| “Invaders” | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| |||||
| Song by Iron Maiden from the album The Number of the Beast | |||||
| Released | 22 March 1982 | ||||
| Recorded | January - February 1982 | ||||
| Genre | Heavy metal | ||||
| Length | 3:20 | ||||
| Label | EMI | ||||
| Writer(s) | Steve Harris | ||||
| Producer | Martin Birch | ||||
| The Number of the Beast chronology | |||||
| |||||
"Invaders" is a song by Iron Maiden, written by bassist Steve Harris. It is the first track from the 1982 studio album The Number of the Beast.
Themes and structures[]
"Invaders" is an uptempo shorter. Its lyrics deal with the Viking invasion of Britain of 1015, as did "Invasion".
Lyrics[]
Longboats have been sighted,
The evidence of war has begun
Many Nordic fighting men,
Their swords and shields all gleam in the sun
Call to arms defend yourselves,
Get ready to stand and fight for your lives
Judgment day has come around,
So be prepared don't run stand your ground
They're coming in from the sea,
They've come the enemy
Beneath the blazing sun,
The battle has to be won
Invaders, pillaging
Invaders, looting
Set ablaze the campfires,
Alert the other men from inland
Warning must be given,
There's not enough men here for a stand
The Vikings are too many,
Much too powerful to take on our own
We must have reinforcements,
We cannot fight this battle alone
They're coming over the hill,
They've come to attack
They're coming in for the kill,
There's no turning back
Invaders, Fighting
Invaders, marauding
Axes grind and maces clash,
As wounded fighters fall to the ground
Severed limbs and fatal woundings,
Bloody corpses lay all around
The smell of death and burning flesh,
The battle weary fight to the end
The Saxons have been overpowered,
Victims of the mighty Norsemen
You'd better scatter and run
The battle's lost and not won
You'd better get away to fight another day
Invaders, raping
Invaders, plundering
Length[]
- Album version: 3:24
Trivia[]
- "Invaders" stands out as the only opener yet to make its live debut (as of 2024), as "The Ides of March" has been played at least one time (albeit before the recording and publication of "Killers"), at the Ruskin Arms, on October 5, 1979.[1]
Personnel[]
- Bruce Dickinson - vocals
- Dave Murray - guitar
- Adrian Smith - guitar
- Steve Harris - bass guitar
- Clive Burr - drums
References[]
| ||||||||||||||
