IRON MAIDEN - ALEXANDER THE GREAT

ALEXANDER THE GREAT

IRON MAIDEN

SONGWRITER: STEVE HARRIS

COUNTRY: U.K.

ALBUM: SOMEWHERE IN TIME

LABEL: EMI RECORDS

GENRE: HEAVY METAL

YEAR: 1986

Somewhere in Time is the sixth studio album by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released on 29 September 1986 on EMI in Europe and its sister label Capitol Records in North America. (It was re-released by Sanctuary/Columbia Records in the US in 1998). The studio follow-up to the hugely successful Powerslave/Live After Death pair, it was their first album to feature guitar synthesisers.

Since its release, it has been certified platinum by the RIAA, having sold over one million copies in the US alone.

Somewhere on Tour was the release's supporting tour.

"My son, ask for thyself another kingdom,

For that which I leave is too small for thee."

Near to the East, in a part of ancient Greece,

In an ancient land called Macedonia,

Was born a son to Philip of Macedon,

The legend his name was Alexander.

At the age of nineteen, he became the Macedon king,

And he swore to free all of Asia Minor,

By the Aegian Sea in 334 BC,

He utterly beat the armies of Persia.

Chorus:

Alexander the Great,

His name struck fear into hearts of men,

Alexander the Great,

Became a legend 'mongst mortal men.

King Darius the third, Defeated fled Persia,

The Scythians fell by the river Jaxartes,

Then Egypt fell to the Macedon king as well,

And he founded the city called Alexandria.

By the Tigris river, he met King Darius again,

And crushed him again in the battle of Arbela,

Entering Babylon and Susa, treasures he found,

Took Persepolis, the capital of Persia.

Chorus:

Alexander the Great,

His name struck fear into hearts of men,

Alexander the Great,

Became a god amongst mortal men.

A Phrygian King had bound a chariot yoke,

And Alexander cut the "Gordion knot",

And legend said that who untied the knot,

He would become the master of Asia.

Hellenism he spread far and wide,

The Macedonian learned mind,

Their culture was a western way of life,

He paved the way for Christianity.

Marching on, Marching on.

The battle weary marching side by side,

Alexander's army line by line,

They wouldn't follow him to India,

Tired of the combat, pain and the glory.

Chorus:

Alexander the Great,

His name struck fear into hearts of men,

Alexander the Great,

He died of fever in Babylon.