Have you heard on the news?
Another let off madman
Another screw on the loose
Is it the judge or the badman?
What's the matter these days?
No one has the courage to put them away
Nobody has any faith
'Cause there's a breakdown of justice and order
[Chorus:]
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace
When I remember back the memories of yesteryear (they really say "yesterday")
With all the friends and all the times
When people were carefree
And walking down the street
When everyone knew everyone
And all the houses' doors were open
No had to care; those days are gone
Those days are gone
[Chorus]
I long for the times when you could
Wander down the street unharmed
When people didn't have much money
But didn't seem to care
It must be the cynic in me
But I don't really like things now
The violence, the attitudes
Aggression that you see everyday
A sick society looks the other way
Another let off madman
Another screw on the loose
Is it the judge or the badman?
What's the matter these days?
No one has the courage to put them away
Nobody has any faith
'Cause there's a breakdown of justice and order
[Chorus:]
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace
Waiting for justice, waiting for justice of the peace
When I remember back the memories of yesteryear (they really say "yesterday")
With all the friends and all the times
When people were carefree
And walking down the street
When everyone knew everyone
And all the houses' doors were open
No had to care; those days are gone
Those days are gone
[Chorus]
I long for the times when you could
Wander down the street unharmed
When people didn't have much money
But didn't seem to care
It must be the cynic in me
But I don't really like things now
The violence, the attitudes
Aggression that you see everyday
A sick society looks the other way
Add your thoughts
Log in now to tell us what you think this song means.
Don’t have an account? Create an account with SongMeanings to post comments, submit lyrics, and more. It’s super easy, we promise!
This song is about the same thing as "Age of Innocence" from about a decade later - a mixture of nostalgia for a simpler time and frustration at the leniency of the law on criminals.
My observations - The nostalgia is probably somewhat inaccurate, like most nostalgia. (Remember all those songs and album/single covers from Iron Maiden's early days? Those seemed to show a world with criminal danger). The frustration of leniency on criminals is a common observation of the aging, now-parent, person - although it may seem a little ironic coming from a "dangerous, heavy metal band!"