Iron Maiden - Aces High - Meaning of the song
This song describes an air battle from the viewpoint of a flying ace. The lyrics and fast-paced style have made the song commonly associated with war, and it appeared in the 1986 film Incident at Channel Q, about a war between headbangers and conservative "straight people".
Iron Maiden had already performed two songs about a historical war from the perspective of those being attacked. One was "Invaders," which was set during a Viking sea battle. The other was "Trooper," set during the Crimean War in which the British fought the Russians (see the famous Alfred Lord Tennyson poem The Charge of the Light Brigade). After this, Maiden wrote and performed another song about flying aces in combat, "Tailgunner." "Run to the Hills" was also about a historical war/invasion, but was told from the perspective of both the invaders and the invaded.
Aces High - Lyrics
There goes the siren that warns of the air raid There comes the sound of the guns sending flak Out for the scramble we've got to get airborne Got to get up for the coming attack Jump in the cockpit and start up the engines Remove all the wheel blocks There's no time to waste Gathering speed as we head down the runway Got to get airborne before it's too late Running, scrambling, flying Rolling, turning, diving Going in again Running, scrambling, flying Rolling, turning, diving Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die Won't you run, live to fly, fly to live, aces high Move in to fire at the mainstream of bombers Let off a sharp burst and then turn away Roll over, spin round to come in behind them Move to their blindsides and firing again Bandits at 8 o'clock move in behind us Ten ME-109s out of the sun Ascending and turning our Spitfires to face them Heading straight for them I press down my guns Rolling, turning, diving Rolling, turning, diving Going in again Rolling, turning, diving Rolling, turning, diving Run, live to fly, fly to live, do or die Won't you run, live to fly, fly to live, aces high