Prodigal Son
Iron Maiden Lyrics


Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴  Line by Line Meaning ↴

Listen to me Lamia, listen to what I've got to say
I've got these feelings and they won't go away
I've got these fears inside that bring me to my knees
Oh, help me Lamia or I'm sure I'll die, oh please

I feel unsettled now, I know that I've done wrong
Messed around with mystic things and magic for far too long
I feel I'm being paid with this nightmare inside me
The devil's got a hold on my soul and he just won't let me be

I'm on my knees, oh, help me, please
I'm on my knees, help me please

Oh Lamia, please, try to help me
The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be
Lamia, I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad
The devil's got a hold of my soul, he's driving me mad
Oh-oh

Oh Lamia, please try to help me
The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be
Lamia, I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad




The devil's got a hold of my soul, he's driving me mad
Oh-oh

Overall Meaning

The song "Prodigal Son" by Iron Maiden is a story of a man who finds himself succumbing to dark forces after indulging in mystical and magical practices. The singer of the song reaches out to Lamia, a mythical figure associated with sorcery, for help in breaking the hold of the devil over his soul. The lyrics reflect the sense of fear, despair, and hopelessness that the man feels as he realizes the extent of his mistake.


The song's opening lines reveal the desperate plea of the man to Lamia, as he confesses that he is haunted by persistent feelings and fears that he cannot shake off. He begs for her help, recognizing that his soul is at stake. The second verse admits to his wrongdoing and the consequences of his dabbling in the unknown. The singer admits that he is paying the price for his actions, as he is caught in a nightmare of dark forces he cannot control.


The chorus repeats the plea for help and the admission that the devil has a hold on his soul. The repetition of the refrain reinforces the sense of desperation and the urgency of the situation. The song, therefore, fuses elements of mysticism and Christianity, as the man's predicament echoes that of the biblical Prodigal Son who finds himself struggling with sin and evil forces.


In summary, Iron Maiden's "Prodigal Son" is a song that delves into the themes of temptation, morality, and the struggle between dark and light forces. The song's lyrics tell a story of a man who realizes the mistake of dabbling in the unknown and finds himself struggling to break free from the hold of the devil. The song offers a warning against the dangers of unchecked curiosity and desire for power.


Line by Line Meaning

Listen to me Lamia, listen to what I've got to say
Pay attention to me, Lamia, and hear what I have to share.


I've got these feelings and they won't go away
I am struggling with emotions that do not seem to dissipate.


I've got these fears inside that bring me to my knees
There are internal terrors that leave me feeling powerless and overwhelmed.


Oh, help me Lamia or I'm sure I'll die, oh please
If I am not offered assistance, I fear that I will perish.


I feel unsettled now, I know that I've done wrong
There is a sense of unease due to engaging in questionable practices.


Messed around with mystic things and magic for far too long
I have made poor choices by dabbling in the occult for an extended period.


I feel I'm being paid with this nightmare inside me
The consequences of my actions are reflected in the current torment I am experiencing.


The devil's got a hold on my soul and he just won't let me be
I am struggling with the grasp of evil on my innermost being, which refuses to release me.


I'm on my knees, oh, help me, please
I am in a position of vulnerability, and I request assistance.


Oh Lamia, please, try to help me
I implore you, Lamia, to offer your assistance.


The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be
I am still in the grips of evil, and it seems that there is no end in sight.


Lamia, I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad
I am the victim of a curse that is causing me to become morally corrupt.


The devil's got a hold of my soul, he's driving me mad
I am becoming increasingly insane under the influence of malevolent forces.


Oh-oh
This is a vocalization expressing extreme distress.




Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stephen Percy Harris

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on or correct specific content, highlight it

Genre not found
Artist not found
Album not found
Song not found
Most interesting comments from YouTube:

@basstenpole1980

Man,
I was never alive to experience metal in it's prime. I'm young, 15 years as of right now and nearing 16. But maiden is a band that really gives me feelings of nostalgia. With the whole pandemic going on, I like to escape reality and think of happy memories. Memories of chilling in my car with dad, blasting iron maiden and singing along. Whenever I was sad or stressed, I'd just pop in a maiden CD and reminisce of happier times...

