Empire Of The Clouds

Album: The Book of Souls (2015)
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  • To ride the storm, to an empire of the clouds
    To ride the storm, they climbed aboard their silver ghost
    To ride the storm, to a kingdom that will come
    To ride the storm, and damn the rest, oblivion

    Royalty and dignitaries, brandy and cigars
    Grey lady giant of the skies, you hold them in your arms
    The millionth chance they laughed, to take down his majesty's craft
    To India they say, magic carpet float away, an October fateful day

    Mist is in the trees, stone sweats with the dew
    The morning sunrise, red before the blue
    Hanging at the mast, waiting for command
    His majesty's airship, the R101

    She's the biggest vessel built by man, a giant of the skies
    For all you unbelievers, the Titanic fits inside
    Drum rolled tight, her canvas skin, silvered in the sun
    Never tested with the fury, with a beating yet to come

    The fury yet to come

    In the gathering gloom, a storm rising in the west
    The coxswain stared into the plunging weather glass
    We must go now, we must take our chance with fate
    We must go now, for a politician he can't be late
    The airship crew awake for thirty hours at full stretch
    But the ship is in their backbone, every sinew, every inch
    She never flew at full speed, a trial never done
    Her fragile outer cover, her Achilles would become

    An Achilles yet to come

    Sailors of the sky, a hardened breed
    Loyal to the king, and an airship creed

    The engines drum, the telegraph sounds
    Release the cords that bind us to the ground
    Said the coxswain, sir, she's heavy, she'll never make this flight
    Said the captain, damn the cargo, we'll be on our way tonight
    Groundlings cheered in wonder, as she backed up from the mast
    Baptizing them her water, from the ballast fore and aft

    Now she slips into our past

    Fighting the wind as it rolls you
    Feeling the diesels that push you along
    Watching the channel below you
    Lower and lower, into the night

    Lights are passing below you
    Northern France, asleep in their beds
    Storm is raging around you
    A million to one, that's what he said

    Reaper standing beside her
    With his scythe cuts to the bone
    Panic to make a decision
    Experienced men, asleep in their graves

    Her cover is ripped and she's drowning
    Rain is flooding into the hull
    Bleeding to death and she's falling
    Lifting gas is draining away

    We're down lads, came a cry, bow plunging from the sky
    Three thousand horses silent as the ship began to die
    The flares to guide her path ignited at the last
    The empire of the clouds, just ashes in our past
    Just ashes at the last

    Here lie their dreams as I stand in the sun
    On the ground where they built, and the engines did run
    To the moon and the stars, now what have we done?
    Oh the dreamers may die, but the dreams live on

    Dreams live on
    Dreams live on
    Oh

    Now a shadow on a hill, the angel of the east
    The empire of the clouds may rest in peace
    And in a country churchyard, laid head to the mast
    Eight and Forty souls who came to die in France Writer/s: Bruce Dickinson
    Publisher: BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group
    Lyrics licensed and provided by LyricFind

Comments: 8

  • Brayden from Iowa, Uslove you guys! UP THE IRONS!
  • Ash from EnglandYou know what, I love Iron Maiden for so many reasons, mainly because I've listnede to them my whole life. But between Iron Maiden and Doctor Who, I have learnt more about history stuff than in history at school (and I take that for GCSE so...)
  • Ash from EnglandMy dad always wondered why it said "8 and 40 souls" and when I looked it up I realised that of course that makes sence. 8 and 40, 8+40=48. So now I just need to keep remindingy dad whenever we hear the song aha
  • Kasia from Wrocław, PolandMagnificent. A masterpiece. I'm a historian and teacher of English soo... I am looking forward to meeting a person who will be patient enough to work on this lyrics with me. Thank you so much, men - all of you, Iron Maiden team.
  • Ben from UsThis song is an absolute masterpiece. If anyone can tell a story in a song? It’s Iron Maiden. Their poetic beauty can not be matched
  • Lucifur66776 from SydneyGreat song, a dramatic emotional roller coaster ride, imagery through music.
  • Gerhard from San Francisco,california This song shines the masterful musicianship of Iron Madden, they take you on an actual journey of time past through song, I actually can place myself on this fateful voyage on that bridge Listening to the Captain’s last command , Thank you Bruce, Iron Madden!.
  • Chris from Uk"8 and 40 souls, who came to die in France."

    The line refers to the 48 lives lost in the accident.
see more comments

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