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Bruce Dickinson - Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills


Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills - Meaning of the song


The song documents the colonization of the Americas, first by Europeans and then by Americans, from the perspective of a Cree Indian and American cavalryman. The opening verse is from the perspective of the Cree, describing his troubles as the European Americans "came across the sea", bringing the Cree "pain and misery". The song is written from both perspectives. The second verse is from the perspective of a U.S. cavalry soldier, describing his involvement in the American Indian Wars, "chasing the redskins back to their holes". The third verse is not from the perspective of any single individual, and harshly condemns the effects of American expansionism on Native Americans, resulting in the "[Americans] raping the women and wasting the men", and "enslaving the young and destroying the old".


Due to contractual issues with his previous band, Samson, Dickinson could not be credited for any of his contributions made during the writing of The Number of the Beast. Although bassist Steve Harris alone receives credit for the song, Dickinson states that he made a "moral contribution" to the song, in addition to "Children of the Damned" and "The Prisoner" from the same album.[4] While speaking at the IBM Smarter Business conference in Stockholm on 10 October 2012, Dickinson revealed that parts of the song are based on the "rising sixth" interval within a scale, inspired by a documentary he watched which explored why "My Way" was one of the most popular recorded songs.


Run To The Hills - Lyrics


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? 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 Injuns are tame Selling them whiskey and taking their gold Enslaving the young and destroying the old Run to the hills, run for your lives Run to the hills, run for your lives Run to the hills, run for your lives Run to the hills, run for your lives Run to the hills, run for your lives Run to the hills, run for your lives


Iron Maiden - Run To The Hills - Live


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