Blog Entry #3: Paschendale: A Review of One of Iron Maiden’s War-Based Epics

Paschendale was written by Adrian Smith and Steve Harris and was released on Iron Maiden’s 13^th album, “Dance of Death” in 2003. It tells the story of a young, British soldier in World War I fighting in the Battle of Passchendaele, a brutal example of the ineffectiveness and deadly nature of trench warfare.

Paschendale begins with Nicko McBrain, the drummer, rhythmically tapping on the hi-hat, reminiscent of the sounds of Morse Code that were used to communicate on the battlefields in World War I.  Next, Bruce Dickinson comes in with some softly sung vocals introducing the soldier, now on his deathbed, that the song follows before it enters into a series of heavy riffs by Adrian Smith, Dave Murray, and Janick Gers with Bruce belting out vocals detailing the grim nature of trench warfare: “Laying low in a blood-filled trench / Killing time ‘til my very own death / On my face I can feel the falling rain / Never see my friends again / In the smoke, in the mud and lead / The smell of fear and the feeling of dread / Soon be time to go over the wall / Rapid fire and the end of us all.” After a second verse furthers this imagery, Paschendale moves into its chorus: a series of two lines, backed by scores from a symphonic orchestra, reproducing the combatting thoughts of a soldier in war praying to survive, but knowing that death is almost a certainty: “Home, far away, from the war, a chance to live again / Home, far away, but the war, no chance to live again.” By changing only two words, Smith and Harris are able to show the contrast between these two opposing thoughts. After, Bruce continues to detail the horrors that the soldier has witnessed, all the while building up to the guitar solo, or rather solos. An eagle screeches overhead, and the music softens. Nicko’s code-like tapping on the hi-hat resumes, and a quick riff chimes in. Then Dave Murray’s guitar screeches into the song with a fast and frantic guitar solo before he turns it over to Adrian Smith to continue the epic solo. Bruce cuts in with another verse, backed again by the epic scores of a symphonic orchestra, before Janick Gers takes over for a third part to the solo. Dave, Adrian, and Janick each play with their own style, but all three of their solos are played fast, furiously, and up and down the lower part of the fret board, throwing their listeners into the mindset of the soldier right as he goes over the wall and charges his enemy. This energy continues as Bruce returns now telling of the soldier’s death in this daring, but futile charge and then erupts back into the chorus, this time repeating it twice to further remind us of a soldier’s often unanswered desire to return home and “live” once more. The music cuts out, and Nicko’s hi-hat returns once more before Bruce softly sings the final verse about the soldier’s soul rejoining those of his fallen comrades and enemies to finally rest in peace.

This song is not Iron Maiden’s first war-based epic. The Trooper and Aces High also tell stories of soldiers in battle, the first of the valiant charge of the Light Brigade during the Battle of Balaclava that was recounted in Alfred Lord Tennyson’s poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade,” and the second of British RAF pilots fighting against the German Luftwaffe in the Battle of Britain. Paschendale brings an augmented sense of epicness to their war-based theme. Iron Maiden are masters at using their music and lyrics to portray the feeling of war and the thoughts of soldiers as they fight for their lives in horrific circumstances, and Paschendale is their best effort at it yet.

Link to Paschendale on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c20-fm_WNew
Paschendale lyrics: http://www.sing365.com/music/lyric.nsf/Paschendale-lyrics-Iron-Maiden/91512C01863BE9D048256D3C000DCFF3