Flight of Icarus
"Flight of Icarus" | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Single by Iron Maiden | ||||
from the album Piece of Mind | ||||
B-side | "I Got the Fire" (Montrose cover) | |||
Released | 11 April 1983 | |||
Recorded | 1983 | |||
Genre | Heavy metal | |||
Length | 3:49 | |||
Label | EMI | |||
Songwriter(s) | ||||
Producer(s) | Martin Birch | |||
Iron Maiden singles chronology | ||||
|
"Flight of Icarus" is a song by the English
One of Iron Maiden's most famous songs, it was the band's first single composed entirely by members other than Steve Harris, credited to Adrian Smith and Bruce Dickinson. Long absent from live shows, "Flight of Icarus" was performed live for the first time in 32 years on May 26, 2018, in Tallinn, Estonia. During their hiatus from Iron Maiden, Dickinson and Smith performed the song live with Dickinson's solo band in the 1990s.[3][4]
Overview
The song is loosely based on the ancient Greek myth of
In this version, an unnamed old man with blazing eyes stands on a hill facing a crowd, which may or may not be the protagonist's father. An unnamed youth, presumably Icarus, comes from the crowd and makes extended eye contact with the man. He tells the crowd that he flies "in the name of God." The chorus exclaims "Fly on your wings like an eagle," and to fly as high as & to touch the sun. As he flies, his eyes glaze as he "flies on the wings of a dream." His wings then turn to ash as he realizes his father has either been betrayed (if the old man is not his father) or has betrayed him (if this man is his father). He then dies. The chorus, however, continues to plead for someone to fly & touch the sun.
Written in the key of F-sharp minor, the song features a galloping pace and a high-pitched chorus. The solos are played by Dave Murray and Adrian Smith and, after a repetition of the main chorus, the song flows into a brief harmonized section followed by another solo—in double time—by Dave Murray; after a variation of the chorus ('Fly as high as the sun!'), it finally ends with a prolonged F-sharp minor chord over which Bruce Dickinson holds an A5.
The single cover, in something of a parody of the original myth, portrays a winged
The song received criticism in the UK on release, with Garry Bushell commenting, "Plodding rather than powerful, it seemed universally unpopular with hardcore British metallurgists whose worst fears were bolstered by the number's release as the first American single.[7] Bassist Steve Harris has since said that "releasing 'Icarus' in the States was a mistake," going on to state that "I do wish we'd had time to break it in live before we recorded it, it's a lot more powerful live, a lot faster and heavier."[7] In support of the song, Dickinson stated, "Steve never liked it. He thought it was too slow, but I wanted it to be that rocksteady sort of beat. I knew it would get onto American radio if we kept it that way, and I was right."[1]
The song appears on the tribute album
Music video
The video for this track was directed by Jim Yukich and was filmed in the
Track listing
- 7" Single
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "Flight of Icarus" | Adrian Smith, Bruce Dickinson | 3:49 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
2. | "I've Got the Fire" (Montrose cover*) | Ronnie Montrose | 2:37 |
^ * A cover of the song "I Got the Fire" from the Montrose album Paper Money in 1974. Iron Maiden originally released a live cover of the song during the Paul Di'Anno era, on 1980 single, "Sanctuary", however the "Flight of Icarus" version features Bruce Dickinson on vocals and is a studio production rather than a live performance.
Personnel
Production credits are adapted from the 7 inch vinyl cover.[10]
- Iron Maiden
- Bruce Dickinson – lead vocals
- Dave Murray – guitar
- Adrian Smith – guitar
- Steve Harris – bass guitar
- Nicko McBrain – drums
- Production
- engineer
- Derek Riggs – cover illustration
- Simon Fowler – photography
Charts
Single | Chart (1983) | Peak position |
Album |
---|---|---|---|
"Flight of Icarus" | Australia (Kent Music Report) | 93[11] | Piece of Mind |
Irish Singles Chart | 14[12] | ||
UK Singles Chart
|
11[13] | ||
Single | Chart (1990) | Peak position |
Album |
"Flight Of Icarus / The Trooper" | UK Albums Chart[note 1] | 7[14] | — |
Notes
- The First Ten Yearsbox set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart.
References
- ^ ISBN 1-86074-542-3.
- Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ "Flight of Icarus by Iron Maiden song statistics | setlist.fm". setlist.fm.
- ^ "Iron Maiden Setlist at Saku Suurhall, Tallinn". setlist.fm.
- Rovi Corporation. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ "Derek Riggs Commentary- 'Flight of Icarus'". Derek Riggs. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ ISBN 0-946391-84-X.
- ^ "Producer Bob Kulick Discusses Iron Maiden Tribute Album Numbers From The Beast". Blabbermouth.net. 10 October 2005. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
- ^ "Fates Warning – Night On Bröcken". Discogs. Retrieved 4 July 2012.
- ^ "Flight of Icarus" 7 Inch Single (Media notes). Iron Maiden. EMI. 11 April 1983.
{{cite AV media notes}}
: CS1 maint: others in cite AV media (notes) (link) - ISBN 0-646-11917-6.
- ^ "Irish Singles". IRMA. Irishcharts.ie. Archived from the original on 2 June 2009. Retrieved 1 October 2011.
- ^ "Top 40 Official UK Singles Archive 30 April 1983". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2011.
- ^ "Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive 24 March 1990". Official Charts Company. Retrieved 3 October 2011.