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)
If Eternity Should Fail
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Here in this place for the taking
Clothed in white, stand in the light
Here is the soul of a man
Time to speak with the shaman again
Conjure the jester again
Black dog in the ruins is howling my name
When the world was virgin
Before the coming of men
Just a solar witness
The beginning of the end
From a world of magma
To a cold rock face
The ascent of madness
And a human race
We are strange believers all of us
There are stranger truths immortal lust
We rise from slumber he calls our name
Recalls our number abide with pain
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail
To god's illusion which I recall
Was our delusion
Before the fall
The angels come and the angels go
But the lord of light shining below
Eternal blackness beyond the stars
We think our wisdom will get that far
At the master's table the table's bare
No land of plenty, devastation, despair
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Good day my name is Necropolis
I am formed of the dead
I am the harvester of the soul meat
And I suck the lives from around my bed
My own two sons I gave them breath
And I filled their living corpses with my bile
What humanity I knew I have long forgotten
For me eternity is nothing
But a short while
The lyrics to Iron Maiden's song If Eternity Should Fail explore the themes of mortality, the end of time, the human race, and the search for meaning and understanding in a universe that is vast and seemingly infinite. The song begins with an acknowledgment of the soul, which is presented as something tangible and present in a specific place. The lyrics then move towards a reflection on the idea of time and the cycle of life and death.
The verses contain a range of imagery, from the reference to a "shaman" and "jester" to the "black dog in the ruins howling [their] name." These elements suggest a sense of chaos and unpredictability, as well as a search for meaning and understanding in the face of forces that are beyond our control. The lyrics also touch on the origins of humanity and the nature of our existence, from the "world of magma" to the "cold rock face."
The chorus of the song speaks to the idea of finality and the end of time. The repeated refrain of "if eternity should fail" emphasizes the fleeting nature of existence and the inevitability of death. The final lines of the song are spoken by a character named "Necropolis," who represents death itself. The harvester of souls, Necropolis reflects on the transience of human life, proclaiming that "for me eternity is nothing but a short while."
Line by Line Meaning
Here is the soul of a man
This place holds spiritual significance and harbors the essence of mankind
Clothed in white, stand in the light
Bathed in pure light, the soul is bared and visible
Time to speak with the shaman again
It is time to reconnect with the spiritual guide
Conjure the jester again
Invoke the trickster archetype, who possesses deep wisdom
Black dog in the ruins is howling my name
A symbol of death and decay is calling for attention
When the world was virgin
In the beginning of time, the world was uncorrupted
Before the coming of men
Before the first humans came into existence
Just a solar witness
The sun was the only witness to the world's creation
The beginning of the end
The emergence of humanity eventually led to the world's demise
From a world of magma
The earth was born from molten lava
To a cold rock face
The earth transformed into a barren wasteland
The ascent of madness
The gradual rise of insanity and chaos
And a human race
The rise of mankind as a result of this process
We are strange believers all of us
Humans have peculiar, inexplicable beliefs
There are stranger truths immortal lust
There are even more bewildering yet powerful forces influencing humans
We rise from slumber he calls our name
Humans awaken to follow their innate desires
Recalls our number abide with pain
Embrace adversity as part of the human experience
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
Navigating on the brink of life and death
If eternity should fail
If the concept of infinite existence proves false
Waiting in line for the ending of time
Awaiting inevitable demise of everything
To god's illusion which I recall
Recalling the deception of religious beliefs
Was our delusion
A common human misconception
Before the fall
Before humanity's cataclysmic decline
The angels come and the angels go
The fleeting nature of divine intervention
But the lord of light shining below
A reminder of the enduring nature of inner light
Eternal blackness beyond the stars
The vast, unknown expanse of space, symbolizing the unknowable mysteries of the universe
We think our wisdom will get that far
Humanity believes its knowledge can fathom the secrets of the cosmos
At the master's table the table's bare
No reward awaits humans in the afterlife
No land of plenty, devastation, despair
Instead, they will face the bleakness and despair of the end of existence
Good day my name is Necropolis
An introduction to the grim reaper
I am formed of the dead
Death is made up of the souls of those who have passed
I am the harvester of the soul meat
Death is the collector of the essence of life
And I suck the lives from around my bed
Death takes those close to deathbed with it
My own two sons I gave them breath
Death is responsible for the lives of all living beings, including his own offspring
And I filled their living corpses with my bile
Death infuses life with its own negativity and suffering
What humanity I knew I have long forgotten
Death is completely separated from human life and emotion
For me eternity is nothing
Death is indifferent to eternity
But a short while
Death only lasts for a brief moment
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