For My Sunday Song #410, we are tackling another Iron Maiden song thanks to Harrison Kopp. His final choice is “No Prayer to the Dying” which is the title song for the album of the same name. The album was their 8th studio album and the first one without Adrian Smith as he left he band due to creative differences. This particular song was not a single and was solely written by Steve Harris.
The song seems to be very introspective as the protagonist sits alone by a window watching it rain. He starts to question what life is all about and wondering why he was there. He sounds a little depressed and very lonely. He starts to plead to God for answers as he feels his prayers were never answered. He might be dying and therefore feels that because of that, there are no more prayers left to be answered. The strange thing about the lyrics are that they never say the title, “No Prayer for the Dying”. Not mentioned once.
Musically, the song is just over 4 minutes which I think is short for a Maiden song. In fact, there are no 6 minute or more songs on the album which I believe is a first. The song starts off slow and fairly quiet. The music is almost as thoughtful and introspective as the meaning behind the lyrics. Bruce Dickinson’s vocals are emotive and almost smooth but still a little grit. The verses are really soft and in between the verses the music picks up. I don’t think there is actually a chorus. The instrumental pieces between the verses is the chorus as it is a great melody. There is some great depth in the bass lines and the rhythm section entirely. About midway through the song the music cranks it up a notch, the bass lines are fast and powerful, but the guitars are shredding and they are frenzied and it is all fantastic. There a drum barrages and it is all wild and crazy. It really changes the dynamics of the song and makes it really interesting. Bruce comes back in screaming now as he pleads with God to answer his prayers. It slows back down to the gentleness of the beginning and then ends. A really cool track.
Give the song a listen and let me know what you think. It wasn’t a song I was expecting from Maiden, but it was really great. The instrumental breaks are the best part and that solo is crazy. Loved it. Thanks to Harrison Kopp for all the choices for this 10 song set. Go check him out on Grab a Stack of Rock as co-host and on his Instagram page where he has a ton of Lego artwork.
“No Prayer For The Dying”
There are times when I’ve wondered
And times when I’ve cried
When my prayers, they were answered
At times when I’ve lied
But if you asked me a question
Would I tell you the truth?
Now there’s something to bet on
You’ve got nothing to lose, yeah
When I’ve sat by the window
And gazed at the rain
With an ache in my heart
But never feeling the pain
And if you would tell me
Just what my life means
Walking a long road
Never reaching the end
God, give me the answer to my life
God, give me the answer to my dreams
God, give me the answer to my prayers
God, give me the answer to my being
Written by Stephen Percy Harris
Only Harrison would pick a forgotten song from a dreadful album! Feel better soon…
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Where were you five or six weeks ago when I picked Lord of Light then, eh? 🙂 I’m sure you would have appreciated my choice there.
But yes, only I would pick this tune to cap off my picks. I just really like it. I love most of No Prayer For The Dying too (as we’ve already established, much to your chagrin). 🙂
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A good song from a good album, unlike NPFTD. Crap album!
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I’m afraid you’ll never be able to convince me of that second sentence 🙂
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I know, I know. When you return maybe we’ll have to do a show about Kontrarian Kopp’s Most Kontroversial Takes. I bet that would be good.
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That could be fun. Put Harrison on trial for his musical crimes.
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I love it. Find some Lego jail suits 😉
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Already have plenty.
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Excellent. There will be more evening shows this summer than last summer. However overall, there will be fewer shows in total.
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Ok.
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maybe it’s just me but the video link is unavailable.
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Hey! I think it could be wherever you are located it is not available. It pulls up for me. Thanks for letting me know!!
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It’s not an infrequent issue for me but I thought id mention it just in case. Btw for a metal song, pretty good 😂
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I judge the album harshly but on the same token I also don’t mind listening to it. This is one of the better songs on the album for sure.
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