The Number of the Beast

The story behind

Steve Harris wrote The Number of the Beast in 1982 after staying up all night. The bassist of Iron Maiden dreamed of scenes from Robert Burns' poem Tam o' Shanter and the film Damien: Omen II, and those echoes seeped into the lyrics. The song tells the story of a man who wakes up in the middle of demonic rituals, tries to warn the authorities, but ends up convinced that his nightmare is real. The ending —a warning that it will return stronger— leaves the feeling that hell is not just a dream, but something that haunts him. The vocal introduction, recorded by actor Barry Clayton in a tone reminiscent of Vincent Price, takes the first verse of the Book of Revelation and turns it into a chilling omen before the band kicks off with the iconic riff.