The Number Of The Beast

"The Number of the Beast" is Iron Maiden's seventh single and the second single from Iron Maiden's 1982 album of the same name. The song is inspired by both a nightmare bandleader and bassist Steve Harris had after watching the movie Damien: Omen II, and the storyline of the poem Tam o' Shanter. "The Number of The Beast" is one of Iron Maiden's greatest hits, and is almost always performed during concert. It reached 18 in the UK charts. The track is known for its very long, high-pitched and guttural wail by Bruce Dickinson at the end of the intro. In the documentary on the album of the same name, as part of the Classic Albums series by the BBC, Dickinson said this was due to producer Martin Birch forcing Dickinson to sing the first four lines for several hours, over and over again. The frustration of this culminated in this wail, the pitch of which Dickinson has not managed to re-create live since the early days, which may possibly be an influence to the using of the death growl singing technique of later death metal and groove metal vocalists. The band had asked the famous horror films actor Vincent Price to read the intro text. However, according to Dickinson, Price refused to do it for anything less than £25,000. They had heard of someone who read ghost stories at Capital Radio and got him to do it. The man was a theatre actor named Barry Clayton who had no interest in Maiden, but they asked him to put on a Vincent Price kind of voice. It was featured in Guitar Hero III: Legends of Rock, and was one of the final songs to play. (Also said that it was chosen for the last tier of Guitar Hero III because of the whole, "Lou the Devil" idea.) It was also featured as Rock Band DLC (downloadable content), and is said to be one of the hardest songs, for it's blistering guitar solo.

[Spoken intro: Barry Clayton] Woe to you, o'er Earth and Sea For the Devil sends the beast with wrath Because he knows the time is short Let him who hath understanding reckon the number of the beast For it is a human number Its number is six hundred and sixty six [Verse 1: Bruce Dickinson] I left alone, my mind was blank I needed time to think to get the memories from my mind What did I see? Can I believe that what I saw That night was real and not just fantasy? Just what I saw, in my old dreams, were they Reflections of my warped mind staring back at me? Cause in my dreams, it's always there The evil face that twists my mind and brings me to despair YEAH! [Verse 2] The night was black, was no use holding back Cause I just had to see, was someone watching me? In the mist, dark figures move and twist Was all this for real or just some kind of hell? [Chorus 1] 666 the number of the beast Hell and fire was spawned to be released [Verse 3] Torches blazed and sacred chants were phrased As they start to cry, hands held to the sky In the night, the fires are burning bright The ritual has begun, Satan's work is done [Chorus 2] 666 the number of the beast Sacrifice is going on tonight [Guitar solo: Dave Murray] [Guitar solo: Adrian Smith] [Verse 4] This can't go on, I must inform the law Can this still be real, or just some crazy dream? But I feel drawn towards the chanting hordes They seem to mesmerize, can't avoid their eyes [Chorus 3] 666 the number of the beast 666 the one for you and me [Verse 5] I'm coming back, I will return And I'll possess your body and I'll make you burn I have the fire, I have the force I have the power to make my evil take its course