As pioneers of the new wave of British heavy metal movement, Iron Maiden achieved initial success during the early 1980s. After several lineup changes, the band went on to release a series of UK and US Platinum and Gold albums, including 1980's eponymous debut album, 1981's Killers, 1982's The Number of the Beast, 1983's Piece of Mind, 1984's Powerslave, 1985's live release Live After Death, 1986's Somewhere in Time, 1988's Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, 1990's No Prayer for the Dying and 1992's Fear of the Dark. In 1982, the band released The Number of the Beast – its first album with Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer – which was a turning point in their career, helping establish them as one of heavy metal's most important artists. The Number of the Beast is among the most popular heavy metal albums of all time, having sold almost 20 million copies worldwide.
Since the return of lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson and guitarist Adrian Smith in 1999, the band has undergone a resurgence in popularity, with a series of new albums and highly successful tours. Released in 2006, A Matter of Life and Death, their 14th studio album, reached top sales in dozens of countries, initiating the series of Iron Maiden's highest-ranked albums. Their 2010 album, The Final Frontier, peaked at No. 1 in 28 countries and received widespread critical acclaim. Their 16th studio album, The Book of Souls, was released on 4 September 2015 to similar success, debuting at No. 1 in the album charts of 24 countries with physical sales and summary in 43 territories with physical and digital sales. Most recently, their 17th studio album, Senjutsu, was released on 3 September 2021 and eventually reached No. 1 in 27 countries.
Iron Maiden have sold over 130 million copies of their albums worldwide, despite minimal radio and mainstream media support. The band's catalogue has sold over 200 million copies worldwide, including albums, singles, compilations and videos. By 2022, their releases have been certified Silver, Gold and Platinum around 600 times worldwide. Iron Maiden have become one of the most influential and revered rock bands of all time, and is credited with influencing countless bands and genres. Critics have stated that the band elevated heavy metal to an art form, proving that academic and musical inspirations can coexist. The band is also hailed as one of the greatest live acts of all time.
The band and its members have received multiple industry awards, including the Grammy Awards and its equivalents in other countries. Other accolades the band has received include Brit Awards, Silver Clef Award, Nordoff-Robbins Award, Ivor Novello Awards, Juno Awards, Guinness Book of World Records, Public Choice International, Classic Rock Roll of Honour Awards, ECHO Awards, Top.HR Music Awards, Žebřík Music Awards, honorary doctorates, State Prizes, sales recognition, marketing achievements recognition awards, charity and sport awards among many others. Iron Maiden were inducted into the Hollywood RockWalk, BPI Hall of Fame and Kerrang! Hall of Fame. The band is also a part of permanent exhibitions of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, British Music Experience, Rock in Rio Wall of Fame and Wacken Open Air Hall of Fame. Iron Maiden were honoured by Royal Mail UK with dedicated postal stamps and cards. The band as 'bona fide' rock legends belongs to an elitarian circle of British iconic bands honoured with an unique range of stamps, including The Rolling Stones, The Beatles, Pink Floyd, Queen and Iron Maiden as the fifth one.
Iron Maiden's lyrics cover such topics as history, literature, war, mythology, society and religion. Many of their songs are based on history, classic literature and film. As of October 2019, the band have played some 2500 live shows, performing for tens of millions of fans. For over 40 years, the musicians have been supported by their famous mascot, "Eddie", who has appeared on almost all of their album and single covers, videos and merchandise. Originally designed by Derek Riggs, Eddie became the main attraction of Iron Maiden live shows, which feature theatrical elements like coloured backdrops, inflatables, pyrotechnics, elaborate lighting rigs, props and stage sets.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iron_Maiden
Studio albums
Iron Maiden (1980)
Killers (1981)
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)
The X Factor (1995)
Virtual XI (1998)
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)
Age Of Innocence
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I can't prevent the times my anger fills my heart
I can't be sympathizing with a new lost cause
I feel I've lost my patience with the world and all
And all the politicians and their hollow promises
And all the lies, deceit and shame that goes with it
The working man pays everything for their mistakes
So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
And we only get one life, can't exchange it
Can we hold on to what we have? Don't replace it
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream
A life of petty crime gets punished with a holiday
The victims' mind are scarred for life most everyday
Assailants know just how much further they can go
They know the laws are soft, conviction chances low
So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
And we only get one life, can't exchange it
Can we hold on to what we have? Don't replace it
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream
You can't protect yourselves, even in your own home
For fear of vigilante cries, the victims wipe their eyes
So now the criminals, they laugh right in our face
Judicial system lets them do it, a disgrace
Despondent public worries, where it all will end?
