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)
Liar
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Lie, steal, cheat and kill, a real bad guy
Your daddy is a wino, and your mommy is quite insane
From alter boy to sewer rat, you don't give a damn
Your sister is a junkie, gets it any way she can
Your brother's a gay singer in a stud leather band
Your girlfriend's got herpes to go with your hep and aids
Look deep in the mirror, look deep into it's eyes
Your face is replaced, a creature you despise
But I know what you're made of, it ain't much I'm afraid
I know you'll be lying until' you dying day
Make up your stories, truth's so hard to say
Brain is numb and your tongue will surely dig your grave
Your mind is sickly from Alzheimer's disease
And decadence and debauchery killed your memories
You're a liar, liar, liar, everyone can see
Liar, liar, liar, it's all you'll ever be
Liar, liar, liar, it's what you mean to me
Liar, liar, lies
Start trouble, spread pain
Piss and venom, in your veins
Talk nasty, breathe fire
Smell rotten, you're a liar
Sweat liquor, breathe snot
Eat garbage, spit blood
Diseased, health hazard
Scum bag, filthy bastard
Greasy face, teeth decay
Hair matted, drunk all day
Abscessed, sunken veins
Rot gut, scrambled brain
Steal money, crash cars
Rob jewelry, hock guitars
Rot in hell, it's time you know
To your master, off you go
You're a liar
A fucking liar
Filthy liar
You, you, you fucking liar
Liar
The lyrics to Iron Maiden's song "Liar" paint a disturbing portrait of a person who is deceitful and immoral. The song describes someone who takes pride in never living up to anything, who lies, steals, cheats, and kills, and who doesn't care about anyone or anything. The person's family members are also portrayed as being troubled, with a wino father and an insane mother, a sister who is a junkie and a brother who is a gay singer in a stud leather band.
The chorus of the song repeats the word "liar" over and over again, emphasizing the deceitful nature of the person being described. The verses go on to describe the person's physical and emotional decay, with references to disease, decay, and debauchery. The final lines of the song suggest that the person will continue to lie until they die.
The lyrics of "Liar" are a scathing indictment of the dishonesty and immorality that can be found in some people. They emphasize the destructive nature of lying, stealing, and cheating, and suggest that those who engage in these behaviors will ultimately suffer the consequences.
Line by Line Meaning
You take great pride in never having lived up to anything
You feel satisfied in being a failure and never achieving anything in life.
Lie, steal, cheat and kill, a real bad guy
You are a dishonest, criminal and violent person.
Your daddy is a wino, and your mommy is quite insane
Your father is an alcoholic and your mother is mentally unstable.
From alter boy to sewer rat, you don't give a damn
You have gone from being a religious person to a low life without any care for anyone or anything.
Your sister is a junkie, gets it any way she can
Your sibling is a drug addict who will do anything to get drugs.
Your brother's a gay singer in a stud leather band
Your brother is a homosexual who sings in a band known for wearing leather.
Your girlfriend's got herpes to go with your hep and aids
Your girlfriend has a sexually transmitted disease and so do you.
There ain't one person you know you ain't ripped off yet
You have stolen from every person you know.
Look deep in the mirror, look deep into it's eyes
Reflect deeply in the mirror and see the monster you have become.
Your face is replaced, a creature you despise
The reflection is that of a creature you hate.
But I know what you're made of, it ain't much I'm afraid
I know what you are made of and it is disappointing.
I know you'll be lying until' you dying day
I predict you will continue to lie forever.
Make up your stories, truth's so hard to say
You fabricate stories because it is difficult for you to tell the truth.
Brain is numb and your tongue will surely dig your grave
Your brain is damaged and your lies will lead to your downfall.
Your mind is sickly from Alzheimer's disease
Your mind is unhealthy and affected by a disease that causes memory loss.
And decadence and debauchery killed your memories
Your lifestyle of excessive indulgence has caused memory loss.
You're a liar, liar, liar, everyone can see
You are a liar and it is apparent to everyone.
