish pride, no going back

No where, no way, no place to hide

[Chorus]

13. Man On The Edge

[Bayley / Gers]

The freeway is jammed and it's backed up for miles

The car is an over and baking is wild
Nothing is ever the way it should be
What we deserve we just don't get you see

A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge

Each step gets closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven are they looking down
'Cause nothing is fair just you look around

Falling down

He's sick of waiting of lying like this

There's a hole in the sky for the angels to kiss
Branded a leper because you don't fit
In the land of the free you can live by your wits

Once he built missiles a nation's defence

Now he can't even give birthday presents
Across the city he leaves in his wake
A glimpse of the future a cannibal state

Falling down

The freeway is jammed and it's backed up for miles

The car is an over and baking is wild
Nothing is ever the way it should be
What we deserve we just don't get you see

A briefcase, a lunch and a man on the edge

Each step gets closer to losing his head
Is someone in heaven are they looking down
'Cause nothing is fair just you look around

Falling down

14. Futureal

[Harris / Bayley]

I'm running of my time, I'm running out of breath

And now it's getting ,so I can't sleep at night
in the day, I feel like death

I'm getting in far too deep, I feel they closing in

I've got to say that I'm scared, I know they'll win
Even so, I prepared

[Chorus:]
Do you believe, what you hear
Can you believe, what you see
Do you believe, what you feel
Can you believe

What is real ?
Futureal
What is real ?
Futureal

Wherever anyone seems to treat me like a freak

It makes me see I'm only one who feels
That I know that is real
Sometimes it feels like a game of deadly hide and seek
And when you reading this, then I will be gone
Maybe then, you will see

[Chorus 2 times]

15. The Wicker Man

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

Hand of fate is moving and the finger points to you

He knocks you to your feet and so what are you gonna do
Your tongue has frozen now you've got something to say
The piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way

You watch the world exploding every single night

Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Say goodbye to gravity and say goodbye to death
Hello to eternity and live for every breath

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

The ferryman wants his money you ain't going to give it back
He can push his own boat as you set up off the track
Nothing you can contemplate will ever be the same
Every second is a new spark, sets the universe aflame

You watch the world exploding every single night

Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Brothers and their fathers joining hands and make a chain
The shadow of the Wicker Man is rising up again

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come

Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come
16. Fear Of The Dark (Live At Rock In Rio)

[Harris]

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall

And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light ?
Sometimes when you're scared to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's watching you.

Have you ever been alone at night

Through your heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no-one's there ?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's someone there

Watching horror films the night before

Debating witches and folklore
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there.

When I'm walking a dark road

I am a man who walks alone

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Best Of The B'Sides (2002)

1. Burning Ambition
2. Drifter (Live)
3. Invasion
4. Remember Tomorrow (Live)
5. I've Got The Fire
6. Cross-Eyed Mary
7. Rainbow's Gold
8. King Of Twilight
9. Reach Out
10. That Girl
11. Juanita
12. The Sheriff Of Hudderfield
13. Black Bart Blues
14. Prowler '88
15. Charlotte The Harlot '88
16. All In Your Mind
17. Kill Me Ce Soir
18. I'm A Mover
19. Communication Breakdown
20. Nodding Donkey Blues
21. Space Station No. 5
22. I Can't See My Feelings
23. Roll Over Vic Vella
24. Justice Of The Peace
25. Judgment Day
26. My Generation
27. Doctor, Doctor
28. Blood On The World's Hands (Live)
29. The Aftermath (Live)
30. Futureal (Live)
31. Wasted Years '99 (Live)

1. Burning Ambition

[Harris]
[Running Free Single 1980]
So you think you can own me, well you'd better just think again
You'd better watch your steps now, woman, cause I ain't like those
other men
There's something burning inside me that makes me want to be free
And when I get these feelings honey, you better keep away from me
There's things in life now, baby, that I know I've got to do
And I need your love now, baby, to help me see it through
So you think you can own me, well you'd better just think again
You'd better watch your steps now, woman, cause I ain't like those
other men

[Solo]

So you think you can own me, well you'd better just think again
You'd better watch your steps now, woman, cause I ain't like those
other men
There's something burning inside me that makes me want to be free
And when I get these feelings honey, you better keep away from me

2. Drifter (Live)

[Steve Harris]
[Recorded at The Marquee Club, London, 3rd April 1980]
[Sanctuary Single 1980]

Walk away!
Look out now, baby won't you take me away,
Sittin' here its gonna be a new day.
Gotta sing my song and I can't go wrong,
Gotta keep on roaming, gotta sing my song.
What you feeling when you hold me tight?
I'm gonna cuddle up with you tonight, gonna get you feeling so
secure.
Listen child don't you see there's a cure?
Anywhere got to get you away, feels so good think it's gonna be a new
day.
I'm gonna get my song till I can't go on,
I'm gonna keep on roaming gonna sing my song.
I want you to sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it along.
I want you to sing it, sing it, sing it, sing it along.

3. Invasion
[Harris]
[Woman in Uniform Single 1980]

The Vikings are coming

You'd better get ready for we're having a fight
The longboats are coming
It's looking like their [?] in the dead of the night
Muster the men from all the villages
You'd better get ready to fight with your enemies
Beacons are burning
I'm giving the word to get ready to fight
The battle is nearing
You'd better get ready to fight for your lives
The Norsemen are coming
The Norsemen are coming
The warnings are given
The Norsemen are coming
Raping and pillaging
Robbing and looting the land
Viking raiders from afar

4. Remember Tomorrow (Live)

[Steve Harris and Paul Di'anno]

[Recorded on tour in Italy October 1981 with Bruce prior to going into
the Studio to record The Number of the Beast Album]
[The Number of the Beast Single 1982]

Unchain the colours before my eyes,

Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.
Tears for remembrance, and tears for joy,
Tears for somebody and this lonely boy.
Out in the madness, the all seeing eye,
Flickers above us, to light up the sky.
Unchain the colours before my eyes,
Yesterday's sorrows, tomorrow's white lies.
Scan the horizon, the clouds take me higher,
I shall return from out of fire.
5. I've Got The Fire

[Ronnie Montrose]
[Originally by Montrose]
[Flight of Icarus Single 1983]

If you're looking for someone that you can keep then, baby, pass me
by
And if you wanted something that's twenty years deep
Baby, don't even try
And if you wanted someone to take your soul
I'll lift you up little bit higher
I've got the fire
I've got the fire

[Solo]

So you think I'm skinny, don't you sell me cheap

I'm as wide as a country-mile
Some like it wide, I like it deep
Guess which one is my style
So you think you can beat me by my own game
Maybe I call you a liar
I've got the fire
I've got the fire

6. Cross-Eyed Mary

[I. Anderson]
[Originally by Jethro Tull]
[The Trooper Single 1983]

Who would be a poor man a beggerman, a thief

If he had a rich man in his hand
Who would steal the candy from a laughing baby's mouth
If he could take it from the money man
Cross-eyed Mary goes jumping in again
She signs no contract but she always plays the game
She dines in Hampstead village on expense accounted gruel
And the jack knife barber drops her off at school
Laughing in the playground gets no kicks from little boys
Would rather make it with a letching gray
Or maybe her attention is drawn by Aqualung
Who watches through the railings as they play
Cross-eyed Mary finds it hard to get along.
She's a poor man's rich girl and she'll do it for a song
She's a rich man's stealer but her favour's good and strong
She's the Robin Hood of Highgate helps the poor man get along

7. Rainbow's Gold

[Terry Slesser / Kenny Mountain]

[Originally by the Beckett]
[2 Minutes to Midnight Single 1984]

[1st verse:]
In the heat of the morning
When your day is still dawning
And your bird, she's singing
Catch your soul, he's willing to fly away
Packed your bags in a hurry
Because your mind's in a worry
Mark my words, you're gonna be sorry if you ever fly away
Sweet little girl with the Saint Da Vinci-smile
Stares at me with sadness in her eyes
I'm not sure if she's really real or make-believe
Maybe she's a vision that comes to only me
Cause I'm so tired
Yes I'm so tired
So tired
Yes I'm so tired

[Solo]

[Repeat 1st verse]

8. King Of Twilight

[Nektar]
[Originally "Crying In The Dark" and "King Of Twilight" by Nektar]
[Aces High Single 1984]

[Crying In The Dark]

I've been trying, trying so hard

I've been crying, crying in the dark
Don't forsake me, the time of mine is near
Don't ever break me and the world that brought me here
Sick and lonely, waiting for you
Sick and lonely, wondering what to do
Can you hear me, when I say to you
You give me your hand, I'll give mine to you

[King Of Twilight]

When the king of twilight shows me

I will take ten steps to see
Forty leaves I pay for freedom
For a chance to be free
For a chance to be free
When the king of twilight calls you
Take a step and you will see
We all need a quick solution
For a chance to be free
For a chance to be free
Free
When the king of twilight shows me
I will take ten steps to see
Forty leaves I pay for freedom
For a chance to be free
For a chance to be...
Free

9. Reach Out

[Dave Colwell - Bad Company Guitarist]

[Vocals: Adrian Smith]
[Wasted Years Single 1986]

It's over your head

And you don't seem to understand
One word I say
And you can't live your life
Trying to run away
You're fighting your friends
You're wearing everybody out
But it never ends
You're wearing me out
[Chorus:]
Come on
Reach out
And let somebody in your life
Don't get me wrong
You always apologize
It's just your way
Of making a scene
You need to be loved
It's not such a crime

[Chorus]

Over your head

You just don't seem to understand
One word I say
And you can't live your life
You got so much love
It's burning inside

[Chorus]

10. That Girl

[A. Barnett / P. Jupp / M. Goldsworth]

[Stranger in a Strange Land 1986]

The words she said turned out why

Desperation fills her eyes
Hold her in your arms
Don't let go
When you taste defeat, when you loose again
Fight and win, never give in
Hold her in your arms
Don't let go

[Bridge:]
That girl you need
Gonna knock you off your feet
That girl, you know
She'll never let you go
[Chorus:]
That girl, That girl, That girl you need
That girl, That girl, That girl, That girl
Can you hear her call, call out your name
Think about you, cry without you
Hold her in your arm
Don't let go
Can you taste defeat, when you loose again
Fight and win, never give in
Hold her in your arms
Don't let go

[Bridge]

[Chorus]

[Solo]

[Chorus 2x]

You need!

