IRON MAIDEN LYRICS

1. If Eternity Should Fail

[Dickinson]

Here is the soul of a man
Here in this place for the taking
Clothed in white, stand in the light
Here is the soul of a man

Time to speak with the shaman again
Conjure the jester again
Black dog in the ruins is howling my name
So here is the soul of a man

When the world was virgin
Before the coming of men
Just a solar witness
The beginning of the end
From a world of magma
To a cold rock face
The ascent of madness
And a human race

We are strange believers, all of us
There are stranger truths, immortal lust
We rise from slumber, he calls our name
Recalls our number, abide with pain

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

To God's illusion
Which I recall
Was our delusion
Before the fall
The angels come and the angels go
But the lord of light shining below

Eternal blackness beyond the stars
We think our wisdom will get that far
At the master's table, the table's bare
No land of plenty, devastation, despair

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

Good day, my name is Necropolis
I am formed of the dead
I am the harvester of the soul meat
And I suck the lives from around my bed
My own two sons I gave them breath
And I filled their living corpses with my bile
What humanity I knew I have long forgotten
For me eternity is nothing
But a short while

2. Speed Of Light

[Smith / Dickinson]

Another time, another place
A hollow universe in space
I took a trip to see the sights
I will be blacker than the night

One way ticket, no returns
My shooting star—so fast it burns
On the edge that you can't see
Let's shot the moon, you and me
I'm not particular you see
Just a lonesome galaxy

Shadows in the stars
We will not return
Humanity won't save us
At the speed of light
Shadows in the stars
We will not return
Humanity won't save us
We slip into the night

I'll say a mass for you and wave
Shootin' plasma from my grave
Event horizon lost in space
Runnin' in a human race

I don't know where, I don't know when
But somehow back there time again
I'm on the edge that you can't see
I'm not particular at night
A single particle of me
You won't be trackin' me by sight

Shadows in the stars
We will not return
Humanity won't save us
At the speed of light
Shadows in the stars
We will not return
Humanity won't save us
At the speed of light

We slip into the night

3. The Great Unknown

[Smith / Harris]

Winter softly falling to the ground
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
The nightmare's coming
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 of end of us all

When the world has fallen and we stand alone...

4. The Red And The Black

[Harris]

The morals of life and the perils of death
Take the wrong way out, running out of breath
Meet my match in the afterlife
Suppress the demons that plague the night

A tortured mind is a safe place to go
But the truth lurks down in the dark below
Step inside my inquisitive mind
Are you scared at what you just might find?

See myself in the hall of mirrors
A different shape every step I take
A different mind every step of the line
But in the end they are all mine

Laughing sorrow inside your head
Can't get out, just a feeling of dread
I know this burden is a heavy load
A dark mistake, never ending road

The black jack king and the red queen clash
The artful dodger, he counts his stash
The joker's wild like an impish child
While Madame Fortune, she waits inside

The good luck charm is overkill
The tired old soldier says fire at will
Planes overhead go search, destroy
The ones below human decoy

I need somebody to save me

Meanwhile we play the waiting game
The clock is struck, the horse is lame
And when we think that this is done
Chance your luck a four leafed one

You hedge your bets, the battle lost
To wait in vain and count the cost
The thin edged line
Between good and bad
And cast the luck, be happy, sad

I need somebody to save me

The red and the black
People don't want the truth
Look in their eyes and you send them away

The red and the black
Fate and hypocrisy
Burden's a heavy load there is no doubt

The red and the black
All out of luck again
How many chances can anyone have?

The red and the black
Treachery out to win
There in the wrong place and at the wrong time

I need somebody to save me

5. When The River Runs Deep

[Smith / Harris]

Look for something that is hard to find
Searching somewhere deep inside your mind
Hope you find just what you're looking for
Heaven's waiting with an open door

If you should sell your soul as cheaply as I did then
The road to ruin is a long road to hide in
We signed our lives away to have an escape
It's something that will be whatever our fate

There's no use in hiding
Got to keep on trying
Can't take no more lying
This is the last

There's no time for crying
When some of us are dying
None of us decide what is our fate

Now with nothing to hide, going nowhere
Take my chances and stand by their sides
When the river runs deep
And the line breaks
And the blood it flows
Free from our lives

Is this the last together? maybe this time now
We stand together and we're holding the line here
There's nothing we can do just sit here and wait
The die is cast that is deciding our fate

There's no use in hiding
Got to keep on trying
Can't take no more lying
This is the last

There's no time for crying
When some of us are dying
None of us decide what is our fate

Now with nothing to hide, going nowhere
Take my chances and stand by their sides
When the river runs deep
And the line breaks
And the blood it flows
Free from our lives

Now with nothing to hide, going nowhere
Take my chances and stand by their sides
When the river runs deep
And the line breaks
And the blood it flows
Free from our lives

Now with nothing to hide, going nowhere
Take my chances and stand by their sides
When the river runs deep
And the line breaks
And the blood it flows
Free from our lives

