Run to the Hills

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How good is Run to the Hills on a scale of 1-10?

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'run To The Hills'

Couldn't agree more. While I think Nicko is brilliant technically, Clive put more feeling into his playing and I do think that Clive was better overall. Shame about his health problems [!--emo&:(--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sad.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'sad.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'run To The Hills'

[!--QuoteBegin-The Ancient Mariner+Apr 16 2004, 04:37 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(The Ancient Mariner @ Apr 16 2004, 04:37 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] Couldn't agree more.  While I think Nicko is brilliant technically, Clive put more feeling into his playing and I do think that Clive was better overall.  Shame about his health problems [!--emo&:(--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sad.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'sad.gif\' /][!--endemo--] [/quote]
Clive is in my opinion a far more creative drummer. To take a few examples, very few drummers can match his drumming on Killers, Run to the Hills and Gangland. I wish he was still around in some band [!--emo&:(--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/sad.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'sad.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'run To The Hills'

A true metal classic, though it's a bit overplayed these days. Great drumming, great lyrics, great screaming vocals by Bruce. They could have been a bit more creative with the chorus, but that's about the only negative thing about this song.
 
'run To The Hills'

The more i listen to it the more i dislike it. Its a great song, but nowhere near maiden's best. Its the song maiden are most associated with, and its a bad thing seeing as its not their best. I love Harris' bass on this track though. The video has some funny moments.
 
'run To The Hills'

Run to the hills was the first song I ever heard from Iron Maiden. It hooked me coz of the topic of the song itself. All the idea about the indian wars, the energy of the song... I was about eight years old when I heard it the first time and I've liked Maiden since.
Musically, it's interesting (energetic, great drums, great bass line), but I agree with those who state that is not the best of maiden.
However, I'd like to point out the theme of the song. Most of the internet sources I've seen about this particular song, in my opinion, miss the most important part of it, the indian wars, its topic. Being from a country where the europeans invaded and murdered the indigenous population, makes me quite fond of this song, and it was what called my attention upon it.
I feel that even today, there has been no proper dignification of these original population of the continent. Out here, in Latin America, we are all decendants of them, aztecs, mayas, zapotecas, toltecas, incas, moche, charruas, etc., and we feel so proud of their civilizations and of the fact that we have their blood runing in our veins. However, the few pure breed indians left, live in awful conditions and not many care about them.
Just as Run to the Hills lyrics say, white men came from europe, took their lands, murdered and raped (specially the spaniards seem to be very fond of raping the women) for decades and centuries (302 years in the case of the spaniards). They where trough hell, just as the cover of the single, where eddie fights the devil in hell, they fought to almost extermination. So what I love of this song is that it makes me feel the bravery of their warriors, the angst of their people and reminds me that they (the ones that still live in my country) should be regarded as mexicans, peruvians, chileans, etc., and not as it happens, as "brute indians". And that we should fight with them for equal opportunities as any other citicen of the free countries they inhabit.
 
'run To The Hills'

BONANZA!!! err... well, cool song, damn catchy, funny video - great fun tune! 4 stars because it gets me in a good mood every time I get to hear it
 
'run To The Hills'

'Run to the Hills': Satire or Social Commentary?


This is one of Maiden’s more intense songs. You can’t help but sing or tap your feet when it’s played. As far as its lyrics go, however, it’s kind of confusing.

Obviously, it’s about the conflicts between the Aboriginal people of the Great Plains and the American settlers on the frontier of the so-called Manifest Destiny in the 19th century.
I say American, because the westward of expansion of Canada was much more benign, and far less bloody than that south of the border. I’m not simply being an arrogant Canadian, this has been admitted to by historians and aboriginal groups on both sides of the border. Either way, the song is set in America.

It seems to be told from two different perspectives. First, the Indian:
[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] White man came across the sea
He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes, he 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?[/quote]

To the Cree (the aboriginal tribes ranging from the Rocky Mountains to the East Coast, with many sub-groups. Sort of like the Indo-European group is divided into Germanic, Celtic, Romantic, etc.) the white men were invading their home. Inadvertently at first, and intentionally later, the European diseases wiped out vast populations of Indians.

The diseases spread much faster then the settlers who carried them. One author has estimated that the diseases carried by the Spaniards in Mexico spread up into the Great Plains and Canadian Prairies by 1600-1650, killing off most of the populations then. With a much lower population of Indians hunting them, the bison (the ‘game’) naturally increased in number. When the white settlers arrived in the area a few centuries later, the herds were unnaturally vast. (See Jared Diamond’s Pulitzer winning book Guns Germs and Steel)

Anyway, the Indians fought back against the white settlers. They put up an admirable defence, but were inevitably overwhelmed. They were forced to enter into treaties and became subject of government integration programs.

[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes
Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom a stab in the back
Women and children and cowards attack[/quote]
This is from the white perspective, of course. The Indians were cowards, in the settlers’ eyes. They did not play by the rules of war at the time. They would ambush wagons, run away from any real force, and attack defenceless women and children in homesteads.

[!--QuoteBegin--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] Soldier blue on the barren wastes
Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good injuns are tame
Selling them whisky and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old[/quote]

The blue uniforms of the American army (like Custer’s) were a sign of protection to the settlers and a sign of death to the Indians. The line about raping women and wasting men can, sadly, be attributed to either side in the conflict. The rest is pretty self-explanatory.