Maiden is a huge comfort of mine... UP THE IRONS!! 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘


EDIT: 16 now, Still vibin 2 this Album religiously :) I got a denim jacket that i've covered in patches and I've got a mullet now. Still feeling really down with this pandemic, but the music really is helping :]



Update PT. 2: I'm now 17 and struggling horrendously with anxiety. Iron maiden is very much my crutch at the moment. There's something so incredibly soothing about Paul's voice. Of course, I love Bruce, but Paul has something about him that makes me feel so relaxed. I hope you're all doing well and safe :)



@marciwalker1897


Listen to me Lamia, listen to what I've got to say.
I've got these feelings, and they won't go away.
I've got these fears inside that'll bring me to my knees.
Oh help me Lamia or I'm sure I'll die, oh please.

I feel unsettled, now I know that I've done wrong.
I've messed around with mystic things and magic for too long.
I feel I'm being paid with this nightmare inside me,
The devil's got a hold on my soul and he just won't let me be.

I'm on my knees, oh help me please.
I'm on my knees, help me please.

Oh Lamia please try to help me.
The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be.
Lamia I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad.
The devil's got a hold of my soul, and it's driving me mad. Oh

Oh Lamia please try to help me.
The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be.
Lamia I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad.
The devil's got a hold of my soul, and it's driving me mad. Oh



@Highlander_Kotsifas

Βίντεο

Εικόνες

Ειδήσεις

Βιβλία

Χάρτες

Πτήσεις

Οικονομικά

Όλα τα φίλτρα

Σχόλια

Εργαλεία

Αποτελέσματα αναζήτησης

Prodigal Son

/

Στίχοι

Κύρια αποτελέσματα

Listen to me Lamia, listen to what I've got to say
I've got these feelings and they won't go away
I've got these fears inside that bring me to my knees
Oh, help me Lamia or I'm sure I'll die, oh please

I feel unsettled now, I know that I've done wrong
Messed around with mystic things and magic for far too long
I feel I'm being paid with this nightmare inside me
The devil's got a hold on my soul and he just won't let me be

I'm on my knees, oh, help me, please
I'm on my knees, help me please

Oh Lamia, please, try to help me
The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be
Lamia, I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad
The devil's got a hold of my soul, he's driving me mad
Oh-oh

Oh Lamia, please try to help me
The devil's got a hold of my soul and he won't let me be
Lamia, I've got this curse, I'm turning to bad
The devil's got a hold of my soul, he's driving me mad
Oh-oh



@sagradageometria1836

Prodigal Son

Listen to me Lamia
Listen to what I've got to say
I've got these feelings
And they won't go away
I've got these fears inside
That'll bring me to my knees
Oh help me Lamia
Or I'm not sure
I'll die Oh please

I feel unsettled, now I know that I've done wrong
I've messed around with mystic things
And magic for too long
I feel I'm being paid with this nightmare inside me
The devil's got a hold on my soul
And he just won't let me be

I'm on my knees, oh help me please

Oh Lamia please try to help me
The devil's got a hold on my soul
And he won't let me be
Lamia I've got this curse I'm turning to bad
The devil's got a hold on my soul
And it's driving me mad



All comments from YouTube:

@trl768

The first 2 maiden albums have that beautiful 70s prog rock sound. Paul's voice in this album is stellar.

@kobked-x

fuck that they were Punk Metal biznatch!!! no prog rock crap that was Abba and Blondie ..FFS

@PsychomachineryEBM

@KOBKED-X NWOBHM, genius...

@digletttexano678

@KOBKED-X idiot

@steverogers2732

@KOBKED-X lmfao love the attitude, “fuck that” 😂

@audiophilemetallian

2 1st albuns were the only listenable and really excellent
After those u can pick some priest album 😀

18 More Replies...

@markskonecki2050

One of the most underrated maiden songs ever to bad they never played this live!!!

@TheLarryburns84

Paul would've sounded rough if they had... the Killers tour was a massive trek compared to the tour for the debut album. feel like if Bruce tried this it'd be ok but it would hit different and not for the better, though I do enjoy Bruce

@mikebasterd9645

ABSOLUTELY BROTHA !!!

@gallo3038

Sad

More Comments

More Versions