Now with nothing to hide, going nowhere
Take my chances and stand by their sides
When the river runs deep
And the line breaks
And the blood it flows
Free from our lives

6. The Book Of Souls

[Gers / Harris]

Sacrifices buried with kings
Accompany them on a journey with no end
To an afterlife that's rich with fruit of all the gods
And to face the demons
Of their underworld haunts

The sentient is sent to seek out all the truth
A flight to Earth that is a given from his birth
To rise from ashes of the dead
Out of the fire is sent to fulfill man's desire

By power day and night and death he ruled them
The sky and earth and the fires too
Two-headed reptile symbol of his reign
Universes of the underworld

A life that's full of all the wealth and riches
Can never last for an eternity
After living in a golden paradise
The ultimate sacrifice

Prophecy of sky gods
The sun and moon
Passing of old ways will come true soon

Falling of ages
Forest of kings
The search for truth, the book of souls

The rulers of planets and stars
The power of the kings, of traders and the wars
Planetary cycles and the phases of the moon
Is in the document a kingdom they will learn

They were praying to the gods of nature
And were living in the cities of stone
Towers reaching upward to the heavens
Sacred wonders for the world unknown

Make their lives be a mystery no more
Records kept and the passing of laws
Sacred gods to the book of lies
When a civilization dies

Prophecy of sky gods
The sun and moon
Passing of old ways will come true soon

Falling of ages
Forest of kings
The lost book of souls, destruction begins

Ascending the throne wearing feathers and shells
He brought back their lives from the void
Alien invasion brings nothing but death
Mass exodus and plant life destroyed

Domain of the earth to the journey of truth
The underworld caves Mayan slaves

Defeat of the dark lords
The ultimate proof
In the place where the ancestors rule

The book of souls

7. Death Or Glory

[Smith / Dickinson]

I see the enemy, I know he can't see me
Combat red in tooth and claw
Ready now for one more score

Took a bullet in my brain
Inside I'm the king of pain
Outside you will fear my name
I ride a blood red triplane

Turn like the devil
Shoot straight from the sun
Climb like a monkey
Out of hell where I belong

Death or glory
It's all the same
Death or glory
The price of fame

Death or glory, I'm in the game of
Death or glory, a one way train

I watch you spiral down
Dead before you hit the ground
Bullet got you in the back
Deflection shooting beam attack

I shoot the gunner first
I kill to quench my thirst
I hunt the weakest prey
Live to fly another day

Turn like the devil
Shoot straight from the sun
Climb like a monkey
Out of hell where I belong

Death or glory
It's all the same
Death or glory
The price of fame

Death or glory
I'm in the game of
Death or glory
A one way train

Turn like the devil
Shoot straight from the sun
Climb like a monkey
Out of hell where I belong

Death or glory
It's all the same
Death or glory
The price of fame

Death or glory
I'm in the game of
Death or glory
A one way train

Death or glory
It's all the same
Death or glory
The price of fame

Death or glory
I'm in the game of
Death or glory
A one way train

8. Shadows Of The Valley

[Gers / Harris]

Wandering aimlessly in a cold dark mist I follow
Walking in a dark world that's been
Kissed with sadness
Without sunlight things are born
To the dead of nightmares
Soulless demons laughing in a sea of madness

Listen closely to the raven's call
Praying hard for our world not to end
Try as might to make sense of it all
Will it be for the penance of men
Follow north for the call of the wild
Look all out for a small wayward child
Lay in fear as the dark raven crows
Look for guidance from the one who knows
He lived on this earth for a time and a half
Playing a tune to the old man's laugh
The fear that's inside the men of the oath
In the script of the book that he wrote

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn't die
Mind over matter
Cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin

As the raven again passes by
I can hear all the wake fathers cry
That the first born of all men will die
That their lives will be taken from them
Face the danger a battle of wills
Strength and courage a cure for all ills
We believe in that thou shall not kill
But others are ready to spill
The hearts of all men since beginning of time
Living with temptation
Wanting and crime
A walk in the shadow of the valley of death
Knowing I'll take my last breath

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn't die
Mind over matter
Cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin

The hearts of all men since beginning of time
Living with temptation
Wanting and crime
A walk in the shadow of the valley of death
Knowing I'll take my last breath

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn't die
Mind over matter
Cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin

Into the valley of death fear no evil
We will go forward no matter the cost
Into the valley of death follow me now
Bring me your souls and I'll make it our last

Ask them the questions
Tell them no lies
A cry for freedom
Praying that they wouldn't die
Mind over matter, cry over sins
Their lives are over now
Ended before they begin

9. Tears Of A Clown

[Smith / Harris]

All alone in a crowded room
He tries to force a smile
The smile it beamed or so it seemed

But never reached the eyes, disguise
Masquerading as the funny man do they despise

The false smile maketh of the man
Glass empty or half full
Try to make some sense or sorrows drown

All looks well on the outside
Underneath the solemn truth
There's something that inside has died

Tomorrow comes, tomorrow goes
But the cloud remains the same
Wonder why he's feeling down
Tears of a clown

