The Wicker Man

How good is The Wicker Man on a scale of 1-10?


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'the Wicker Man'

It's a nice rocker, much better when played live. 3 stars.
 
'the Wicker Man'

I completely agree - I love this one live. There's nothing quite like thousands of people screaming "YOUR TIME WILL COME!" in unison.
 
'the Wicker Man'

THE WICKER MAN (RADIO VERSION)
(Smith, Harris, Dickinson) 4.34

HAND OF FATE IS MOVING AND THE FINGER POINTS TO YOU
HE KNOCKS YOU TO YOUR FEET AND SO WHAT ARE YOU GONNA DO?
YOUR TONGUE WAS FROZEN, NOW YOU'VE GOT SOMETHING TO SAY
THE PIPER AT THE GATES OF DAWN IS CALLING YOU HIS WAY

YOU WATCH THE WORLD EXPLODING EVERY SINGLE NIGHT
DANCING IN THE SUN, A NEWBORN IN THE LIGHT
SAY GOODBYE TO GRAVITY AND SAY GOODBYE TO DEATH
HELLO TO ETERNITY AND LIVE FOR EVERY BREATH

YOUR TIME WILL COME! THY WILL BE DONE! YOUR TIME WILL COME!
YOUR TIME WILL COME! THY WILL BE DONE! YOUR TIME WILL COME! DON’T TURN, DON’T RUN!


THE FERRYMAN WANTS HIS MONEY, YOU AIN’T GOING TO GIVE IT BACK
HE CAN PUSH HIS OWN BOAT AS YOU SET UP OFF THE TRACK
NOTHING YOU CAN CONTEMPLATE WILL EVER BE THE SAME
EVERY SECOND IS A NEW SPARK, SETS THE UNIVERSE AFLAME
YOU WATCH THE WORLD EXPLODING EVERY SINGLE NIGHT
DANCING IN THE SUN, A NEWBORN IN THE LIGHT
BROTHERS AND THEIR FATHERS JOINING HANDS AND MAKE A CHAIN
THE SHADOW OF THE WICKER MAN IS RISING UP AGAIN!

(2:17-SOLO: ADRIAN SMITH)

YOUR TIME WILL COME! THY WILL BE DONE! YOUR TIME WILL COME!
YOUR TIME WILL COME! I’LL BE THE GUN! YOUR TIME WILL COME! BURN ON MY SON!

these are what i think are the lyrics for the radio version
 
'the Wicker Man'

Finally, another one of my groundbreaking reviews.

The Wicker Man was one of the first Iron Maiden songs I heard. When I first heard it, it was a bit too heavy for my tastes, especially as the only Maiden stuff I knew back
then was the Number Of The Beast album. During the course of time, I grew quite attached to it, however. I am now also able to appreciate the song being something of a renaissance cry for the band after Adrian and Bruce returned. This is by no means meant to be a negative view on the Blaze era; but still, Adrian and Bruce seemed to take something undefinable with them when they left, and brought it back when they returned.
The song kicks in with a strong and wonderful metal riff not only announcing Iron Maiden wanting to resurrect their old glory, but also them wanting to return as the leading lights of a new Heavy Metal movement twenty years after they had already been successful with it. Viewing back on this after four years, one cannot deny the fact that they were successful to a certain extent. Metal is well on it's way back, even if it's general popularity still leaves to be desired.
Lyrically, the song is a bit obscure. It seems to be about death and afterlife -a reocurring theme in their music- viewed from a mystical to mythological point of view. The mentioning of the ferryman does not need to mean it is about Greek mythology. There are more than enough people who believe in this particular form of descendance into the underworld today.
Perhaps not so clear but also quite obvious is that the song may be about our 'ellbow-society' in which the strongest person succeeds in his goals at the cost of the weak. This arrogance goes so far that these people even feel they can defy and escape death. But even their "time will come".
The prominently featuring wicker man ritual may imply the move from the Christian moral to the wilder and more ruthless days of paganism. Since Christianity does not play such a prominent and positive role in Maiden's discography, this is rather unlikely. The line "Brothers and their fathers joining hands and make a chain" is too positive a
picture to be criticism. The rise of Christianity brought very much pain to the people following the pagan cults, and destroyed systems that worked very well for their age. This arrogance of Christianity is just as big as that of the people profiting from today's 'ellbow society', so the wicker man may well be a symbol of a better age.

The song is a brilliant opener, both live and in the studio. Only Be Quick Or Be Dead comes really close to the opening qualities. Bruce's voice does not sound very convincing if it was meant to announce the return of the golden years, but it is nevertheless much better than before he left Maiden. The drums on this song disturb me a little. They sound too much reminiscent of the later atrocities Lars Ulrich would do to his drums, and I'm very glad Maiden did not further maintain this trash can sound. The guitar solo is very dramatic at first, but is disturbed by the horrible drum sound. The middle section was not necessary the way it is, but it becomes good again. The finishing 'woa-oh' is probably a great audience participation number, but not really necessary. It still did manage to annoy my mother so much she started hating Maiden for almost four years!
As is a must for openers, this song is exciting and an absolute treat live. The general excitement it provides just by being fast-paced and loud also prevents listeners from
noticing how little depth there is in this song.
A very good but not great song, and perfect for a single.