11. Juanita

[S. Barnacle / D. O'Neil]

[Originally Recorded by Marshall Fury]
[Stranger in a Strange Land Single 1986]

Yeah it cost me a bundle

Trying to track you down
It's true
Yeah and it's the truth
I'm looking from town to town for you
You know you never offered much security
Do you know I'm gonna get you back?
You just wait and see

[Chorus:]
I'm never goin' back Juanita
I know you never got my call
I'm never goin' back Juanita
Never at all
Year I'm spending a long time
Trying to work it out for true
Yeah it's such small crime
Thirsting over you
Living in a Chelsea flat
Seems so lonely now
I just know I gotta get you back
I just don't know how

[Chorus 2x]

Yeah I just got to tell you

I'm gonna leave it up to you
Yeah what more can I say?
What more can I do?
Living in a Chelsea flat
Seems so lonely now
I just know I gotta get you back
I just don't know how
I'm never goin' down on Juanita
Never gonna make that call
Never goin' down on Juanita
Never at all
I'm never goin' down on Juanita
Never gonna make that call
Never goin' down on Juanita
Two fingers at all

[Chorus 2x]

12. The Sheriff Of Hudderfield

[Iron Maiden]
[Wasted Years Single 1986]

Life in a city living in L.A.

Is a long way from Huddersfield town
The back of the Rainbow's a long way from heaven
But that's where he gets his pork pie
Limos and ladies they're driving him queasy
Rugby and cricket's unknown
Baseball and football they're making him lazy
Your fan club says "Rodney come home"
[Chorus:]
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
Look down on Hollywood Hills
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
A good game of arrows a few dozen barrels
The Nautilus rusts in the yard
But for Yorkshire he's yearning but because he's earning
He'll always live in L.A.
A custom made wallet that stays in his pocket
And never comes out to pay bills
He's winning at poker and playing the Joker
And he always cheats when he deals

[Chorus]

[Rodney's rap:]
Hello, let me introduce myself!
My name is Rodney. I'm immensely strong.
When I were a lad, I could lift up five
Navies on an end of a shovel.
The reason I never took martial arts because
I was immensely fearsome and
I'd probably kill everybody
I came into contact with it.
I was phenomenally strong.
Pride and ego, my lads, pride and ego,
Is what makes the world rotate.
And everybody knows the centre of the universe is Huddersfield
But I don't live there anymore.
I live in Los Angeles.
It's great!... I think
Rufus the red has a crane by his bed
To wrench himself up in the morn'
But if you dare to tread at the foot of his bed
You'll wish you'd never been born.
A bear with a sore head we mean your forehead
He slumbers for most of the day
Wide eyed and legless baked beans for breakfast
Your problem Rodney L.A.

[Chorus]
13. Black Bart Blues

[Harris / Dickinson - About Bruce's suit of Armour called Black Bart]

[Can I Play with Madness Single 1988]

[Spoken intro:]
[Bruce:]
'What the fuck is that?'
[Nerd:]
'Hi, guys, are you in a band or something?
I mean it would be so cool
If you were in a band 'cos you're
Driving a big bus with band on the front of it'
[Bruce:]
'Why don't you shut up and get on board will ya?'
[Nerd:]
'Wow! I have it here you got a stereo and a microwave
And, and you got a beer,
I'd like a Heineken if you've got one'
That's real cool, that's great, yeah!'
[Bruce:]
'Would you like to see Black Bart?'
[Nerd:]
'Who's Black Bart?'
[Bruce:]
'Let me introduce you'
Black Bart's seen it
Black Bart knows
Black Bart's done it
The Black Bart blues
Suspended in suspension
Medieval nights in Tennessee, and elsewhere
We all got to try the Black Bart blues
Black Bart's truckin' ain't what it seems
Black Bart's lookin'
Don't know where she's been
Maybe she's an acrobat
Spends her evenings dancing on a pole
We all got to try the Black Bart blues
Black Bart tried most anything
Black Bart liked it but he couldn't sing
So he asked me to tell ya
Try it for yourself and you will see
We all got to try the Black Bart blues
[Spoken:]
[Bruce:]
'What did you do that for?'
[Nerd:]
'I'm sorry, I just..., I guess I'm not used to...
[Bruce:]
'Shut up and get on with it will you'
Black Bart's livin' across the ocean now
Black Bart's lookin' to come back somehow
So if you are a dancer,
You could dance his pole in May
That's a maypole
Black Bart's coming
Now Black Bart's gone
Black Bart did it so I wrote this song
Whatever and however,
In and out or several at a time mmm yes!
We all got to do the Black Bart blues
Here comes the guitar solo
We all got to try the Black Bart blues
Yowsa! Yowsa! Yowsa!

14. Prowler '88

[Steve Harris - Steve wasn't happy with the production on the first
album]
[The Evil that Men do Single 1988]

Walking through the city, looking oh so pretty,

I've just got to find my way.
See the ladies flashing. All there legs and lashes.
I've just got to find my way.
Well you see me crawling through the bushes with it open wide.
What you seeing girl?
Can't you believe that feeling, can't you believe it,
Can't you believe your eyes?
It's the real thing girl.
Got me feeling myself and reeling around,
Got me talking but feel like walking around.
Got me feeling myself and reeling a...
Got me talking but nothing's with me...
Got me feeling myself and reeling around.
15. Charlotte The Harlot '88

[Dave Murray - The music came from a few riffs and melodies that
Dave Murray glued together back in the late 70's]
[The Evil that Man do 1988]

Giving a swish with your arse in the air, don't you know what they're
saying?
Charlotte you're so refined when you take all the love that they're
giving.
Sticking with every man that you find, don't you know what they're
after?
Charlotte you've got your legs in the air, don't you hear all the
laughter?

[Chorus:]
Charlotte the Harlot show me your legs,
Charlotte the Harlot take me to bed.
Charlotte the Harlot let me see blood,
Charlotte the Harlot let me see love.
Taking so many men to your room, don't you feel no remorse?
You charge them a "fiver", It's only for starters.
And ten for the main course.
And you've got no feelings, they died long ago.
Don't you care who you let in?
And don't you know you're breaking the law with the service you're
giving.

[Chorus]

There was a time when you left me standing there,

Picking up pieces of love off the floor.
Well Charlotte you left me alone in there,
To make your ends as a bloody whore.
Well Charlotte you told me you love me true,
Picking up pieces of love yesterday.
Well Charlotte you're draws are off color too
'Cause you're making love all day.
Giving a swish with your arse in the air, don't you know what they're
saying?
Charlotte you're so refined when you take all the love that they're
giving.
Sticking with every man that you find, don't you know what they're
after?
Charlotte you've got your legs in the air, don't you hear all the
laughter?

[Chorus]

16. All In Your Mind

[Del Bromham]
[Originally by Stray]
[Holy Smoke Single 1990]

Look inside your head and find, tell me now and it's all in your mind
Look inside your head and find a way deep inside and it's all in your
mind
It's all in your mind
It's all in your mind
Revolution, air pollution, Chairman Mao Tse Tung is in your mind
"But he's dead pal... He's not very well anyway..."
A new day breaking-people hating
Love's a dream and it's all in your mind

[Solo]

Segregation, preservation, politicians all are in your mind

Pewter suta, Karma Sutra, even Blanckenheimer's in your mind
Yes...
It's all in your mind
It's all in your mind

17. Kill Me Ce Soir

[George Kooymans, Barry Hay]

[Originally by Golden Earring]
[Holy Smoke Single 1990]

Remember that song called kill me

From Victim's last LP
Too much for a risk for a golden disc
The price he paid for money
Ce soir, ce soir
Assassination d'un Rock & Roll star
Ce soir, ce soir
Assassination d'un Rock & Roll star
Sing your song, you can't go wrong
Tempted his business adviser
No need for alarm, you'll come to no harm
He didn't mention the sniper
Ce soir, ce soir
Assassination d'un Rock & Roll star
Ce soir, ce soir
Assassination d'un Rock & Roll star
The news is read, the need is fed
One yawn ah, two yawn ah
And back to bed
Turn off the light, and hold me tight
C'mon, maman, bend down your head
And just sing on, immortal song
Fini, belle vie, bonne nuit
Remember that song called kill me
A lecture on political chicanary
Of peoples rape, recorded on tape
Brought shame to the presidency
Tonight, tonight
One more point for human rights
Tonight, tonight
One more point for human rights
Remember that song kill me
Once used by a man from Gallilea
He had nothing to lose, he was King of the Jews
Secured his place in history
Ce soir, ce soir
Assassination d'un provocateur
The news is read, the poison's spread
One yawn ah, two yawn ah
And back to bed
Turn off the light, and hold me tight
C'mon, maman, bend down your head
And just sing on, immortal song
Fini, belle vie
Vick played his part, with all his heart
He wasn't prepared for the shock
When howling lead bit into his head
A new martyr for the book of rock
A new martyr for the book of rock
The book of rock
A new martyr for the book of rock

18. I'm A Mover

[Andy Fraser, Paul Rodgers]

[Originally by Free]
[Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter Single 1990]

I was born by the river, just like this river

I've been moving ever since
Ain't got nobody to call my own
You know I've been moving since the day I was born
Life is a game just made for fun
You know I don't love nobody, I don't love no one
Yes, I'm a mover, baby
Following the footsteps;
One fine day when I asked the wise man which was the way he said:
"Follow your heart and look for yourself
And come back and tell me what you have learned"
Yes, I'm a mover, baby
Went back and told him, I found me a wife
Eleven children and a real good life
Told him of love and there's a happy home
But I need to return to that long winding road
Yes, I'm a mover, baby
Gotta move on down
Mmmmove on

19. Communication Breakdown

[Bonham / Jones / Page / Plant]

[Originally by Led Zeppelin]
[Bring Your Daughter to the Slaughter Single 1990]

Hey, girl, stop what you're doin'!

