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.
Book of Thel
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The furnace sealed inside your head
Melting from the inside now
Waxy tears run down your face
The whore that never told her tale
Relives it every night with you
Far off stands the lamb and waits
Stand inside the temple
As the book of Thel is opening
The priestess stands before you
Offering her hand out, she's rising
Come the dawning of the dead
In famine and in war
Now the harlot womb of death
Spits out its rotten core
Serpent on the altar now
Has wrapped itself around your spine
So you look into its mouth
And you kiss the pearly fangs divine
Happy that your end is swift
The weeping virgin cries in bliss
The snake and priestess, they are one
The veil of flesh is ripped undone
Stand inside the temple
As the book of Thel is opening
The priestess stands before you
Offering her hand out, she's rising
Come the dawning of the dead
In famine and in war
Now the harlot womb of death
Spits out its rotten core
By the pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes
And when sleep takes you tonight
Will you wake to see the light...?
The burning sweat of poison tears
The river flowing red with blood
The cradle-robbing hand of death
Caresses every dreaming head
Waiting for the marriage hearse
To take you to the funeral pyre
So you burn the family tree
The generations burning higher
Stand inside the temple
As the book of Thel is opening
The priestess stands before you
Offering her hand out, she's rising
Come the dawning of the dead
In famine and in war
Now the harlot womb of death
Spits out its rotten core
By the pricking of my thumbs
Something wicked this way comes
And when sleep takes you tonight
Will you wake to see the light
By the dawning of the dead...
By the dawning of the dead...
By the dawning of the dead...
By the dawning of the dead...
What demon hath formed this abominable void...
This soul-shuddering vacuum?
Some said it is Urizen -
But unknown, abstracted, brooding secret
The dark power hid
The song "Book of Thel" by Bruce Dickinson tells the story of a person who has fallen under the spell of a malevolent force. The lyrics are dark and foreboding, with descriptions of disease, death, and decay. The mark on the person's head is a symbol of their corruption, and the tears that run down their face are a sign of their remorse. The "whore that never told her tale" represents the secrets and shame that haunt the person, while the lamb and wolf are symbols of innocence and corruption.
The person is standing inside a temple, where the book of Thel is opening. The priestess offers her hand, and the person rises, but it is not clear whether they are rising to salvation or to damnation. The final lines of the song suggest that something wicked is coming and that the person may not wake to see the light. The lyrics are full of religious and mythological imagery, suggesting that the person is struggling with questions of faith and morality.
In summary, "Book of Thel" is a powerful and haunting song about a person who is facing the forces of evil and corruption. The lyrics are filled with vivid imagery and emotion, making the song a memorable and thought-provoking piece of music.
Line by Line Meaning
The mark is on you now
You are marked, forever changed.
The furnace sealed inside your head
Your mind is consumed with madness.
Melting from the inside now
You are slowly losing control of yourself.
Waxy tears run down your face
Your sorrow is overwhelming, you have lost all hope.
The whore that never told her tale
The woman who kept her secrets to herself.
Relives it every night with you
You are haunted by her past.
Far off stands the lamb and waits
The innocent victim, waiting for its fate.
For the wolf to come and end its life
Death is coming, and it will be violent and sudden.
Stand inside the temple
You are in a sacred and foreboding place.
As the book of Thel is opening
The secrets of the universe are being revealed to you.
The priestess stands before you
She is a guide to the unknown.
Offering her hand out, she's rising
She is leading you towards something greater.
Come the dawning of the dead
The time of reckoning is coming.
In famine and in war
The end will come in many forms.
Now the harlot womb of death
Death is a cruel and inescapable reality.
Spits out its rotten core
The decay of life is evident in all things.
Serpent on the altar now
The snake is a symbol of transformation and rebirth.
Has wrapped itself around your spine
You are being consumed by the darkness.
So you look into its mouth
You confront the unknown.
And you kiss the pearly fangs divine
You embrace your fate, willingly or not.
Happy that your end is swift
Death comes quickly and without warning.
The weeping virgin cries in bliss
Grief and joy are not mutually exclusive.
The snake and priestess, they are one
The guides to the other side are one and the same.
The veil of flesh is ripped undone
The barrier between life and death is nonexistent.
By the pricking of my thumbs
An ominous feeling of danger is coming.
Something wicked this way comes
Evil is approaching, and it will not be stopped.
And when sleep takes you tonight
In your dreams, you will face your fears.
Will you wake to see the light...?
Will you have the courage to face reality?
The burning sweat of poison tears
Your anguish cannot be contained.
The river flowing red with blood
Life is fleeting and fragile, and death is everywhere.
The cradle-robbing hand of death
Death comes for us all, even the innocent.
Caresses every dreaming head
Even our dreams are not safe from death's reach.
Waiting for the marriage hearse
We all must face our mortality.
To take you to the funeral pyre
We will all burn in the end.
So you burn the family tree
You destroy the legacy of those who came before you.
The generations burning higher
The cycle of life and death continues endlessly.
What demon hath formed this abominable void...
What unknown force has created this darkness?
This soul-shuddering vacuum?
This emptiness is terrifying and overwhelming.
Some said it is Urizen -
Some believe the answer is in a divine force.
But unknown, abstracted, brooding secret
The true root of this darkness is unknown and deeply hidden.
The dark power hid
The unknown force that has created this void remains hidden and powerful.
By the dawning of the dead...
The end is near, and death will reign supreme.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRUCE DICKINSON, EDDIE CASILLAS, EDDIE MIGUEL CASSILAS, ROGER RAMIREZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Grey Wanderer
This whole album is fantastic! Sends shivers up my spine and the hairs on the back of neck stand on end, a true masterpiece!
Vaughn Blaylock
I read your comment as the chorus started. All these years later it still gives me chills every time.
Egotistical Giraffe
@Vaughn Blaylock I share your sentiments.
mike yancik
you and me both dude...like gasmmusic
Tilemachos Mantis
So none talks about the phenomenal drumming of David Ingraham in this legendary masterpiece...
Harry Telfer
David Ingraham is criminally underrated in my book - he's got such a solid feel and doesn't ever overplay, but always serves the song he plays perfectly
Tilemachos Mantis
@Harry Telfer exactly dude.
He always fills the songs without the need "look im the best drummer lets hit the double bass like dave lombardo"
Rythm and groove to perfection.
Harry Telfer
@Tilemachos Mantis he plays like Nicko, but with a few younger elements like riding the crash and such
cmiller0987
Its one of my all time favorite drum solos, glad I'm not the only one to notice its greatness
Tilemachos Mantis
@cmiller0987 I'm glad too bro!