POWERSLAVE

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(1984)

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  Aces High  
  2 Minutes to Midnight  
  Losfer Words (Big 'Orra)  
  Flash Of The Blade  
  The Duellists  
  Back In The Village  
  Powerslave  
  Rime Of The Ancient Mariner  

 

ACES HIGH

(Harris)

There goes the siren that warns of the air raid, then comes the sound of the guns sending flak
Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne, got to get up for the coming attack
Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines, remove all the wheel blocks there's no time to waste
Gathering speed as we head down the runway, gotta airborne before it's too late
Running, scrambling, flying
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Won't you run, live to fly, fly to live, aces high
Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers, let off a sharp burst and then turn away
Roll over spin round to come in behind them, move to their blindsides and firing again
Bandits at 8 o'clock move in behind us, ten ME-109's out of the sun
Ascending and turning our spitfires to face them, heading straight for them I press down my guns
Rolling, turning, diving
Rolling, turning, diving, going in again
Rolling, turning, diving
Rolling, turning, diving
Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die
Won't you run, live to fly, fly to live, aces high

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2 MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

(Smith/Dickinson)

 

Kill for gain or shoot to maim, but we don't need a reason

The 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 on the loose or the Demon's seed, the glamour, the fortune, the pain

Go to war again blood is freedom's stain, don't you pray fro 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 fee it with our babies
 
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
 
2 minutes to midnight
The hands that threaten doom
2 minutes to midnight
To kill the unborn in the womb
 
Midnight...all night...

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LOSFER WORDS (BIG 'ORRA)

(Harris)

 

Instrumental

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FLASH OF THE BLADE

(Dickinson)

 

As a young boy chasing Dragons with your wooden sword so mighty

You're St George or you're David and you always killed the beast

Times change very quickly and you had to grow up early

A house in smoking ruins and the bodies at your feet

 

You'll die as you lived

In a flash of the blade
In a corner forgotten by no-one
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his Honour
 
The smell of resined leather the steely iron mask
As you cut and thrust and parried at the fencing master's call
He taught you all he ever knew to fear no mortal man
And now you'll wreak your vengeance in the screams of evil men
 
You'll die as you lived
In a flash of the blade
In a corner forgotten by no-one
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his Honour
 
You'll die as you lived
In a flash of the blade
In a corner forgotten by no-one
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his Honour
 
You'll die as you lived
In a flash of the blade
In a corner forgotten by no-one
You lived for the touch
For the feel of the steel
One man, and his Honour

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THE DUELLISTS

(Harris)

 

He threw down the glove you made the mistake, of picking it up now you're gone

The choosing of guns or fighting with swords, the choice of weapon is done

He'll tear you apart as soon as you start, you know you don't have a chance
 
Oh...Oh...fight for the honour

Fight for the splendour

Fight for the pleasure
Oh...Oh...fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for your life
 
Ready to start the duel begins, the best man wins in the end
A lunge and a feint a parry too late, a cut to the chest and you're down
Seeing the stain and then feeling the pain, feeling the sweat on your brow
 
Oh...Oh...fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for the pleasure
Oh...Oh...fight for the honour
Fight for the splendour
Fight for your life
 
The fighting resumes a silence looms, the swordsmen move 'gainst each other
A cut and a thrust a parry a blow, a stab to the heart and you're down
The Angel of Death hears your last breath, meanwhile the reaper looks on
 
Oh...Oh...fought for the honour
Fought for the splendour
Fought for the pleasure
Oh...Oh...fought for the honour
Fought for the splendour
Fought to the death

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BACK IN THE VILLAGE

(Smith/Dickinson)

 

Turn the spotlights on the people, switch the dial and eat the worm

Take your chances kill the engine, drop your bombs and let it burn

White flags shot to ribbons, the truce is black and burned

Shellshock in the kitchen, tables overturned
 
Back in the village again
In the village
I'm back in the village again
 
Throwing dice now rolling loaded, I see sixes all the way
In a black hole and I'm spinning, as my wings get shot away
Questions are a burden, and answers are a prison for oneself
Shellshock in the kitchen tables start to burn
 
Back in the village
In the village
I'm back in the village again
 
No breaks on the inside, paper cats and burning barns
There's a fox among the chickens, and a killer in the hounds
Questions are a burden, and answers are a prison for oneself
Shellshock in the kitchen tables start to burn
 
