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.
Real World
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
How many lovers, how many threats
How many religions to keep us all guessing
Give me a reason. Why? Hell is a reason. Why?
The real world, you've got to fight to see it through
The real world, it's like the cages in the zoo
The real world, is there a lifelong there to be?
Too many people try to sell you their cages
Killing the fox till the jailer arrives
If living in zoos is your idea of outrageous
Don't pick any animal, I'll be the wild one
The real world, you've got to fight to see it through
The real world, it's likes the cages in the zoo
The real world can leave you hanging by a thread
The real world, the real world
[SOLO]
The real world, you've got to fight to see it through
The real world, it's likes the cages in the zoo
The real world can leave you hanging by a thread
The real world, the real world
[x2]
The real world, the real world [x2]
The song "Real World" by Bruce Dickinson raises questions about the nature of reality, and the challenges we face in navigating the complex world around us. The opening lines suggest that life is characterized by a series of beginnings, lovers, and threats, all pointing towards an underlying mystery that we struggle to comprehend. The refrain "Give me a reason. Why? Hell is a reason. Why?" suggests a feeling of frustration and despair, as if the singer is searching for meaning but finding only darkness.
The verse that follows builds on this notion, with Dickinson singing about the cages that we create for ourselves and each other. These cages take the form of societal norms, religious beliefs, and individual desires, all of which can restrict our freedom and leave us feeling trapped. The use of the metaphor of a zoo is especially striking, as it suggests that we are all animals in some sense, trapped in our own biologies and struggling to assert our independence.
The chorus of the song brings everything together, emphasizing the importance of fighting for our own self-expression and individuality in the face of a world that would consign us to cages. The soaring guitar solo that follows suggests the transcendent power of music and art in helping us to break free from our limitations and experience the world in a more direct and visceral way.
Line by Line Meaning
How many lifetimes, how many beginnings
How many times have we been reborn and started anew?
How many lovers, how many threats
How many relationships have we had and how many danger we have faced?
How many religions to keep us all guessing
How many faiths do we follow, never knowing if one of them could lead us to the truth?
Give me a reason. Why? Hell is a reason. Why?
What is the reason for everything that we do, what drives us towards it? Is it the fear of eternal damnation?
The real world, you've got to fight to see it through
You have to work hard to see the true nature of reality.
The real world, it's like the cages in the zoo
The real world can feel like a prison.
The real world, is there a lifelong there to be?
Is there a true purpose to our existence?
Too many people try to sell you their cages
Too many people try to force their beliefs upon you.
Killing the fox till the jailer arrives
Punishing the innocent until someone is held responsible.
If living in zoos is your idea of outrageous
If living in confined spaces is something you find unacceptable,
Don't pick any animal, I'll be the wild one
Choose me and I will be the free one.
The real world can leave you hanging by a thread
The true nature of life can be precarious.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: BRUCE DICKINSON, ROGER RAMIREZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@celtacortacabezasxD
thx for share bruce to the world mate people should hear how great he was, he is and he will be
@mostaza1464
That RIFF !!!!
@maistrenclaisglen
great song. one of the best bside of all time. some albuns came with that song as a bonus track.
@w7class
Roy z always has been a well-known riffmaster!..
@user-mr9rs7pf3v
Продолжает..развивать..ум
@ickyficky
I feel old=)
@thediesel387
any footage of Bruce doing this song live anywhere? would love to see it
@MBJ861
In an interview Bruce Dickinson said they did turn it into a track, but for some reason didn't make the final cut on the album, so it was released as a B side instead...but great track, deserves to be public..
@MetalMayhem1978
Return of the king is a great song too
@elweritovip3875
gg!!