The Trooper

"The Trooper" is a song written by Iron Maiden bass player Steve Harris. It is Iron Maiden's ninth single, and the second from their 1983 album Piece of Mind. The single was released on June 20, 1983. The song is about the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 during the Crimean War, and is at least partially based upon Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade", taking the viewpoint of one of the slain troopers, who, in the coverart, is perceived as a bald Eddie. Cover versions include: Sentenced on The Trooper, CD EP, 1994 on Spinefarm Records.

[Verse 1] You'll take my life but I'll take yours too You'll fire your musket but I'll run you through So when you're waiting for the next attack You'd better stand there's no turning back The bugle sounds, the charge begins But on this battlefield no one wins The smell of acrid smoke and horse's breath As I plunge on into certain death [Refrain] Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh [Verse 2] The horse he sweats with fear we break to run The mighty roar of the Russian guns And as we race towards the human wall The screams of pain as my comrades fall We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground And the Russians fire another round We get so near yet so far away We won't live to fight another day [Refrain] Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh [Guitar solo] [Verse 3] We get so close, near enough to fight When a Russian gets me in his sights He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow A burst of rounds takes my horse below And as I lay there gazing at the sky My body's numb and my throat is dry And as I lay forgotten and alone Without a tear I draw my parting groan [Refrain] Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh Oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh oh