He's walking like a small child
But watch his eyes burn you away
Black holes in his golden stare
God knows he wants to go home

Children of the damned
Children of the damned
Children of the damned
Children of the damned

He's walking like a dead man
If he had lived he would crucified us all
Now he's standing on his last step
He thought oblivion? Well, it beckons us all

Children of the damned
Children of the damned
Children of the damned
Children of the damned

Now it's burning his hands
He's turning to laugh
Smiles as the flame sears his flesh
Melting his face, screaming in pain
Peeling the skin from his eyes
Watch him die according to plan
He's dust on ground, what did we learn?

Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh
Ooh-ooh

You're children of the damned
Your back's against the wall
You turn into the light
You're burning in the night
You're children of the damned
Like candles watch them burn
Burning in the light
You'll burn again tonight
Children of the damned


Lyrics submitted by Novartza

Children Of The Damned Lyrics as written by Stephen Percy Harris

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Children Of The Damned song meanings
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29 Comments

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  • +3
    General Comment
    while all the replys above make sense... im still sticking with my original thoughts that its about a young japanese boy in japan during the atom bombs at hiroshima and nagasaki..... "he's walking like a small child, but watch his eyes you burn away" -seems small and innocent but he's the enemy "He's walking like a dead man If he had lived he would have crucified us all" - he's innocent and walking, doomed... it had to be done though, as 'if he had lived' he would have just been drafted into the imperial army to fight the US "Now it burns his hand he's turning to laugh Smiles as the flame sears his flesh Melting his face screaming in pain Peeling the skin from his eyes" - Le` bomb has strucketh " he's dust on the ground what have we learned" - so senseless... this is humanity today "your backs against the wall you turn into the light" - when the bomb hit, it emitted a blinding light ... "like candles watch them burn" SO in conclusion fellow maiden fans... this is why i think its about the atom bomb in japan- a little boy getting killed by it good song, great band
    udijinson May 15, 2006   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    'Arry liked to write lots of songs off of concepts he's read or seen (Murders in the Rue Morgue, Phantom of the Opera, Flight of Icarus) so he takes the premise or the basic story structure of a certain aspect while leaving out the other details (Like Phantom of the Opera is strictly about a guy who kills people at the opera house, none of the extra story or Murders is about the innocent foreign guy being chased for murder and not the rest of the Poe story) This is the same basic set up, he takes the children being blown up/burned in the house at the end of Village of the Damned and wrote a song strictly around that but kind of gave it a burned at the stake vibe instead of demon children being blown up with a bomb for literary reasons (You can describe being burned, you can't really describe a bomb detonation except for "It went boom")
    DeanGuitarson April 13, 2013   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    One of the best songs off of "The Number of the Beast" and one of my favorites. One of the first Maiden songs I heard and I was not disappointed. It's an all around kick ass song. It's based on the movie of the same name, "Children of the Damned".
    Teufelon September 01, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    geil hehe =)
    dodomon July 01, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Definetly one of the best songs off of one of the best metal albums ever. Dark, and haunting, I used to think Bruce was hugely overated as a vocalist, but this song put me in my place.
    Muzzyon April 30, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    It's based on a campy 70s horror film of the same name. Great song though.
    TheJoeInMeon May 12, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Great song. Really atmospheric. I think it might be about the children of today who are being born into a cruel world dominted by money etc. Really cool song.
    UpTheIronson September 23, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    My favorit Maiden song, I can't explain why, it just rocks! And to think this is a track, where there's being sung. It's so great!
    HungerForMoreon February 05, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    This song is based on the movie of the same name, the film is about 6 children with psychic powers who are opposed by the human race. This song describes the fate of the last child, whom the humans are going to burn, the last verse discribes his death. This is a very powerful song and is the soul reason that I bought the number of the beast.
    fear_the_fishon January 08, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    it sounds like metallica's unforgiven II
    pulematurion July 30, 2006   Link

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