Maybe it's all just for the best
Lay his weary head to rest
Was forever feeling drowned
Tears of a clown

Who motivates the motivator?
Façade it has to go
He knows it sooner or later
Smile for the camera, all OK
But tomorrow is another day he must get through

He had a longer way to run
Or so the story goes
Life full of fun where did it go

We saw the sadness in his eyes
It came as no surprise
And now of course we'll never know

Tomorrow comes, tomorrow goes
But the cloud remains the same
Wonder why he's feeling down
Tears of a clown

Maybe it's all just for the best
Lay his weary head to rest
Was forever feeling drowned
Tears of a clown

Tomorrow comes, tomorrow goes
But the cloud remains the same
Wonder why he's feeling down
Tears of a clown

Maybe it's all just for the best
Lay his weary head to rest
Was forever feeling down
Tears of a clown

Tear of a clown...

10. The Man Of Sorrows

[Murray / Harris]

Like a man without a home
Watching people come and go
Carry on their daily lives
Without a thought for the ones alone

Cast the dream aside like throwing
A pebble into the ocean tide
And I'm feeling so alone again

Free the angry from their pain
Free the captives from their chains
Cast aside the doubt that
Nothing good can come their way again

Living in a world of lies
No matter how or hard we try
Living life without a dream today

Looking through a mist of truth
That we believe an elusive cloud
The things we find are hard to say now
That we live through day to day
Find it hard to force the reasons
Why we find it hard to die

Now we need to know the truth now
Open our eyes that we can see
So we live and breathe again
Better days for you and me
Can we even hope to deliver this
We are so far away

As one turns against the other
With a brother against brother
Situation like no other
It's a picture of despair

As we look to see the man of sorrows
Passing knowledge to those who don't know
As we watch all our friends passing over
As they pass through the edges of time

And we see what's ahead that awaits us
That no longer do we feel afraid
So we look to see the man of sorrows
And the light is the darkness no more

As we look to see the man of sorrows
Passing knowledge to those who don't know
As we watch all our friends passing over
As they pass through the edges of time

And we see what's ahead that awaits us
That no longer do we feel afraid
So we look to see the man of sorrows
And the light is the darkness no more

11. Empire Of The Clouds

[Dickinson]

To ride the storm, to an empire of the clouds
To ride the storm, they climbed aboard their silver ghost
To ride the storm, to a kingdom that will come
To ride the storm, and damn the rest, oblivion

Royalty and dignitaries, brandy and cigars
Gray Lady, giant of the skies, you hold them in your arms
"The millionth chance," they laughed, "to take down His Majesty's craft."
"To India," they say, "magic carpet float away," an October fateful day

Mist is in the trees, stone sweats with the dew
The morning sunrise, red before the blue
Hanging at the mast, waiting for command
His majesty's airship, the R101

She's the biggest vessel built by man, a giant of the skies
For all you unbelievers, the Titanic fits inside
Drum roll tight, her canvas skin, silvered in the sun
Never tested with the fury, with a beating yet to come

The fury yet to come….

In the gathering gloom, the storm rising in the West
The Coxswain stared into the plunging weather glass
We must go now, we must take our chance with fate
We must go now, for a politician, he can't be late

The airship crew awake for thirty hours at full stretch,
But the ship is in their backbone, every sinew, every inch
She never flew at full speed, a trial never done
Her fragile outer cover, her Achilles would become
An Achilles yet to come...

Sailors of the sky, a hardened breed
Loyal to the king, and an airship creed
The engines drum, the telegraph sounds
Release the cords that bind us to the ground

Said the Coxswain, "Sir, she's heavy, she'll never make this flight."
Said the Captain, "Damn the cargo! We'll be on our way tonight."
Groundlings cheered in wonder, as she backed off from the mast
Baptizing them her water, from the ballast fore and aft
Now she slips into our past…

[Instrumental section starts with all instruments playing SOS Morse code]

[Solos: Murray, Smith]

Fighting the wind as it rolls you,
Feeling the diesels that push you along
Watching the Channel below you,
Lower and lower, into the night

Lights are passing below you
Northern France, asleep in their beds
Storm is raging around you,
A million to one, that's what he said

Reaper standing beside her
With his scythe cuts to the bone
Panic to make a decision
Experienced men, asleep in their graves

Her cover is ripped and she's drowning
Rain is flooding into the hull
Bleeding to death and she's falling
Lifting gas is draining away

"We're down lads!" came the cry, bow plunging from the sky
Three thousand horses silent as the ship began to die
The flares to guide her path ignited at the last
The empire of the clouds, just ashes in our past
Just ashes at the last…

Here lie their dreams as I stand in the sun
On the ground where they built, and the engines did run
To the moon and the stars, now what have we done?
Oh, the dreamers may die, but the dreams live on

Dreams live on
Dreams live on

Now a shadow on a hill, the angel of the east
The empire of the clouds may rest in peace
And in a country churchyard, laid head to the mast
Eight and forty souls, who came to die in France…







IRON MAIDEN LYRICS