The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

How good is The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner on a scale of 1-10?


  • Total voters
    35

Shadow

Deluxe Edition
Staff member
I have noticed that this song gets very bad response. Not because I actually like this song, I think the lyrics destroys it, but I still wonder why.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

I have the same feeling about 'Back In The Village'. People don't seem to like it, but I do. [!--emo&^_^--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/happy.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'happy.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

I like this song. I think it's way better than some of the other songs on the album (Heaven Can Wait, Deja Vu both come to mind).

As for instruments, I can't play anything. But I can sing decent.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

It's a great song. I listend to SIT again a couple of weeks ago and couldn't get it out of my head for several days. Now I'm having the same "problem" with Rainmaker and No More Lies.

I'm a bassist ... we almost have a band here!
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

[!--QuoteBegin-MaidenSweden+Sep 26 2003, 03:03 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(MaidenSweden @ Sep 26 2003, 03:03 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] Am I the only one here who doesn't play guitar? [/quote]
Yes. Even I play guitar.

Anyway, I think LOTLDR is a great track. Highly underrated.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

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'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

I think it's a great track! I think it's a wayyyy better track than HCW. I mainly like the allegorical aspect of it (lyric-wise). Or should we take it all at face value and assume that it is abouit some runner? My loose interpretation of it is if you want something you have to go and get it. If you run into a hurdle, then you must get over it to reach your dream (or whatever). I don't know, that's what it is to me. It's inspired me! [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]
Highly underrated.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

My vote: 4 stars

I love the guitar solos and harmonies (esp. the intro), and I think Nicko's drumming on this song is superb. My only complaint is that the closing harmonized-guitar solo isn't up to the standard of the rest of the song. The rhythm of the melodic line has no variation, and the repeat adds nothing. I'd have ended the song after the recap of the intro melody which follows the last chorus.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

What I find intresting about this song, is that, although there is no direct mention of time (which is the general theme of the album), the lyrics in my opinion really give you a perspective of how someone who is training / running perceives time...

anyone who has trained in sth that requires you to do sth repeatedly, such as running around a course, will have felt this: the exaustion along with the repetitive nature of the excersise makes time seem to stand still, and the only thing that progresses during this state are your thoughts... you might have ran a couple of laps more without realising how time goes by, because you are thinking. i think this song succesfuly conveys this feeling, at least thats what I get out of it.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

[!--QuoteBegin-gor+May 15 2004, 04:14 PM--][div class=\'quotetop\']QUOTE(gor @ May 15 2004, 04:14 PM)[/div][div class=\'quotemain\'][!--QuoteEBegin--] anyone who has trained in sth that requires you to do sth repeatedly, such as running around a course, will have felt this: the exaustion along with the repetitive nature of the excersise makes time seem to stand still, and the only thing that progresses during this state are your thoughts... you might have ran a couple of laps more without realising how time goes by, because you are thinking. i think this song succesfuly conveys this feeling, at least thats what I get out of it. [/quote]

Nice view [!--emo&:D--][img src=\'style_emoticons/[#EMO_DIR#]/biggrin.gif\' border=\'0\' style=\'vertical-align:middle\' alt=\'biggrin.gif\' /][!--endemo--]

Something that really catch my attention is that the lyrics are somewhat alike to the first part of The Lord of Iffy Boatrace book (by Bruce Dickinson).

The run on stiles part really evocates the very beggining of the book whrere Iffy Boatrace is passing through a marshy zone with his high heel stiletos on.

As farther as I know, Bruce wrote the book during the SIT tour. So I think that Bruce kind of used the lyrics on his book. Anyone agree ?


As for the song, is another classic Maiden tune, with a great intro solo and superb harmonies.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

To me it's a very good song. The best part are the first 50 seconds, before Bruce kicks in. The verses themselves do not really fit to that intro I think, but the solo and the ending make up for that.
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

I like this song. It is well-done and works for full effect. Bruce's 'out of breath' vocals are perfect, and the solo is great. The only negative aspect I can think of right now is the title -I can't stand it. To me, it sounds pseudo-philosophical and is too long. I just don't like it. Other than that, the song is good. Not exactly the best song ever, but good.

Rating: 3 1/2
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

this is a great song! good intro working up to the quicker parts great drumming good bass lines kick-ass harmonizing riffs and what they did with the singing fitting in with the guitar and bass is genious its a very fun song to play on guitar too
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

I like the solo in this track. I think is one of the Iron Maiden songs that has fallen unfortunately in the oblivion box...
 
'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

When I last heard The loneliness it reminded me of this:

The name "marathon" comes from the legend of Pheidippides, a Greek soldier who, according to legend, ran from the town of Marathon to Athens to announce that the Persians had been defeated in the Battle of Marathon, and died shortly after. There is no evidence that any such event took place; according to the Greek historian Herodotus, Pheidippides ran from Athens to Sparta. The legend that he ran from Marathon to Athens was invented by later writers and appears in Plutarch's On the Glory of Athens in the 1st century AD. The International Olympic Committee estimates the distance from the Marathon battlefield to Athens as 34.5 km (21.4 miles).
 
Re: 'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

one of my chilchood favorites......I put it again in winamp as I saw this post of gattotimo, and for the first time after 20+ years  :blush: I noticed the ENORMOUS playing of Nicko

pariculary around 1:58 pay attention what this guy does with one single boot...how the hell do this ??  :blink:

I like the melodies of this song....The chorus (lyricaly) is a bit strange, but it fits very nice with the title and the general feeling of the song

4 /5
 
'The Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

I like the two solo parts of Runner plus the ending. The ending part reminds me that the main character crosses the finish line and wins the race as the song ends.
 
Re: 'the Loneliness Of The Long Distance Runner'

THIS SONG HAS A BAD REP ????? :mad: THE LYRICS ARE BAD ?????? :mad:

WTH, TLOTLDR is a masterpiece, both musically and lyrically, the best song from SIT (along with the title track). If you know the story that it is based on , not only do the lyrics make sense but give me shivers .The melody at the beiginning and the end of the song is absolutely amazing and the fast tempo of the song is great also.
 
Daily Song: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

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Today's song: The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner

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I like this song, but I didn't always. When I first got into Maiden, I got heavily into the BNW album and the sound of Powerslave. As a result, going to SIT always seemed like I was moving to something a little more ponderous. TLOTLDR (I am not typing that fucking name again, I just did 3 bloody times) is definitely a ponderous song, but in a good way. I've come around to see it is a fantastic track, that takes awhile to get where its going, but deserves the buildup to get there. 8/10.
 
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