Paschendale
Iron Maiden Lyrics

In a foreign field, he lay
The soldier died in a far-off land

Lonely soldier, unknown grave
The soldier was buried alone, with no one to mourn him

On his dying words, he prays
As he lay dying, he hoped that his story would be told

"Tell the world of Paschendale"
He wanted people to know about the horrors of war in Paschendale

Relive all that he's been through
Experience the hardships and struggles that he faced

Last communion of his soul
The last time he shared his thoughts and feelings before dying

Rust your bullets with his tears
The soldier's tears mixed with the rust on the bullets they used

Let me tell you 'bout his years
Listen to the soldier's story and learn from his experiences

Laying low in a blood-filled trench
Staying low to avoid enemy fire in a trench filled with blood

Killing time 'til my very own death
Waiting to die while passing the time

On my face, I can feel the falling rain
Feeling the rain on his face as he fought in the war

Never see my friends again
The soldier knew he would never see his friends who died in war again

In the smoke, in the mud and lead
War was fought in thick smoke, muddy ground, and with bullets flying

Smell the fear and the feeling of dread
The soldier could smell the fear and dread of his fellow soldiers

Soon be time to go over the wall
The time to charge the enemy was approaching

Rapid fire and the end of us all
The enemy was firing rapidly and the soldier knew that they would all die

Whistles, shouts and more guns fire
The sound of whistles and shouts mixed with gunfire in the warzone

Lifeless bodies hang on barbed wire
Dead soldiers hung on the barbed wire fence separating enemy lines

Battlefield nothing but a bloody tomb
The battlefield was a place of death and destruction

Be reunited with my dead friends soon
The soldier hoped to be reunited with his fallen friends in death

Many soldiers eighteen years
Many young soldiers died at just eighteen years old

Drown in mud, no more tears
The soldiers died in the mud and there were no more tears to shed for them

Surely a war no-one can win
The war was a futile effort and could not be won

Killing time about to begin
The soldiers were waiting to engage in battle and start killing

Home, far away
The soldier dreamed of being far away from the war

From the war, a chance to live again
Being away from the war would provide a chance to live again

But the war, no chance to live again
Death was the only outcome for those fighting in the war

The bodies of ours and our foes
Dead bodies of both allies and enemies littered the warzone

The sea of death it overflows
So many people had died that it was a sea of death, overflowing with bodies

In no man's land, God only knows
Only God knew what was happening in the area between enemy lines

Into jaws of death we go
The soldiers were charging into certain death

Crucified as if on a cross
The soldiers were pinned down, as if they were being crucified

Allied troops, they mourn their loss
The allies were mourning the loss of their soldiers

German war propaganda machine
The Germans had a propaganda machine to promote their war efforts

Such before has never been seen
The level of propaganda was unprecedented

Swear I heard the angels cry
The soldier thought they heard angels cry over the death and destruction

Pray to God no more may die
The soldier prayed that no more people would have to die in the war

So that people know the truth
The soldier wanted people to know the truth about the war and its horrors

Tell the tale of Paschendale
The soldier wanted the story of Paschendale to be told

Cruelty has a human heart
People are capable of incredible cruelty

Every man does play his part
Everyone plays a role in war, regardless of personal beliefs

Terror of the men we kill
Killing other people is a terrifying experience

The human heart is hungry still
The desire for power and control still exists in humans

I stand my ground for the very last time
The soldier knew they were about to die, but stood their ground anyway

Gun is ready as I stand in line
The soldier held their gun, waiting to be given the order to charge

Nervous wait for the whistle to blow
The soldiers were anxiously waiting for the signal to charge

Rush of blood and over we go
The soldiers charged into battle with a rush of adrenaline

Blood is falling like the rain
Blood was everywhere, like rain falling from the sky

Its crimson cloak unveils again
The color of blood was all-encompassing and everywhere

The sound of guns can't hide their shame
The noise of gunfire couldn't mask the shame of the atrocities of war

And so we die in Paschendale
Many soldiers died in Paschendale during the war

Dodging shrapnel and barbed wire
The soldiers were trying to avoid flying debris and sharp wire

Running straight at the cannon fire
The soldiers were running towards the enemy's cannons

Running blind as I hold my breath
Fighting blindly while trying to avoid being shot

Say a prayer, symphony of death
The soldier prayed for their life while the sound of death surrounded them

As we charge the enemy lines
The soldiers charged towards the enemy with their weapons ready

A burst of fire and we go down
The enemy fired a burst of shots and many soldiers were killed

I choke a cry but no-one hears
The soldier cried out, but no one was able to help them

Feel the blood go down my throat
The soldier felt their own blood as they died

See my spirit on the wind
The soldier's spirit was thought to be carried away by the wind

Across the lines, beyond the hill
The soldier's spirit crossed past enemy lines and beyond the battlefield

Friend and foe will meet again
Both allies and enemies will meet in death

Those who died at Paschendale
The thousands of soldiers who lost their lives in the war will meet again in death