Hey, girl, you'll drive me to ruin.
I don't know what it is that I like about you,
But I like it a lot.
Won't let me hold you,
Let me feel your lovin' touch

[Chorus:]
Communication Breakdown,
It's always the same,
I'm having a nervous breakdown,
Drive me insane!
Hey, girl, I got something I think you ought to know.
Hey, babe, I wanna tell you that I love you so.
I wanna hold you in my arms, yeah!
I'm never gonna let you go,
'Cause I like your charms.

[Chorus 2x]

20. Nodding Donkey Blues

[The band played some pub gigs as the Nodding Donkeys as a

pseudonym before touring.]
[Nodding Donkey Blues was a fun song spawned around that idea.]
[Be Quick or Be Dead Single 1992]

Settle down
She's got legs... like an airship, She's got an ass.... like
(unintelligible)
She's got tits... just like hot air balloons... and I mean the Hindenburg!
She's the biggest girl, I'm gonna get there soon
Yeah you know what I mean
She's got love when you want it, but she never lets go when you get it
You disappear inside, you're never seen again... lost forever!
She's the biggest girl, I'm gonna get there soon
Alright, here we go...
Should be some kind of guitar solo here...
Well I met her in a bar, she was propping up the wall
I don't think she was available, she was made of concrete
(unintelligible)
I met her in a bar, she was propping up the wall
In fact she was nailed to it
I gotta admit, (unintelligible) babe... lets get down to it baby
She had a brain like a sheep-dip,
She got (unintelligible) like a shepherd (unintelligible)
She was a big girl, she was big.
I mean she was big, she was fucking huge! Enormous!
Needed a sign overhead (unintelligible)
Never even had landing permission!
One more!
Oh we sailed across the ocean you and me
I looked like a flea on the back of a sperm whale
Oh yeah, I was waving a match inside the Albert Hall

21. Space Station No. 5

[Montrose / Hagar]
[Originally by Montrose]
[Be Quick or Be Dead Single 1992]

Start, with the sun

And move on out
The future's in the skies above
The heavens unfold
And a new star is born
Space and time makin' love

[Chorus:]
Oh what a time we had
Living on the ground
I've moved to station #5
See you next time around,
Next time around
As far you want, as close as you need
It's all in the mind, you know
This old world hasn't really seen it's day
It's here, time to go

[Chorus]

Remember when it was so clear

We were young, but the memory still remains
To pick fruit from a tree
Fish from the seas
Now nothing's left here, but the stains
Well I can't cry no more
Can only be glad
There's other places we can be
If the time suits you right
I'm leaving tonight
Come fly away
With me!
Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, Yeah
Oh, yeah
Start, with the sun
And move on out
The future's in the skies above
The heavens unfold
A new star is born
Space and time makin' love

[Chorus]

22. I Can't See My Feelings

[Burke Shelley, Tony Bourge, Steve Williams]

[Originally by Budgie]
[From Here to Eternity Single 1992]

I can't see my feelings

Open my eyes
I can't see my feelings
Open a pair of eyes
I can't see my feelings
Keep them behind
I just keep on reeling
Running back down the line
Oh, I can't stand that screaming
Don't even try
Music fans some feelings
It'll be tell me why
I can't stop that feeling
Showing me why
Man I love that feeling
Yeah, blowin' me right through the sky
Oh hey hey hey hey hey hey
Oh, listen to what she says
If it's good, it's nice

23. Roll Over Vic Vella

[Chuck Berry]
[Originally Roll Over Beethoven by Chuck Berry]
[With lyrics adapted by Steve Harris]
[Tribute to Vic who was the tour manager, the security guy, the sound
engineer, rodie in mid 1979.]

24. Justice Of The Peace

[Murray / Harris]
[Written in the time of the X-Factor]
[Man on the Edge Single 1995]

Have you heard on the news

Another let off madman
Another screw on the loose
Is it the judge or the badman
What's the matter these days
No one has the courage to put them away
Nobody has any faith
'Cause there's a breakdown of justice and order

[Chorus:]
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace
When I remember back the memories of yesteryear [they really say
'yesterday']
With all the friends and all the times
When people were carefree
And walking down the street
When everyone knew everyone
And all the houses doors were open
No had to care those days are gone
Those days are gone

[Chorus]

I long for the times when you could

Wander down the street unharmed
When people didn't have much money
But didn't seem to care
It must be the cynic in me
But I don't really like things now
The violence, the attitudes
Aggression that you see everyday
A sick society looks the other way.
25. Judgment Day

[Bayley, Gers]
[Written in the time of the X-Factor]
[Man on the Edge Single 1995]

There are no marks upon a man

That can say he's good or bad
No label and no tell tale sign
That can show he's full of lies

[Chorus:]
By your deeds you will be known
Time will tell truth will show
As we exhale every breath
We all got closer to our death
What will you say
What will you say
On judgement day
On judgement day
When you look into their eyes
You don't know what they hide
No label and no tell tale sign
That can show he's full of lies

[Chorus]

Ignorance is bliss is that the reason

We can not read another's mind
If we knew what thoughts were dancing
Through each others heads
Would we all be driven mad
Would we all be dead

[Chorus]

26. My Generation

[Originally by The Who]

[Virus Single 1996]

People try to put us d-down. Talkin' 'Bout My Generation

Just because we get around. Talkin' 'bout my generation
Things they do look awful c-c-cold. Talkin' 'bout my generation
I hope I die before I get old. Talkin' 'bout my generation
This is my generation,
This is my generation, baby.
Why don't you all f-fade away? Talkin' 'bout my generation
Yeah, don't try and dig what we all s-s-say. Talkin' 'bout my
generation
I'm not tryin' to cause a big s-s-sensation, Talkin' 'bout my generation
I'm just talkin' 'bout my g-g-g-generation. Talkin' 'bout my generation
It's my generation,
It's my generation, baby.
Why don't you all f-fade away? Talkin' 'bout my generation
Yeah, don't try d-dig what we all s-s-s-s-s-say.
Talkin' 'bout my generation
Not tryin' to cause a big sensation, Talkin' 'bout my generation
Just talkin' 'bout my g-generation. Talkin' 'bout my generation
Yeah, my generation,
This is my generation, baby,
Generation, generation.
People try to put us d-down Talkin' 'bout my generation
Just because we g-g-g-get around. Talkin' 'bout my generation
Things they do look awful c-c-cold. Talkin' 'bout my generation
I hope I die before I get old. Talkin' 'bout my generation
It's my generation,
This is my generation, baby,
Ma-ma-my generation.
Talkin' 'bout my generation. Talkin' about
Talkin' 'bout my generation. my generation,
Talkin' 'bout my generation. my generation,
Talkin' 'bout my generation. my generation,
Talkin' 'bout my generation. yes, my generation, baby
Talkin' 'bout my generation. yes, my generation,
Talkin' 'bout my generation. yes, my generation,
Talkin' 'bout my generation. yes, my generation,
Talkin' 'bout my generation. it's my generation

27. Doctor, Doctor

[Originally by UFO]
[Virus Single 1996]

Doctor doctor, please, Oh, the mess I'm in

Doctor doctor, please oh, the mess I'm in
She walked up to me and really stole my heart
And then she started to take my body apart

[Chorus:]
Livin' lovin' I'm on the run
So far away from you
Livin' lovin' I'm on the run
So far away from you
Doctor doctor, please, Oh I'm goin' fast
Doctor doctor, please, oh, I'm goin' fast
It's only just a moment
She's turning paranoid
That's not a situation for a nervous boy

[3rd verse:]
Doctor doctor, please, Oh, the mess I'm in
Doctor doctor, please oh, the mess I'm in
But you look so angry as I crawled across your floor
She's got the strength, and I can't take any more

[Chorus]

[3rd verse]

28. Blood On The World's Hands (Live)

[Harris]
[Recorded at Gothenberg 1st Nov 1995]
[Angel and the Gambler Single 1998]

