Dickinson began his career in music fronting small pub bands in the 1970s while attending school in Sheffield and university in London. In 1979, he joined British new wave heavy metal band Samson, with whom he gained some popularity under the stage name "Bruce Bruce" and performed on two studio records (Head On and Shock Tactics. He left Samson in 1981 to join Iron Maiden, replacing Paul Di'Anno, and debuted on their 1982 album "The Number of the Beast. During his first tenure in the band, they issued a series of US and UK platinum and gold albums in the 1980s.
Dickinson quit Iron Maiden in 1993 (being replaced by Blaze Bayley) to pursue his solo career, which saw him experiment with a wide variety of heavy metal and rock styles between 1990 and 1998 ( Tattooed Millionaire, Balls to Picasso, Skunkworks, Accident of Birth, and The Chemical Wedding). He rejoined the band in 1999, along with guitarist Adrian Smith, with whom he has released all subsequent studio albums. Since his return to Iron Maiden, he issued one further solo record in 2005, Tyranny of Souls. His younger cousin, Rob Dickinson, is the former lead singer of British alternative rock band Catherine Wheel, while his son, Austin, fronted the metalcore band Rise to Remain.
Outside his career in music, Dickinson is well known for his wide variety of other pursuits. Most notably, he undertook a career as a commercial pilot for Astraeus Airlines, which led to a number of media-reported ventures such as captaining Iron Maiden's converted charter airplane, Ed Force One, during their world tours. Following Astraeus' closure, he created his own aircraft maintenance and pilot training company in 2012, Cardiff Aviation. Dickinson presented his own radio show on BBC Radio 6 Music from 2002 to 2010, and has also hosted television documentaries, authored novels and film scripts, created a successful beer with Robinsons Brewery and competed at fencing internationally.
Although Dickinson never received formal training, he still possesses a wide vocal range which was trademarked by his quasi-operatic tenor. Along with Ronnie James Dio and Rob Halford, Dickinson is one of the pioneers of the operatic vocal style later to be adopted by power metal vocalists and regularly appears near the top in lists of the greatest rock vocalists/front-men of all time. Dickinson says that his style was influenced primarily by Arthur Brown, Peter Hammill (Van der Graaf Generator), Ian Anderson (Jethro Tull) and Ian Gillan (Deep Purple).
Dickinson's singing varied notably in the 1990s in the recording of albums such as No Prayer for the Dying, Fear of the Dark and his first solo work Tattooed Millionaire, making use of a much more raspy and unpolished sound, befitting their stripped down style. Since returning to Iron Maiden in 1999, his singing style has returned to much like it was in the 1980s, though his voice has lowered with age. According to a report published in the Daily Mirror, Dickinson has an estimated vocal range of 4.25 octaves. His voice led to the nickname "The Air Raid Siren", which Billboard states is "due to the ferocious power of his singing", although Dickinson claims it actually originated from a fan complaint.
In addition to his vocal ability, Dickinson is known for his energetic stage performances, which he delivers consistently despite his age. He considers including the audience "the essence of the Maiden experience" and that his role is to "shrink the venue ... to turn that football stadium into the world's smallest club". To achieve this, Dickinson insists on gaining eye contact with audience members and urges them to join in with the phrase "scream for me" (followed by the concert's location). He is critical of performers who do not connect with their fans, particularly those who "[hide] behind the amps" and use an autocue, remarking that "people pay good money and [they] can't even remember the sodding words".
Discogs with Iron Maiden
The Number of the Beast (1982)
Piece of Mind (1983)
Powerslave (1984)
Somewhere in Time (1986)
Seventh Son of a Seventh Son (1988)
No Prayer for the Dying (1990)
Fear of the Dark (1992)
Brave New World (2000)
Dance of Death (2003)
A Matter of Life and Death (2006)
The Final Frontier (2010)
The Book of Souls (2015)
Senjutsu (2021)
For the UK guitarist of Little Angels, see Bruce John Dickinson.
Accident of Birth
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Back to where the spirits move like vapor from the tomb
The center of the cyclone, blowing out the sun
Break the shackles of your union to the light
I might've had a brother
As I was born, they dragged him under
To the other side of twilight
Nativity was lost on me
I didn't ask, I couldn't see
What created me
What and where and how
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
Feel our bodies breathing as you try to stop believing
There's nothing you can do about your shadows
You can fight us, you are like us
And your body will betray you
Lay down and die like all the others
Where are the angels and their wings of freedom?
Jesus had his day off when they pulled you through...
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
(to an accident of birth)
Vision's growing dim as the daylight fades away
I'm spinning, twisting, black
Well, it's your dying day
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
The lyrics to Bruce Dickinson's "Accident of Birth" draw on themes of birth, death, and rebirth, exploring the concept of returning to the "dark side" or the womb. The song begins by describing a journey back into the "center of the cyclone," a place of destruction and chaos where the sun is blown out. The singer then reflects on the possibility of having had a brother who was lost to the other side of twilight, waiting for him to return. The lyrics suggest that the singer has been disconnected from his nativity, unable to understand what created him or his place in the universe.
