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)
Sheriff of Huddersfield
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(One, two, three, four)
(Don't think it's quite bloody funny at all)
(Don't know what you're laughing about)
Life in a city, living in L.A.'s along way from Huddersfield town
The back of the Rainbow's a long way from heaven
But that's where he get's his pork pie
Rugby and cricket's unknown
Baseball and football they're making him lazy
Your fan club says "Rodney come home"
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
Look down on Hollywood Hills
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
(No, I'm not)
A good game of arrows, a few dozen barrels
The Nautilus rusts in the yard
The Yorkshire he's yearning but because he's earning
He'll always live in L.A.
A custom made wallet that stays in his pocket
And never comes out to pay bills
He's winning at poker and playing the Joker
And he always cheats when he deals
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
Look down on Hollywood Hills
Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
Hello, let me introduce myself!
My name is Rodney, I'm immensely strong
When I were a lad
I could lift up five navies on an end of a shovel
The reason I never took up martial arts is because I'm immensely fearsome
But I'll probably kill everybody that I came into contact with it
I was phenomenally strong
Pride and ego, my lads, pride and ego
Is what makes the world rotate
And everybody knows that the center of the universe is Huddersfield
That's why I don't live there anymore
I live in Los Angeles
It's great! I think
Rufus the red has a crane by his bed
To wrench himself up in the morn'
But if you dare to tread at the foot of his bed
You'll wish you'd never been born (bloody well right)
A bear with a sore head, we don't mean your forehead
He slumbers for most of the day (bloody watch it)
Wide eyed and legless, baked beans for breakfast
Your problem Rodney's L.A. (no, it isn't)
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
Look down on Hollywood Hills
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle (no, I don't know what you're making a fuss about?)
Look down on Hollywood Hills
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle (I don't, I'm not in it for the money)
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels (I like it here, the sun shines all night)
The lyrics to Iron Maiden's "Sheriff of Huddersfield" tells the story of a man named Rodney, who hails from the town of Huddersfield in the UK but now lives in Los Angeles. He is referred to as the Sheriff of Huddersfield ironically because he has left the town and now lives in LA's Hollywood Hills. The song is a humorous take on the culture shock that Rodney experiences in LA, with its unfamiliar sports and customs, including limos, ladies, baseball, and football, which become a source of distress for him. Despite this, Rodney's fan club still wants him to return to Huddersfield.
The song shows how Rodney feels out of his depth in LA, despite the comfortable life he has built for himself there. He has a custom-made wallet, which he never takes out to pay bills and is always winning at poker by cheating. He is immensely proud of his strength, but it has not helped him adapt to his new surroundings. The lyrics show how the Sheriff of Huddersfield feels like a stranger in a foreign land that he cannot relate to.
Line by Line Meaning
(We're on a mission from Rod)
We have a mission given to us by Rodney.
(One, two, three, four)
Counting off the start of the song.
(Don't think it's quite bloody funny at all)
I don't find this amusing in the slightest.
(Don't know what you're laughing about)
I don't understand why you're laughing.
Life in a city, living in L.A.'s along way from Huddersfield town
Living in Los Angeles is a far cry from the town of Huddersfield.
The back of the Rainbow's a long way from heaven
The bar named Rainbow is far from paradise.
But that's where he gets his pork pie
However, that's where Rodney gets his pork pie.
Limos and ladies they're driving him queasy
Being driven in limos and being surrounded by women makes Rodney feel nauseous.
Rugby and cricket's unknown
Rodney is unfamiliar with rugby and cricket.
Baseball and football they're making him lazy
Rodney thinks playing baseball and football are making him lazy.
Your fan club says "Rodney come home"
His fan club wants Rodney to return home.
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
Rodney considers himself the "Sheriff of Huddersfield" locked in his castle (his L.A. home).
Look down on Hollywood Hills
He looks down on the Hollywood Hills from his castle (home) in L.A.
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
He is the much-loved Hot Rod on wheels in the eyes of his fans.
(No, I'm not)
Rodney denies the previous statement of being a hot rod on wheels.
A good game of arrows, a few dozen barrels
Playing darts and drinking large amounts of beer.
The Nautilus rusts in the yard
His boat named Nautilus collects rust in the yard.
The Yorkshire he's yearning but because he's earning
He's earning money, but yearning to be in Yorkshire.
He'll always live in L.A.
Despite his yearning, Rodney will always choose to live in L.A.
A custom made wallet that stays in his pocket
He has a wallet custom-made to keep in his pocket.
And never comes out to pay bills
He never takes out the wallet to pay bills.
He's winning at poker and playing the Joker
Rodney is winning at poker and playing the Joker.
And he always cheats when he deals
However, he cheats when he is dealing the poker game.
Hello, let me introduce myself!
Rodney introduces himself to the listeners.
My name is Rodney, I'm immensely strong
Rodney is very strong.
When I were a lad
When he was young.
I could lift up five navies on an end of a shovel
Rodney was strong enough to lift five navies on a shovel.
