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)
Empire of the Clouds
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To ride the storm, they climbed aboard their silver ghost
To ride the storm, to a kingdom that will come
To ride the storm, and damn the rest, oblivion
Royalty and dignitaries, brandy and cigars
Grey lady giant of the skies, you hold them in your arms
The millionth chance they laughed, to take down his majesty's craft
Mist is in the trees, stone sweats with the dew
The morning sunrise, red before the blue
Hanging at the mast, waiting for command
His majesty's airship, the R101
She's the biggest vessel built by man, a giant of the skies
For all you unbelievers, the Titanic fits inside
Drum rolled tight, her canvas skin, silvered in the sun
Never tested with the fury, with a beating yet to come
The fury yet to come
In the gathering gloom, a storm rising in the west
The coxswain stared into the plunging weather glass
We must go now, we must take our chance with fate
We must go now, for a politician he can't be late
The airship crew awake for thirty hours at full stretch
But the ship is in their backbone, every sinew, every inch
She never flew at full speed, a trial never done
Her fragile outer cover, her Achilles would become
An Achilles yet to come
Sailors of the sky, a hardened breed
Loyal to the king, and an airship creed
The engines drum, the telegraph sounds
Release the cords that bind us to the ground
Said the coxswain, sir, she's heavy, she'll never make this flight
Said the captain, damn the cargo, we'll be on our way tonight
Groundlings cheered in wonder, as she backed up from the mast
Baptizing them her water, from the ballast fore and aft
Now she slips into our past
Fighting the wind as it rolls you
Feeling the diesels that push you along
Watching the channel below you
Lower and lower, into the night
Lights are passing below you
Northern France, asleep in their beds
Storm is raging around you
A million to one, that's what he said
Reaper standing beside her
With his scythe cuts to the bone
Panic to make a decision
Experienced men, asleep in their graves
Her cover is ripped and she's drowning
Rain is flooding into the hull
Bleeding to death and she's falling
Lifting gas is draining away
We're down lads, came a cry, bow plunging from the sky
Three thousand horses silent as the ship began to die
The flares to guide her path ignited at the last
The empire of the clouds, just ashes in our past
Just ashes at the last
Here lie their dreams as I stand in the sun
On the ground where they built, and the engines did run
To the moon and the stars, now what have we done?
Oh the dreamers may die, but the dreams live on
Dreams live on
Dreams live on
Oh
Now a shadow on a hill, the angel of the east
The empire of the clouds may rest in peace
And in a country churchyard, laid head to the mast
Eight and Forty souls who came to die in France
The song “Empire of the Clouds” by Iron Maiden is a tribute to the R101 airship disaster that happened in 1930. It tells the story of the journey of the airship, which was the largest built by man at that time and was carrying high-ranking government officials, royalty, and journalists on what would become its final flight. The lyrics describe the crew's bravery and loyalty to the king and the ship, as they fought against the elements and tried to complete their mission. The chorus functions as a reflection on the tragedy, with the singer acknowledging that while the dreamers may die, their dreams will live on and inspire future generations.
The song is over 18 minutes long and is the longest Iron Maiden song to date. It was written solely by lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, who spent several years researching and writing it. The song features a wide variety of instrumentation, including piano, cello, and trumpet, and is one of the band's most progressive and experimental compositions.
