The Prisoner

Iron Maiden

We want information, information, information
Who are you?
The new number two
Who is number one?
You are number six
I am not a number, I am a free man!

I'm on the run, I kill to eat
I'm starving now, feelin' dead on my feet
Goin' all the way, I'm nature's beast
Do what I want and do as I please

Run, fight to breathe, it's tough
Now you see me, now you don't
Break the walls, I'm comin' out

Not a prisoner, I'm a free man
And my blood is my own now
Don't care where the past was
I know where I'm going out

If you kill me, it's self defense
if I kill you then I call it vengeance
Spit in your eye I will defy
You'll be afraid when I call out your name

Run, fight to breathe, it's gonna be tough
Now you see me, now you don't
Break the walls, I'm comin' out

Not a prisoner, I'm a free man
And my blood is my own now
Don't care where the past was
I know where I'm going

I'm not a number, I'm a free man
Live my life where I want to
You'd better scratch me from your black book
'Cause I'll run rings around you

Not a prisoner, I'm a free man
And my blood is my own now
Don't care where the past was
I know where I'm going

I'm not a number, I'm a free man
Live my life where I want to
You'd better scratch me from your black book
'Cause I'll run rings around you

Not a prisoner, I'm a free man
And my blood is my own now
Don't care where the past was
I know where I'm going


Lyrics submitted by numb

Prisoner Lyrics as written by Adrian Frederick Smith Stephen Percy Harris

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

Lyrics powered by LyricFind

The Prisoner song meanings
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15 Comments

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  • +6
    General Comment
    "A man who drives a 60's lotus sports car around London, resigns from a Top secret job. We next see him packing for a holiday at home, and a credit appears ... "The Prisoner". He is gassed, falls asleep and then wakes up in "The Village". Everyone in "The Village" is a number, and is there for security reasons (people to dangerous and who hold too much information to just let go). The series spends all it's time trying to get the "information" out of No.6 about why he resigned. Plus it spends quite a while chasing him with a weather balloon :-) A strange cult UK TV series." Straight from the horses mouth it would seem, lol. Basically its like what DaddyMack and Teufel said. Based on the bands fav show...Plus i saw a documentry about The Number of the Beast album, and Dickinson said "The Prisoner" was based on the TV series
    Emtee-Shellon May 13, 2003   Link
  • +2
    General Comment
    "I read in an interview with Corey Taylor in Guitar World Magazine, that the Meaning of this song is about Alexander the Great" That's bullshit. What does Slipknot know anyway?
    minihatson August 03, 2006   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Based on a real weird British TV series called "The Prisoner" that the band loves. While I don't know about the show, this song rocks! I love the opening quote from the show and the drum guitar. Then it continues on kicking ass with the vocals and lyrics.
    Teufelon September 01, 2002   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    its obviously from the show iron maiden kicks ass
    ULlilLadyon February 24, 2005   Link
  • +1
    General Comment
    Bruce doing the spoken intro to this song (from the TV show) during his Wacken 2002 gig is one of the funniest and worst things ever recorded on a live album.
    The Knaveon June 23, 2005   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    A prisoner from some tipe of time(I guess 1920's) actually frees himself by escaping on his own freewill.
    BoneofFearon August 06, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    seems to be based on a series called "The Prisoner" its quite and old program, look out for it, its confusing
    DaddyMackon August 26, 2002   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    I read in an interview with Corey Taylor in Guitar World Magazine, that the Meaning of this song is about Alexander the Great
    hsingarajahon April 27, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Obviouisly in the old days prisoners or slaves had names such as 4 or 5 or 6 or other numbers and they want to get free
    IronMaidenManon May 02, 2003   Link
  • 0
    General Comment
    Where do you think the opening sound recording is from? From the TV show :P I own the DVD, its a great show, very odd. Patrick Mooghan (the star) plays Number 6, and the song is simply about his own freewill, as seen in the show.
    Eversioon June 12, 2003   Link

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