Iron Maiden is an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, i… Read Full Bio ↴Iron Maiden is an English heavy metal band formed in Leyton, East London, in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. While fluid in the early years of the band, the lineup for most of the band's history has consisted of Harris, lead vocalist Bruce Dickinson, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Dave Murray, Adrian Smith and Janick Gers. The band have released 41 albums, including 17 studio albums, 13 live albums, four EPs and seven compilations. They have also released 47 singles and 20 video albums. Two electronic games have been released with Iron Maiden soundtracks, and the band's music is featured in a number of other video games.

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)

Judas my guide
Iron Maiden Lyrics

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Lights out
We live in a world Of darkness
No doubt
Everything's up for sale
We sleep
All of the world is burning
We pray to god for a better deal
Nothing is sacred

Back then or now
Everything's wasted
Is that all there is?
Can I go now?

Judas my guide
Whispers in the night
Judas my guide

Fight wars
Die in a blaze of glory
Come home
Meat in a plastic sack
Fall down
Better pray to your God for mercy
So kneel and help the blade cut clean

Nothing is sacred
Back then or now
Everyone's wasted
Is that all there is?
Is that it now?

Judas my guide
Whispers in the night
Judas my guide

Judas my guide
Whispers in the night
Judas my guide

I live in the black
I have no guiding light
I'm whispering in your dreams

Judas my guide
Whispers in the night
Judas my guide

Judas my guide

Whispers in the night
Judas my guide

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of Iron Maiden's "Judas Be My Guide" describe a world of darkness, where everything is up for sale and nothing is sacred. The world is burning, and people pray to God for a better deal. The chorus speaks of Judas as a guide, whispering in the night, and the verses talk about fighting wars and dying in a blaze of glory. The end of the song finds the singer living in the blackness, with no guiding light, and Judas whispering in their dreams.

The lyrics of "Judas Be My Guide" are rich in symbolism and metaphor. The song explores the idea of betrayal, both in terms of the betrayal of the Christian figure of Judas, and on a more personal level, the betrayal of one's own values and ideals. The chorus, with its repetition of "Judas my guide," suggests that the singer is being led astray by a force that is ultimately destructive. The verses, with their references to war, death, and plastic-wrapped meat, paint a bleak picture of a world out of control and careening toward disaster.

Overall, the lyrics of "Judas Be My Guide" are a powerful commentary on human nature, and the ways in which we can be led astray by our own fears and desires. The song suggests that there is a darkness at the heart of the human condition, and that we are all susceptible to the kind of nihilistic despair that the lyrics describe. At the same time, however, the song also offers the possibility of redemption, suggesting that even in the darkest of times, we can still hold onto our values and fight for a better world.

Line by Line Meaning

Lights out
The world is in a state of darkness

We live in a world of darkness
The world is in a state of darkness

No doubt
This is an undeniable fact

Everything's up for sale
The things most people hold dear are now available for purchase

We sleep
Despite the chaos around us, most people are unaware or apathetic

All of the world is burning
Everything we once knew to be stable is collapsing

We pray to god for a better deal
We hope that there is a way out of this chaos

Nothing is sacred
The things most people hold dear are now meaningless

Back then or now
This has been a persistent problem throughout history

Everything's wasted
The efforts of humanity are for naught due to the state of the world

Is that all there is?
Is there any hope left for humanity?

Can I go now?
Is the suffering worth continuing to endure?

Judas my guide
The singer is being led astray by a figure associated with betrayal

Whispers in the night
The guidance is secretive and perhaps sinister

Fight wars
People are fighting over various ideologies

Die in a blaze of glory
The ultimate goal is to be remembered in death

Come home
Returning home from battle often resulted in tragedy

Meat in a plastic sack
The dead cannot be mourned or remembered as individuals

Fall down
Battles inevitably resulted in fatalities

Better pray to your God for mercy
Those who survive the battles may still carry the physical and emotional scars

So kneel and help the blade cut clean
The violence continues as the cycle of war and destruction persists

I live in the black
The artist resides in a state of darkness and hopelessness

I have no guiding light
The singer has lost all hope and cannot see a way out of the darkness

I'm whispering in your dreams
The artist's hopeless state has spread to others, perpetuating the cycle of destruction

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bruce Dickinson, David Michael Murray

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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