Iron Maiden – If Eternity Should Fail

Here is the soul of a man
Here in this place for the taking
Clothed in white, stand in the light
Here is the soul of a man

Time to speak with the shaman again
Conjure the jester again
Black dog in the ruins is howling my name
So here is the soul of a man

When the world was virgin
Before the coming of men
Just a solar witness
The beginning of the end
From a world of magma
To a cold rock face
The ascent of madness
And a human race

We are strange believers all of us
There are stranger truths immortal lust
We rise from slumber he calls our name
Recalls our number abide with pain

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of time
If eternity should fail

To god's illusion which I recall
Was our delusion
Before the fall
The angels come and the angels go
But the lord of light shining below

Eternal blackness beyond the stars
We think our wisdom will get that far
At the master's table the table's bare
No land of plenty, devastation, despair

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail

Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line for the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail
Reef in a sail at the edge of the world
If eternity should fail
Waiting in line at the ending of your time
If eternity should fail

Good day my name is Necropolis
I am formed of the dead
I am the harvester of the soul meat
And I suck the lives from around my bed
My own two sons I gave them breath
And I filled their living corpses with my bile
What humanity I knew I have long forgotten
For me eternity is nothing
But a short while


Lyrics submitted by SergeF2007, edited by Marquez, guilljeg

"If Eternity Should Fail" as written by Bruce Dickinson

Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group

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If Eternity Should Fail song meanings
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9 Comments

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  • +4
    General CommentGreat song to open The Book of Souls
    GoldenMicon September 06, 2015   Link
  • +3
    Lyric Correction"Reefing a sail"... not "reef in a sail". That has no meaning.
    oldmanstaufon September 09, 2015   Link
    • 9 Replies
  • +2
    General CommentThe title sums up the meaning of the song. Reefing a sail means making the sail smaller, so the boat will move slower or more safely in rough weather. In the song they have reached the edge of the world, and oh shit, we're gonna fall and eternity will fail, so stop the ship. No land of plenty, only devastation and despair. It's a very dark and depressing lyric.
    ClimbingMonkeyon January 23, 2017   Link
  • +1
    General CommentIs that Eddie talking at the end of the track?
    GoldenMicon September 06, 2015   Link
  • 0
    General CommentI'll update it in short order so stay calm folks
    SergeF2007on September 04, 2015   Link
  • 0
    QuestionPlease someone put a meaning up to this song and what is the ending talking about sounds really creepy if actually listen to what it says.
    lucas10045on December 14, 2016   Link
  • 0
    My InterpretationEverything ends. Even eternity of our universe or our species will have an end.
    Counterclockwerkon December 15, 2017   Link
  • 0
    General CommentDiciknson's illness made him to see Death is really awaiting...and...if the eternity should fail? The song is for his daughter and son. He is saying "I could maybe leave for sure...He is saying Good Bye to them...He says to them he has already rised them and teach them everything from his pure love from heart and soul and must use it well...in every aspect in life to make him proud Beyond eternity.
    It is very very very touching and reflexive MASTERPIECE.
    matiasanzaloneon May 19, 2018   Link
    • 1 Reply
  • 0
    General CommentNot really. The band had already finished recording TBOS when Dickinson found out about his illness.
    luciana102on May 27, 2019   Link

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