Dance of Death

Spent the weekend away on the south coast. Nice to just chill and not really do much. Did get to the local pub down there and get a few drinks in watching Germany nick the game from Uruguay. Good game to watch and good company.

Took the trip down with Janine a friend of mine that's an old school metal head. So in fine form it was Iron Maiden and Black Sabbath all the way.

This is one of Maiden's newer tracks, "Dance of Death" which I'm really quite taken with. I'm not entirely sure why, perhaps it's the whole escape from the inevitable that I find so enthralling.

Personally I think this one should be played with the strings of an orchestra rather than the electric guitar. The music is fantastically put together and flows so well that a cleaner sound might work even better.

Let me tell you a story to chill the bones
About a thing that I saw
One night wondering in the everglades
I'd one drink but no more

I was rambling, enjoying the bright moonlight
Gazing up at the stars
Not aware of a presence so near to me
Watching my every move

Feeling scared and I fell to my knees
As something rushed me from the trees
Took me to an unholy place
And that is where I fell from grace

Then they summoned me over to join in with them
To the dance of the death
Into the circle of fire I followed them
Into the middle I was led

As if time had stopped still I was numb with fear
But still I wanted to go
And the blaze of the fire did no hurt upon me
As I walked onto the coals

And I felt I was in a trance
And my spirit was lifted from me
And if only someone had the chance
To witness what happened to me

And I danced and I pranced and I sang with them
All had death in their eyes
Lifeless figures they were undead all of them
They had ascended from hell

As I danced with the dead
My free spirit was laughing and howling down at me
Below my undead body
Just danced the circle of dead

Until the time came to reunite us both
My spirit came back down to me
I didn't know if I was alive or dead
As the others all joined in with me

By luck then a skirmish started
And took the attention away from me
When they took their gaze from me
Was the moment that I fled

I ran like hell faster than the wind
But behind I did not glance
One thing that I did not dare
Was to look just straight ahead

When you know that your time has come around
You know you'll be prepared for it
Say your last goodbyes to everyone
Drink and say a prayer for it

When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead
When you're lying in your sleep, when you're lying in your bed
And you wake from your dreams to go dancing with the dead

To this day I guess I'll never know
Just why they let me go
But I'll never go dancing no more
'Till I dance with the dead

I think we've all danced with death at one time or another and somehow managed to get away. I guess we all dance from time to time.