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 Duellists
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Of picking it up, now you're gone
The choosing of guns or fighting with swords
The choice of weapons is done
He'll tear you apart, as soon as you start
You know you don't have a chance
Oh, oh, fight for the honor
Fight for the pleasure
Oh, oh, fight for the honor
Fight for the splendor
Fight for your life
Ready to start, the duel begins
The best man wins in the end
A lunge and a feint, a parry too late
A cut to the chest and you're down
Seeing the stain, then feeling the pain
Feeling the sweat on your brow
Oh, oh, fight for the honor
Fight for the splendor
Fight for the pleasure
Oh, oh, fight for the honor
Fight for the splendor
Fight for your life
The fighting resumes, a silence looms
The swordsmen move against each other
A cut and a thrust, a parry, a blow
A stab to the heart and you're down
The Angel of Death hears your last breath
Meanwhile, the Reaper looks on
Oh, oh, fought for the honor
Fought for the splendor
Fought for the pleasure
Oh, oh, fought for the honor
Fought for the splendor
Fought to the death
The lyrics to Iron Maiden's song The Duellists tell the story of a duel between two men, a choice of weapons and a fight for honor and life. The first verse sets up the premise by describing the mistake one of the men made in picking up a glove thrown down by the other. The choice of weapons is made, and it is clear that it will be a fight to the death. The second verse describes the beginning of the fight, with a lunge and a feint leading to a fatal cut to the chest. The third verse picks up the fighting again, with a silence looming as the swordsmen move against each other, and a stab to the heart leading to death.
The lyrics to this song are typical of Iron Maiden, telling a story with vivid imagery and forcing the listener to picture the action taking place. The song is based on the novel "The Vicomte de Bragelonne" by Alexandre Dumas, which follows the story of the Three Musketeers. The song, in particular, tells the story of a duel between two of the Musketeers, Athos and d'Artagnan, and is a favorite among Iron Maiden fans for its fast-paced and intense instrumentals.
Line by Line Meaning
He threw down a glove you made the mistake
The challenger challenged the other person by throwing down a glove, and the challenged person made the mistake of accepting it.
Of picking it up, now you're gone
The challenged person made the mistake of accepting the challenge, and as a result, they are no longer alive.
The choosing of guns or fighting with swords
The two people involved in the duel had to decide whether they would fight with guns or swords.
The choice of weapons is done
The decision regarding the choice of weapons has been made and is now final.
He'll tear you apart, as soon as you start
The challenger is so skilled that they will easily defeat the other person, and they will do so as soon as the duel starts.
You know you don't have a chance
The challenged person is aware that they have no chance of winning the duel.
Oh, oh, fight for the honor
Both people are fighting to maintain their dignity and reputation by winning the duel.
Fight for the splendor
Both people are fighting for the glory and prestige that comes with winning a duel.
Fight for the pleasure
Both people are fighting for the enjoyment and pleasure of engaging in a physical contest.
Ready to start, the duel begins
The two people are poised and prepared to start the duel.
The best man wins in the end
The one who proves to be the better fighter will be victorious.
A lunge and a feint, a parry too late
One person attempted to attack with a lunge, but the other person dodged and parried their attack, causing them to be too late.
A cut to the chest and you're down
One fighter successfully landed a blow on the other person's chest, causing them to lose the fight.
Seeing the stain, then feeling the pain
The person who was cut sees the bloodstain on their clothes, then they start to feel the pain of the wound.
Feeling the sweat on your brow
The fighter can feel the sweat on their forehead due to the physical exertion of the duel.
The fighting resumes, a silence looms
After a brief pause, the fighters begin to fight again, and there is a feeling of tension in the air.
The swordsmen move against each other
The two fighters are engaged in sword fighting, and both are trying to gain an advantage over the other.
A cut and a thrust, a parry, a blow
Both people are using a variety of sword fighting moves like thrusts, parries, and blows in an attempt to defeat the other.
A stab to the heart and you're down
One person successfully lands a blow to the other person's heart, causing them to be defeated.
The Angel of Death hears your last breath
As the defeated person dies, the Angel of Death is present, hearing their final breath.
Meanwhile, the Reaper looks on
As the duel comes to an end, the Reaper, a personification of death, watches the scene unfold.
Fought for the honor
Both people fought to maintain their dignity and reputation by winning the duel.
Fought for the splendor
Both people fought for the glory and prestige that comes with winning a duel.
Fought for the pleasure
Both people fought for the enjoyment and pleasure of engaging in a physical contest.
Fought to the death
The duel ultimately ended in death for one of the fighters.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
on The Number of the Beast
kicking it