Flight Of Icarus – English Lyrics

• By: Iron Maiden
• Album: Piece Of Mind

Lyrics & Translation

Discover the powerful message behind Iron Maiden's "Flight of Icarus," a thrilling heavy metal track that reimagines Greek mythology. Explore the song's historical context, lyrical twists, and musical style, perfect for understanding metaphorical language and storytelling in music.

[English]

As the sun breaks above the ground

An old man stands on the hill

As the ground warms to the first rays of light

A birdsong shatters the still

His eyes are ablaze

See the madman in his gaze

Fly on your way, like an eagle

Fly as high as the sun

On your way, like an eagle

Fly, touch the sun, yeah

...

Now the crowd breaks and a young boy appears

Looks the old man in the eye

As he spreads his wings and shouts at the crowd

In the name of God my father, I fly

His eyes seem so glazed

As he flies on the wings of a dream

Now he knows his father betrayed

Now his wings turn to ashes, to ashes his grave

Fly on your way like an eagle

Fly as high as the sun

On your way, like an eagle

Fly, touch the sun

...

Yeah, fly on your way like an eagle

Fly as high as the sun

On your way, like an eagle

Fly as high as the sun

On your way, like an eagle

Fly, touch the sun

On your way, like an eagle

Fly!

...

Fly as high as the sun

...

Key Vocabulary

Vocabulary	Meanings
fly /flaɪ/ A2	verb - to move through the air using wings noun - a small insect that can fly
sun /sʌn/ A1	noun - the star that provides light and heat to the Earth
old /oʊld/ A1	adjective - having lived for many years
man /mæn/ A1	noun - an adult male human
ground /ɡraʊnd/ A2	noun - the solid surface of the Earth
birdsong /ˈbɜːrdˌsɔːŋ/ B2	noun - the singing or calls made by birds
ablaze /əˈbleɪz/ C1	adjective - burning fiercely or shining brightly
madman /ˈmædˌmæn/ B2	noun - a person who behaves in a crazy or insane way
gaze /ɡeɪz/ B2	noun - a long steady look verb - to look steadily and intently
eagle /ˈiːɡəl/ B1	noun - a large bird of prey with a powerful beak and keen eyesight
crowd /kraʊd/ B1	noun - a large number of people gathered together
wings /wɪŋz/ A2	noun - limbs or structures used by birds to fly
dream /driːm/ B1	noun - a series of thoughts, images, or emotions occurring during sleep or a cherished aspiration verb - to experience dreams during sleep or to hope for something
betray /bɪˈtreɪ/ B2	verb - to be disloyal to someone or reveal secrets
ashes /ˈæʃɪz/ B2	noun - the powdery residue left after something is burned
grave /ɡreɪv/ B2	noun - a place where a dead person is buried adjective - serious or solemn

Key Grammar Structures

• As the sun breaks above the ground

  ➔ time clause with 'as' + present simple

  ➔ The word "breaks" is in the present simple, and the clause introduced by "as" shows an action happening at the same time as the main situation.

• His eyes are ablaze

  ➔ be + adjective (stative description)

  ➔ The verb "are" links the subject to the adjective "ablaze", forming a stative description.

• Fly on your way, like an eagle

  ➔ imperative with base verb

  ➔ The base verb "Fly" is used without a subject, forming an imperative that gives a command or encouragement.

• Now the crowd breaks and a young boy appears

  ➔ compound sentence with coordinated verbs using 'and'

  ➔ Two independent clauses "the crowd breaks" and "a young boy appears" are linked by the conjunction "and", showing two simultaneous actions in the simple present.

• As he spreads his wings and shouts at the crowd

  ➔ time clause with 'as' + present simple and coordinated verbs

  ➔ The clause starts with "as" and uses the present simple verbs "spreads" and "shouts" to describe actions occurring at the same moment as another action.

• In the name of God my father, I fly

  ➔ fronted prepositional phrase as adverbial

  ➔ The fronted prepositional phrase "In the name of God" functions as an adverbial, followed by the subject "my father" and the verb "fly" in the present simple, showing emphasis.

• Now he knows his father betrayed

  ➔ verb of cognition + that‑less complement clause (past simple)

  ➔ The verb "knows" (present simple) is followed by a clause without "that" – "his father betrayed" – which uses the past simple to refer to a completed action that the subject now understands.

• Fly as high as the sun

  ➔ comparative equality construction 'as ... as'

  ➔ The structure "as high as" forms a comparison of equality, comparing the degree of flying to the height of the sun.

• Fly, touch the sun

  ➔ multiple imperatives coordinated by a comma

  ➔ Two imperative verbs "Fly" and "touch" are joined by a comma, giving two sequential commands to the listener.