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)
The Aftermath
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the fields of futile war
Toys of death are spitting lead
Where boys that were our soldiers bled
War horse and war machine
Curse the name of liberty
Marching on as if they should
Mix in the dirt our brothers' blood
In the mud and rain
What are we fighting for?
Is it worth the pain?
Is it worth dying for?
Who will take the blame?
Why did they make a war?
Questions that come again
Should we be fighting at all?
Once a ploughman hitched his team
Here he sowed his little dream
Bodies, arms and legs are strewn
Where mustard gas and barbwire bloom
Each moment's like a year
I've nothing left inside for tears
Comrades dead or dying lie
I'm left alone asking, why?
In the mud and rain
What are we fighting for?
Is it worth the pain?
Is it worth dying for?
Who will take the blame?
Why did they make a war?
Questions that come again
Should we be fighting at all?
After the war
Left feeling no one has won
After the war
What does a soldier become?
After the war
Left feeling no one has won
After the war
What does a soldier become?
What is it all when the battles are done?
After the war
I mean no one has won
I'm just a soldier
After the war
Left feeling no one has won
After the war
What does a soldier become?
After the war
Left feeling no one has won
After the war
What does a soldier become?
Oh, oh
Oh, oh
Iron Maiden's song The Aftermath is a powerful commentary on the futility and destructive nature of war. The opening lines "Silently to silence fall, In the fields of futile war" set the tone for the rest of the song. The imagery of "Toys of death spitting lead" and "our brothers' blood" mixing with the dirt emphasizes the senselessness of fighting and the tragedies that result from it. The chorus poses the thought-provoking questions "What are we fighting for?" and "Is it worth dying for?" and calls for accountability by asking "Who will take the blame?" and "Why did they make a war?" The verses paint a vivid picture of the human cost of war, from the ploughman who once dreamed of a better life but lies dead now to the soldier who is left alone to mourn his fallen comrades.
The repetition of the chorus and the final lines "After the war, Left feeling no one has won, After the war, What does a soldier become?" hammer home the song's central message: that the aftermath of war is bleak and that no one truly wins. The questioning and contemplative tone of the song is a reminder that war should never be entered into lightly and that its consequences are far-reaching and often devastating.
Line by Line Meaning
Silently to silence fall
The aftermath of war leaves behind a deafening silence.
In the fields of futile war
The battlefields are a place of wasted human potential.
Toys of death are spitting lead
Weapons of war are mercilessly killing soldiers.
Where boys that were our soldiers bled
Youthful soldiers are being tragically wounded and killed.
War horse and war machine
Even animals and machines are being used to achieve victory.
Curse the name of liberty
The pursuit of freedom and justice through war is causing more harm than good.
Marching on as if they should
Soldiers continue to fight for a cause they may no longer believe in.
Mix in the dirt our brothers' blood
The soil of the battlefields is littered with the blood of fellow soldiers.
In the mud and rain
The physical conditions of war are harsh and unforgiving.
What are we fighting for?
There is a sense of confusion and doubt about the objectives of the war.
Is it worth the pain?
The suffering inflicted by the war makes one question its necessity.
Is it worth dying for?
The ultimate sacrifice of death on the battlefield raises doubts about the value of the cause.
Who will take the blame?
The responsibility for the consequences of the war is uncertain and divisive.
Why did they make a war?
The reasons for the war are unclear and suspect.
Questions that come again
Doubts and uncertainties about the consequences of the war will persist.
Should we be fighting at all?
There is a growing sense that war may not be the best way to resolve conflicts.
Once a ploughman hitched his team
Prior to the war, the farmer tilled his land in peace.
Here he sowed his little dream
The farmer had modest aspirations for a better tomorrow.
Bodies, arms and legs are strewn
The gruesome aftermath of the battlefields is littered with human remains.
Where mustard gas and barbwire bloom
The horrors of war include the use of chemical weapons and other brutality.
Each moment's like a year
Time seems to stand still in the midst of the violent chaos of war.
I've nothing left inside for tears
The unrelenting pain and suffering of war has left no tears in this soldier's eyes.
Comrades dead or dying lie
The personal loss and tragedy of war is vividly present in the battlefield.
I'm left alone asking, why?
The human cost and purpose of war remain a puzzle to the soldiers who fight it.
After the war
Although the war is over, its aftermath is still felt by those who survived it.
Left feeling no one has won
The outcome of war is seldom a clear victory for either side.
What does a soldier become?
The impact of war on a soldier's life and identity is complex and long-lasting.
Oh, oh
An emotional outburst expressing the intense impact of war on soldiers.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Bayley Cooke, Janick Gers, Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
on The Number of the Beast
kicking it