Back in the village
In the village
I'm back in the village again
 
But still we walk into the valley, and others try to kill the inner flame
We're burning brighter than before, I don't have a number I'm a name
 
Back in the village again
In the village
I'm back in the village again
 
Back in the village again
In the village
I'm back in the village again
 
Back in the village
I'm back in the village
I'm back in the village again

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POWERSLAVE

(Dickinson)

 

Into the Abyss I'll fall - the eye of Horus

Into the eyes of the night - watching me go

Green is the cat's eye that glows - in the Temple

Enter the risen Osiris - risen again

 

Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave

I don't wanna die, I'm a God why can't I live on
When the Life Giver dies, all around is laid waste
And in my last hour, I'm a slave to the Power of Death
 
When I was living this lie - Fear was my game
People would worship and fall - drop to their knees
So bring me the blood and red wine - for the one to succeed me
For he is a man and a God - and He will die too
 
Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die, I'm a God why can't I live on
When the Life Giver dies, all around is laid waste
And in my last hour, I'm a slave to the Power of Death
 
Now I am cold but a ghost lives in my veins
Silent the terror that reigned - marbled in stone
A shell of a man God preserved - a thousand ages
But opens the gates of my Hell - I'll strike from my grave
 
Tell me why I had to be a Powerslave
I don't wanna die, I'm a God why can't I live on
When the Life Giver dies, all around is laid waste
And in my last hour, I'm a slave to the Power of Death
Slave to the Power of Death
Slave to the Power of Death

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RIME OF THE ANCIENT MARINER

(Harris)

 

Hear the rime of the Ancient Mariner, see his eye as he stops one of three

Mesmerises one of the wedding guests, stay here and listen to the nightmares of the sea

 

And the music plays on, as the bride passes by

Caught by his spell and the Mariner tells his tale
 
Driven south to the land of snow and ice, to a place where nobody's been
Through the snow fog flies on the albatross, hailed in God's name hoping good luck it brings
 
And the ship sails on, back to the north
Through the fog and ice and the albatross follows on
 
The Mariner kills the bird of good omen, his shipmates cry against what he's done
But when the fog clears they justify him, and make themselves a part of his crime
 
Sailing on and on and north across the sea
Sailing on and on and north 'til all is calm
 
The albatross begins with its vengeance, a terrible curse a thirst has begun
His shipmates blame bad luck on the Mariner, about his neck the dead bird is hung
 
And the curse goes on and on and on at sea
And the thirst goes on and on for them and me
 
"Day after day, day after day we stuck nor breath nor motion
As idle as a painted ship upon a painted ocean
Water water everywhere and all the boards did shrink
Water water everywhere nor an drop to drink"
 
There calls the Mariner, there comes a ship over the line
But how can she sail with no wind in her sails and no tide
 
See...onward she comes, onward she nears out of the sun
See...she has no crew, she has no life wait but there's two
 
Death and she Life in Death, they threw their dice for the crew
She wins the Mariner and he belongs to her now
Then...crew one by one, they drop down dead, two hundred men
She...she, Life in Death, she lets him live, her chosen one
 
"One after one by the star dogged moon, too quick for groan or sigh
Each turned his face with a ghastly pang, and cursed me with his eye
Four time fifty living men (and I heard nor sigh nor groan)
With heavy thump a life less lump, they dropped down one by one"
 
The curse it lives on in their eyes, the Mariner he wished he'd die
Along with the sea creatures, but they lived on so did he
 
And by the light of the moon, he prays for their beauty not doom
With heart he blesses them, God's creatures all of them too
 
Then the spell starts to break, the albatross falls from his neck
Sinks down like lead into the sea, then down in falls comes the rain
 
Hear the groans of the long dead seamen, see them stir and start to rise
Bodies lifted by good spirits none of them speak, and they're lifeless in their eyes
 
And revenge is still sought, penance starts again
Cast into a trance and the nightmare carries on
 
Now the curse is finally lifted, and the Mariner sights his home
Spirits go from the long dead bodies, form their own light and the Mariner's left alone
 
And then a boat came sailing towards him, it was a joy he could not believe
The pilots boat his son and the hermit, penance of life will fall unto Him
 
And the ship sinks like lead into the sea
And the hermit shrieves the Mariner of his sins
 
The Mariner's bound to tell of his story, to tell his tale wherever he goes
To teach God's word by his own example, that we must love all things that God made
 
And the wedding guest's a sand and wiser man
And the tale goes on and on and on

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