Song Meaning & Analysis: Run to the Hills by Iron Maiden

Run to the Hills from Number of the Beast by Iron Maiden

The classic Iron Maiden heavy metal, "Run to the Hills" gave Iron Maiden the much needed commercial and critical acclimation. The single helped launch the album, Number of the Beast, to number one on UK charts, and put Maiden on mainstream rock and heavy metal radio stations across the US and Europe.

The Song is about the British Invasion of the US in the early colonial times. First two choruses were written from the point of view of Native Americas. The lyrics are very self-explanatory. "White man came across the sea" refers the English crossing the Atlantic, invading the Eastern shores of the US. "We fought him hard we fought him well" states the resistance put forth by the Natives to stop the Brits from advancing further into the mainland. Of course, the Native Americas lost. This is now known as Western Expansion. In the song, natives are referred to as the "the Cree."

During Western Expansion, the Brits steamrolled the Natives by encroaching their property, and "cowardly attacking women and children." Furthermore, the Brits gave Natives "whiskey" as a sign of friendliness, and ultimately persuade them to give up fighting. These actions were common practices amongst the Brits who invaded all other countries around the world. As a matter of fact, invading countries was their hobby!

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White man came across the sea
He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes killed our creed
He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard we fought him well
Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dust clouds and barren wastes
Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom the stab in the back
Women and children are cowards attack

Run to the hills, run for your lives
Run to the hills, run for your lives

Soldier blue in the barren wastes
Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills, run for your lives
[repeat to end]

Lyrics from:  http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/ironmaiden/runtothehills.html