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)
Déjà Vu
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But you don't remember where they're from
Could you be wrong?
When you've been particular places
That you know you've never been before
Can you be sure?
And you know that this moment in time is for real
And you know when you feel deja-vu
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
Ever had a conversation
That you realize you've had before?
Isn't it strange?
Have you ever talked to someone
And you feel you know what's coming next?
It feels pre-arranged
'Cause you know that you've heard it before
And you feel that this moment in time is surreal
'Cause you know when you feel deja-vu
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
Feel like I've been here before
In Iron Maiden's song Deja Vu, the lyrics explore the concept of feeling like you've experienced something before, whether it's encountering familiar faces you can't place or finding yourself in places you've never been before. The singer questions whether they could be wrong or mistaken, and wonders if these experiences are mere coincidences or something more significant.
As the song progresses, the lyrics become more introspective, with the singer recalling conversations they've had before and feeling like they know what's coming next. Despite the feeling of familiarity, there's also a sense of unease and confusion as the singer tries to make sense of what's happening to them.
Overall, the song seems to be exploring the idea of déjà vu as a way of questioning our understanding of time and the nature of reality. Is the past repeating itself, or are we simply experiencing strange coincidences that we can't explain?
Line by Line Meaning
When you see familiar faces
When you encounter people you recognize
But you don't remember where they're from
But you cannot recollect the origin of their acquaintance
Could you be wrong?
Is it possible that you could be mistaken?
When you've been particular places
When you have visited specific locations
That you know you've never been before
That you are certain you have never visited previously
Can you be sure?
Are you confident in your certainty?
'Cause you know this has happened before
Because you are convinced that this has occurred in the past
And you know that this moment in time is for real
And you are certain that this present moment is not fabricated
And you know when you feel deja-vu
And you know that this sensation is known as deja vu
Feel like I've been here before
I have a sense of familiarity about this place
Ever had a conversation
Have you ever spoken with someone
That you realize you've had before?
That you realize you have had previously?
Isn't it strange?
Isn't it an odd occurrence?
Have you ever talked to someone
Have you ever conversed with an individual
And you feel you know what's coming next?
And you feel that you can predict their next statements
It feels pre-arranged
It feels as if it has been agreed upon in advance
'Cause you know that you've heard it before
Because you are confident that you have heard it previously
And you feel that this moment in time is surreal
And you feel as if this present moment is dreamlike
'Cause you know when you feel deja-vu
Because you recognize the sensation of deja vu
Feel like I've been here before
I have an impression of having experienced this before
Feel like I've been here before
I experience a sense of familiarity
Feel like I've been here before
I sense that this situation has occurred previously
Feel like I've been here before
I perceive a similarity between this and past occurrences
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