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Days of Future Past
Iron Maiden Lyrics


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A war in heaven in God's rage
He put me in this burning cage
Holy fury locks me in
Imprisoned by my deadly sin

Every hour the shadow king
Wonders what his cloth will bring
I've lived and loved and that's for sure
My fatal quest forevermore

The days of future past, to wander on the shore
A king without a queen, to die forevermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

Once crucified, you forgave it all
But my own life condemned to fall
Where's the glory in your name?
My twisted soul still burns in flame

Hark you angels, hear my call
Father, witness to my fall
Between the lines of sin and pain
I walk the earth now doomed again

The days of future past to wander on the shore
A king without a queen to die forevermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

The days of future past, to wander on the shore
A king without a queen, to die forevermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

The days of future past, to wander on the shore
A king without a queen, to die forevermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

Overall Meaning

The imagery in the lyrics of Iron Maiden's "Days of Future Past" creates a vivid picture of a fallen angel, imprisoned in a burning cage, cursed to wander the earth for eternity. The opening lines refer to a "war in heaven" told in the Bible, in which God's wrath arose against the angels that rebelled against Him. The lyrics then suggest that the singer is one of these angels, sentenced to eternal punishment for his "deadly sin." The shadow king is a reference to Satan, who is often depicted as Lucifer's nemesis.


Throughout the song, there is a sense of despair and hopelessness. The singer is doomed to walk the earth, but he also seems to be waiting for something - perhaps judgement day or some other form of release. There is also a sense of bitter irony that runs through the song: the singer was once crucified and forgiven, but he is now condemned to an eternal hell.


Musically, "Days of Future Past" is a powerful, brooding rock anthem that features many signature elements of Iron Maiden's style, such as complex guitar harmonies, driving rhythms, and powerful vocals that soar above the instrumentation. The song showcases the band's technical skill, but also their ability to create emotionally evocative music that resonates with listeners.


Line by Line Meaning

A war in heaven in God's rage
There was a war in heaven when God was angry


He put me in this burning cage
As a result, God put me in this cage that burns


Holy fury locks me in
I am locked in by the holy anger of God


Imprisoned by my deadly sin
My sinful nature has caused me to be imprisoned in this way


Every hour the shadow king
The shadow king wonders every hour


Wonders what his cloth will bring
He wonders what the consequences of his actions will be


I've lived and loved and that's for sure
I have certainly experienced living and love


My fatal quest forevermore
But my pursuit of something dangerous is still ongoing, and it will be fatal


To wander in the wasteland
I am condemned to wander in a barren place


Immortal to the end
I will live on forever


Waiting for the judgement
I am waiting for the final judgment


But the judgement never ends
But it never seems to come


Once crucified, you forgave it all
After being crucified, all sins were forgiven


But my own life condemned to fall
However, my own life is still doomed to fall


Where's the glory in your name?
I am questioning the honor in God's name


My twisted soul still burns in flame
I cannot escape the torment of my twisted soul


Hark you angels, hear my call
I am calling out to the angels


Father, witness to my fall
Father God is watching as I fail


Between the lines of sin and pain
I am caught between the consequences of my sin and the agony of it all


I walk the earth now doomed again
I am condemned to walk the earth forevermore


The days of future past, to wander on the shore
I will wander on the beach, remembered only in the future


A king without a queen, to die forevermore
I am alone and will die alone, forevermore


To wander in the wasteland
I will keep wandering in a barren place


Immortal to the end
I am still immortal


Waiting for the judgement
I still wait for the final judgment


But the judgement never ends
But it never comes


The days of future past, to wander on the shore
I will continue to wander on the beach


A king without a queen, to die forevermore
I am still alone, and will die this way


To wander in the wasteland
I must keep wandering in this barren place


Immortal to the end
I will be immortal forever


Waiting for the judgement
And still waiting for the final judgment


But the judgement never ends
But it never comes




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@MIZORAM_mafaka_hnamte

(Lyrics)
A war in heaven in God's rage
He put me in this burning cage
Holy fury locks me in
Imprisoned by my deadly sin

Every hour the shadow king
Wonders what his clock will bring
I've lived and loved and that's for sure
My Fatal quest forever more

(chorus)
The Days of Future Past to wander on the shore
A King without a Queen to die for evermore
To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

Once crucified you forgave it all
But my own life condemned to fall
Where's the Glory in your name
My twisted soul still burns in flame

Hark you Angels hear my call
Father witness to my fall
Between the lines of sin and pain
I walk the earth now doomed again



@truman6127

Lyrics ✓

A war in heaven in god's rage
He put me in this burning cage
Holy fury locks me in
Imprisoned by my deadly sin

Every hour the shadow king
Wonders what his clock will bring
I've lived and loved and that's for sure
My fatal quest forever more

The days of future past to wander on the shore
A king without a queen to die for evermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

Once crucified you forgave it all
But my own life condemned to fall
Where's the glory in your name
My twisted soul still burns in flame

Hark you angels hear my call
Father witness to my fall
Between the lines of sin and pain
I walk the earth now doomed again

The days of future past to wander on the shore
A king without a queen to die for evermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

The days of future past to wander on the shore
A king without a queen to die for evermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends

The days of future past to wander on the shore
A king without a queen to die for evermore

To wander in the wasteland
Immortal to the end
Waiting for the judgement
But the judgement never ends



All comments from YouTube:

@carolebert632

I'm a 62 yr. old great grandma and I'm finally going to see them in October. I'm so excited. They will definitely bring some life back into this old lady. Up the Irons! I'm so ready.

@ericwofford1896

That's awesome. I took my at the time 63 year old mother to go see Maiden and she actually had a blast when heavy metal isn't typically her type of music so to speak. Hope you have a great time. Enjoy the show!

@eduardogarcia7259

awesome grandmA youre the coolest grandma's

@benstephenson8993

It will better your life significantly. I discovered Maiden later in life, but it was that “afterbirth” that I had needed so badly throughout the years.

@tonivargassierra8153

Me parece súper emocionante que a su edad siga apasionándole Iron Maiden.
Eso sí que es verdadera Pasión por MAIDEN ❤😊

@AxelG209

Agreed as a twelve year old trying too keep this music alive it’s sad that this music is not being observed by younger generations keep rocking gran’s🤟🏽

20 More Replies...

@luigimario3125

I like how Eddie blinks some-times.

@metalhead1993

How isn't anybody talking about the background waving flag animation. What a fantastic move of using an animated background album cover (dynamic) over the usual static album cover image. Truly appreciate it, thank you Maiden

@hydroshock1853

With blinking eyes 👀

@afriendofafriend5766

@@hydroshock1853 I just noticed this. That's insane

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