Rating: 3 1/2
 
'the Wicker Man'

I heard this song a while before it was actually released as a single. It was a very bad mp3 recording, but it was enough to blow me away the first time I heard it. Needless to say I bought the single and then the album the day it came out. Back then I found it to be a brilliant song, and even today it still stands as a good one and a great opener to BNW. Later I discovered that radio edit version with the additional lines in the chorus, which I like even better than the album version. I wonder why they did those two versions?
 
'the Wicker Man'

A brilliant song, perfect opener for the reunion album.

The best part is IMO the change from the first chorus into the second verse - love the drumsound and the crashing guitars!
 
'the Wicker Man'

5 stars

This has always been one of most favourite Maiden songs; really heavy, great chorus, kick-ass solos. Brilliant opener for an album, and sets the tone well for Brave New World.
 
'the Wicker Man'

This song is only the second song I have heard from Maiden, the first one being Run to the Hills, of course. This was before I started listening to them. I got into them around 2003 and have been to two concerts since.

Anyway, I love this song. 5 stars no doubt. Great bass, as usual from Harris. Great lyrics. Great power. Rock on!

Has anyone heard that Hollywood is remaking the 1973 The Wicker Man movie? It is starring Leelee Sobieski. Thought it may be relevent.
 
'the Wicker Man'

This song sure does kick ass! My 2nd favourite album opener next to Caught Somewhere In Time. One hell of a solo too. Didn't Bruce say in an interview that "your time will come" meant that you can change the world a little bit for the better for "your time will come"? Although Perun's interpretation seems just as insightful.
 
'the Wicker Man'

It's a good song, and a great opener, but not even one of my favorites from the album. Also, I don't think I've seen this mentioned anywhere (excuse me if I'm wrong), but the opening riff sounds very similar to Priest's "Running Wild" off of Hell Bent For Leather.
Edit: I forgot to mention it, but I gave this song 4 stars.
 
'the Wicker Man'

The song is great, 5 stars, it is just that what it should be - adrenalin kind of opener....

intro and main riff is extremly simple, but very effective, two chorus riffs are great and interlude riff which connects it is full of tension and fits great, adrian's solo is excellent - shortly - the sond made its purpose....

2nd chorus chord progression is pretty much alike verse progression of running free....
 
Re: 'The Wicker Man'

I don't see anyone else have commented on this:

I wonder if the line "The piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way" is meant as a nod to Pink Floyd? Have any of you seen a comment from e band member about this? I mean, I don't see how the piper at the gates of dawn fits into any interpretation of the lyrics.
 
Re: 'The Wicker Man'

Hmm, it could also be a refrence to the the Piper of Hamil or whatever fairytale land he's from. Anyway, the one that lured all the rats away from the town and the ungrateful bastards didn't pay up so he lured their children away as well... fairytales are SICK and TWISTED yo and yes, the shades are back! B) ooooooooooooooooooooooooh yyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah!
 
Re: 'The Wicker Man'

Onhell said:
Hmm, it could also be a refrence to the the Piper of Hamil or whatever fairytale land he's from. Anyway, the one that lured all the rats away from the town and the ungrateful bastards didn't pay up so he lured their children away as well... fairytales are SICK and TWISTED yo and yes, the shades are back! B) ooooooooooooooooooooooooh yyyyyeeeeeeeeeeeeeaaaaaaaaaah!

Yes, I''ve heard the story about the Piper of Hameln and that's probably a source for many references to pipers in music. I was just thinking about the fact that they don't only refer to "the piper" but also include "at the gates of dawn". The Wikipedia article about the Pink Floyd album says the title comes from the title of a chapter in a children's book.

Considering the psychedelic sound of the album, it's not difficult to believe Barrett & Co. took the album title from a fairy tale for kids, and considering Pink Floyd's position in music it's not hard to believe that Maiden could easily include a reference to them. I just wonder if the idea of The piper at the gates of dawn exists anywhere else in music than the PF album title and the Maiden text line.

Of course it doesn't necessarily have anything to do with music, perhaps this piper is meant to symbolize something completely different.

Btw - Hameln isn't a fairytale land, it's an actual town in Niedersachsen, Germany.
 
Re: 'The Wicker Man'

I reckon there might be more to the line "The piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way" than just a passing nod to Pink Floyd/Syd Barrett. In "The Wind in the Willows", the 'Piper' is the Greek god Pan, who among other things was associated with the season of spring and fertility, which is also connected with the (neo-)pagan rite of the Wicker Man (at least in the film).
 
Re: 'The Wicker Man'

This song is about smoking weed. It's so obvious.
 
Re: 'The Wicker Man'

:blink: Obvious ?? How's that ?

Hand of fate is moving and the finger points to you
He knocks you to your feet and so what are you gonna do
Your tongue has frozen now you've got something to say
The piper at the gates of dawn is calling you his way

You watch the world exploding every single night
Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Say goodbye to gravity and say goodbye to death
Hello to eternity and live for every breath

Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come

The ferryman wants his money you ain't going to give it back
He can push his own boat as you set up off the track
Nothing you can contemplate will ever be the same
Every second is a new spark, sets the universe aflame

You watch the world exploding every single night
Dancing in the sun a newborn in the light
Brothers and their fathers joining hands and to make a chain
The shadow of the Wicker Man is rising up again

Your time will come, your time will come
Your time will come, your time will come


-----
Except if Piper is Syd Barrett* but then it's not about weed, but psychedelic drugs /mushrooms

*
Shine On You Crazy Diamond said:
Come on you raver, you seer of visions,
come on you painter, you piper, you prisoner, and shine!
 
Re: 'The Wicker Man'

Maybe the best opener since the reunion.
 
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