Sometimes it makes me wonder

Sometimes it makes me question
Sometimes it makes me saddened
Always it makes me angry but...
When you can see it happening
The madness that's all around you
Nobody seems to worry
The world seems so powerless to act...
It's out of control
Blood on the world's hands
Each day a new toll
Another assassination
The same day a new creation
But what are they coming into
Security of a world that brings...
One day another killing
Somewhere there's someone staring
Another a savage raping
Meanwhile there's someone laughing at us
It's out of control
Blood on the world's hands
Each day it goes on
Brutality and aggression
Tomorrow another lesson
Expecting another air raid
Praying for a geaserfire
They say things are getting better
No need to be complacent
There's chaos across the border
And one day it could be happening to us
It's out of control
Blood on the world's hands
It's our epitaph
It's out of control
Someone should know
Blood on the world's hands

29. The Aftermath (Live)

[Steve Harris, Blaze Bayley and Janick Gers]

[Recorded at Gothenberg 1st Nov 1995]
[Angel and the Gambler Single 1998]

Silently to silence fall

In the fields of future war
Toys of death are spitting lead
Where boys that were our soldiers bled
War horse and war machine
Curse the name of liberty
Marching on as if they should
Mix in the dirt our brothers' blood
In the mud and rain
What are we fighting for
Is it worth the pain
Is it worth dying for
Who will take the blame
Why did they make a war
Questions that come again
Should we be fighting at all
Once a ploughman hitches his team
Here he sowed [?] his little dream
Now bodies arms and legs are strewn
Where mustard gas and barbwire bloom
Each moment's like a year
I've nothing legt [?] inside for tears
Comrades dead or dying lie
I'm left alone asking why
In the mud and rain
What are we fighting for
Is it worth the pain
Is it worth dying for
Who will take the blame
Why did they make a war
Questions that come again
Should we be fighting at all
After the war
Left feeling no one has won
After the war
What does a soldier become
War is over and battles are gone
After the war no one has won
I'm just a soldier

30. Futureal (Live)

[Harris / Bayley]
[Recorded during the Ed Hunter Tour 1999 - Bruce Returns]
[The Wicker Man Single 2000]

I'm running of my time, I'm running out of breath

And now it's getting, so I can't sleep at night
In the day, I feel like death
I'm getting in far too deep, I feel they closing in
I've got to say that I'm scared, I know they'll win
Even so, I prepared

[Chorus:]
Do you believe, what you hear
Can you believe, what you see
Do you believe, what you feel
Can you believe
What is real?
Futureal
What is real?
Futureal
Wherever anyone seems to treat me like a freak
It makes me see I'm only one who feels
That I know that is real
Sometimes it feels like a game of deadly hide and seek
And when you reading this, then I will be gone
Maybe then, you will see

[Chorus 2x]

31. Wasted Years '99 (Live)

[Smith]
[Recorded during the Ed Hunter Tour 1999 - Bruce Returns]
[The Wicker Man Single 2000]

From the coast of gold, across the seven seas

I'm travellin' on, far and wide
But now it seems, I'm just a stranger to myself
And all the things I sometimes do, it isn't me but someone else
I close my eyes, and think of home
Another city goes by in the night
Ain't it funny how it is, you never miss it 'til it's gone away
And my heart is lying there and will be 'til my dying day

[Chorus:]
So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years
Face up... make your stand
And realise you're living in the golden years
Too much time on my hands, I got you on my mind
Can't ease this pain, so easily
When you can't find the words to say it's hard to make it through
another day
And it makes me wanna cry and throw my hands up to the sky

[Chorus]
IRON MAIDEN LYRICS
Dance Of Death (2003)

1. Wildest Dreams
2. Rainmaker
3. No More Lies
4. Montsgur
5. Dance Of Death
6. Gates Of Tommorow
7. New Frontier
8. Paschendale
9. Face In The Sand
10. Age Of Innocence
11. Journeyman

1. Wildest Dreams

[Smith / Harris]

I'm gonna organize some changes in my life

I'm gonna exorcise the demons of my past
I'm gonna take the car and hit the open road
I'm feeling ready to just open up and go

And I just feel I can be anything

That all I might ever wish to be
And fantasize just what I want to be
Make my wildest dreams come true

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
Out on the road again

When I remember back to how that things just used to be

And I was stuck inside a shroud of misery
I felt I'd disappeared so deep inside myself
I couldn't find a way to break away my hell

When I'm feeling down and low

I vow I'll never be the same again
I just remember what I am
And visualize just what I'm gonna be

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
Out on the road again

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
I'm gonna breakaway

2. Rainmaker

[Murray / Harris / Dickinson]

When I was wandering in the desert

And was searching for the truth
I heard a choir of angels calling out my name
I had the feeling that my life would never be the same again
I turned my face towards the barren sun

And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me

And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in our lives like the cracks upon the ground
They are sealed and are now washed away

[Chorus:]
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears away
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears.....

And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me

And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in the ground like the cracks are in our lives
They are sealed and now far away

[Repeat chorus, 3rd verse]

3. No More Lies

[Harris]

There's a darkened sky before me

There's no time to prepare
Salvage a last horizon
But no regrets from me

Maybe I'll be back some other day

To live again just who can say
In what shape or form that I might be
Just another chance for me

A hurried time no disgrace

Instead of racing to conclusion
And wishing all my life away
No-one can stop me now

Time is up it couldn't last

But there's more things I'd like to do
I'm coming back to try again
Someday maybe I'll wait till then

No more lies...

They're all sitting at my table

Talking tall and drinking wine
Their time is up just like me
But they just don't know it yet

So just a word of warning

When you're in your deepest dreams
There's nothing you can hide from
I've got my eye on you

The clock is fast, the hour is near

Eventful past is everclear
My life is set, the time is here
I think I'm coming home

No more lies...

A hurried time, no disgrace

Instead of racing to conclusions
And wishing all your life away
No-one can stop me now

Time is up it couldn't last

But there's more things I have to do
I'm coming back to try again
Don't tell me that this is the end

No more lies...

4. Montsgur

[Gers / Harris / Dickinson]

I stand alone in this desolate space

In death they are truly alive
Massacred innocence, evil took place
The angels were burning inside

Centuries later I wonder why

What secret they took to their grave
Still burning heretics under our skies
Religion's still burning inside

[Chorus:]
At the gates and the walls of Montsegur
Blood on the stones of the citadel
At the gates and the walls of Montsegur
Blood on the stones of the citadel
At the gates and the walls of Montsegur
Blood on the stones of the citadel
At the gates and the walls of Montsegur
Blood on the stones of the citadel

As we kill them all so God will know his own

The innocents died for the Pope on his throne
Catholic greed and its paranoid zeal
Curse of the grail and the blood of the cross

Templar believers with blood on their hands

Joined in the chorus to kill on demand
Burned at the stake for their soul's liberty
To stand with the cathars, to die and be free

The book of Old Testament crippled and black

Satan - his weapon is lust
Leaving this evil damnation of flesh
Back to the torture of lies

The perfect ones willingly died at the stake

And all of their followers slain
As for the knowledge of God they had claimed
Religion's still burning inside

[Repeat chorus, 3rd verse]

Templar believers with blood on their hands

Joined in the chorus to kill on command
Burned at the stake for their soul's liberty
Still running heretics under our skies

As we kill them all so God know his own

Laugh at the darkness and in god we trust
The eye in the triangle smiling with sin
No passover feast for the cursed within

Facing the sun as they went to their grave

Burn like a dog or you live like a slave
Death is the price for your soul's liberty
To stand with the cathars and to die and be free

[Repeat chorus]

5. Dance Of Death

[Gers / Harris]

Let me tell you a story to chill the bones

About a thing that I saw
One night wandering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more

I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight

Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move

Feeling scared and I fell to my knees

As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace

Then they summoned me over to join in with them

To the dance of the dead
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led

As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear

But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals

And I felt I was in a trance

And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me

And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them

All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell

As I danced with the dead

My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead

Until the time came to reunite us both

My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me

By luck then a skirmish started

And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled

I ran like hell faster than the wind

But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead

When you know that your time has come around

You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it

When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead

To this day I guess I'll never know

Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Til I dance with the dead

6. Gates Of Tommorow

[Gers / Harris / Dickinson]

Weaving a thread round your heart and your soul

Deceiving your eyes and delaying your goal
Ships in the night when they pass out of sight
Deliver their cargo of earthly delights

To the women and children, the souls of the dead

I've opened their book and no mercy is shed
You want forgiveness and you want it cheap
I don't give redemption rewards for the meek

Suffering evil when you pay the price of fame

There isn't a god to save you if you don't save yourself
You can't blame a madman if you go insane
Give me the strength so I carry on

[Chorus:]
Trapped in the web - but I cut the threads
Show you the gates of tomorrow
Trapped in the web - no mercy is shed
Show you the gates of tomorrow
Trapped in the web - slaves to the dead
Show you the gates of tomorrow
Trapped in the web - but I cut the threads
Show you the gates of tomorrow

[Repeat 3rd verse, chorus]

7. New Frontier

[McBrain / Smith / Dickinson]

Bleeding you dry from the start

The sum of my parts
To give it away
New life in a day
Some new Frankenstein
Damned for all time

Cursed by the angel who fell

Who saves me from hell?
And who is my god?
And where is my soul?
Too tired to jump too young to run

[Bridge:]
Neverending, forever searching
Chasing dreams, the dreams of my heart
Always seeking, always asking
Questions right from the start

[Chorus:]
Out beyond the new frontier
Playing god without mercy, without fear
Create a beast, made a man without a soul
Is it worth the risk - a war of god and man?
Is it worth the risk - a war of god and man?

