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)
Charlotte the Harlot '88
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't you know what they're saying?
Charlotte you're so refined,
When you take all the love that they're giving.
Sticking with every man that you find,
Don't you know what they're after?
Charlotte you've got your legs in the air,
Charlotte the harlot
Show me your leg.
Charlotte the harlot
Take me to bed.
Charlotte the harlot
Let me see blood.
Charlotte the harlot
Let me see love.
There was a time when you left me
standing there,
Picking up pieces of love from the floor.
Well Charlotte you left me alone in there,
To make your ends as a bloody whore.
Well Charlotte you told me you loved me true.
Picking up pieces of love yesterday.
Well Charlotte your drawers are off colour too,
‘Cause you're making love all day.
Taking so many men to your room,
Don't you feel no remorse.
You charge them a fiver only for starters,
And ten the main course.
You've got no feelings,
They died long ago.
Don't you care who you let in,
Don't you know you're breaking the law,
With the service you're giving.
Charlotte the harlot
Show me your leg.
Charlotte the harlot
Take me to bed.
Charlotte the harlot
Let me see blood.
Charlotte the harlot
Let me see love.
The song "Charlotte the Harlot '88" by Iron Maiden is a dark and provocative story about a promiscuous prostitute named Charlotte. The lyrics describe the men who flock to Charlotte, mistreating and objectifying her, and how she seemingly doesn't care. The opening lines suggest Charlotte's seductive nature, as she moves her hips in a suggestive way, causing people to talk about her. The second verse reveals that despite the ill-treatment, Charlotte continues to sleep with any man who shows interest in her, oblivious to their hidden motives. The chorus repeats a request to see Charlotte's leg, and for her to take the singer to bed, strongly hinting at a desire for her sexually.
The third verse is directed at Charlotte herself, accusing her of being a callous prostitute who doesn't care about breaking the law or hurting others. The final lines of the lyrics request to see blood and love from Charlotte, which could be interpreted as references to her profession or to a darker, violent side of her character. Overall, the lyrics of "Charlotte the Harlot '88" paint a bleak picture of sexual objectification, exploitation, and abandonment, with a strong feminist message that highlights the unfair treatment of women in society.
Line by Line Meaning
Giving a swish with your arse in the air,
You're flaunting your sexuality by shaking your butt in the air.
Don't you know what they're saying?
Aren't you aware of the things people are saying about you?
Charlotte you're so refined,
People think you're classy and sophisticated, but it's all an act to deceive them.
When you take all the love that they're giving.
You're manipulating men to get what you want from them, including their affection.
Sticking with every man that you find,
You're latching onto any man that crosses your path.
Don't you know what they're after?
Are you not aware that these men just want to use you for sex?
Charlotte you've got your legs in the air,
You are willingly and openly offering your body to men for sex.
Don't you hear all their laughter?
You're oblivious to the fact that men are laughing at you behind your back.
There was a time when you left me standing there,
There was a moment in the past when you abandoned me and left me heartbroken.
Picking up pieces of love from the floor.
I had to collect the remaining fragments of love after you shattered my heart.
Well Charlotte you left me alone in there,
You abandoned me in that emotional wreckage.
To make your ends as a bloody whore.
You made the decision to become a prostitute to make a living.
Well Charlotte you told me you loved me true.
You lied to me by telling me you loved me deeply.
Picking up pieces of love yesterday.
I was still trying to make sense of our relationship, which was already over.
Well Charlotte your drawers are off colour too,
Your underwear has stains, presumably from having sex with so many men.
‘Cause you're making love all day.
Your constant work as a prostitute is causing your underwear to become discolored.
Taking so many men to your room,
You frequently bring men back to your bedroom to have sex with them.
Don't you feel no remorse.
You don't show guilt or regret for the lifestyle you've chosen.
You charge them a fiver only for starters,
You offer a very low price for your services to lure men in.
And ten the main course.
You charge more after a customer has agreed to have sex with you.
You've got no feelings,
Your heart has grown cold, and you lack empathy.
They died long ago.
Your emotions have been dead for a long time.
Don't you care who you let in,
You don't have any concern for the safety of the men you bring back to your room.
Don't you know you're breaking the law,
You're breaking the law by engaging in prostitution.
With the service you're giving.
Your occupation as a prostitute is criminal behavior.
Charlotte the harlot
You are known as Charlotte the prostitute.
Show me your leg.
Let me see your body to make sure you're worth my money.
Take me to bed.
Let's have sex.
Let me see blood.
I want to have a violent sexual experience.
Let me see love.
I want to feel a deep connection and sense of intimacy during sex.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Junior Jones
As with the vocals the drumming on both versions are killing. Two different styles of musicians.
annaa
in my opinion both Bruce Dickinson and Paul Di'anno sing this song AMAZING. UP THE IRONS \m/.
Easun Ashen
How diplomatic. Bruce is a rich pampered kid who "fenced" as a sport and went to boarding school, an opera ballerina. You can't fake being from the street. Paul was and is the real deal and the best Maiden singer ever and by far. I like ALL Maiden eras, but the Di Anno era is by far the best one.
Vinícius Rodrigues
Bruce is much better
Robert Pacho
The 1980 album has its own thing that can never be replaced...its like fine wine...its untouchable😎😎
Vassilis D
Everyone's aiming only on the voices, no one on the drumming. The song with Clive Burr on drums was far superior to this cover. The details and feeling of the original drumming is top, even for a so fast song.
LordOfNothingham
I’m not going to lie. The original is great but Bruce’s version is fantastic.
3VILmonkey
This will always be a Di'Anno song for me but I think Bruce handles it pretty good. This song's always been about the music and vocal pace for me - as long as that's not fucked up, I'm cool.
Purple Sabbath
Without comparing vocalists, I must say I prefer the original musically. It's much more raw and intense, which is the sound I prefer for Iron Maiden. This is too polished like a lot of the Dickinson-era Maiden songs, but that really doesn't have much to do with Bruce as a vocalist.
AnonymousCeleb
@Martsapso21 McBrain is more rhythmic and versatile, but he had longer to develop.