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)
Where Eagles Dare
Iron Maiden Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
The rumbling sound of engines roar in the night
The mission is near
The confident men are waiting to drop from the sky
The blizzard goes on
But still they must fly
No one should go
Bavarian alps that lay all around
They seem to stare from below
The enemy lines a long time passed
Are lying deep in the snow
Into the night
They fall through the sky
No one should fly
Where eagles dare
They're closing in the fortress is near
It's standing high in the sky
The cable car's the only way in
It's really impossible to climb
They make their way
But maybe too late
They've got to try
To save the day
The panicking cries
The roaring of guns are echoing all around the valley
The mission complete
They make to escape away from the Eagles Nest
They dared to go
Where no one would try
They chose to fly
Where eagles dare
Iron Maiden’s “Where Eagles Dare” is a song that depicts the triumph of a mission to defeat the enemy lines, much akin to a War theme. The song starts off by setting the mood with the description of snowing outside and the rumbling sound of engines roaring in the night. It’s apparent that a significant mission is happening as the “confident men are waiting to drop from the sky.” The blizzard worsens but still, they must fly to accomplish their mission. The chorus then sings “no one should go where eagles dare,” urging that the mission they were about to undertake is not for the faint-hearted.
The Bavarian Alps are the setting for the deployment, and they seem to stare from below, which almost make the Alps appear as if they’re against the mission. As the team makes their way into the night and falls through the sky, the song echoes again with the warning “No one should fly where eagles dare.” The tension begins to build, and they draw near the enemy lines to come face-to-face with the fortress standing high in the sky. The only way in is through the cable car, which was almost impossible to climb.
The team chooses to make their way even though they were already panicking while the roaring of guns are echoing all around the valley. The chorus echoes again, “They dared to go where no one would try, they chose to fly where eagles dare,” and finalizes the song with their triumphant mission being complete, where they make to escape from the Eagles Nest.
Line by Line Meaning
It's snowing outside
The weather conditions are harsh and unforgiving outside.
The rumbling sound of engines roar in the night
The sound of the engines is loud and intimidating, creating a sense of urgency and danger.
The mission is near
The objective is close, and the risks and stakes are high.
The confident men are waiting to drop from the sky
The soldiers are confident in their abilities and prepared for the upcoming mission.
The blizzard goes on
The snowstorm continues to worsen, making the situation more challenging.
But still they must fly
Despite the adverse weather conditions, it is necessary to continue with the mission.
No one should go
The mission is incredibly dangerous, and most people should avoid it.
Where eagles dare
The location of the mission is extremely perilous and challenging, requiring courage and tenacity to succeed.
Bavarian alps that lay all around
The specific location of the mission is in the Bavarian Alps.
They seem to stare from below
The mountains have an imposing and intimidating appearance from the perspective of the soldiers.
The enemy lines a long time passed
The soldiers are facing a long-standing enemy, and the conflict has been ongoing for a while.
Are lying deep in the snow
The enemy is hiding in the snow, making it difficult to track and locate them.
Into the night
The soldiers are entering into the night, adding more difficulty to the already challenging mission.
They fall through the sky
The soldiers are parachuting into the location of the mission from above.
No one should fly
The risk of aerial combat and anti-aircraft defense is high, and most people shouldn't attempt to fly in this situation.
Where eagles dare
The soldiers are entering a location as dangerous and challenging as where eagles live and fly.
They're closing in the fortress is near
The objective of the mission, a fortress, is getting closer and closer.
It's standing high in the sky
The fortress is elevated and challenging to reach.
The cable car's the only way in
The only way to access the fortress is by cable car, adding even more danger to the mission.
It's really impossible to climb
Climbing the fortress is not feasible and too dangerous to attempt.
They make their way
The soldiers are proceeding through the mission.
But maybe too late
Time constraints and setbacks might make it impossible to complete the mission successfully.
They've got to try
Despite the potential for failure, the soldiers must do everything in their power to complete the mission.
To save the day
Completing the mission is crucial to achieving success and avoiding disastrous outcomes.
The panicking cries
The situation has become more chaotic and perilous, leading to cries of panic.
The roaring of guns are echoing all around the valley
Gunfights and violence have erupted all around the valley, creating a sense of danger and urgency.
The mission complete
The soldiers have completed their objective, albeit with difficulty and danger.
They make to escape away from the Eagles Nest
The soldiers are rapidly attempting to retreat from the location of the mission.
They dared to go
The soldiers took a significant risk by attempting the mission.
Where no one would try
The location of the mission was so perilous that most people would not have attempted it.
They chose to fly
The soldiers decided to take the aerial approach to the mission, further indicating their courage and fortitude.
Where eagles dare
The soldiers entered a place as formidable as where eagles live and thrive, requiring tremendous bravery to attempt and complete.
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