22 Acacia Avenue
Iron Maiden Lyrics
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I know a place where we can go
22 Acacia Avenue
Meet a lady that I know
So if you're looking for a good time
And you're prepared to pay the price
Fifteen quid is all she asks for
Everybody's got their vice
If you're waiting for a long time
For the rest to do their piece
You can tell her that you know me
And you might even get it free
So any time you're down the East End
Don't you hesitate to go
You can take my honest word for it
She'll teach you more than you can know
Charlotte can't you get out from all this madness
Can't you see it only brings you sadness
When you entertain your men don't know the risk of getting disease
Some day when you're reaching the age of forty
I bet you'll regret the days when you were laying
Nobody then will want to know
You won't have any beautiful wares to show any more
22, the avenue
That's the place where we all go
You will find it's warm inside the red light's burning bright tonight
Charlotte isn't it time you stopped this mad life
Don't you ever think about the bad times
Why do you have to live this way
Do you enjoy your lay or is it the pay
Sometimes when your strolling down the avenue
The way you walk it make men think of having you
When you're walking down the street
Everybody stops and turns to stare at you
22, the avenue
That's the place where we all go
You will find it's warm inside the red light's burning bright tonight
Beat her mistreat her do anything that you please
Bite her excite her make her get down on her knees
Abuse her misuse her she can take all that you've got
Caress her molest her she always does what you want
You're running away don't you know what you're doing
Can't you see it'll lead you to ruin
Charlotte you've taken your life and you've thrown it away
You believe that because what you're earning
Your life's good don't you know that you're hurting
All the people that love you don't cast them aside
All the men that are constantly drooling
It's no life for you stop all that screwing
You're packing your bags and you're coming with me
"22 Acacia Avenue" is a song by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. The song was released in 1982 as part of the band's fourth studio album, "The Number of the Beast." The song is about a prostitute named Charlotte and the East London street where she works.
The song is sung from the perspective of a man who frequents Charlotte's services. He introduces the listener to her and the street on which she works. He highlights the fact that Charlotte charges 15 quid, which he believes is a small price to pay for a good time. He also implies that he has been her customer before and that he knows her well enough to introduce her to others.
Later in the song, the perspective changes, and it becomes clear that the song is urging Charlotte to give up her profession before it is too late. The song warns her that she will eventually regret the life she has chosen if she continues down this path. It suggests that her actions put her at risk of getting diseases and that she risks alienating herself from the people who love her. In the end, the man singing the song implores Charlotte to leave her profession and come with him.
Overall, the song paints a picture of the dark side of urban life and the people who work and frequent the world's oldest profession. The song's theme is one of despair and hopelessness, highlighting how the choices we make can affect our lives permanently.
Line by Line Meaning
If you're feeling down depressed and lonely
If you are experiencing sadness or emptiness
I know a place where we can go
There's a place we can go to feel better
22 Acacia Avenue
This place is called 22 Acacia Avenue
Meet a lady that I know
You can meet a woman I know
So if you're looking for a good time
If you're looking for entertainment
And you're prepared to pay the price
If you're willing to pay for it
Fifteen quid is all she asks for
The cost is fifteen pounds
Everybody's got their vice
Everyone has their own weakness
If you're waiting for a long time
If you've been waiting for a while
For the rest to do their piece
For others to finish their business
You can tell her that you know me
You can say that you know me
And you might even get it free
You could possibly get it for free
So any time you're down the East End
Whenever you're in the East End
Don't you hesitate to go
Don't be afraid to go
You can take my honest word for it
You can trust my word on this
She'll teach you more than you can know
She'll show you things you never knew about
Charlotte can't you get out from all this madness
Charlotte, can't you leave this chaotic lifestyle?
Can't you see it only brings you sadness
It's making you unhappy
When you entertain your men don't know the risk of getting disease
When you engage in sexual acts, you are at risk of disease
Some day when you're reaching the age of forty
One day when you're close to forty years old
I bet you'll regret the days when you were laying
You'll probably regret the time you spent lying down
Nobody then will want to know
No one will be interested in you at that point
You won't have any beautiful wares to show any more
You won't have anything to offer anymore
That's the place where we all go
That's where we all go
You will find it's warm inside the red light's burning bright tonight
It's cozy inside with the bright red lights tonight
Charlotte isn't it time you stopped this mad life
Isn't it time you stop this chaotic lifestyle, Charlotte?
Don't you ever think about the bad times
Are you not reflecting on the negative aspects?
Why do you have to live this way
Why must you live like this?
Do you enjoy your lay or is it the pay
Do you love what you do or is it just the money?
Sometimes when your strolling down the avenue
Sometimes when you're walking down the street
The way you walk it make men think of having you
The way you walk makes men consider having sex with you
When you're walking down the street
When you're walking on the street
Everybody stops and turns to stare at you
Everyone stops and stares at you
Beat her mistreat her do anything that you please
You can beat, mistreat, or do anything you want to her
Bite her excite her make her get down on her knees
You can bite, excite, or make her kneel down
Abuse her misuse her she can take all that you've got
You can abuse or misuse her, she can handle it all
Caress her molest her she always does what you want
You can caress or molest her, She'll do whatever you wish
You're running away don't you know what you're doing
You're escaping, don't you realize what this means?
Can't you see it'll lead you to ruin
Don't you see it will destroy you?
Charlotte you've taken your life and you've thrown it away
Charlotte, you have wasted your life
You believe that because what you're earning
You think it's worth it because of how much you're earning
Your life's good don't you know that you're hurting
Your life seems good, but you're actually hurting
All the people that love you don't cast them aside
You shouldn't abandon the people who love you
All the men that are constantly drooling
All the men who constantly desire you
It's no life for you stop all that screwing
This is no life for you, stop engaging in sexual activities
You're packing your bags and you're coming with me
You're leaving with me
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stephen Percy Harris, Adrian Frederick Smith
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
on The Number of the Beast
kicking it