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 Great Unknown
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Calmly waiting don't you hear a sound
When the world has fallen to the depths below
Where the future's open and the fear has grown
And the path to follow to the great unknown
Where the dark has fallen and the seed is sown
In the selfish hearts of some
With the spilling blood of others
Now wringing through
Now the cup is spilling over
Wake to news of death
And the prophecy of sages
Destiny is met
To the depths of human mind
The cry is burning
With the mentor's anger
Of the lesson ringing true
And for those who live by and are dying by the sword
They will take their ideals with them
Justify their end
Where the fools are lying and the meek are crying
Where the wolves are preying
On the weak alone
Where the sons are dying
Hear their mothers crying
And the distant sound of fire
Begins again
Never ending the desires of men
It'll never be the same or calm again
In a time of changing hearts
And great unknown
It'll be the damnation and end of us all
Where the fools are lying
And the meek are crying
Where the wolves are preying
On the weak alone
Where the sons are dying
Hear their mothers crying
And the distant sound of fire begins again
Never ending the desires of men
It'll never be the same or calm again
In a time of changing hearts
And great unknown
It'll be the damnation and end of us all
When the world has fallen
And we stand alone
The Great Unknown by Iron Maiden is a melancholic and apocalyptic song about the state of the world and the inevitable chaos that ensues from human greed and selfishness. The song highlights how winter softly falls to the ground, calmly waiting, but nobody seems to be listening. The world has fallen to the depths below and the future is uncertain. Fear has grown and the path to follow is unknown, where darkness has fallen and the seed of destruction is sown. The song suggests that some people have selfish hearts and their actions unleash the nightmare on the unsuspecting populace. The cup is spilling over and people are waking up to news of untimely deaths, and sages warn that destiny is being met.
Iron Maiden sings about how the depths of human minds cry out in burning agony, with the mentor's anger ringing true. People are dying by the sword, and they justify their end with ideals. As the song progresses, we learn that the foolish and the meek are crying out as the wolves prey on them alone. The sons are dying, and their mothers are crying. The distant sound of fire begins again as the desires of men continue, and it'll never be the same again. The song ends on a solemn note that the world is standing alone and nobody knows what the future holds. It's the end of us all.
Line by Line Meaning
Winter softly falling to the ground
The arrival of a quiet and peaceful winter season.
Calmly waiting don't you hear a sound
The stillness of the moment is palpable, and one can feel a sense of anticipation.
When the world has fallen to the depths below
Refers to a major catastrophe or disaster that has brought the world to its knees.
Where the future's open and the fear has grown
Uncertainty about the future is causing great anxiety and worry.
And the path to follow to the great unknown
The way forward is unclear and unknown, and there are no maps or clear directions.
Where the dark has fallen and the seed is sown
The darkness of despair and hopelessness has taken hold, and it seems irreversible
In the selfish hearts of some
Some people are only concerned with their own interests and desires
The nightmare's coming
An ominous feeling that something terrible is about to happen.
With the spilling blood of others
Others are the ones who will suffer unnecessarily.
Now wringing through
This outcome is now inevitable and irreversible.
Now the cup is spilling over
Things have reached boiling point, and there is no turning back.
Wake to news of death
Starting the day with the knowledge that someone has died recently.
And the prophecy of sages
A prediction of future events by wise and knowledgeable people.
Destiny is met
The inevitable outcome is now being fulfilled as events unfold.
To the depths of human mind
This situation strikes at the very core of people's beings and psyche.
The cry is burning
People's emotions are raw and intense.
With the mentor's anger
Someone who was once respected and revered is now furious.
Of the lesson ringing true
The message being conveyed by this catastrophic event can no longer be ignored or denied.
And for those who live by and are dying by the sword
Those who are involved in violence and aggression will ultimately suffer the same fate as their victims.
They will take their ideals with them
Their misguided and destructive ideologies will continue to affect others even after their demise.
Justify their end
They may see their violent end as validation of their beliefs and actions.
Where the fools are lying and the meek are crying
In a hostile and unforgiving environment, innocent and vulnerable people are suffering.
Where the wolves are preying
Predators are exploiting the weak and defenseless.
On the weak alone
Only those who have no means of defending themselves are being targeted.
Where the sons are dying
Young men are being killed and lost forever.
Hear their mothers crying
The mothers of the fallen are grieving and mourning their loss.
And the distant sound of fire
The sound of destruction and chaos can be heard from far away.
Begins again
This scenario has played out many times before and seems to keep repeating itself.
Never ending the desires of men
Human desires can be insatiable and never-ending, leading to destruction and chaos.
It'll never be the same or calm again
The world has changed drastically and irreversibly, and there is no going back to the way things were before.
In a time of changing hearts
Times are changing, and people's attitudes and beliefs are shifting rapidly.
And great unknown
Uncertainty and unpredictability are becoming the norm.
It'll be the damnation and end of us all
This dark and uncertain future may well lead to the end of civilization as we know it.
When the world has fallen
Refers to a major catastrophe or disaster that has brought the world to its knees.
And we stand alone
People may end up feeling isolated, hopeless and vulnerable amidst all the chaos and destruction.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Adrian Frederick Smith, Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
on The Number of the Beast
kicking it