The Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden Lyrics
"Woe to you, oh earth and sea, for the devil sends the beast with wrath
Because he knows the time is short
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast
For it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six"
I left alone, my mind was blank
I needed time to think, to get the memories from my mind
What did I see? Can I believe?
That what I saw that night was real and not just fantasy?
Just what I saw
In my old dreams
Were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me?
'Cause in my dreams
It's always there
The evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair
Yeah
Night was black, was no use holding back
'Cause I just had to see, was someone watching me?
In the mist dark figures move and twist
Was all this for real or just some kind of hell?
Six six six the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released
Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised
As they start to cry, hands held to the sky
In the night, the fires are burning bright
The ritual has begun, Satan's work is done
Six six six the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight
This can't go on, I must inform the law
Can this still be real or just some crazy dream?
But I feel drawn towards the chanting hordes
Seem to mesmerize, can't avoid their eyes
Six six six the number of the beast
Six six six the one for you and me
I'm coming back, I will return
And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire, I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group
Written by: Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
"The Number of the Beast" is Iron Maiden's seventh single and the second single from Iron Maiden's 1982 album of the same name. The song is inspired by both a nightmare bandleader and bassist Steve Harris had after watching the movie Damien: Omen II, and the storyline of the poem Tam o' Shanter. "The Number of The Beast" is one of Iron Maiden's greatest hits, and is almost always performed during concert. It reached 18 in the UK charts. The track is known for its very long Read Full Bio"The Number of the Beast" is Iron Maiden's seventh single and the second single from Iron Maiden's 1982 album of the same name. The song is inspired by both a nightmare bandleader and bassist Steve Harris had after watching the movie Damien: Omen II, and the storyline of the poem Tam o' Shanter. "The Number of The Beast" is one of Iron Maiden's greatest hits, and is almost always performed during concert. It reached 18 in the UK charts. The track is known for its very long, high-pitched and guttural wail by Bruce Dickinson at the end of the intro. In the documentary on the album of the same name, as part of the Classic Albums series by the BBC, Dickinson said this was due to producer Martin Birch forcing Dickinson to sing the first four lines for several hours, over and over again. The frustration of this culminated in this wail, the pitch of which Dickinson has not managed to re-create live since the early days, which may possibly be an influence to the using of the death growl singing technique of later death metal and groove metal vocalists.
The band had asked the famous horror films actor Vincent Price to read the intro text. However, according to Dickinson, Price refused to do it for anything less than £25,000. They had heard of someone who read ghost stories at Capital Radio and got him to do it. The man was a theatre actor named Barry Clayton who had no interest in Maiden, but they asked him to put on a Vincent Price kind of voice.
It was featured in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and was one of the final songs to play. (Also said that it was chosen for the last tier of Guitar Hero III because of the whole, "Lou the Devil" idea.)
It was also featured as Rock Band DLC (downloadable content), and is said to be one of the hardest songs, for it's blistering guitar solo.
The band had asked the famous horror films actor Vincent Price to read the intro text. However, according to Dickinson, Price refused to do it for anything less than £25,000. They had heard of someone who read ghost stories at Capital Radio and got him to do it. The man was a theatre actor named Barry Clayton who had no interest in Maiden, but they asked him to put on a Vincent Price kind of voice.
It was featured in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and was one of the final songs to play. (Also said that it was chosen for the last tier of Guitar Hero III because of the whole, "Lou the Devil" idea.)
It was also featured as Rock Band DLC (downloadable content), and is said to be one of the hardest songs, for it's blistering guitar solo.
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George Dill
kicking it
Carboot Studios
0:11 The Return of the Vampire (1944)
0:29 The Devil Rides Out (1968)
0:35 Nosferatu (1922)
0:41 How to Make a Monster (1958)
0:47 One Million B.C. (1940)
1:10 The Crimson Ghost (1946)
1:17 Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
3:20 War of the Colossal Beast (1958)
3:50 The Angry Red Planet (1959)
3:59 The Screaming Skull (1958)
Rock Music
0:11 The Return of the Vampire (1944)
0:29 The Devil Rides Out (1968)
0:35 Nosferatu (1922)
0:41 How to Make a Monster (1958)
0:47 One Million B.C. (1940)
1:10 The Crimson Ghost (1946)
1:17 Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
3:20 War of the Colossal Beast (1958)
3:50 The Angry Red Planet (1959)
3:59 The Screaming Skull (1958)
Jose demetrio Oliveira accioly cordeiro
I left alone, my mind was blank
I needed time to think
To get the memories from my mind
What did I see? Can I believe?
That what I saw that night was real and not just fantasy?
Just what I saw in my old dreams
Were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me?