Line by Line Meaning
To ride the storm, to an empire of the clouds
To confront and overcome adversity, reaching great heights and accomplishments
To ride the storm, they climbed aboard their silver ghost
To face the challenge and board their airship, a silver ghost representing the fragility of human invention
To ride the storm, to a kingdom that will come
To embrace the uncertainty of the future and seek to create something great
To ride the storm, and damn the rest, oblivion
To focus solely on the task at hand and disregard the potential consequences
Royalty and dignitaries, brandy and cigars
The luxurious life of those at the forefront of technological achievement
Grey lady giant of the skies, you hold them in your arms
The giant airship, representing progress and hope, protects those on board
The millionth chance they laughed, to take down his majesty's craft
A throwaway risk to take down the king's airship
To India they say, magic carpet float away, an October fateful day
On a fateful day in October, the airship is said to transport people to India like a magic carpet ride
Mist is in the trees, stone sweats with the dew
The atmosphere on the ground
The morning sunrise, red before the blue
The beauty of nature and the approaching dawn
Hanging at the mast, waiting for command
The crew waits for instruction on their mission
She's the biggest vessel built by man, a giant of the skies
The airship is of unparalleled size and innovation
For all you unbelievers, the Titanic fits inside
Comparing the size of the airship to that of the Titanic
Drum rolled tight, her canvas skin, silvered in the sun
The airship is strong and durable, shining in the sunlight
Never tested with the fury, with a beating yet to come
The airship has not yet faced its greatest challenge
In the gathering gloom, a storm rising in the west
An approaching storm poses a threat to the airship and its crew
The coxswain stared into the plunging weather glass
The ship's coxswain closely monitors the weather conditions for any sign of danger
We must go now, we must take our chance with fate
The crew is aware of the danger, but forges ahead with determination
We must go now, for a politician he can't be late
Political pressure to maintain a schedule and fulfill obligations
The airship crew awake for thirty hours at full stretch
The crew is severely fatigued but must remain alert and attentive
But the ship is in their backbone, every sinew, every inch
The crew is dedicated to the success of the mission and the safety of the airship
She never flew at full speed, a trial never done
The airship is untested and facing an unprecedented challenge
Her fragile outer cover, her Achilles would become
The airship's weakness in the form of its outer shell, threatening its survival
Sailors of the sky, a hardened breed
The airship crew is a specialized group of individuals, loyal to their mission and committed to success
Loyal to the king, and an airship creed
The crew is dedicated to their mission and their ruler
The engines drum, the telegraph sounds
The airship is in motion and everything is in working order
Release the cords that bind us to the ground
The airship is about to take flight
Said the coxswain, sir, she's heavy, she'll never make this flight
The crew is concerned about the weight and viability of the airship
Said the captain, damn the cargo, we'll be on our way tonight
Despite concerns, the captain insists on continuing with the mission
Groundlings cheered in wonder, as she backed up from the mast
Onlookers admire the airship as it prepares to take flight
Baptizing them her water, from the ballast fore and aft
The ballast water of the airship spills out and onto the ground below
Fighting the wind as it rolls you
Difficulty navigating through turbulence
Feeling the diesels that push you along
The engines of the airship working to keep it afloat
Watching the channel below you
Observing the scene below from a vantage point in the air
Lower and lower, into the night
Descending deeper into darkness and danger
Lights are passing below you
Viewing lights and life on the ground from above
Northern France, asleep in their beds
Observing the activity of a sleeping town
Storm is raging around you
Negotiating through dangerous weather conditions
A million to one, that's what he said
A statement of low odds for survival
Reaper standing beside her
Death seems imminent
With his scythe cuts to the bone
Death is inescapable
Panic to make a decision
Urgency in finding a solution to survive
Experienced men, asleep in their graves
Experienced individuals who have already passed away
Her cover is ripped and she's drowning
The airship's cover is damaged and in danger of sinking
Rain is flooding into the hull
The airship is taking in water and sinking
Bleeding to death and she's falling
The airship is fatally damaged and losing altitude
Lifting gas is draining away
The airship is losing its buoyancy and falling rapidly
We're down lads, came a cry, bow plunging from the sky
Acknowledgment of the imminent crash
Three thousand horses silent as the ship began to die
The engine noise stops as the airship falls out of the sky
The flares to guide her path ignited at the last
Emergency measures taken to direct the airship's descent
The empire of the clouds, just ashes in our past
The airship, once tremendous and full of possibility, is now destroyed
Here lie their dreams as I stand in the sun
Reflecting on the loss of the crew's unfulfilled potential
On the ground where they built, and the engines did run
A tribute to the hard work and dedication that went into the airship
To the moon and the stars, now what have we done?
Questioning the value of the human desire for progress and innovation
Oh the dreamers may die, but the dreams live on
Despite the loss of life, the ideas and potential of the crew live on
Dreams live on
The philosophy that individual aspirations, despite setbacks, maintain a lasting impact
Dreams live on
Reinforcing the idea that individual ideas and messages can last long after they are shared
Now a shadow on a hill, the angel of the east
The airship gone, leaving behind an ominous reminder of its destructive power
The empire of the clouds may rest in peace
Despite the tragedy and loss, there is a sense of finality and closure
And in a country churchyard, laid head to the mast
A memorial to those who died in service of their dreams
Eight and Forty souls who came to die in France
Reflecting on the sudden and tragic end to the lives of those who served aboard the airship
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bruce Dickinson
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
on The Number of the Beast
kicking it