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 ā its first album with Bruce Dickinson, who replaced Paul Di'Anno as lead singer ā 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, ŽebÅĆk 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)
Journeyman
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the sunset in the west
We have cheated death
And he has cheated us
But that was just a dream
And this is what it means
We are sleeping
And the fragment remains of our memories
And the shadows remain with our hands
Deeper grey, come to mourn
All the colours of the dawn
Will this journeyman's day be his last?
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
Oh
But the memory still remains
All the past years not so strange
Our winter times are like a silent shroud
And the heartbeat of the day
Drives the mist away
And winter's not the only dream around
In your life, you may choose desolation
And the shadows you build with your hands
If you turn to the light
That is burning in the night
Then your journeyman's day has begun
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
Oh
In your life, you may choose desolation
And the shadows you build with your hands
If you turn to the light
That is burning in the night
Then your journeyman's day has begun
Oh
I know what I want
I'll I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll I say what I want
And no one can take it away
I know what I want
I'll say what I want
And no one can take it away
Oh
The song "Journeyman" by Iron Maiden is a reflection on the transience of life and the human experience. The opening lines, "From the red sky of the east / To the sunset in the west / We have cheated death / And he has cheated us," suggest the fleeting nature of our existence and the inevitability of death. The second verse speaks to the impermanence of memory and our tendency to hold on to fragments of our past. The line "Deeper grey, come to mourn / All the colours of the dawn" implies a sense of loss and mourning for what has been lost.
However, the chorus of the song encourages the listener to embrace their desire and assert their autonomy. "I know what I want / I'll say what I want / And no one can take it away" suggests a need for individual expression and the importance of self-determination. The second half of the song speaks to the possibility of redemption and finding meaning in life. "If you turn to the light / That is burning in the night / Then your journeyman's day has begun" suggests a turning point in the singer's journey towards enlightenment.
Overall, "Journeyman" is a reflection on what it means to be human and our ability to find meaning in both joy and sorrow, happiness and pain.
Line by Line Meaning
From the red sky of the east
From the sunrise in the east
To the sunset in the west
To the sunset in the west
We have cheated death
We have narrowly escaped death in our lives
And he has cheated us
But death will eventually catch up to us
But that was just a dream
Our narrow escapes from death feel almost unreal
And this is what it means
But in reality, we are just sleeping and dreaming
We are sleeping
Our lives are fleeting and temporary
And we'll dream forevermore
And we will never truly wake up
And the fragment remains of our memories
Memories are all that will remain of our lives
And the shadows remain with our hands
The effects of our actions are what we will leave behind
Deeper grey, come to mourn
Our lives will eventually darken and come to an end
All the colours of the dawn
Our lives were once full of bright possibilities
Will this journeyman's day be his last?
We never know when our time will come to an end
I know what I want
But despite this uncertainty, I know what I want in life
I'll say what I want
And I will not be silenced or controlled by others
And no one can take it away
My desires and goals are mine alone
But the memory still remains
Despite everything, our memories continue to live on
All the past years not so strange
Our past experiences and memories shape who we are in the present
Our winter times are like a silent shroud
In the times of darkness and despair, we can feel trapped and alone
And the heartbeat of the day
But as time continues to move forward, we are given hope
Drives the mist away
And our troubles and fears begin to dissipate
And winter's not the only dream around
There are always other possibilities and opportunities in life
In your life, you may choose desolation
We have the freedom to choose whether we live in isolation and despair
And the shadows you build with your hands
But the consequences of our choices will always follow us
If you turn to the light
However, if we choose to pursue positivity and hope
That is burning in the night
We can find purpose and meaning in life
Then your journeyman's day has begun
And we can begin to truly live and make our mark on the world
Lyrics Ā© BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bruce Dickinson, Adrian Smith, David Harris Stephen
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
on The Number of the Beast
kicking it