The Evil That Men Do

Kristaps is almost right. It is based on the concept album story in Seventh Son of a Seventh Son. I know the story very well, as I bought this—tape—when it first came out. I was a teen at the time and very into it. It's still one of the greatest albums ever, iMHO. Anyhow, the concept is about a boy who is born with certain mystical powers—clairvoyance being the most prominent one. For reasons that are not clear, both God and Satan want him for their own, so to speak. Initially, Satan wants him killed in the womb (see "Moonchild"): "Be the mother of a birth-strangled babe." Apparently God sees potential for good in him, and Satan wants that stopped. When the "hero's" mother turns down Lucifer's request and the boy is born, it becomes a sort of cosmic struggle for the child's life on earth, and ultimately his eternity. One way the devil seeks to accomplish is goal is for his beautiful daughter to seduce the boy (who at this point is a young man): "Slept in the dust with his daughter, her eyes red with the slaughter of innocents." (above lyrics inaccurately say "innocence." The plan works double, because she more than seduces him; he falls in love with her. Hence, the actually pretty touching lyrics: "I will pray for her; I will call her name out loud." It seems he believes that even the devil's daughter is not beyond redemption. The song concludes intentionally ambiguous (Bruce Dickinson confirms this intent). The seventh lamb who is slain is the "hero" himself. For reasons that are unclear, it appears the "hero" has been murdered (perhaps in a trap set by Satan's daughter), and he is standing before God, as the Book of Life (a Biblical image confirmation of one's redemption or lack thereof by God) opens before him. He states that he will pray for—someone. The devil's daughter, perhaps? Again, maybe he hopes that she can still shed the ways of her father. He states, "Beyond is where I learn." This is the closest to suggesting that he overcame the tricks of the devil and will move on to Heaven, which is where he will learn, and perhaps he may even return from someday. If it were hell, neither would be an option. But all in all, it is a song about his falling in love with the devil's daughter, his agony over the effects of the evil schemes against him as well as his own failings, and his quest for redemption and the road that remains ahead after his death.

Comes from a Shakespearean phrase "The good that men do, is often interred with their bones. But the Evil that men do lives on" pretty damn wiked song tho. The video of it live from Rock in Rio is particually good :D

The quote is from William Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar". The exact line(s) are: "The evil that men do lives after them, the good is oft interred with their bones, So let it be with Caesar".

The main line draws from this now commonplace saying.

The end seems to referrence the Revelations of John, "The seventh lamb slain, the book of life opens before me". The following lyrics seem to support this as well.

The first seems a bit out of place, but "Love is a razor" is another quote from somewhere.

All in all this song is totally killer and Maiden rules!

\m/ UP THE IRONS! \m/

i hate how so many people on this damn site arrogantly proclaim every song to be about drugs. far out. shut up already

This song was origianlly on the 7th Son of a 7th Son concept album, where all the songs follow a certain story. This song does as well.

This is a great song, and is criminally overlooked.

These lyrics #$%&ing kill me:

Love is a razor and I walked the line on that silver blade Slept in the dust with his daughter, Her eyes red with the slaughter of innocence But I will pray for her, I will call her name out loud I would bleed for her, if I could only see her now

I can't hear them without crying. They're the story of my life, man. A demonic woman ruined my life, but still I would give anything to be with her again..

Its not about drugs, such conclussions overlook soo much of the rhetorical stratagies in the song

this song is not about fucking drugs...

I think it's about Romeo & Juliet.

'slept in the dust with his daughter' 'Him' sounds suspiciously like Lord Capulet

'Her eyes red with the slaughter of innocence' Juliet has to suffer because of the slaughter of innocence, the killing of Mercutio

'But I will pray for you And some day I may return Don't you cry for me Beyond is where I learn'

All that is after he is banished from Verona.

And the dust part might refer to the fact that their engagement was secret.

Awesome song.

by the way - i forgot to mention that this is one of my favourite maiden songs. i love it to bits