Music Blog

IT’S TIME TO GO TO CHURCH

Nancy's Notes 🖊️🎶

Today in Song Lyric Sunday
Jim is challenging us to write about
a killer album closer. Here’s my response:

Say “hello” to my little friend.
This is Eddie, the official mascot for Iron Maiden.
Eddie is a perennial fixture of the group’s artwork,
appearing on all their album covers and merchandise,
which includes T-shirts, posters and action figures.
Eddie, AKA Eddie the Head, made his debut February 8, 1980.

There are metal singers and then there are METAL SINGERS.
Bruce Dickinson, without a single solitary doubt in my mind,
falls into the latter category.
He is among the best of the best!

“Hallowed Be Thy Name,” the end track from the epic “The Number of The Beast” album, is not only one of Iron Maiden’s best songs, it’s one of the greatest metal tracks of all-time, period. The epic 7+ minute track instantly became a mainstay at live shows and has been covered by numerous artists, including Dream Theater and Machine Head.

Allmusic describes it as “perhaps the most celebrated of the band’s extended epics; it’s the tale of a prisoner about to be hanged, featuring some of Harris’ most philosophical lyrics.” Several band-members have since stated that it is one of their favorite tracks, with Bruce Dickinson describing it as “fantastic” and that performing it live is like “narrating a movie to the audience.”

On the evening of October 2, 1982, my mister and I hired a babysitter for our boys and drove into Manhattan for one of our final rock concerts. It had been a while. Now that we had kids, who knew when we would be able to have this experience again. We were all grown up with a different set of priorities but this was one event we could not miss. Performing that night at Madison Square Garden were two British groups Bill and I didn’t have a chance to see B.K. (Before Kids).

The concert tour was called “Beast On the Road” and the two groups were Judas Priest and Iron Maiden. It was incredible and the closing song sounded a lot like this:

“Hallowed Be Thy Name” by Iron Maiden

Lyrics

I’m waiting in my cold cell when the bell begins to chime
Reflecting on my past life and it doesn’t have much time
‘Cause at 5 o’clock, they take me to the Gallows Pole
The sands of time for me are running low
Running low, yeah!

When the priest comes to read me the last rites
Take a look through the bars at the last sights
Of a world that has gone very wrong for me

Can it be that there’s some sort of error?
Hard to stop the surmounting terror
Is it really the end, not some crazy dream?

Somebody, please tell me that I’m dreaming
It’s not easy to stop from screaming
The words escape me when I try to speak
Tears flow, but why am I crying?
After all, I’m not afraid of dying
Don’t I believe that there never is an end?

As the guards march me out to the courtyard
Somebody cries from a cell, “God be with you”
If there’s a God, why has he let me go?

As I walk, my life drifts before me
Though the end is near I’m not sorry
Catch my soul, it’s willing to fly away

Mark my words, believe my soul lives on
Don’t worry now that I have gone
I’ve gone beyond to seek the truth

When you know that your time is close at hand
Maybe then you’ll begin to understand
Life down here is just a strange illusion

Yeah-yeah-yeah, hallowed be thy name
Yeah-yeah-yeah, hallowed by thy name

Yeah

Source: LyricFind
Songwriters: Stephen Percy Harris
Hallowed Be Thy Name lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Capitol CMG Publishing, Integrity Music, Universal Music Publishing Group

“Hallowed Be Thy Name”
Song by Iron Maiden
from the album The Number of the Beast
Released22 March 1982
RecordedJanuary–February 1982
StudioBattery, London
GenreHeavy Metal
Length7:08
LabelEMI
Songwriter(s)Steve Harris
Producer(s)Martin Birch

Album Closer

Thanks to Jim for another great prompt in Song Lyric Sunday!

NAR © 2023

23 thoughts on “IT’S TIME TO GO TO CHURCH”

  1. Nancy, I don’t know that much of Iron Maiden or their music but I was happy to learn about the Eddie mascot. This song sounds like a Rock Anthem and imagining the crowd going wild as they sang it.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. I’m glad you enjoyed reading about Eddie; he’s a real trip and a good looking guy, isn’t he?
      You’re spot on by calling this song a rock anthem. Every group has a “signature song” and this is Iron Maiden’s. These guys are some of the hardest working and most professional musicians in the business; the quality of their shows and the size of their fan base attest to that.
      Thanks for a really great comment, Lisa; see you around WP!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  5. Up The Irons!!! \m/

    Nothing to add; you said it all at your post and at your replies to the comments.
    As far as Bruce goes… at the age of 63, listen at The Parchment (2021)…at the 9’22” mark he delivers a 10 second signature vibrato like it was only yesterday when he sang that opening of Hallowed be thy name @ Rock in Rio in front of 350,000 fans.

    Take me to church any Sunday!!

    Liked by 1 person

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  7. PSA: I’ve been told that the video is not viewable by everyone. I’m sure that happens more often than we know; it’s those pesky © laws! I’ve gotten into the habit of providing on all my posts the name of the track and the artist appearing on every video I feature. Sorry for the inconvenience; it’s out of my control. At least the info is there for anyone to find the exact video on YouTube.

    Like

    Reply

  8. This may be the first time that I ever listened to a complete Iron Maiden song, and I actually enjoyed it, especially those rocking guitars. I always dismissed this group as being metal music, which is an acquired taste and I felt it was not for me. Thanks for sharing your music today, Nancy.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply

    1. You made my day, Jim! I’m so glad you didn’t just bypass my post because it featured heavy metal music; some people would do that which is unfortunate. I’m not going to get all preachy …. just want to point out that heavy metal is as much an art form and legitimate genre as jazz or classical and should not be dismissed out of hand. It’s no more an acquired taste than blue grass or new age. We all need to broaden our minds in every aspect of life …. not just music genres, don’t you agree? Being metal-phobic is another form of prejudice; look where prejudice and hate have gotten us. Thanks for taking a chance today, Jim. I am truly thrilled!

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    1. Damn © laws!
      That’s exactly the reason why I’ve started labeling all my videos with the name of the track and the artist. It makes it a lot easier to look up the right vid on YT when that info is provided.
      My apologies, Glyn; it’s out of my hands but at least you know what to look for and hopefully you enjoy the post.

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