Can I play with madness?
Give me the sense to wonder
To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place

Can I play with madness? The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness? There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness? The prophet looked and he laughed at me, ha, he said
Can I play with madness? He said, "You're blind, too blind to see"
Oh, said, "You're too blind to see", mmm

I screamed aloud to the old man
I said, "Don't lie, don't say you don't know"
I said, "You'll pay for this mischief"
"Ah, in this world or the next"
Oh and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hellfires raged in his eyes
He said, "Do you wanna know the truth, son?"
"Lord, I'll tell you the truth"
"Your soul's gonna burn in a lake of fire"

Can I play with madness? The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness? There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness? The prophet looked and he laughed at me, ha ha, he said
Can I play with madness? He said, "You're blind, too blind to see"
"Oh, listen to me," said the prophet

Can I play with madness? The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness? There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness? The prophet looked and he laughed at me, ha, he said
Can I play with madness? He said, "You're blind, too blind to see"
Can I play with madness?


Lyrics submitted by numb

Can I Play with Madness Lyrics as written by Bruce Dickinson Adrian Frederick Smith

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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Can I Play With Madness song meanings
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23 Comments

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  • +2
    General Comment

    Ancient??? Their stuff is as fresh as it was when it came out. Any Maiden song, ANY....is not dated. Check out Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Kick ASS.

    joepellion May 06, 2002   Link
  • +2
    General Comment

    Hmmm, Some young-uns still getting into the Maiden. Good stuff. Now.... To understand the Song you have to understand that the Entire ALBUM is actually a Concept album! Its about, as said the Apocalypse of the end. Its more a biblical Story of Satan verses God. And the entire album tells of this story unfolding. 'Can I play with Madness' Is about a caricature that is pulled into the story, and believes he plays a part in the way the events will end. If he chooses to ignore the "Signs" it may be his own demise. And so he has to Help the "Chosen one" Live... Which is an unborn child. There are movies based on the story. One going back to the 80s called the 7th sign.

    And as of the Black sabbath comment. Buddy, clearly your ignorance is showing your age. Black sabbath not only ARE Metal, But was the THE Band that MADE METAL what it is. They first hand created metal. If you look back on what sounds where available in the same period, You'll see that Sabbath was a ground breaking and original (Heavy) band. The only band that came even close was Zepplin. And I can tell you, Zep, has nothing on metal!!!

    KustomCandyon May 01, 2009   Link
  • +1
    General Comment

    This song is truly brilliant. They played it when I went to see them live in December. Truly awesome. Suddenly, out of nowhere, there's a cry of "CAN I PLAY WITH MADNESS?" and the whole crowd goes nuts. Brilliant song. I think it might be about some guy who's with a prophet. The guy wants to know the future to gain power etc. and the prophet isn't gonna give it to him. The guy annoys the prophet by shouting things like "Don't lie don't say you don't know it". In the end the prophet reveals that the guy is gonna burn in hell.

    UpTheIronson September 23, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    ryhme of the ancient mariner is one of the best songs i have heard i had downloaded a song of iron maiden Run to the Hills and i liked it but not enough to get more music so i quit listening to it for about a year and i listened to it and i said to myself u retard this is the kind of music that deserves to be bought not downloaded.

    Steve_Harris1on May 06, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    You're right. The album "Seventh Son of a Seventh Son" was all based around the concept of a prophet trying to warn a village of an oncoming apocalypse, and his varying treatment. This was quite a hit back in 1988; all four songs from the album which were released as singles hit the UK Top 10. Excellent video as well if you've ever seen it! :D

    Dreamer Deceiveron December 29, 2004   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    To me, it sounds like the part from Oedipus Rex when tiresias refuses to tell Oedipus the truth, because he knows that it will bring his demise.

    Fits perfectly with the song.

    MetalKing00on January 30, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    This is one of the best if not the best tracks of one of their greatest albums to date, c'mon the album hit number 1 in the UK!!!

    Maiden Maniacon February 10, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    the video of this song was one of my favourite of all time and the song is amazing this was actually the first maiden song I heard back in 88 and 7th son was one of the first albums I ever bought a brilliant album

    sanityassassinon May 17, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    it's almost like a relationship between parents and kids in a way.

    flaminmofoon August 11, 2006   Link
  • 0
    General Comment

    The lyrics as written above fail to include Bruce's awesome,

    "I said you're to blind to see; wooaahaaah!"

    After the first chorus. This is clearly the most awesome part of the song. Bruce adds "woahs" and strange verbalizations all over the place but this is my favourite.

    DarkenRahlon August 14, 2006   Link

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