We can't protect ourselves, our kids from crime, the trend
We cannot warn each other of evil in our midst
They have more rights than us, you cannot call that just
So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
And we only got one life, can't exchange it
Can we hold on to what we have? Don't replace it
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream
The song 'Age of Innocence' by Iron Maiden talks about how the world is losing its innocence as the society is becoming more corrupt and vicious. The lyrics express the frustration and anger of the person who can no longer compromise on their thoughts about the political system, the working people, and the increase in crime rate. The first verse talks about how the person is unable to tolerate the hollow promises of the politicians and the lies and deceit that come with it. The working class is the one who has to suffer the consequences of their mistakes, and even lose their lives if there is a war.
The second verse portrays how crime is getting punished with just a holiday, and the victims who are scarred for life are left to deal with the trauma every day. The criminals, knowing the soft laws and low conviction chances, continue to exploit the system. The fear of vigilante cries and the weak judicial system have made it impossible to protect ourselves and our kids from evil.
The chorus emphasizes that the world has only one chance, one life, and one shot at preserving the age of innocence. It is essential to hold on to what we have and not replace it to keep the dream alive. However, the age of innocence is fading away like an old dream, and the song questions where it all will end.
Line by Line Meaning
I can't be compromising in my thoughts no more
I can't keep compromising my beliefs and values
I can't prevent the times my anger fills my heart
I can't stop feeling angry at times
I can't be sympathizing with a new lost cause
I can't empathize with a hopeless situation
I feel I've lost my patience with the world and all
I feel like I've run out of patience with the world and everything in it
And all the politicians and their hollow promises
All politicians make empty promises
And all the lies, deceit and shame that goes with it
There is a lot of dishonesty and shame that comes with political lies
The working man pays everything for their mistakes
Ordinary people bear the consequences of politicians' mistakes
And with his life too if there was to be a war
People could lose their lives in a war caused by politicians
So we can only get one chance, can we take it?
We only have one opportunity at life, can we make the most of it?
And we only get one life, can't exchange it
We cannot trade our life for anything else
Can we hold on to what we have? Don't replace it
We should cherish what we have and not trade it for something else
The age of innocence is fading like an old dream
The pure and innocent times are becoming a distant memory
A life of petty crime gets punished with a holiday
Minor crimes are punished with light sentences or even a vacation in prison
The victims' mind are scarred for life most everyday
Victims of crime suffer long-lasting trauma
Assailants know just how much further they can go
Criminals know how far they can push their luck
They know the laws are soft, conviction chances low
Criminals are aware that the justice system has weak laws and low conviction rates
You can't protect yourselves, even in your own home
People can't even feel safe in their own homes
For fear of vigilante cries, the victims wipe their eyes
People are afraid to defend themselves or others against crime for fear of being labeled a vigilante
So now the criminals, they laugh right in our face
Criminals feel emboldened and are not afraid of the punishment they might face
Judicial system lets them do it, a disgrace
The justice system is failing to deter criminals and is a disgrace
Despondent public worries, where it all will end?
The public is losing hope and wondering where all this will lead
We can't protect ourselves, our kids from crime, the trend
People cannot keep themselves and their children safe from the rising trend of crime
We cannot warn each other of evil in our midst
People cannot alert others about criminals among them
They have more rights than us, you cannot call that just
Criminals seem to have more rights than ordinary people, which is not right or fair
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: David Michael Murray, Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
on The Number of the Beast
kicking it