This song appears to be about the fire bombing raids on German cities but is in fact about the band coming out about being gay.
"Trace your way back 50 years
To the glow of Dresden - blood and tears"
Dresden is considered the birthplace of the gay movement in mainland Europe. The glow of Dresden was the light of Nazi power eradicating gays along with other minorities and of course resulting in blood and tears.
"In the black above by the cruel searchlight
Men will die and men will fight - yeah"
The black represents the emptiness and lack of acceptance in common society being gay. The cruel searchlight is society and it's prejudice.
"Who shot who and who fired first?
Dripping death to whet the bloodthirst"
The dripping death represents the HIV infected semen dripping from an anus. The AIDS epidemic was blamed on homosexuals.
The who fired first line refers to the ludicrous rumours about who had sex with a monkey first.
"No radar lock on - skin and bone
The bomber boys are going home"
Only in the dark unlit room, away from societies eyes could the gay man get down to skin and bone.
The bomber boys are the gay community. They are going home to Germany after the war now that the fascists no longer hold power.
"Climb into the sky never wonder why - Tailgunner
You're a Tailgunner"
This one is self explanatory and Maiden answer the question of whether being gay is a choice. Bruce Dickenson says no with the line "never wonder why". Climbing into the sky represents the joy in homosexual sex.
Tailgunner is a mantra and acceptance of being homosexual. Tailgunner is a common term for a gay man.
"Nail that fokker kill that son.
Gonna blow your guts out with my gun"
This is a line written from the point of view of the bigot. The meaning being that gay men can't control themselves and will nail other men at the first chance they get. Even so far as having sex with young boys and killing them with AIDS.
The second line is rather graphic and depicts a gay man ejaculating semen deep inside his partner and thus "blowing his guts out with my gun".
"The weather forecast's good for war
Cologne and Frankfurt? Have some more"
Tha gay man always wears nice smelling Cologne and is always eager for more Frankfurt (read: wiener).
"Tail end Charlie in the boiling sky
The Enola Gay was my last try"
Tail end Charlie is another name for the gay man.
The Enola Gay was also the name of a famous Transvestite from Dresden who had a cult following in the late 70's.
"Now that this Tailgunner's gone
No more bombers (just one big bomb)"
The gay man has succumbed to the AIDS virus and there is only one big bomb left. This bomb is AIDS.
This song appears to be about the fire bombing raids on German cities but is in fact about the band coming out about being gay.
"Trace your way back 50 years To the glow of Dresden - blood and tears"
Dresden is considered the birthplace of the gay movement in mainland Europe. The glow of Dresden was the light of Nazi power eradicating gays along with other minorities and of course resulting in blood and tears.
"In the black above by the cruel searchlight Men will die and men will fight - yeah"
The black represents the emptiness and lack of acceptance in common society being gay. The cruel searchlight is society and it's prejudice.
"Who shot who and who fired first? Dripping death to whet the bloodthirst"
The dripping death represents the HIV infected semen dripping from an anus. The AIDS epidemic was blamed on homosexuals. The who fired first line refers to the ludicrous rumours about who had sex with a monkey first.
"No radar lock on - skin and bone The bomber boys are going home"
Only in the dark unlit room, away from societies eyes could the gay man get down to skin and bone. The bomber boys are the gay community. They are going home to Germany after the war now that the fascists no longer hold power.
"Climb into the sky never wonder why - Tailgunner You're a Tailgunner"
This one is self explanatory and Maiden answer the question of whether being gay is a choice. Bruce Dickenson says no with the line "never wonder why". Climbing into the sky represents the joy in homosexual sex. Tailgunner is a mantra and acceptance of being homosexual. Tailgunner is a common term for a gay man.
"Nail that fokker kill that son. Gonna blow your guts out with my gun"
This is a line written from the point of view of the bigot. The meaning being that gay men can't control themselves and will nail other men at the first chance they get. Even so far as having sex with young boys and killing them with AIDS. The second line is rather graphic and depicts a gay man ejaculating semen deep inside his partner and thus "blowing his guts out with my gun".
"The weather forecast's good for war Cologne and Frankfurt? Have some more"
Tha gay man always wears nice smelling Cologne and is always eager for more Frankfurt (read: wiener).
"Tail end Charlie in the boiling sky The Enola Gay was my last try"
Tail end Charlie is another name for the gay man. The Enola Gay was also the name of a famous Transvestite from Dresden who had a cult following in the late 70's.
"Now that this Tailgunner's gone No more bombers (just one big bomb)"
The gay man has succumbed to the AIDS virus and there is only one big bomb left. This bomb is AIDS.