I want to end my life now

But I don't know how
Recycled again a lifetime of pain
The spawn of a man
The devil has planned

[Repeat bridge, chorus]

8. Paschendale

[Smith / Harris]

In a foreign field he lay

Lonely soldier, unknown grave
On his dying words he prays
Tell the world of Paschendale

Relive all that he's been through

Last communion of his soul
Rust your bullets with his tears
Let me tell you 'bout his years

Laying low in a blood filled trench

Kill time 'til my very own death
On my face I can feel the falling rain
Never see my friends again

In the smoke, in the mud and lead

Smell the fear and the feeling of dread
Soon be time to go over the wall
Rapid fire and end of us all

Whistles, shouts and more gun fire

Lifeless bodies hang on barbed wire
Battlefield nothing but a bloody tomb
Be reunited with my dead friends soon

Many soldiers eighteen years

Drown in mud, no more tears
Surely a war no-one can win
Killing time about to begin

Home, far away

From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again

The bodies of ours and our foes

The sea of death it overflows
In no man's land, God only knows
Into jaws of death we go

Crucified as if on a cross
Allied troops they mourn their loss
German war propaganda machine
Such before has never been seen

Swear I heard the angels cry

Pray to god no more may die
So that people know the truth
Tell the tale of Paschendale

Cruelty has a human heart

Every man does play his part
Terror of the men we kill
The human heart is hungry still

I stand my ground for the very last time

Gun is ready as I stand in line
Nervous wait for the whistle to blow
Rush of blood and over we go

Blood is falling like the rain

Its crimson cloak unveils again
The sound of guns can't hide their shame
And so we die on Paschendale

Dodging shrapnel and barbed wire

Running straight at cannon fire
Running blind as I hold my breath
Say a prayer symphony of death

As we charge the enemy lines

A burst of fire and we go down
I choke a cry but no-one hears
Feel the blood go down my throat

Home, far away

From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again

Home, far away

From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again

See my spirit on the wind

Across the lines, beyond the hill
Friend and foe will meet again
Those who died at Paschendale

9. Face In The Sand

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

Everybody's waiting for something to happen

Everybody's waiting for something to see
Lunatics waiting for bigger disasters
Everyone's waiting for news on TV

Winding lives at the end of the spiral

Waiting dictators with their next big thrill
Everyone's looking, but no one is listening
Everybody wants to be in at the kill

I wait for the signs, they tell me true

I see the signs of the end of time

Everyone's searching, but nothing's revealing

Everyone's looking for the reason why
Everyone's hoping for life everafter
Everyone's looking at death from the sky

Everyone's nightmares are going to happen

Everybody's ripping the mask from their eyes
Everyone's praying but no one's believing
Everyone's heroes tell everyone's lies

I wait for the signs, they tell me true

I see the signs of the end

[Chorus:]
So I watch and I wait
And I pray for an awnser
An end to the strife and the world's misery
But the end never came
And we're digging the graves
And we're loading the guns for the kill

Can the end be at hand?

Is the face in the sand
Future memory of our tragedy?
Can the end be at hand?
Is the face in the sand
Future memory of our tragedy?

[Repeat chorus, last verse]

10. Age Of Innocence

[Murray / Harris]

I can't be compromising in my thoughts no more

I can't prevent the times my anger fills my heart
I can't be sympathizing with a new lost cause
I feel I've lost my patience with the world and all

And all the politicians and their hollow promises

And all the lies, deceit and shame that goes with it
The working man pays everything for their mistakes
And with his life too if there was to be a war

[Chorus:]
So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
And we only got one life, can't exchange it
Can we hold on to what we have, don't replace it
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream

A life of petty crime gets punished with a holiday

The victims' mind are scarred for life most everyday
Assailants know just how much further they can go
They know the laws are soft, conviction chances low

[Repeat chorus]

You can't protect yourselves even in your own home

For fear of vigilante cries, the victims wipe their eyes
So now the criminal they launch right in our face
Judical system lets them do it, a disgrace
Despondent public worries, where it will all end?
We can't protect ourselves, our kids from the crime trend
We cannot even warn each other of evil in our midst
They have more rights than us, you cannot call that just

[Repeat chorus]

11. Journeyman

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

From the red sky of the east

To the sunset in the west
We have cheated death
And he has cheated us

But that was just a dream

And this is what it means
We are sleeping
And we'll dream for evermore

And the fragment remains of our memories

And the shadows we made with our hands
Deep grey, came to mourn
All the colours of the dawn
Will this journeyman's day be his last?

[Chorus:]
I know what I want
And I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
And I say what I want
And no one can take it away

But the memory still remains

All the past years not so stange
Our winter times are like a silent shroud
And the heartbeat of the day
Drives the mist away
And winter's not the only dream around
In your life you may choose desolation
And the shadows you build with your hands
If you turn to the light
That is burning in the night
Then the journeyman's day has begun

[Repeat chorus, 5th verse, chorus]

IRON MAIDEN ARE:

- Steve Harris: bass

- Dave Murray: guitars
- Janick Gers: guitars
- Adrian Smith: guitars
- Bruce Dickinson: vocals
- Nicko McBrain: drums

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Wildest Dreams (2003 SINGLE)

1. Wildest Dreams
2. Pass The Jam
3. Blood Brothers (Orchestral Mix)

1. Wildest Dreams

[Smith / Harris]

I'm gonna organize some changes in my life

I'm gonna exorcise the demons of my past
I'm gonna take the car and hit the open road
I'm feeling ready to just open up and go

And I just feel I can be anything

That all I might ever wish to be
And fantasize just what I want to be
Make my wildest dreams come true

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
Out on the road again

When I remember back to how that things just used to be

And I was stuck inside a shroud of misery
I felt I'd disappeared so deep inside myself
I couldn't find a way to break away my hell

When I'm feeling down and low

I vow I'll never be the same again
I just remember what I am
And visualize just what I'm gonna be

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
Out on the road again

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
I'm gonna breakaway

2. Pass The Jam

[Dickinson / Gers / Harris / McBrain / Murray / Smith]

I don't care
They're crazy
Said pass the jam, would you
Awfully kind of you
Now wouldn't it be a little bit nice to sing with this
Gazing at the open door
Just what lays behind
Thinking what I'm looking for
Say what's on my mind
Sinking ever deeper
In the words of guilt of shame
And now I can redeem myself
I just don't care
The words I'm singing they're just right
That's better for my brain
If I try to make much sense
You know I'll go insane
I just don't care
I just don't care
Caesar had some jam with tea
But Brutus wasn't kind
Wasn't strawberries that were red
He wasn't cutting bread
You pass the jam
And so he slammed the tea
The only bugger here to me
Is in the conservatory
Yeah, alright
Yes, but still over there
Sinking ever deeper
In the words of guilt and shame
I can't redeem myself
I just don't care
Staring at the silver spoon
Take it from your mouth
Take it from the jam jar
Turn and face the South
Now face the North
And the East
And the West
And the setting sun
Still burning on in the night
Where's the sun at midnight
Say it's gone
Where's the moon at dawn
It carries on
And on
It never ends
To the land of nevermore
Where time began
Where the man still stands
And the edge, at the end
Never know that I sang
You'll all know it's the right place
In time, well it is
The words I'm singing
That's just right
They're better for my brain
If I try to make much sense
You know I'll go insane
Pass the jam
Pass the jam
Pass the fuckin' jam
Please
Next up I'll scream
I will
[he screams]
I warned you
I'm going home now
[Nicko:] Oh my goodness, that must be the first jam we've had in
years!

I say pass the jam, would you

[repeat like a scratched record]

3. Blood Brothers (Orchestral Mix)

[Harris]

And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life

What do you think you'd expect you would see?
Just like a mirror reflecting the moves of your life
And in the river reflections of me
Just for a second a glimpse of my father I see
And in a movement he beckons to me
And in a moment the memories are all that remain
And all the wounds are reopening again
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
And as you look all around at the world in dismay
What do you see, do you think we have learned
Not if you're taking a look at the war-torn affray
Out in the streets where the babies are burned
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
There are times when I feel I'm afraid for the world
There are times I'm ashamed of us all
When you're floating on all the emotion you feel
And reflecting the good and the bad
Will we ever know what the answer to life really is?
Can you really tell me what life is?
Maybe all the things that you know that are precious to you
Could be swept away by fate's own hand
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
When you think that we've used all our chances
And the chance to make everything right
Keep on making the same old mistakes
Makes untipping the balance so easy
When we're living our lives on the edge
Say a prayer on the book of the dead
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
We're blood brothers, we're blood brothers
And if you're taking a walk through the garden of life...

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Rainmaker (2003 SINGLE)

1. Rainmaker
2. Dance Of Death (Orchestral Version)
3. More Tea Vicar

1. Rainmaker

[Murray / Harris / Dickinson]

When I was wandering in the desert

And was searching for the truth
I heard a choir of angels calling out my name
I had the feeling that my life would never be the same again
I turned my face towards the barren sun

And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me

And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in our lives like the cracks upon the ground
They are sealed and are now washed away

[Chorus:]
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears away
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears.....

And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me

And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in the ground like the cracks are in our lives
They are sealed and now far away
[Repeat chorus, 3rd verse]

2. Dance Of Death (Orchestral Version)

[Gers, Harris]

Let me tell you a story to chill the bones

About a thing that I saw
One night wandering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more

I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight

Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move

Feeling scared and I fell to my knees

As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace

Then they summoned me over to join in with them

To the dance of the dead
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led

As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear

But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals

And I felt I was in a trance

And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me

And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them

All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell

As I danced with the dead

My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead

Until the time came to reunite us both

My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me

By luck then a skirmish started

And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled

I ran like hell faster than the wind

But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead

When you know that your time has come around

You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it

When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead

To this day I guess I'll never know

Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Til I dance with the dead

3. More Tea Vicar

[Dickinson / Gers / Harris / McBrain / Murray / Smith]

More Tea Vicar?

