Die With Your Boots On

How good is Die With Your Boots On on a scale of 1-10?

  • Total voters
    17
A nice harmonized lead with bass accents kicks into a more driving version, giving way to a great verse with a sweet bass lead underneath. Pre-chorus 1 isn't quite as good, and pre-chorus 2 ("if you're gonna die") has some iffy group vocals. The chorus is merely OK, meandering all over the place, though it gets the job done.

Another great verse and good pre-chorus 1 before we're back into the so-so pre-chorus 2 and chorus. This kicks into an excellent solo with a nice rising bass line, then an OK harmonized section with a pretty good vocal bridge. Another excellent solo follows before returning to pre-choruses 1 & 2 and an odd variant of the chorus that ends abruptly.

Another song with brilliant sections, but some more questionable parts as well. Despite its weaknesses I think I have to round it up to an 8/10 because it's so undeniably catchy.
 
Great opening riff, the verses are nice, the pre-chorus is pretty good and the chorus is cool. Both solos are great (especially Adrian's one) - the part with the twin-lead guitar harmony and Bruce's high singing before the second solo is awesome... so effective. 8/10.
 
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A great opening riff and great verses are brought down a tad by a weaker pre-chorus and chorus, but are brought up again via a stellar instrumental section and a bit of an oasis there where Bruce lets loose his voice and gives a great performance. It's pretty strong as a whole with some weaker bits. 7
 
Help, the chorus is an earworm. Once it firmly enters your head AND IT WILL, it's not leaving for a good amount of time, I tell ya! So, if you're gonna die, die with your boots on, if you're gonna try, well, stick around, gonna cry, just move along, if you're gonna die, you're gonna die!

...I'm sorry, I just couldn't help myself. And I'm sure I'll give any self-respecting English teacher will have a heartattack at how many commas I just used at once. That's what happens with a song that has a chorus like that.

Alright, but what about the rest of the song? Great stuff, that's all I can say. Stick around, you're going to like it if you're in the mood. Otherwise, stay away for the sake of your safety. Listening to the chorus will cause you pain in trying to forget it. You may feel like you're going to cry, just move along...okay, stopping myself there. You see what I mean?

It gets a 8/10 for being an infectious little rascal.
 
LooseCannon said:
'die With Your Boots On'

Uh-oh....It's a LooseCannon post!

Today's flavour seems to be Die With Your Boots On. I have no idea what it's about at this point in time. So I'm going to analyze it line by line. Well, verse by verse. And then maybe draw a conclusion at the end.

[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]Another prophet of disaster who says the ship is lost
Another prophet of disaster leaving you to count the cost
Taunting us with visions, afflicting us with fear
Predicting war for millions in the hope that one appears
Click to expand...

A prophet of disaster? Well, I think we can take this slightly out of the literal term here. Let's look at what this prophet is saying. "Predicting war". Now, when this album came out in 1983, there was indeed a lot of predicting war going on. The Cold War, in fact, was happening! The suggestion that the war would be for millions makes me think that we're talking about a future war.

The idea of "taunting us with visions" suggests that there are people who get up there and deliver to us propaganda, or perhaps painting images of what someone could do, putting fear into people so they can be easily controlled. A prophet, could therefore be a politician, or perhaps general.

[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]No point asking when it is, no point asking who's to go
No point asking what's the game, no point asking who's to blame
'Cos if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die, if you're gonna die [/quote]

When it is: When the war actually breaks out. It doesn't matter, because any war would likely be fought with nuclear weapons.

Who's to go: Everyone. Modern war between two industrialized nations involve everyone.

What's the game, who's to blame: Pretty much no point in going out and fighting, or checking to see who's at fault. MAD ensured the annihalation of both sides.

[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]If you're gonna die, die with your boots on,
If you're gonna try, well stick around
Gonna cry, just move along
If you're gonna die, you're gonna die, gonna die
Die with your boots on, if you're gonna try,
well stick around, gonna cry, just move along
If you're gonna die, you're gonna die [/quote]

The chorus almost seems to be a rebuttal of the lyrics. Basically I see it as "if it happens, we still gotta do our best." It might be do our best to fight, or perhaps do our best to live.

[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--]13 the beast is rising, the Frenchman did surmise
Through earthquakes and starvation, the warlord will arise
Terror death destruction pour from the eastern sands
But the truth of all predictions is always in your hands [/quote]

This is one of my favourite verses in all of Iron Maiden. The first line probably refers to Nostradamus, who likely predicted something insane like nuclear war. "Earthquakes and starvation". A nuclear bomb is quite capable of shaking the earth. Starvation would be widespread in a nuclear holocaust, as the food distribution systems on which our societies survive would be destroyed. "The Warlord" might refer to the leader of one of the nations involved. Thus, the next line could be him speaking. "Terror, death, destruction pour from the eastern sands" - the enemy. The Cold War was West vs. East, so this suggests the warlord is western. The second line seems to almost be motivational, perhaps from the Warlord again, or perhaps telling the people that you don't have to fight another man's war.


