For the Iron Maiden Bruce Dickinson fans, a historian or insightfull? "2 minutes to midnight" lyrics

[Phlem]

"2 Minutes To Midnight"

Kill for gain or shoot to maim
But we don't need a reason
To Golden Goose is on the loose
And never out of season
Blackened pride still burns inside
This shell of bloody treason
Here's my gun for a barrel of fun
For the love of living death

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,
The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
Don't you pray for my soul anymore?

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that threaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The blind men shout "Let the creatures out
We'll show the unbelievers."
The napalm screams of human flames
Of a prime time Belsen feast ... yeah!
As the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy
We oil the jaws of the war machine and feed it with our babies.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,
The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
Don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that threaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

The body bags and little rags of children torn in two
And the jellied brains of those who remain to put the finger right on you
As the madmen play on words and make us all dance to their song
To the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun.

The killer's breed or the Demon's seed,
The glamour, the fortune, the pain,
Go to war again, blood is freedom's stain
Don't you pray for my soul anymore.

2 minutes to midnight,
The hands that threaten doom.
2 minutes to midnight,
To kill the unborn in the womb.

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night

Midnight
Midnight
Midnight
It's all night


-p

[Initech]

1. According to Wikipedia the song is a reference to the Doomsday Clock

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/2_Minutes_To_Midnight

[Phlem]

2. Correct

But the substance, is it perpetual history or something new to recent times?

-p

[Initech]

3. That is a good question.

I do love Iron Maiden but I don't have an answer for that one.

[SomethingFishy]

11. Perpetual History...

There are a number of political songs from the past that are more prescient today then when they were written. When that was written we had Reagan and Thatcher running the show. The cold war was still going on and we didn't know then that most of Russia's nuclear arsenal consisted of trees painted like rockets. Nuclear war was a real threat and Reagan had his finger on the button.

[Iggo]

4. ...and feed it with our babies.

[OriginalGeek]

5. That was a good tour

They put on a great show back in the day.

[Skip Intro]

6. I just saw them in Raleigh and they kicked ass!

Place was packed. Music - beautiful Maiden music - was flawless. They had more energy than pretty much any band I've ever seen. Bruce was a madman, leaping around the stage, flying through the air at points. Great awesome show and a killer turnout.

[OriginalGeek]

7. I haven't seen them in a few years

But I did see them on the Somewhere Back in Time tour which kicked ass as far as song selection (Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind, Powerslave and Somewhere In Time is one of my favorite four album runs by any band) but the sound where we were (way high, way back) was muddy and disappointing. I'll never go see a band I love in that arena again (south Florida)...

[Skip Intro]

8. This was my first time actually seeing them.

I went to their show in Atlanta last year, but did tequila shots in the parking lot and spend the show wandering around the concourse of the amphiteater. And I had great seats too. Missed Alice Cooper opening as well. Damn tequila.

But luckily they returned to the South again this year and I got to see an excellent show. Good seats again and sound was good.

I'll see them again, but I want to see them in an indoor arena this time. I think the word is they're making a new album next year and then touring again in 2015.

On edit - those four albums are my favorites too. Wish I had caught them on the Back in Time tour. Would like to see them play almost anything off them. Powerslave and Die With Your Boots On would be great to see live.

[sweetloukillbot]

9. Seen them may times over the past 30 years...

I like that they don't shy away from their new material - which is almost as strong as those classic albums from the 80s. Whenever they have a new album out they play mostly new material, but they tour just about every year, so whenever they don't have something to promote they just play the hits. But they always put on a great show, and they're always packed. The only time I've seen them play to less than a packed house was when Bruce wasn't in the band, and they did a stripped down show for about 1000 people in a 1/2 full theater.

[liberal_at_heart]

10. they were the first heavy metal band I ever started listening to. I think I was 12 when I started

listening to them.