Revelations (Iron Maiden song)

Song_infobox
Name = Revelations
Artist = Iron Maiden
Album = Piece of Mind
track_no = 2
Genre = Heavy metal
Length = 6:48
next = Flight of Icarus
next_no= 2
prev = Where Eagles Dare
prev_no= 1

"Revelations" is the second track from Iron Maiden's fourth studio album "Piece of Mind". It is one of the few Maiden songs written solely by Bruce Dickinson. The song is a fan favorite and is frequently performed live.

On earlier live performances of the song, Dickinson played rhythm guitar on one section that required a dual lead performed by Dave Murray and Adrian Smith. In more recent performances such as Eddie Rips Up The World Tour and Somewhere Back In Time World Tour, the rhythm guitar section was performed by Janick Gers, giving Dickinson more freedom around the stage.

A faster version of the song is included in the Live After Death album, which contains many differences with the studio recording.

The all-female tribute band The Iron Maidens recorded a cover of the song on their 2007 EP "Route 666".

Influences

It is based partly on a book by Aleister Crowley, but this is also juxtaposed with a verse taken from a hymn by G. K. Chesterton [http://www.cse.dmu.ac.uk/~mward/gkc/books/a-hymn.html] , which forms the first verse of the song:

:O God of earth and altar,::Bow down and hear our cry,:Our earthly rulers falter,::Our people drift and die;:The walls of gold entomb us,::The swords of scorn divide,:Take not thy thunder from us,::But take away our pride.