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Wasted Years Lyrics
From the coast of gold, across the seven seas,
I'm travelling on, far and wide,
But now it seems, I'm just a stranger to myself,
And all the things I sometimes do, it isn't me but someone else.
I close my eyes, and think of home,
Another city goes by, in the night,
Ain't it funny how it is, you never miss it til it's gone away,
And my heart is lying there and will be til my dying day.
Chorus:
So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years,
Face up...make your stand,
And realise you're living in the golden years.
Too much time on my hands, I got you on my mind,
Can't ease this pain, so easily,
When you can't find the words to say, it's hard to make it through another day,
And it makes me wanna cry, and throw my hands up to the sky.
Chorus:
So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years,
Face up...make your stand,
And realize you're living in the golden years.
If you ask me, it's about an English soldier during World War II traveling from spot to spot. "From the Coast of Gold" would support that cause Gold was one of the Brittish beaches on Normandy (The other being Sword).
It seems like the soldier is doubting himself and missing his home.
Second verse would suggest a comrade or loved one has died and he's trying to overcome it.
Meanings:
1) An ode to life 'on the road' as a musician as suggested by stanza two whereby you are simply travelling all the time dreaming of returning home. The chorus is therefore slightly sarcastic and ironic - you are living the golden years and may never see them again but need to 'face up' and convince yourself this is true as unlike most you miss your family and friends (verse two) where you feel truly at ease.
2) Probably for me the most important meaning in this song for me is that you should have no regrets in life and make sure you have no regrets by 'facing up and making a stand' at the time rather than doing (or not doing rather) something you know you'll regret later. Particularly the line 'it isn't me but someone else' but even the verse with 'another city going by' suggests this - it can simply be interpreted as a metaphor for time, events and opportunities passing by; with 'in the night' referring to the fact you allowed yourself to become oblivious and didn't take control as you should have (i.e. you should've been awake to the things you'll later regret rather than allowing yourself to ignore and not take action on them).
3) Related to relationships is the third verse 'I got you on my mind' and 'can't ease this pain so easily'. Kind of just like 2) except more specific as it relates to a chance we may have with someone we like/love but let slip away instead of 'facing up and making a stand' and doing something about it. Probably not the intended meaning though - Iron Maiden's music doesn't really refer to stuff like this but certainly can be interpreted this way, particularly if (like me and many others I suppose) you've allowed this to happen and regret it later.
This is one of my favorites by Iron Maiden. From the opening riff to the catchy chorus, this song finds me singing along everytime, lol
I would have to agree with that evaluation. I just imagine being on an extensive tour around that time. Iron Maiden's tour previous to this album (the Powerslave tour) had spanned well over a year (!), and to be on the road for that long.. in a different place every night must be very alienating. I think of these lines most:
Ain't it funny how it is, you never miss it til it's gone away, And my heart is lying there and will be til my dying day.
We can take our homes for granted, but when you're away for that long, from family and friends, you realize what you've lost (or given up). He's saying his 'heart' will always be back at home- until the day he dies.
Think this song is talkin about him traveling all over the world and having an amazing time in the process, but its ahrd for him to fully enjoy himself because he misses someone back home. WOW tahts my fucking exact situation right now how ironic! and now i can see exactly where hes coming from!
Sorry to double post but I have to lend support to the realization that you should stop being so nostalgic. The older I get the more I realised exactly what Bruce is saying. In a few years you will look back on the years you are living right now and think how good it was. So enjoy life now and don't get lost in nostalgia.
This song means a lot to me. I'm a person who always wants to be in new places and see new things, and new cities. But when I do get to travel, I realize how much I really miss my home town.
"I close my eyes, and think of home, Another city goes by, in the night," Thats exactly what I did when I was flying to San Francisco. I closed my eyes and thought of home, then I opened my eyes and down 40,000 feet below me were cities that just went by, one by one.
lol matey that sums up this band no ones got a voice quite like bruce
i think it has something to do with being on the road and dreading it but having the time of your life. something along those lines.
I think Otm is right considering a lot of Iron Maiden's music is based on history.