The reason I never took up martial arts is because I'm immensely fearsome
He is too fearsome to take up martial arts.
But I'll probably kill everybody that I came into contact with it
If he did take up martial arts, he might have killed everyone he came into contact with.
I was phenomenally strong
Previously, Rodney was phenomenally strong.
Pride and ego, my lads, pride and ego
Rodney loves attention and is nothing without his pride and ego.
Is what makes the world rotate
According to Rodney, it is pride and ego that makes the world rotate.
And everybody knows that the center of the universe is Huddersfield
To Rodney, the center of the universe is Huddersfield.
That's why I don't live there anymore
Despite the fact that the center of the universe is Huddersfield, Rodney chooses not to live there.
I live in Los Angeles, it's great! I think
Rodney lives in Los Angeles, which he thinks is great.
Rufus the red has a crane by his bed
Rodney tells us about Rufus who has a crane beside his bed to lift himself up each morning.
To wrench himself up in the morn'
Rufus uses the crane to lift himself up in the morning.
But if you dare to tread at the foot of his bed
However, if you dare approach the foot of Rufus' bed,
You'll wish you'd never been born (bloody well right)
You'll regret it immediately.
A bear with a sore head, we don't mean your forehead
Rufus is like a grumpy bear, and this has nothing to do with his forehead.
He slumbers for most of the day
Rufus spends most of his day sleeping.
Wide eyed and legless, baked beans for breakfast
He wakes up looking stunned and has baked beans for breakfast.
Your problem Rodney's L.A. (no, it isn't)
Rodney knows L.A. isn't Rufus' problem, but it's someone else's.
Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
Rodney, the Sheriff of Huddersfield, locks himself in his L.A. castle.
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
To his fans, Rodney is their very own "Hot Rod on wheels".
Look down on Hollywood Hills
Rodney looks down at the Hollywood Hills from his castle (home) in L.A.
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
Again, Rodney is the beloved "Hot Rod on wheels".
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle (no, I don't know what you're making a fuss about?)
Rodney is not sure why the fuss is being made about him.
Look down on Hollywood Hills
Rodney continues to look down at the Hollywood Hills from his castle (home) in L.A.
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle (I don't, I'm not in it for the money)
Rodney explains he isn't in it for the money.
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels (I like it here, the sun shines all night)
Rodney loves being the "Hot Rod on wheels" and the L.A. weather.
Lyrics Ā© UNIVERSAL MUSIC PUB GROUP
Written by: Adrian Frederick Smith, Bruce Dickinson, David Michael Murray, Nicholas Mcbrain, Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Wan Syamim
Life in a city living in L.A
Is a long way from Huddersfield town
The back of the Rainbow's a long way from heaven
But that's where he get's his pork pie
Limos and ladies they're driving him queasy
Rugby and cricket's unknown
Baseball and football they're making him lazy
Your fan club says "Rodney come home"
(chorus)
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
Look down on Hollywood Hills
The Sheriff of Huddersfield locked in his castle
You're our own Hot Rod on wheels
A good game of arrows a few dozen barrels
The Nautilus rusts in the yard
But for Yorkshire he's yearning but because he's earning
He'll always live in L.A
A custom made wallet that stays in his pocket
And never comes out to pay bills
He's winning at poker and playing the Joker
And he always cheats when he deals
(repeat chorus)
(Rodney's rap)
Hello, let me introduce meself!
My name is Rodney. I'm immensely strong
When I were a lad, I could lift up five
Navies on an end of a shovel
The reason I never took martial arts because
I was immensely fearsome and
I'd probably kill everybody
I came into contact with it
I was phenomenally strong
Pride and ego, my lads, pride and ego
Is what makes the world rotate
And everybody knows the centre of the universe is Huddersfield
But I don't live there anymore
I live in Los Angeles
It's great!... I think
Rufus the red has a crane by his bed
To wrench himself up in the morn'
But if you dare to tread at the foot of his bed
You'll wish you'd never been born
A bear with a sore head we mean your forehead
He slumbers for most of the day
Wide eyed and legless baked beans for breakfast
Your problem Rodney L.A
(repeat chorus)
Luis Rivera
After all these years this song still makes me laugh like hell
Metallideth1993
I recently started at Huddersfield University, this is now my theme song.
Usual Suspect
Hi Metallideth, Just thought you might be happy to see your post from 9 yrs ago :) Cheers!
ā”B_D_99
Or year later
Blatant blasphemer
As someone from Huddersfield Iām proud to do accurately represented
Eddie Ok
"The reason I never took martial arts because I was immensely fearsome and I'd probably kill everybody I came into contact with." LMAO!!! Iron maiden Rocks! ;D
GG16
Even when they were havin' a laugh and takin' the piss they were f&*king epic!!!
ERICA Mariana
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Wojciech Trojanowski
I think Maiden should play this song on gigs ;)
PĆ©tur GĆslason
It would be epic! š