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.
RETURN OF THE KING
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To pull a stone upright again
Up routed from its mountain home
Taken to this sacred circle
Is there a secret in the stones?
A message in the hills
Is there a secret in the stones?
I know the king will come again
From the shadow to the sun
Burning hillsides with the Beltane fires
I know the king will come again
When all that glitters turns to rust
Uther Pendragon standing fast beside you
I know the king will come again
I know the king will come again
The sun, the moon, we worshipped here a calendar of fear
Gazing across the channel sea to see the beacons burning brightly
Is that a shadow on the hill
Or a phantom in the mere
What is the meaning of the stones?
Why do they stand alone?
I know the king will come again
From the shadow to the sun
Burning hillsides with the Beltane fires
I know the king will come again
When all that glitters turns to rust
Uther Pendragon standing fast beside you
Is that a shadow on the hill
Or a phanton in the mere
What is the meaning of the stones?
Why do they stand alone?
I know the king will come again
From the shadow to the sun
Burning hillsides with the Beltane fires
I know the king will come again
When all that glitters turns to rust
Uther Pendragon standing fast beside you
I know the king will come again
I know the king will come again
The song "Return of the King" by Bruce Dickinson is about the ancient stone circles in England, specifically Stonehenge, and the mystical and historical significance they hold. The opening lines of the song, "A 100 years of toil and pain, to pull a stone upright again", alludes to the immense effort and skill it took to create these stone structures, as well as the possible religious or cultural importance attributed to them. The lyric also touches on how they were taken from their mountain homes to their current locations, adding to the mystery and intrigue of these ancient monuments.
The refrain "I know the king will come again, from the shadow to the sun" reinforces the idea that these stone circles were likely used in religious rituals, perhaps related to sun or moon worship. The Beltane fires mentioned in the song were traditionally lit on May Day and are a reference to an ancient celebration of fertility and rebirth, adding to the sense of the cyclical nature of life and death. The final reference to Uther Pendragon, a legendary king of Britain, brings to mind the Arthurian legends and the idea of a great king returning at some point in the future.
Throughout the song, Dickinson asks questions about the meaning and significance of the stones, and whether there is some hidden message or secret contained within them. He also hints at the idea of phantoms or the supernatural, adding a sense of mystery and wonder to the song's overall mood.
Overall, "Return of the King" is an intriguing and mystical exploration of England's ancient stone circles, and the cultural and religious practices that may have revolved around them.
Line by Line Meaning
A 100 years of toil and pain
It took centuries of hard work and suffering to accomplish the task of moving a stone to a sacred place.
To pull a stone upright again
The effort was to raise a stone that had been knocked down or fallen.
Up routed from its mountain home
The stone was removed from its original location in the mountains.
Taken to this sacred circle
The stone was transported and placed in a place of importance, possibly a monument or religious site.
Is there a secret in the stones?
It is being questioned whether there is any enigmatic or mysterious thing to learn from the stones.
A message in the hills
It is being speculated whether there is any message or symbol hidden in the hills.
I know the king will come again
The singer is confident that a powerful leader will return.
From the shadow to the sun
This leader will resurrect from oblivion to great power.
Burning hillsides with the Beltane fires
This leader will cause great celebration and festivities such as the Beltane fire festival.
When all that glitters turns to rust
The leader will come when everything that appeared to be valuable fades away.
Uther Pendragon standing fast beside you
King Uther Pendragon will be a strong ally to the people who need him the most.
The sun, the moon, we worshipped here a calendar of fear
The people of the place worship the sun and the moon and have a calendar based on it, but it inspires fear in them.
Gazing across the channel sea to see the beacons burning brightly
They can see the bright beacons burning on the opposite side of the sea through their gaze.
Is that a shadow on the hill
It is being asked if the dark figure seen on the hill is a projection or not.
Or a phantom in the mere
The strange figure also may be a mirage in the swampy area.
Why do they stand alone?
The isolated stones in this sacred area arouse curiosity about why they were placed there and what significance they hold.
I know the king will come again
The singer reaffirms the return of the great leader who will bring prosperity and happiness.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: ADRIAN SMITH, BRUCE DICKINSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@skimaskthesimpgod7931
A 100 years of toil and pain
To pull a stone upright again
Up routed from its mountain home
Taken to this sacred circle
Is there a secret in the stones?
A message in the hills
Is there a secret in the stones?
A message long ago
I know the king will come again
From the shadow to the sun
Burning hillsides with the Beltane fires
I know the king will come again
When all that glitters turns to rust
Uther Pendragon standing fast beside you
I know the king will come again
I know the king will come again
The sun, the moon, we worshipped here a calendar of fear
Gazing across the channel sea to see the beacons burning brightly
Is that a shadow on the hill
Or a phantom in the mere
What is the meaning of the stones?
Why do they stand alone?
I know the king will come again
From the shadow to the sun
Burning hillsides with the Beltane fires
I know the king will come again
When all that glitters turns to rust
Uther Pendragon standing fast beside you
Is that a shadow on the hill
Or a phanton in the mere
What is the meaning of the stones?
Why do they stand alone?
I know the king will come again
From the shadow to the sun
Burning hillsides with the Beltane fires
I know the king will come again
When all that glitters turns to rust
Uther Pendragon standing fast beside you
I know the king will come again
I know the king will come again
@emanuel_soundtrack
the production is just amazing, quite perfect, principally the guitar
@clemcrea
i think the Adrian solo is one of the best i have ever heard. He always take me away in another time... amazing song !!
@enriquevelascorubio8298
First solo, is it played by Adrian Smith?
@armandoaraujo6128
@@enriquevelascorubio8298 Yes, sure! Just look at the ripped tone of his guitar and the bluesy technique used. Roy Z has a clean tone and shredd technique that reminds a little bit of Dave Murray style.
@andyk9735
This should have been on the original release. Fantastic song!
@AndE667
It was! If you bought the album from Japan, that is... 😆
@jasonjones6979
And priest firepower
@emanuel_soundtrack
a music that bring me memory of good times playing video game 18 years ago
@gustavoleonardomarques7512
Albúm sensacional! Saudações do Brasil!!!
@hollyrusso469
Love this song. I wish there were more (good) Arthurian themed metal tunes like this