More Tea Vicar!
In the day of the dawn
Let me tell ya
The vicar's made his mind up
In his leather underwear
He was a vicar Reginald
But now he's not so sure
Y-fronts!
He was a vicar Reginald
But now he's not so sure
It's just a front he's putting on
A Y-front!
He was surplus to requirement when the anthem starts to play
He fiddled with his organ on the Sabbath Holy Day - yes he did!
He was surplus to requirement when the anthem starts to play
He fiddled with his organ on the Sabbath Holy Day
Ya!
Vicar's made his mind up in his leather underwear
He was a vicar Reginald but now he's not so sure
Huh, yeah!
Huh, fuck!
Hey!
Pass the soap!
Huh!
More tea vicar!
More tea vicar!
Gimme more tea vicar!
Oh yah!
Yeah, huh!
More tea vicar!
Yeah, ho, yeah, ho yeah!
More tea vicar?
More tea, ho, hah!
Beg your pardon?
More tea Vicar!
Now he's just made more tea
That doesn't work does it?
Surplus to requirement when the anthem starts to play
He fiddled with his organ on the Sabbath Holy Day
Oh, dear!
More tea Vicar!
And be it just a Holy Day
Then i start to find
I've got a dog called Reginald
But then he starts to whine
Huh, hoh!
Yo bitch!
More tea Vicar!
Huh!
Lick my bone!
Yoho! Hey! Ha!
More tea Vicar!
Young man, you're uncouth!
Without couth!
Pass the tea!
Now that you've just had your tea, get on the way to go
Pass the tea and pass the soap lad
Now it's pass the soap?
Pass the soap?
What sort of?
I'm not down with that at all!
More tea Vicar!
Jive talkin', doo doo doo!
Jive talkin'!
Aaaaaaaaah!
No, no no! You got the wrong track
You have to go in the studio next door
Okaaay!
Thank you!
Got rid of him anyway!
More tea Vicar!

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

Death On The Road (2005 LIVE)

1. Wildest Dreams
2. Wrathchild
3. Can I Play With Madness
4. The Trooper
5. Dance Of Death
6. Rainmaker
7. Brave New World
8. Paschendale
9. Lord Of The Flies
10. No More Lies
11. Hallowed Be Thy Name
12. Fear Of The Dark
13. Iron Maiden
14. Journeyman
15. Number Of The Beast
16. Run To The Hills
1. Wildest Dreams

[Smith / Harris]

I'm gonna organize some changes in my life

I'm gonna exorcise the demons of my past
I'm gonna take the car and hit the open road
I'm feeling ready to just open up and go

And I just feel I can be anything

That all I might ever wish to be
And fantasize just what I want to be
Make my wildest dreams come true

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
Out on the road again

When I remember back to how that things just used to be

And I was stuck inside a shroud of misery
I felt I'd disappeared so deep inside myself
I couldn't find a way to break away my hell

When I'm feeling down and low

I vow I'll never be the same again
I just remember what I am
And visualize just what I'm gonna be

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
Out on the road again

I'm on my way
Out on my own again
I'm on my way
I'm gonna breakaway

2. Wrathchild
[Harris]

I was born into a scene of angriness and greed, and dominance and
persecution.
My mother was a queen, my dad I've never seen, I was never meant
to be.
And now I spend my time looking all around,
For a man that's nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

[Chorus]
'Cos I'm a wrathchild, well I'm a wrathchild.
Yeah I'm a wrathchild. I'm coming to get you, oooh yeah.

Say it doesn't matter ain't nothin' gonna alter the course of my

destination.
I know I've got to find some serious piece of mind, or I know I'll go
crazy.
But now I spend my time looking all around,
For a man thats nowhere to be found.
Until I find him I'm never gonna stop searching,
I'm gonna find my man, gonna travel around.

[Chorus]

3. Can I Play With Madness

[Smith / Dickinson / Harris]

Give me the sense to wonder

To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place

[Chorus:]
Can I play with madness - the prophet started at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness - there's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness - the prophet looked and he laught at me
Can I play with madness - he said you're blind too blind to see

I screamed aloud to the old man

I said don't lie don't say you don't know
I say you'll pay for your mischief
In this world or the next
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said do you want to know the truth son
- I'll tell you the truth
Your soul's gonna burn in the lake of fire

[Chorus 2 times]

4. The Trooper

[Harris]

You'll take my life but I'll take yours too

You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The Bugle sounds and the charge begins

But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses' breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

The horse he sweats with fear we break to run

The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall.

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground

And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

We get so close near enough to fight

When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.
And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan.

5. Dance Of Death

[Gers / Harris]

Let me tell you a story to chill the bones

About a thing that I saw
One night wandering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more

I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight

Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move

Feeling scared and I fell to my knees

As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace

Then they summoned me over to join in with them

To the dance of the dead
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led

As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear

But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals

And I felt I was in a trance

And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me

And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them

All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell

As I danced with the dead

My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead

Until the time came to reunite us both

My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me

By luck then a skirmish started

And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled

I ran like hell faster than the wind

But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead

When you know that your time has come around

You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it

When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead

To this day I guess I'll never know

Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Til I dance with the dead

6. Rainmaker

[Murray / Harris / Dickinson]

When I was wandering in the desert

And was searching for the truth
I heard a choir of angels calling out my name
I had the feeling that my life would never be the same again
I turned my face towards the barren sun

And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me

And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in our lives like the cracks upon the ground
They are sealed and are now washed away

[Chorus:]
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears away
You tell me we can start the rain
You tell me that we all can change
You tell me we can find something to wash the tears.....

And I know of the pain that you feel the same as me

And I dream of the rain as it falls upon the leaves
And the cracks in the ground like the cracks are in our lives
They are sealed and now far away

[Repeat chorus, 3rd verse]

7. Brave New World

[Murray, Harris, Dickinson]

Dying swans twisted wings, beauty not needed here

Lost my love, lost my life, in this garden of fear
I have seen many things, in a lifetime alone
Mother love is no more, bring this savage back home

Wilderness house of pain, makes no sense of it all

Close this mind dull this brain, Messiah before his fall
What you see is not real, those who know will not tell
All is lost sold your souls to this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
Dragon kings dying queens, where is salvation now
Lost my life lost my dreams, rip the bones from my flesh
Silent screams laughing here, dying to tell you the truth
You are planned and you are damned in this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

8. Paschendale

[Smith / Harris]

In a foreign field he lay

Lonely soldier, unknown grave
On his dying words he prays
Tell the world of Paschendale

Relive all that he's been through

Last communion of his soul
Rust your bullets with his tears
Let me tell you 'bout his years

Laying low in a blood filled trench

Kill tim 'til my very own death
On my face I can feel the falling rain
Never see my friends again

In the smoke, in the mud and lead

Smell the fear and the feeling of dread
Soon be time to go over the wall
Rapid fire and the end of us all

Whistles, shouts and more gun fire

Lifeless bodies hang on barbed wire
Battlefield nothing but a bloody tomb
Be reunited with my dead friends soon
Many soldiers eighteen years
Drown in mud, no more tears
Surely a war no-one can win
Killing time about to begin

Home, far away

From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again

The bodies of ours and our foes

The sea of death it overflows
In no man's land, God only knows
Into jaws of death we go

Crucified as if on a cross
Allied troops they mourn their loss
German war propaganda machine
Such before has never been seen

Swear I heard the angels cry

Pray to god no more may die
So that people know the truth
Tell the tale of Paschendale

Cruelty has a human heart

Every man does play his part
Terror of the men we kill
The human heart is hungry still

I stand my ground for the very last time

Gun is ready as I stand in line
Nervous wait for the whistle to blow
Rush of blood and over we go

Blood is falling like the rain

Its crimson cloak unveils again
The sound of guns can't hide their shame
And so we die on Paschendale

Dodging shrapnel and barbed wire

Running straight at the cannon fire
Running blind as I hold my breath
Say a prayer symphony of death

As we charge the enemy lines

A burst of fire and we go down
I choke a cry but no-one hears
Fell the blood go down my throat

Home, far away

From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again

See my spirit on the wind

Across the lines, beyond the hill
Friend and foe will meet again
Those who died at Paschendale

9. Lord Of The Flies

[Steve Harris and Janick Gers]

I don't care for this world anymore

I just want to live my own fantasy
Faith has brought me to these shores
What was meant to be is now happening

I've found that I like this living in danger

Living on the edge it makes feel as one
Who cares now what's right or wrong it's reality
Killing so we survive wherever we may roam
Wherever we may hide we've got to get away

I don't want existence to end

We must prepare ourselves for the elements
I just want to feel like we're strong
We don't need a code of morality

I like all the mixed emotion and anger

It brings out the animal the power you can feel
And feeling so high on this much adrenalin
Excited but scary to beleive what we've become

Saints and sinners

Something within us
We are lord of the flies

Saints and sinners

Something willing us
To be lord of the flies

10. No More Lies

[Harris]

There's a darkened sky before me

There's no time to prepare
Salvage a last horizon
But no regrets from me

Maybe I'll be back some other day

To live again just who can say
In what shape or form that I might be
Just another chance for me

A hurried time no disgrace

Instead of racing to conclusion
And wishing all my life away
No-one can stop me now

Time is up it couldn't last

But there's more things I'd like to do
I'm coming back to try again
Someday maybe I'll wait till then

No more lies...

