Killing Floor
Adrian Smith/Bruce Dickinson Lyrics

So this is dream time, and all is quiet
The dream state has been achieved, and all is peaceful.

So this is dream time, and all is night
The dream state is now in nighttime, a phase where thoughts and emotions are often more amplified.

You've never been held by the hand of God
The person has never fully experienced the divine or felt a higher power guiding them.

Who's rocking the cradle, if he is not?
If God isn't the one providing guidance and support, then who else is responsible for shaping one's life?

He turned the oil into his blood
Referring to an image in the Bible where Jesus turns water into wine, but in this case, the oil is being turned into blood - perhaps a symbol of war and violence.

Panzer divisions burning in the mud
A reference to tanks being destroyed in war, painting a vivid and gruesome image.

The stain of freedom, he's washed it out
The cost of freedom and warfare has been removed, but perhaps at a terrible price.

Who's rocking the cradle, I have no doubt
The question of who or what force is shaping the world is still unanswered and uncertain.

Sleeping eyes awake
The person is awakening to a new understanding or realization.

To see his hooded gaze
The person is encountering a dark, ominous figure with a covered face, possibly alluding to death or Satan himself.

Whispers on the wind
Mysterious and possibly sinister messages being carried on the breeze.

The darker side of ecstasy
There is a twisted or dangerous element to the pleasure or excitement one can experience.

Satan has left his killing floor
Satan is associated with death and destruction, but he has now retreated or disappeared from that role.

Satan, his fires burn no more
The destructive and hellish flames that Satan is associated with are no longer present or active.

So now it's dream time for you tonight
The dream state has now come for the listener, perhaps indicating a sense of foreboding or warning.

You've never been held by the hand of god
Repeating the idea that the artist doubts if the listener has ever really experienced divine guidance or help.

Who's rocking your cradle, if he is not?
The question of who or what force is shaping the listener's life and worldview is still unanswered and uncertain.

The never-ending breath goodbye
Some kind of eerie, unsettling farewell or ending that stretches on forever.

Satan is coming back for more
Despite the previous lines indicating Satan's retreat, there is still a sense that he will return and continue his destructive work.

Satan has left his killing floor
Repeating the idea that Satan has retreated or disappeared from his role as a bringer of death and destruction.