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.
The Magician
Bruce Dickinson Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Take the old ways back to you
You were lost, but I found you
And it's your choice what to do
I've learned a few things as I've traveled through the years
Through the door of evermore
I came through fire, came through water
Climbed the mountain, chased the dragon
Thrown myself in the abyss
Do I make myself familiar to you now?
'Cause I've been around you
And I'm glad I found you
I am the living flame, and I teach the holy games
Teach the secret of the dance
Throw the future in the runes
Kick the sand in Satan's face
I'll put Jesus in his place
Shamen or priest, it's all the same
The Magician is my name
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The Magician is my name
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The Magician is my name
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The Magician is my name
(Oh-oh)
And magic is my game
Now I know you, and you know me
We have secrets we can share
We can build a new tomorrow
From the trash of yesterday
It won't be the last time
And I'm glad I found you
I am the living flame, and I teach the holy games
Teach the secret of the dance
Throw the future in the runes
Kick the sand in Satan's face
I'll put Jesus in his place
Shamen or priest, it's all the same
The Magician is my name
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The Magician is my name
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The Magician is my name
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The Magician is my name
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
The Magician is my name
The Magician is a song by Bruce Dickinson, and it is filled with complex and intriguing lyrics that are filled with hidden meanings. The song is about a teacher who wants to pass down old knowledge to his students. He has travelled through the years, learning about magic and slowly gaining plenty of knowledge about the subject. He has been through a lot, from fire and water to mountains and serpents, and it has all contributed to him becoming a powerful teacher known as The Magician. The lyrics are filled with references to mythology and magic, including the line "Kick the sand in Satan's face, I'll put Jesus in his place", which shows that The Magician is not bound by religion and is a master of his craft. Overall, the lyrics depict The Magician as a powerful figure who has the ability to change the world for the better through the power of magic.
The lyrics of The Magician can be interpreted in many different ways, but there is one common theme that runs throughout the song, and that is the idea of the power of the old ways. The Magician is someone who has learned the secrets of the past and is using them to create a better tomorrow. The references to mythology and religion are meant to show that The Magician is a very powerful figure who is not bound by any one religion or dogma. Instead, he has the ability to use magic to transcend these boundaries and create a new world order.
In conclusion, The Magician is a song that is filled with complex lyrics and hidden meanings. It is a song about magic, mythology, and the power of the old ways to change the world. The lyrics are full of references to religion and mythology, showing that The Magician is a powerful figure who is not bound by conventional beliefs. The song is a message of hope that suggests that by embracing the wisdom of the past, we can create a better tomorrow.
Line by Line Meaning
I am the teacher, come to reach ya
I am here to help guide and teach you.
Take the old ways back to you
I will bring back traditional knowledge to share with you.
You were lost, but I found you
You were struggling, but I have helped you find your way.
And it's your choice what to do
You have free will to make your own decision on what to do next.
I've learned a few things as I've traveled through the years
I have gained knowledge and experience from my time traveling through life.
Through the door of evermore
I have gone through many experiences in life, both positive and negative.
I came through fire, came through water
I have been through challenging situations, but have emerged victorious.
Through the oily serpent's kiss
I have faced temptation and come out strong.
Climbed the mountain, chased the dragon
I have overcome obstacles and challenges in my life.
Thrown myself in the abyss
I have taken risks and faced darkness.
Do I make myself familiar to you now?
Do you recognize and understand who I am now?
'Cause I've been around you
I have been present and supporting you.
I am the living flame, and I teach the holy games
I am a powerful and knowledgeable teacher.
Teach the secret of the dance
I will share the sacred knowledge of movement.
Throw the future in the runes
I can use divination to see the future.
Kick the sand in Satan's face
I will fight against evil.
I'll put Jesus in his place
I will stand up to power and authority.
Shamen or priest, it's all the same
The label of my spiritual path does not matter, as all paths lead to the same place.
The Magician is my name
I am known as The Magician.
(Woah-oh-oh, oh-oh)
Magic is my game
I am skilled in the art of magic.
Now I know you, and you know me
We have established a connection and understanding of each other.
We have secrets we can share
We can trust each other and share personal knowledge.
We can build a new tomorrow
Together, we can create a better future.
From the trash of yesterday
We can learn from past mistakes.
It won't be the last time
Our connection and relationship will continue.
And I'm glad I found you
I am grateful to have met you.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management
Written by: Eddie Cassilas, Paul Dickinson, Roger Ramirez
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
WrathChild'96
I absolutely love the title track of this album, but I’d never listened to it in it’s entirety… So, I changed that! I sat down and listened to the whole thing… incredible! I love Man of Sorrows and Starchildren too! Bruce even sang a version of Man of Sorrows completely in Spanish… What a legend! 🤟 I’d definitely recommend this album for any Maiden fan or and metal fan in general… ❤
Daniel San
Underrated but an extraordinary song!
Muhammad Noor Rohani
Bruce Dickinson - The magician.
Vip Celebrity Virgin Hair Luxury Collection
I really like this!
Mac 1666
Jeezus. I wish I was the main guitar player on his stuff. Yes I could have pulled it off. The truth is that there is a lot of shredders out there but shredders rarely have soul like Vivian Campbell from Dio.
Rebeca Maiden
I LOVE YOUUUU BRUCE ❤🤘🔥🤘😍🍻
blacknebula68
do what thou wilt