They're all sitting at my table

Talking tall and drinking wine
Their time is up just like me
But they just don't know it yet

So just a word of warning

When you're in your deepest dreams
There's nothing you can hide from
I've got my eye on you
The clock is fast, the hour is near
Eventful past is everclear
My life is set, the time is here
I think I'm coming home

No more lies...

A hurried time, no disgrace

Instead of racing to conclusions
And wishing all your life away
No-one can stop me now

Time is up it couldn't last

But there's more things I have to do
I'm coming back to try again
Don't tell me that this is the end

No more lies...

11. Hallowed Be Thy Name

[Harris]

I'm waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime

Reflecting on my past life and it doesn't have much time
'Cause at 5 o'clock they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low

When the priest comes to read me the last rites

I take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be there's been some sort of an error

Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end not some crazy dream

Somebody please tell me that I'm dreaming

It's not easy to stop from screaming
But words escape me when I try to speak
Tears they flow but why am I crying
After all am I not afraid of dying
Don't believe that there never is an end
As the guards march me out to the courtyard
Someone calls from a cell "God be with you"
If there's a God then why has he let me die?

As I walk all my life drifts before me

And though the end is near I'm not sorry
Catch my soul 'cause it's willing to fly away

Mark my words believe my soul lives on

Don't worry now that I have gone
I've gone beyond to see the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand

Maybe then you'll begin to understand
Life down there is just a strange illusion

Yeah, yeah, yeah,

Hallowed be Thy name
Yeah, yeah, yeah,
Hallowed be Thy name

12. Fear Of The Dark

[Harris]

I am a man who walks alone

And when I'm walking a dark road
At night or strolling through the park

When the light begins to change

I sometimes feel a little strange
A little anxious when it's dark.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have constant fear thas something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there

Have you run your fingers down the wall

And have you felt your neck skin crawl
When you're searching for the light?
Sometimes when you're scared to take a look
At the corner of the room
You've sensed that something's watching you.

Have you ever been alone at night

Throuh your heard footsteps behind
And turned around and no-one's there?
And as you quicken up your pace
You find it hard to look again
Because you're sure there's someone there

Watching horror films the night before

Debating witches and folklore
The unknown troubles on your mind
Maybe your mind is playing tricks
You sense, and suddenly eyes fix
On dancing shadows from behind.

Fear of the dark, fear of the dark

I have a constant fear that something's always near
Fear of the dark, fear of the dark
I have a phobia that someone's always there.

When I'm walking a dark road

I am a man who walks alone

13. Iron Maiden

[Harris]

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be faught, Iron Maiden can't be sought.

[Chorus]
Oh Well, wherever, wherever you are,
Iron Maiden's gonna get you, no matter how far.
See the blood flow watching it shed up above my head.
Iron Maiden wants you for dead.

Won't you come into my room, I wanna show you all my wares.
I just want to see your blood, I just want to stand and stare.
See the blood begin to flow as it falls upon the floor.
Iron Maiden can't be fought, Iron Maiden can't be sought.
14. Journeyman

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

From the red sky of the east

To the sunset in the west
We have cheated death
And he has cheated us

But that was just a dream

And this is what it means
We are sleeping
And we'll dream for evermore

And the fragment remains of our memories

And the shadows we made with our hands
Deep grey, came to mourn
All the colours of the dawn
Will this journeyman's day be his last?

[Chorus:]
I know what I want
And I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
And I say what I want
And no one can take it away

But the memory still remains

All the past years not so stange
Our winter times are like a silent shroud
And the heartbeat of the day
Drives the mist away
And winter's not the only dream around

In your life you may choose desolation

And the shadows you build with your hands
If you turn to the light
That is burning in the night
Then the journeyman's day has begun

[Repeat chorus, 5th verse, chorus]

15. Number Of The Beast

[Harris]

"Woe to you, Oh Earth and Sea, for the Devil sends the
beast with wrath, because he knows the time is short...
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the
beast for it is a human number, its number is Six hundred and
sixty six."

[Revelations Ch. XIII v.18]

I left alone my mind was blank

I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind

What did I see can I believe that what I saw that night was real and
not just fantasy

Just what I saw in my old dreams were they reflections of my warped

mind staring back at me

'Cos in my dream it's always there the evil face that twists my mind
and brings me to despair

The night was black was no use holding back

'Cos I just had to see was someone watching me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
Was this all for real or some kind of hell
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released

Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised

As they start to cry hands held to the sky
In the night the fires burning bright
The ritual has begun Satan's work is done
666 the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight

This can't go on I must inform the law

Can this still be real or just some crazy dream
But I feel drawn towards the evil chanting hordes
They seem to mesmerise me... can't avoid their eyes
666 the number of the beast
666 the one for you and me

I'm coming back I will return

And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take it's course

16. Run To The Hills

[Harris]

White man came across the sea

He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes killed our creed
He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom the stab in the back
Women and children are cowards attack

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Run to the hills, run for your lives

Soldier blue in the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills, run for your lives

[repeat to end]
IRON MAIDEN LYRICS
A Matter Of Life And Death (2006)

1. Different World
2. These Colours Don't Run
3. Brighter Than A Thousand Suns
4. The Pilgrim
5. The Longest Day
6. Out Of The Shadows
7. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg
8. For The Greater Good Of God
9. Lord Of Light
10. The Legacy

1. Different World

[Smith / Harris]

You lead me on the path

Keep showing me the way
I feel a little lost
A little strange today

I think I'll take a hold

Of whatever comes my way
Then we'll see what happens
Take it day by day

I though I had it all

I had it all worked out
Just what my future held
That there would be no doubt

But then the card came up

And I took another turn
But I don't know if it's
Fulfillment that I yearn

Tell me what you can hear

And then tell me what you see
Everybody has a different way
To view the world
I would like you to know
When you see the simple things
To appreciate this life
It's not too late to learn

Don't want to be here

Somewhere I'd rather be
But when I get there
I might find it's not for me

Don't know what I want

Or where I want to be
I'm feeling more confused
The more the days go by

2. These Colours Don't Run

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

It's the same in every country

When you say you're leaving
Left behind the loved ones
Waiting silent in the hall
Where you're going lies adventure
others only dream of
Red and green light this is real
and so you go to war

For the passion, for the glory

For the memories, for the money
You're a soldier, for your country
What's the difference, all the same

Far away from the land of our birth

We fly a flag in some foreign earth
We sailed away like our fathers before
These colours don't run, from a cold bloody war

There is no one that will save you

Going down in flames
No surrender certain death you
Look it in the eye
On the shores of tyranny you
Lonely unmarked graves

For the passion, for the glory

For the memories, for the money
You're a soldier, for your country
What's the difference, all the same

Far away from the land of our birth

We fly a flag in some foreign earth
We sailed away like our fathers before
These colours don't run, from a cold bloody war

3. Brighter Than A Thousand Suns

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

We are not the sons of God

We are not his chosen people now
We have crossed the path he trod
We will feel the pain of his beginning

Shadow fingers rise above

Iron fingers stab the desert sky
Oh Behold the power of man
On its tower ready for the fall

Knocking heads together well

Rise a city build a living hell
Join the race to suicide
Listen for the tolling of the bell

Out of the universe a strange love is born

Unholy union trinity reformed

Yellow sun it's evil twin

In the black the wings deliver him
We will split our souls within
Atom seed to nuclear dust is riven

Out of the universe a strange love is born

Unholy union, trinity reformed
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns

Bury your morals and bury your dead

Bury your head in the sand
E=mc squared you can relate
how we made God
With our hands

Whatever would Robert have said to his God

About how we made war with the sun
E=mc squared you can relate
how we made God
With our hands

All the nations are rising

Through acid veils of love and hate
Chain letters of Satan
Uncertainty leads us all to this
All the nations are rising
Through acid veils of love and hate
Cold fusion and fury

Divide and conquer while ye may

Others preach and others fall and pray
In the bunkers where we'll die
There the executioners they lie

Bombers launch whit no recall

Minutes warning of the missile fall
Take a look at your last sky
Guessing you won't have the time to cry

Out of the universe a strange love is born

Unholy union, trinity reformed

Out of the darkness

Out of the darkness
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns
Out of the darkness
Brighter than a thousand suns

Holy Father we have sinned

4. The Pilgrim

[Gers / Harris]

The keys to death and hell

The ailing kingdom doomed to fall
The bonds of sin and heart will break
The pilgrims course will take

Quelling the devils might

And ready for eternal fight
Aching limbs and fainting soul
Holy battles take their toll

Liberty and hope divine

Changing water into wine
So to you we bid farewell
Kingdom of heaven to hell

Spirit holy, life eternal

Raise me up take me home
Pilgrim sunrise, pagan sunset
Onward journey begun

To courage find and gracious will

Deliver good from ill
Clean the water clean our guilt
With us do what you will

Then will my judge appear

Bear no false angel that I hear
For only then I will confess
To my eternal hell

Now give us our holy sign

Changing water into wine
So to you we bid farewell
Kingdom of heaven to hell

Spirit holy life eternal

Raise me up take me home
Pilgrim sunrise pagan sunset
Onward journey begun

5. The Longest Day

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

In the gloom the gathering storm abates

In the ships gimlet eyes await
The call to arms to hammer at the gates
To blow them wide throw evil to its fate

All summers long the drills to build the machine

To turn man from flesh and blood to steel
From paper soldiers to bodies on the beach
From summer sends to Armageddon's reach