What I’d like to know, though, is whether the song is meant to be a serious commentary on the treatment of Indians in the US, or purely satirical.
Listening to the song alone is not enough. The video, however, is comical (not to mention obviously historically inaccurate). I think the intention of this song, along with the accompanying video, is to show that ALL people (not just white men or not just Indians) are capable or being murderous, and it’s stupid to think otherwise.

I know that’s not as profound or outlandish as some of my other posts….but I’m feeling lazy. If someone can expand on this or offer a better idea, go for it.

Duke.
 
'run To The Hills'

[!--QuoteBegin-IronDuke+Mar 12 2005, 09:23 AM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(IronDuke @ Mar 12 2005, 09:23 AM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--](See Jared Diamond’s Pulitzer winning book Guns Germs and Steel)
[snapback]99697[/snapback]​
[/quote]
Fantastic book. I too would recommend it to anyone and everyone.

Although I agree the video is hilarious, I never thought of this song as satire. Even social commentary doesn't seem quite right to me. It seems to me like Steve was trying to give both sides of a horrid episode in history, and then leave any judgement up to the listener.

To me, the cowboys in the song come off sounding a lot more evil, but it's hard to deny that they were actually more evil. I'm not excusing any atrocities committed by the Native Americans, but my impression is that most of the Natives would have been far more willing to share the land than the average European descendant/settler was. After all, the Natives weren't the ones doing things like giving out blankets infected with smallpox.

Aside from the video, there's one more semi-subconscious reason that some people might think this song is satire. It's in a major key (G major), and most people, through years of unconscious condition, interpret major-key songs as sounding happy (or at least happier than minor-key songs). If you look at most of Maiden's other war songs (e.g. "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" or "Paschendale"), the music is both in minor keys and much more intricate, giving an impression of seriousness to those songs that "Run To The Hills" lacks.
 
'run To The Hills'

Still love to hear this song this song every time I wack the album on, or it comes on the radio. It's got to be Maiden's most recognizable song, and thoroughly worthy of that recognition too! 4 stars.
 
'run To The Hills'

I have pretty much tired of this song a while ago, especially when it's all most people know when I mention I like Maiden. As well, it was fun back then.
 
'run To The Hills'

[!--quoteo(post=128610:date=Feb 8 2006, 02:49 AM:name=macunaima)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(macunaima @ Feb 8 2006, 02:49 AM) [snapback]128610[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
http://www.youtube.com/?v=oHCL9Z0pksc
[/quote]
[img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/ohmy.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":o\" border=\"0\" alt=\"ohmy.gif\" /] Wow! This is excellent! I'm speechless (for once! [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/happy.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"^_^\" border=\"0\" alt=\"happy.gif\" /] )
 
'run To The Hills'

[!--quoteo(post=128616:date=Feb 8 2006, 07:28 AM:name=Maverick)--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(Maverick @ Feb 8 2006, 07:28 AM) [snapback]128616[/snapback][/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--quotec--]
[img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/ohmy.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\":o\" border=\"0\" alt=\"ohmy.gif\" /] Wow! This is excellent! I'm speechless (for once! [img src=\"style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/happy.gif\" style=\"vertical-align:middle\" emoid=\"^_^\" border=\"0\" alt=\"happy.gif\" /] )
[/quote]
What the hell is this? Brilliant.
 
'run To The Hills'

4/5. Always been a fav of mine, and for good reasons too.
 
Re: 'run To The Hills'

Aside from the video, there's one more semi-subconscious reason that some people might think this song is satire. It's in a major key (G major), and most people, through years of unconscious condition, interpret major-key songs as sounding happy (or at least happier than minor-key songs). If you look at most of Maiden's other war songs (e.g. "Afraid To Shoot Strangers" or "Paschendale"), the music is both in minor keys and much more intricate, giving an impression of seriousness to those songs that "Run To The Hills" lacks.
Click to expand...

Yes, there is a strangely 'happy' and fun feel to the song which doesn't seem to suit the grim subject...maybe it's a play on how, at the time, the Indians and the problems with them weren't taken particularly seriously by most white people and this allowed for many of the atrocities that took place. The mocking line 'hunting and killing's a game' from the white perspective seems to allude to this, in contrast to the Indian perspective which is much more serious and frank.

Also, this was the first single from NotB and something energetic and catchy was needed to get the public's attention (which it obviously did as it got to 7 in the singles chart, quite a feat for a metal song at the time).
 
Re: 'run To The Hills'

hallowed said:
The mocking line 'hunting and killing's a game' from the white perspective seems to allude to this, in contrast to the Indian perspective which is much more serious and frank.
Click to expand...

Actually, the line goes "hunting and killing the game", which has a completely different meaning.
 
Re: 'run To The Hills'

Perun said:
Actually, the line goes "hunting and killing the game", which has a completely different meaning.
Click to expand...

You know, I always thought the line ran 'hunting and killing's a game'...I presume Bruce sings the same line live as is printed in the booklet, because if he does, there's not much distinction between the two lines, despite the vastly different meaning.

Now I'd better go and eat some bison.
 
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