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 Number of the Beast
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
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
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
The lyrics to the song "The Number of the Beast" by Iron Maiden bring forth a sense of impending doom and apocalypse. The lyrics of the song are based on the Book of Revelation in the Bible, which describes the prophetic end of the world where the devil sends the beast with wrath. The song highlights the devil's knowledge of the shortness of time, which eventually leads him to unleash his wrath upon the earth and sea. The song warns people with understanding to reckon the number of the beast, as it is a human number, six hundred and sixty-six.
In the first verse of the song, the singer explains that he left alone because his mind was blank, and he needed time to think and get memories from his mind. He has a vague recollection of what he saw but cannot believe whether it was real or just his imagination. In the chorus, the singer talks about the evil face that has been haunting him in his dreams that twists his mind and brings him to despair.
The second verse talks about the night of the black mist, where strange figures move and twist, and the singer is unsure of what is real or just some kind of hell. The chorus reiterates the number of the beast as six hundred and sixty-six, with hell and fire spawned to be released. The third verse describes the scene of the ritual where sacred chants are praised and hands held to the sky while the fires are burning bright. The chorus again brings the number of the beast and the sacrifice going on tonight. The final verse ends with the singer feeling drawn towards the chanting hordes, unable to avoid their eyes and the number of the beast being the one for both the singer and the person they are speaking to.
Line by Line Meaning
Woe to you, oh earth and sea, for the devil sends the beast with wrath
Dreadful things will happen to you, land and ocean, because the devil has unleashed his rage upon you
Because he knows the time is short
The devil is aware that his time is limited, thus he is taking drastic measures
Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast
The people who are intelligent should work out the meaning of the devil's mark
For it is a human number, its number is six hundred and sixty-six
It is a number that represents humanity, and it is six hundred and sixty-six
I left alone, my mind was blank
I was by myself, with nothing occupying my thoughts
I needed time to think, to get the memories from my mind
I required some moments of introspection, to recollect things that were in my head
What did I see? Can I believe?
What did I observe? Is it possible that it's authentic?
That what I saw that night was real and not just fantasy?
Was the event that I encountered truly factual, or just a figment of my imagination?
Just what I saw
The thing that I witnessed
In my old dreams
In the reveries that I had before
Were they reflections of my warped mind staring back at me?
Do those visions reflect my distorted psyche when it confronts me?
'Cause in my dreams
Because in my fantasies
It's always there
The evil is omnipresent in those dreams
The evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair
That evil visage contorts my brain and plunges me into hopelessness
Night was black, was no use holding back
Darkness was all-encompassing, there was no point in abstaining
'Cause I just had to see, was someone watching me?
I was too curious, I had to check if someone was observing me
In the mist dark figures move and twist
Obscure forms sway and contort in the haze
Was all this for real or just some kind of hell?
Is this genuinely happening or is it some sort of torment?
Six six six the number of the beast
666 represents the beast
Hell and fire was spawned to be released
The beast was created in hellfire, and it's now unleashed
Torches blazed and sacred chants were praised
Torches were lit and holy incantations were lauded
As they start to cry, hands held to the sky
As they start to weep, they raise their arms to the heavens
In the night, the fires are burning bright
The fires are burning zealously in the darkness
The ritual has begun, Satan's work is done
The ceremony has started, Satan's intentions are accomplished
Sacrifice is going on tonight
A sacrifice is happening this evening
This can't go on, I must inform the law
This is unacceptable, I need to report it to the authorities
Can this still be real or just some crazy dream?
Is this still factual, or just a delirium?
But I feel drawn towards the chanting hordes
Nevertheless, I'm compelled to move towards the people who are chanting
Seem to mesmerize, can't avoid their eyes
They seem to enchant me, I cannot evade their gaze
Six six six the number of the beast
666 represents the beast
Six six six the one for you and me
666 is for both of us
I'm coming back, I will return
I will come back, I will reappear
And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn
And I will take control over your body and make you suffer
I have the fire, I have the force
I possess the strength and power
I have the power to make my evil take its course
I have the capability to unleash my maleficent purposes
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Stephen Percy Harris
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
George Dill
kicking it
@carbootstudios2459
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)
2:15 House of Wax (1953)
3:20 War of the Colossal Beast (1958)
3:50 The Angry Red Planet (1959)
3:59 The Screaming Skull (1958)
@josedemetriooliveiraacciol513
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
@wastedheadedg3604
My neighbors liked this so much they invited the police to listen
@ileanabledea3612
did they also bring the beer keg?
@scottyszoo.8093
Gold.. Well done sir.
@CDavis-jt5fh
Did the police sacrifice the neighbors to Satan? If not then they weren't really listening to the music.
@sammydavisjr1895
Hey chip davis that was classic bro.
@enszaiy6141
Good job xD
@itsthewanderingfool
1:17 That SCREAM is absolutely iconic, and never fails to give me chills.
@user-ui9cl4yz5o
So true
@liberatetutemeexinferis5902
It took Bruce several takes just to get it right. Martin Birch made sure of it. 🤘