'Cause in my dreams it's always there
The evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair
Night was black, was no use holding back
'Cause I just had to see, was someone watching me?
In the mist, dark figures move and twist
Was all this for real or just some kind of Hell?
Six six six, the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released
Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised
As they start to cry, hands held to the sky
In the night, the fires are burning bright
The ritual has begun, Satan's work is done
Six six six, the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight
This can't go on, I must inform the law
Can this still be real, or just some crazy dream?
But I feel drawn towards the chanting hordes
Seem to mesmerize, can't avoid their eyes
Six six six, the number of the beast
Six six six, the one for you and me
I'm coming back, I will return
And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire, I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course
Ives
LYRICS
[Spoken intro: Barry Clayton]
Woe to you, o'er Earth and Sea
For the Devil sends the beast with wrath
Because he knows the time is short
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast
For it is a human number
Its number is Six hundred and sixty six
[Verse 1: Bruce Dickinson]
I left alone, my mind was blank
I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind
What did I see? Can I believe that what I saw
That night was real and not just fantasy?
Just what I saw, in my old dreams, were they
Reflections of my warped mind staring back at me?
Cause in my dream, it's always there
The evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair
YEAH!
[Verse 2]
The night was black, was no use holding back
Cause I just had to see, was someone watching me?
In the mist, dark figures move and twist
Was this all for real or just some kind of hell?
[Chorus 1]
666 the number of the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released
[Verse 3]
Torches blazed and sacred chants were phrased
As they start to cry, hands held to the sky
In the night, the fires burning bright
The ritual has begun, Satan's work is done
[Chorus 2]
666 the number of the beast
Sacrifice is going on tonight
[Guitar solo: Dave Murray]
[Guitar solo: Adrian Smith]
[Verse 4]
This can't go on, I must inform the law
Can this still be real, or just some crazy dream?
But I feel drawn towards the chanting hordes
They seem to mesmerize, can't avoid their eyes
[Chorus 3]
666 the number of the beast
666 the one for you and me
[Verse 5]
I'm coming back, I will return
And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
I have the fire, I have the force
I have the power to make my evil take its course
This song was the band’s second single from their 1982 album. It was influenced by the 1978 horror movie Damien: Omen II, which is about the 13-year-old Antichrist. It is one of Iron Maiden’s most famous and one of heavy metal’s most recognizable songs.
Basically, this song is about a dream. It’s not about devil worship.
-Steve Harris
The song starts with a quote from the Bible, read by British actor Barry Clayton; the first lines from Revelations 12:12 and the last three from Revelations 13:8. The band wanted the horror film actor Vincent Price to read this intro, but he wanted more money than they were willing to pay.
During the recording of the album, there were rumors floating about that supernatural occurrences had been going on in the studio, such as lights flipping on and off, strange noises and visions of Satan. This was used as evidence that Satan and the Antichrist had a hand in making this. Many preachers and enemies of rock music were led to believe Maiden were Satanists, because of the song’s title. Steve Harris called them mad. They completely got the wrong end of the stick. They obviously hadn’t read the lyrics. They just wanted to believe all that rubbish about us being Satanists.
Bruce Dickinson’s high-pitched scream at the end of the intro was a result of producer Martin Birch forcing the band to replay the intro several times. Dickinson became so fed up with the constant repeats that he emitted the scream out of frustration, and it fit so well that the band decided to keep it.
"They completely got the wrong end of the stick. They obviously hadn’t read the lyrics. They just wanted to believe all that rubbish about us being Satanists. Basically, this song is about a dream. It’s not about devil worship."
Steve Harris, composer of the song, about people complaining about the supposed satanic meaning of the song.
Rubro Negro •
I wish more people would appreciate this music
Iron Maiden never let me down.
Robert Farr
@Kelly Powers I will tap dislike to make it more Rock and Roll.
666 ! Actually features in my new phone number.
Kelly Powers
I went to tap "like" and there were 666 before me.....lol
Robert Farr
@HayleeTheComet what were your expectations? When you bought a C.D. it worked?
HayleeTheComet
Same here.
Robert Farr
@João Pedro Câmara sticking your nose in?
Carboot Studios
0:11 The Return of the Vampire (1944)
0:29 The Devil Rides Out (1968)
0:35 Nosferatu (1922)
0:41 How to Make a Monster (1958)
0:47 One Million B.C. (1940)
1:10 The Crimson Ghost (1946)
1:17 Mothra vs. Godzilla (1964)
3:20 War of the Colossal Beast (1958)
3:50 The Angry Red Planet (1959)
3:59 The Screaming Skull (1958)
Carboot Studios
@Tummyknuckle also Crimson Ghost
Tummyknuckle
What about 2:40?