The Wicker Man

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Lore & Background

The song's creation began when Adrian Smith was "bouncing around" with a specific riff. Bruce Dickinson recognized its potential and added a catchy melody before Steve Harris joined in to play along. According to Dickinson, the band wrote the track without attempting to craft it specifically as a single-length composition. It holds historical significance as the first song Iron Maiden rehearsed together following the return of Dickinson and Smith. The lyrical process aimed to capture the specific energy Dickinson feels when standing on stage with thousands of fans singing and chanting along with them. While the title is inspired by the cult film, the lyrics differ from Dickinson's solo song of the same name found on "The Best of Bruce Dickinson" two-disc edition.

In Their Own Story

The recording history reveals a rare radio version that differs significantly from the album track. In this extremely rare edit, every chorus features the line "Your time will come" followed by "Thy will be done," with the final line reading "Don't turn, don't run." However, the third chorus breaks this pattern: its third line is followed by "I'll be the one," and the fourth line concludes with "Burn on the sun." The single's visual identity was also a point of contention; cover artist Mark Wilkinson created the artwork after a piece by the famed Derek Riggs was rejected. This rejection marked the last time Riggs would create art for Iron Maiden until "Flight 666," as he felt the band had become too difficult to work with. Despite this, the Wilkinson art graced the picture vinyl and various minor pressings.

Reader's Guide

Fans seeking to collect specific versions of this track should look for distinct physical releases. The limited edition includes two CDs and a double-faced poster featuring live songs recorded during the Ed Hunter Tour. The European release notably contains a beermat. CD 1 features the band on the cover, matching the single art, while CD 2 is clear with an image of the "Wicker Man" printed on the disc itself. For vinyl collectors, the 12-inch picture disc displays the "Wicker Man" on the A-side and people wearing animal masks on the B-side. The standard edition includes live versions of "Futureal" from Helsinki (September 15, 1999) and "Man on the Edge" from Milan (September 23, 1999). In 2001, the track earned a Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance," though it lost to Deftones' "Elite." It also found new life as a playable song in Rock Band Blitz and served as the goal celebration song for the Washington Capitals from 2011 to 2018.

Did You Know?

• The single was released three weeks before the album Brave New World dropped in 2000.
• This track was the first time Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith rehearsed together since rejoining the band in 1999.
• A rare radio version of the song alters lyrics in every chorus except the third, which features unique lines like "Burn on the sun."
• Derek Riggs refused to create more art for Iron Maiden after this single because he found them too hard to work with.
• The Washington Capitals used a portion of this song as their goal celebration from 2011 until 2018.