Overload your master not your god

The enemy coast dawning grey with scud
These wretched souls puking shaking fear
To take a bullet for those who send them here

The world's all right the cliffs erupt in flame

No escape remorseless shrapnel rains
Drowning men no chance for a warrior's fate
A choking death enter hell's gates

Sliding we go only fear on our side

To the edge of the wire
And we rush with the tide
Oh the water is red
With the blood of the dead
But I'm still alive pray to God I survive
How long on this longest day
'Till we finally make it trough
How long on this longest day
'Till we finally make it trough

The rising dead faces bloated torn

They are relieved the living wait their turn
Your number's up the bullet's got your name
You still go on to hell and back again

Valhalla waits Valkyries rise and fall

The warrior tombs lie open for us all
A ghostly hand reaches through the wall
Blood and sand we will prevail

Sliding we go only fear on our side

To the edge of the wire
And we rush with the tide
Oh the water is red
With the blood of the dead
But I'm still alive pray to God I survive

How long on this longest day

'Till we finally make it trough
How long on this longest day
'Till we finally make it trough

How long on this longest day

'Till we finally make it trough
How long on this longest day
'Till we finally make it trough

6. Out Of The Shadows

[Dickinson / Harris]

Hold a halo round the world

Golden is the day
Princes of the Universe
Your burden is the way
So there is no better time
Who will be born today
A gypsy child at day break
A king for a day

Out of the Shadows and into the sun

Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Oh there is beauty and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again

Dusty dreams in fading daylight

Flicker on the walls
Nothing new your life's adrift
What purpose to it all?
Eyes are closed and death is calling
Reaching out its hand
Call upon the starlight to surround you

Out of the Shadows and into the sun

Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Oh there is beauty and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again

Out of the Shadows and into the sun

Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Oh there is beauty and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again

Out of the Shadows and into the sun

Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Oh there is beauty and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again

Out of the Shadows and into the sun

Dreams of the past as the old ways are done
Oh there is beauty and surely there is pain
But we must endure it to live again

A man who casts no shadow has no soul

7. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg

[Murray / Harris]

Let me tell you about my life

Let me tell you about my dreams
Let me tell you about the things that happen
Always real to me

Let me tell you of my hope

Of my need to reach the sky
Let me take you on an awkward journey
Let me tell you why
Let me tell you why

Why should these curses be laid upon me

I won't be forgiven 'till I can brake free
What did I do to deserve all this guilt
Pay for my sins with the sale of my soul
Demons are trapped all inside of my head
My hopes are gone reach for heaven from hell

My sins are many my guilt is too heavy

The pressure of knowing of hiding what I know
I'm able to see things
Things I don't want to see
The lives of a thousand souls
Weigh heavy down on me

I know they're crying for help reaching out

The burden of them will take me down as well
The sin of a thousand souls not died in vain
Reincarnate still in me live again

Someone to save me
Something to save me from myself
To bring the salvation
To exorcise this hell

Someone to save me
Something to save me from myself
To bring the salvation
To exorcise this hell

Someone to save me
Something to save me from my hell
A destination
Away from this nightmare

Someone to save me
Something to save me from myself
To bring the salvation
To exorcise this hell

8. For The Greater Good Of God

[Harris]

Are you a man of peace

Or man of holy war
Too many sides to you
Don't know which any more
So many full of life
But also filled with pain
Don't know just how many
Will live to breathe again

A life that's made to breath

Destruction or defense
A mind that's vain corruption
Bad or good intent
A wolf in a ship's clothing
Or saintly or sinner
Or someone that would believe
A holy war winner

They fire off many shots

And many parting blows
Their actions beyond a reasoning
Only god would know
And as he lies in heaven
Or it could be in hell
I feel he's somewhere here
Or looking from below
But I don't know, I don't know

Please tell me now what life is

Please tell me now what love is
Well tell me now what war is
Again tell me what life is

More pain and misery in the history of mankind

Sometimes is seems more like the blind leading blind
It brings upon us more of famine death and war
You know religion has a lot of answers for

Please tell me now what life is

Please tell me now what love is
Well tell me now what war is
Again tell me what life is

And as they search to find the bodies in the sand

They find it's ashes that are scattered across the land
And as their spirits seem to whistle on the wind
A shot is fired somewhere another war begins

And all because of it you'd think that we would learn

But still the body count the city fires burn
Somewhere there's someone dying in a foreign land
Meanwhile the world is crying stupidity of man
Tell me why, tell me why

Please tell me now what life is

Please tell me now what love is
Well tell me now what war is
Again tell me what life is

Please tell me now what life is

Please tell me now what love is
Well tell me now what war is
Again tell me what life is

For the greater good of God

Please tell me now what life is

Please tell me now what love is
Well tell me now what war is
Again tell me what life is

For the greater good of God

He gave his life for us he fell upon the cross

To die for all of those who never mourn his loss
It wasn't meant for us to fell the pain again
Tell me why, tell me why
9. Lord Of Light

[Smith / Harris / Dickinson]

There are secrets that you keep

There are secrets that you keep
There are secrets that you tell to me alone
I can't reach things I can't see
You don't see this strange world
Quite the same as me
Don't deny me what I am
Nothing hidden still you fail to see the truth
These are things you can't reveal
These are things you can't reveal

We are part of some strange plan

Why the slaughter of the brotherhood of man
Infernal sacrifice of hell
Fire breathing lead the way
Mounds of bodies as they all burn into one
Revenge is living in the past
Time to look into a new millennium

Spiral path leads through the maze

Down into the fiery underworld below
Fire breathing lead the way
Lucifer was just an angel led astray

Free your soul and let it fly

Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries

Free your soul and let it fly

Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries

We are not worthy in your black and blazing eyes

We gather demons in the mirror every day
The bridge of darkness casts a shadow on us all
And all our sins to you we give this day

Others wait their turn their lives were meant to last

Use yours wisely as the light is fading fast
Free your soul and let it fly
Mine was caught I couldn't try
Time returns again to punish all of us

We are cast out by our bloody fathers hand

We are strangers in this lonely promised land
We are shadows of the one unholy ghost
In our nightmare world the only one we trust

Free your soul and let it fly

Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries

Free your soul and let it fly

Give your life to the Lord of Light
Keep your secrets and rain on me
All I see are mysteries

10. The Legacy

[Gers / Harris]

Tell you a thing

That you ought to know
Two minutes of your time
Then on you go

Tell tale of the man

All dressed in black
That most of them
Not coming back

Sent off to war

To play little games
And on their return
Can't name no names

Some strange yellow gas

Has played with their minds
Has reddened their eyes
Removed all the lies
And strange as it sounds
Death knows no bounds
How many get well
Only time will tell
Only time will tell

You lie in your death bad now

But what did you bring to the table
Brought us only holy sin
Utter trust is a deadly thing

To the prayer of holy peace

We didn't know what was lying underneath
So how could we be such fools
And to think that we thought you the answer

I can't being to understand in all the lies

But on your death bed I can see it in you're eyes
Just as clear as all the sweat upon your brow
It really makes sense I can see it clearly now

Tangled up in a web of lies

Could have been a way to prophesies
Unaware of the consequence
Not aware of the secrets that you keep

Nothing that we could believe

To reveal the facade of faceless men
Not a thing that we could foresee
Now a sing that would tell us the outcome

You had us all strung out with promises of peace

But all along you cover plan was to deceive
Can it put to rights now only time will tell
Your prophecies will send us all to hell as well

Left to all our golden sons

All to pick up on the peace
You could have all to them
A little chance...at least

Take the world to a better place

Given them all just a little hope
Just think what a legacy
You now...will leave

We seem destined to live in fear

And some that would say Armageddon is near
But where there's a life while there's hope
That man won't self destruct

Why can't we tread our fellow men

With more respect and a shake of their hands
But anger and loathing is rifle
The death on all sides is becoming a way of life

We live in an uncertain world

Fear understanding and ignorance is leading to death
Only the corpses are left
For vultures that prey on their bones

But some are just not waiting peace

Their whole life is death and misery
The only thing that they know
Fight fire with fire life is cheap

But if they do stop to think

That man is teetering right on the brink
But do you think that they care
They benefit from death and pain and despair

IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg (2006 SINGLE)

1. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg

2. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Radio 1 'Legends' Session)

1. The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg

[Dave Murray, Steve Harris]

Let me tell you 'bout my life,

Let me tell you 'bout my dreams,
Let me tell you 'bout the things that happen, all is real to me.
Let me tell you of my hope, of my need to reach the sky,
Let me take you on an awkward journey, let me tell you why.
Let me tell you why

Why should these curses be laid upon me,

I won't be forgiven 'til I can break free,
What did I do to deserve all this guilt,
Pay for my sins, for the sale of my soul.

Demons are trapped all inside my head,

My hopes of god, reach for heaven from hell,
My sins are many, my guilt is too heavy,
The question of knowing of how then what I know?

I'm able to see things, things that I don't wanna see,

The lies of a thousand souls weigh heavy down on me

I know they're crying for help reaching out

The burden of them will take me down as well
The sin of a thousand souls knocked out in vain
Reincarnation of me live again

Someone to save me,

Something to save me from myself
To bring salvation
To exorcise this hell
Someone to save me,
Something to save me from myself
To bring Salvation
To exorcise this hell

Someone to save me
Something to save me from my hell
Our destination away from this nightmare
Someone to save me
Something to save me from myself
To bring salvation
To exorcise this hell

2. Hallowed Be Thy Name (Radio 1 'Legends' Session)