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.
Tears of the Dragon
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
For too long now, there were things I should have said
In the darkness I was stumbling for the door
To find a reason, to find the time, the place, the hour
Waiting for the winter sun, and the cold light of day
The misty ghosts of childhood fears
The pressure is building, and I can't stay away
I throw myself into the sea
Release the wave, let it wash over me
To face the fear I once believed
The tears of the dragon, for you and for me
Where I was, I had wings that couldn't fly
Where I was, I had tears I couldn't cry
My emotions frozen in an icy lake
I couldn't feel them until the ice began to break
I have no power over this, you know I'm afraid
The walls I built are crumbling
The water is moving, I'm slipping away
I throw myself into the sea
Release the wave, let it wash over me
To face the fear I once believed
The tears of the dragon, for you and for me
Slowly I awake, slowly I rise
The walls I built are crumbling
The water is moving, I'm slipping away
I throw (I throw) myself (myself) into the sea
Release the wave, let it wash over me
To face (to face) the fear (the fear) I once believed
The tears of the dragon, for you and for me
I throw (I throw) myself (myself) into the sea
Release the wave, let it wash over me
To face (to face) the fear (the fear) I once believed
The tears of the dragon, for you and for me
"Tears of the Dragon" by Bruce Dickinson is a song that speaks of the struggles that one faces when they conceal their true feelings and emotions. The opening line of the song, "For too long now, there were secrets in my mind," suggests that the singer has been keeping things bottled up for quite some time. The next line, "For too long now, there were things I should have said," implies a sense of regret for not having opened up earlier. The following line, "In the darkness, I was stumbling for the door," suggests that the singer is desperately searching for a way to let their emotions out.
The chorus of the song speaks about how the singer throws themselves into the sea and lets the waves wash over them. This can be interpreted as a metaphor for releasing their emotions and facing their fears. The line, "To face the fear I once believed," emphasizes the idea that the singer has been holding onto a fear for a long time and is finally ready to confront it. The tears of the dragon are then mentioned as being for the singer and for whoever else may be experiencing similar struggles.
The second verse of the song speaks about how the singer was once in a place where they felt trapped and unable to express their emotions. The line, "Where I was, I had wings that couldn't fly," suggests that the singer felt weighed down by their emotions. The following line, "Where I was, I had tears I couldn't cry," reinforces the idea that the singer was struggling to express themselves. The verse then ends with the line, "I couldn't feel them until the ice began to break," which suggests that the singer has been numb to their emotions for so long that it took something drastic to make them feel again.
Overall, "Tears of the Dragon" is a powerful song about the importance of facing one's emotions and fears. It encourages listeners to find the strength to confront their own struggles and not let them hold them back.
Line by Line Meaning
For too long now, there were secrets in my mind
I’ve been keeping my true self hidden for too long.
For too long now, there were things I should have said
I’ve been holding back on revealing how I really feel.
In the darkness I was stumbling for the door
I’ve been lost and trying to find a way out of this situation.
To find a reason, to find the time, the place, the hour
I’ve been searching for an opportunity to be truthful and honest.
Waiting for the winter sun, and the cold light of day
I am waiting for the right moment to reveal my true self.
The misty ghosts of childhood fears
My childhood fears continue to haunt me.
The pressure is building, and I can't stay away
I can no longer avoid dealing with my inner turmoil.
I throw myself into the sea
I am taking a leap of faith and risking everything.
Release the wave, let it wash over me
I am surrendering myself to the unknown.
To face the fear I once believed
I am confronting my deepest fears.
The tears of the dragon, for you and for me
These tears are for those who have also struggled with their inner demons.
Where I was, I had wings that couldn't fly
I’ve been constrained and unable to truly be myself.
Where I was, I had tears I couldn't cry
I’ve been so held back that I couldn’t even express my emotions.
My emotions frozen in an icy lake
My emotions have been trapped and unreachable like ice in a frozen lake.
I couldn't feel them until the ice began to break
I’ve started to thaw emotionally, and can now feel my feelings.
I have no power over this, you know I'm afraid
I am powerless to stop the unleashing of my true self and it scares me.
The walls I built are crumbling
My emotional barriers are breaking down.
The water is moving, I'm slipping away
Change is happening, and I am losing control.
Slowly I awake, slowly I rise
I am gradually coming to terms with my true self.
I throw (I throw) myself (myself) into the sea
I am reaffirming my decision to take that leap of faith.
Release the wave, let it wash over me
I am fully surrendering myself to the unknown.
To face (to face) the fear (the fear) I once believed
I am confronting my fears head-on and not running away anymore.
The tears of the dragon, for you and for me
These tears are for everyone who has struggled with their true self, like I have.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bruce Dickinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind