Day 19: “Flash Of The Blade” – Iron Maiden. Power and beauty

!!!ITALIANO!!!

Dear friends of One Song For Today, I would like to propose something strong. Sometimes you just need that. However, if you listen to it many times, today’s song has something more than just the power of its sound or its frenetic rhythm. Bruce Dickinson‘s incredible vocal ability perfectly fits the hard and strong verses as well as the choruses, in which his high notes almost take us back in time. In the middle of the song the guitars mix together harmonically like violins, Adrian Smith‘s third majors spread thrills everywhere, Steve Harris‘ bass guitar gives us something more than a bass-line; perhaps he represents the cohesion which made the band live on through the years. It is really worth to listen to the whole Powerslave album (1984), which this song is taken from.

Curiosity: this song was used by the Italian director Dario Argento in his film Phenomena (English title “Creepers”); it suddenly breaks in an agitated scene and it is the second track of its original soundtrack.

Lyrics:

As a young boy chasing Dragons
With your wooden sword so mightly
You’re St. George you’re David and you always
Killed the beast
Times change very quickly
And you had to grow up early
A house in smiking rums and the bodies
At your feet

You’ll die as you lived
In a flash of the blade
In a corner forgotten by no-one
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his Honour.

The smell of resined leather
The steely iron mask
As you cut and thrust and parried at the
Fencing master’s call
He taught you all he ever knew
To fear no mortal man
And now you’ll wreak your vengeance in the
Screams of evil man.

You’ll die as you lived
In a flash of the blade
In a corner forgotten by no-one
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his Honour.

Maiden’s official website