The use of "Die With Your Boots On" suggests that there's something to be fought for here. What that might be is kind of in the air. I think it's almost suggesting that people will need to fight for existence. Sounds almost like Stephen King's The Stand, but I haven't read that in many many years. Any ideas on that?
[/QUOTE]
...Disturbing.:oops:
 
According to Dickinson, their lyrics were inspired by
cultivated climate of nuclear holocaust in its context
Cold War between the USSR and USA in the early 1980s.
The phrase of the title is an English idiom that has its roots
in the late 17th century, which referred to death by hanging.
Later, as a phrase it was associated with the sudden death of someone who
occurs without preceding any warning event (e.g.
serious disease).
The lyrics of the song, although relatively vague, seem to be
a critical look at the pervasive climate of fear that the authorities have deftly manipulated
cultivate in the people as an indirect measure of control, but also in the various
catastrophic and teleological prophecies uttered by
religions for the same purpose.
The verse "13, the beast is rising" is mentioned
to the first beast of the Apocalypse of John
(13: 1), which emerges from the sea. THE
reference to the lyrics in "French" concerns him
famous "prophet" Michel de Notre Dam or
Nostradamus (1503 - 1566), who, between
others, had predicted its date
of the world. His prediction
denied when 4 July 1999 expired without incident.
The difficult living conditions, due to the resulting fear and her
uncertainty, create the desire for timely forecasting and therefore
more effective response to future difficulties. In societies with
low socio-educational level, this desire was exploited by
different powers as a means of controlling the people by different methods. One of
these methods are the various prophecies, which foretell punishments
of people by the respective god because of their disobedience to the laws
which imposes. These laws are nothing but rules
self-preservation of society, which have gained greater persuasiveness
because they were given divine origin. Thus, man complies with
the (legitimate) rules of a benevolent society, not through it
state-guaranteed education and social maturity, but through
the imposition of fear and the perpetuation of darkness.
The exhortation, therefore, of the verses “to die wearing the boots
You ", that is, to die without waiting for it seems to be an exhortation to
not to fall victim to teleological provisions concerning the same or
society, "not to seek to know when he will die", to live as a free man
man, free from the indirect imposition of fear.
 
Eliot1988 said:
According to Dickinson, their lyrics were inspired by
cultivated climate of nuclear holocaust in its context
Cold War between the USSR and USA in the early 1980s.
The phrase of the title is an English idiom that has its roots
in the late 17th century, which referred to death by hanging.
Later, as a phrase it was associated with the sudden death of someone who
occurs without preceding any warning event (e.g.
serious disease).
The lyrics of the song, although relatively vague, seem to be
a critical look at the pervasive climate of fear that the authorities have deftly manipulated
cultivate in the people as an indirect measure of control, but also in the various
catastrophic and teleological prophecies uttered by
religions for the same purpose.
The verse "13, the beast is rising" is mentioned
to the first beast of the Apocalypse of John
(13: 1), which emerges from the sea. THE
reference to the lyrics in "French" concerns him
famous "prophet" Michel de Notre Dam or
Nostradamus (1503 - 1566), who, between
others, had predicted its date
of the world. His prediction
denied when 4 July 1999 expired without incident.
The difficult living conditions, due to the resulting fear and her
uncertainty, create the desire for timely forecasting and therefore
more effective response to future difficulties. In societies with
low socio-educational level, this desire was exploited by
different powers as a means of controlling the people by different methods. One of
these methods are the various prophecies, which foretell punishments
of people by the respective god because of their disobedience to the laws
which imposes. These laws are nothing but rules
self-preservation of society, which have gained greater persuasiveness
because they were given divine origin. Thus, man complies with
the (legitimate) rules of a benevolent society, not through it
state-guaranteed education and social maturity, but through
the imposition of fear and the perpetuation of darkness.
The exhortation, therefore, of the verses “to die wearing the boots
You ", that is, to die without waiting for it seems to be an exhortation to
not to fall victim to teleological provisions concerning the same or
society, "not to seek to know when he will die", to live as a free man
man, free from the indirect imposition of fear.
Click to expand...
Where does Dickinson say that the lyrics were inspired by cultivated climate of nuclear holocaust in its context Cold War between the USSR and USA in the early 1980s?
 
Awesome opening riff here, plunging you instantly into the perils of war. The verses are ominous as hell. I used to not be a fan of the pre- and chorus, but over time I’ve really come to like how fun it is. The solos are stellar, the bridge is fantastic. This is a fun Maiden song that straddles the line between great and incredible. Excellent stuff. 9/10
 
Does anyone know why they haven't played 'Die With Your Boots On' in so long?
I mean aside from the obvious they have a huge discography and have to make tough decisions every time.

I mean has anyone heard or read anything specific on the topic of playing that song live?
 
Night Prowler said:
It's probably too hard for Bruce to sing and not super popular.
Click to expand...
Whether or not the first point is true, the second point probably is and most likely answers the question.

For all of us playing along with the Iron Maiden Survivor game in the other forum it's always rough to see songs we love get voted off but it's all subjective everyone has their own favorites.
 
Night Prowler said:
Good song, great vocals but, like The Knife Master said, something is missing from it. 8/10.
Click to expand...
I believe The Knife Master was one of @Mosh's many alter egos :P

Anyway, what's missing from this song is Bruce straining his vocals less :D Also, it's a bit repetitive. Will remain an 8/10 though.
 
Hell yeah! Piece Of Mind was actually one of the studio albums that I hadn't gotten from my oldest brother and was thus one of my last purchases to round out the discography around 15 years ago. I knew many of the tracks from live albums, but this was the first one I hadn't heard before. The pre-chorus is kinda goofy, but the song is fucking fantastic. One of their stronger epics and I'm glad that it was on the Maiden England live album, as well as some great early 2000's bootlegs. The last chorus with the rapid fire vocals is pure hype and I can't get enough. Easy 9.
 
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