Liar, liar, liar, it's all you'll ever be
You will always be a liar.
Liar, liar, liar, it's what you mean to me
You are a liar and that is what you represent to me.
Liar, liar, lies
You and your lies are a constant presence.
Start trouble, spread pain
You cause conflict and inflict suffering on others.
Piss and venom, in your veins
You have toxicity within you.
Talk nasty, breathe fire
You speak offensively and with great anger.
Smell rotten, you're a liar
You have a foul odor and you are a liar.
Sweat liquor, breathe snot
You give off the smell of alcohol and have difficulty breathing.
Eat garbage, spit blood
You consume toxic things and vomit blood.
Diseased, health hazard
You have a disease and are a danger to others.
Scum bag, filthy bastard
You are a despicable and disgusting person.
Greasy face, teeth decay
You have oily skin and your teeth are rotting.
Hair matted, drunk all day
Your hair is tangled and you are drunk all the time.
Abscessed, sunken veins
Your body is infected and your veins have collapsed.
Rot gut, scrambled brain
You have a disease affecting your organs and your brain is damaged.
Steal money, crash cars
You steal and damage cars.
Rob jewelry, hock guitars
You steal jewelry and then sell guitars.
Rot in hell, it's time you know
You will be punished in hell and it is time for you to acknowledge that.
To your master, off you go
You are going to be condemned by Satan.
You're a liar
You are a liar.
A fucking liar
You are a fucking liar.
Filthy liar
You are a dirty liar.
You, you, you fucking liar
You, specifically, are a fucking liar.
Liar
You are a liar.
Writer(s): dye, Daiki
Contributed by Mila R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
Gabb Scarlat
It was really a band called Iron Maiden from the LATE 60s. They were playing blues rock/psychedelic rock, this kind of stuff. The Iron Maiden you think of, is the Iron Maiden from the late 70s and 80s with their "Number of the Beast" and "Fear of the Dark" thing. These guy from the late 60s had no idea that 10 years into the future there would be ANOTHER IRON MAIDEN, but singing different stuff in a very different way.No one can be blamed. I doubt the modern Maiden knew about this OBSCURE Maiden
WarthDader74
Wow! this is very good in its own way. Some very catchy riffs here and there
RJC 72
It may be a completely different Iron Maiden from the one we know and love, but listening to that intro, it almost sounds like something Steve Harris would've played on a Paul Di'Anno-era Maiden record. Perhaps if the more popular Iron Maiden had come out in the late 60's like this band instead of the mid 70's, I imagine they'd have a similar psych rock / proto metal sound before they developed into a harder and heavier band.
Hudson Geraldo Moreira Moreira
great band! it's a shame that people only know the one or Iron Maiden.
christian burns
i think this sounds cool. def like classic late 60s/early 70s rock. but i have noticed that alot of mail order stores and so on are listing this album with the nwobhm iron maiden and i think alot of maiden fans are gonna buy this and be pissed off. the fact that the cover states "the original iron maiden" could just mean the paul di'anno era if you didnt know the band that well. i think this release should have a sticker on it stating that this band is a totally different band.
liz sobel
iron maiden never ever sold out . never. do not dare equate a band like iron maiden to slipknot . slipknot never ever demonstrated the level of talent or innovation that iron maiden has always displayed . not only that you look at their accomplishments outside of music . iron maiden has always been a band of extroardinary high standards . that is why they have lasted for over 30 years .
Bruh
Unfortunately that's changed now.
Beatrix986
So they went across a blues-psychedelich phase too. Who would ever thought!? Noooot bad at all!!
liz sobel
Iron Maiden are not poseurs nor have they ever been poseurs . The standards of musicianship have always set the trend in any genre of music . Iron Maiden has and will always been one of the most respected and revered bands in history . And the much deserved respect they have garnered is not exclusive to just metalists , but musicians of all genres . I knew music professors- Jazzers , who loved playing Iron Maiden material . I remember these guys would play Rime of the Ancient Mariner .
L.I.V.V
not posers but Clearly no match to acts such as Judas Priest