As the song's chorus repeats, the singer is welcomed home by his brothers and sisters, to an "accident of birth." The lyrics suggest that this is a place of belonging and acceptance, where the singer's body can exist in harmony with others, despite the fact that it will ultimately betray him. The song concludes with a description of the singer's vision growing dim as they spin into darkness, suggesting a kind of rebirth or transformation.
Overall, "Accident of Birth" is a powerful exploration of themes related to identity, belonging, and existential questioning. The lyrics paint a vivid picture of a journey into darkness and chaos, ultimately returning us to a place of acceptance and belonging.
Line by Line Meaning
Journey back to the dark side, back into the womb
Reflect on your past and go back to where it all began, where you were first born and felt protected
Back to where the spirits move like vapor from the tomb
Return to a place where you can embrace the supernatural and unexplainable
The center of the cyclone, blowing out the sun
Find the eye of the storm where everything is calm and see the destruction that has occurred around you
Break the shackles of your union to the light
Break free from what has been holding you down and embrace the darkness
I might've had a brother
I could have had someone close to me
As I was born, they dragged him under
When I was born, someone else was taken away from me
To the other side of twilight
To a place where things are uncertain and mysterious
He's waiting for me now
He is still there, waiting for me, wherever he may be
Nativity was lost on me
I didn't understand or care about my own birth
I didn't ask, I couldn't see
I never thought or cared about things like where I came from or who I am
What created me
Who or what brought me into existence
What and where and how
The specifics of my own birth are a mystery to me
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Return to a place where you belong and are loved
We've opened up the gates
We've created a way for you to come back
To your brothers and sisters
To the people who share your experience and can relate to you
To an accident of birth
To the unplanned, unpredictable nature of how you came into the world
Feel our bodies breathing as you try to stop believing
Sense our presence and remember that we are alive, and don't deny what you know to be true
There's nothing you can do about your shadows
You cannot escape your past or your own darkness, it will always be there with you
You can fight us, you are like us
You may try to resist or defy us, but ultimately you are the same as us
And your body will betray you
Your physical form will eventually fail or turn against you
Lay down and die like all the others
Accept your fate and allow yourself to pass away like everyone else has
Where are the angels and their wings of freedom?
Where are the higher powers that are supposed to give us protection and liberty?
Jesus had his day off when they pulled you through...
Even supposed saviors and divine figures may not be there to help us in our most desperate times
Vision's growing dim as the daylight fades away
As life fades away, our perspective on the world also shifts and becomes unclear
I'm spinning, twisting, black
I'm losing control and am enveloped by the darkness
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRUCE DICKINSON, ROGER RAMIREZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Confused1983
Lyrics -
Journey back to the dark side, back into the womb
Back to where the spirits move like vapor from the tomb
The center of the cyclone, blowing out the sun
Break the shackles of your union to the light
I might've had a brother
As I was born, they dragged him under
To the other side of twilight
He's waiting for me now
Nativity was lost on me
I didn't ask, I couldn't see
What created me
What and where and how
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
Feel our bodies breathing as you try to stop believing
There's nothing you can do about your shadows
You can fight us, you are like us
And your body will betray you
Lay down and die like all the others
Where are the angels and their wings of freedom?
Jesus had his day off when they pulled you through...
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
(to an accident of birth)
Vision's growing dim as the daylight fades away
I'm spinning, twisting, black
Well, it's your dying day
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you
Welcome home - we've opened up the gates
Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters
Welcome home - to an accident of birth
@jlarquero
this album and chemical wedding were just mind-blowing. two masterpieces...
@Sea.Of.Madness
And skunkworks 💕💕💕
@endtyme
Both aged very well … and I‘d like to add „Tyranny of Souls“ to that list
@thewildbruce5612
Yeah. Accident of Birth, The Chemical Wedding and Tyranny of Souls are absolute MASTERPIECES!!! 🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Skunkworks? Not even CLOSE! It's my least favorite Bruce solo album and is too much grunge and I hate grunge! 😝👎🏻😝👎🏻😝👎🏻😝👎🏻😝👎🏻😝👎🏻😝👎🏻😝👎🏻😝👎🏻
@alexandremaireno-ni4ec
Skunkworks is way beneath those 2 albums
@beerbug2020
@alexandremaireno-ni4ec I agree but because the feel and sound of the album is different it's still a good album but it doesn't compare to accident, chemical or tyranny
@bijumaniabiju6529
BRUCE DICKINSON THE VOICE OF METAL
@danw4490
Nearly 30 years later and this song is still absolutely incredible! This is the master of metal doing what he does better than anyone else.
@EdHunter2023
"Welcome Home! It's been too long we've missed You!" Fenomenal song! From a fenomenal Album!🤘😎🤘
@hugolafhugolaf
Phuck yeah!