Bring Your Daughter To the Slaughter by Iron Maiden

Album: No Prayer For The Dying (1990)

Charted: 1

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"Bring Your Daughter To the Slaughter" was, according to the Iron Maiden FAQ, "loosely inspired" by the 17th-Century poem "To His Coy Mistress" by Andrew Marvell. The song is much more menacing than the poem, which finds the narrator gently coaxing a lady toward carnal pleasure.
Iron Maiden lead singer Bruce Dickinson wrote this song for the 1989 film A Nightmare on Elm Street: The Dream Child, the fifth installment of the horror series. The version used in the movie and on the soundtrack features Janick Gers on guitar, before he had actually joined the band.
The "single" (the cover of which depicted Eddie romancing a red devil woman in an alley in Gotham City, the bat-signal visible clearly with several Maiden-esque creatures on the ground) was really more of a mini-album. Besides the title track, there were two covers: "I'm a Mover" (originally by the band Free for their 1968 album Ton of Sobs) and "Communication Breakdown" (originally by Led Zeppelin for their 1969 album Led Zeppelin).
The Nightmare on Elm Street version is usually considered an independent work by lead singer Bruce Dickinson because the band wasn't involved and only recorded it after the film and soundtrack were released.
Bruce Dickinson explained his thought process: "Here I tried to sum up what I thought Nightmare On Elm Street movies are really about, and it's all about adolescent fear of period pains. That's what I think it is - deep down. When a young girl first gets her period she bleeds and it happens at night, and so she is afraid to go to sleep and it's a very terrifying time for her, sexually as well, and Nightmare On Elm Street targets that fear. The real slaughter in the Freddie movies is when she loses her virginity. That is the rather nasty thought behind it all, but that's what makes those kind of movies frightening."
"Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter" is certainly not a pop song, but in the UK it was the first #1 hit of the '90s, climbing to the top spot on January 5, 1990 and staying for two weeks. It's Iron Maiden's only chart topper there, but they're regulars on the tally, with 17 songs reaching the Top 10.
Listeners of BBC Radio 1 voted this the second-best #1 single of all time in January 2005. Queen's "Bohemian Rhapsody" came in at #1. >>
Suggestion credit:
Tom - Trowbridge, England

Comments: 19

Ironfist from TransilvaniaGet up the yard: the difference is that they sing about a imaginary world while rappers are for real and use a special ed vocabulary . loots of lyrics in metal should be taken by word and allsow have some sort of sarcastic humor in it...but there is a lot of miss interpretation , allways has been and look how it evolved, check some black sabbath interviews about their songs for example and how it turned even into some bands beein satanists.
Get Up The Yard from IrelandSpinal Tap without the talent. This 'song' is truly vile. Imagine if rappers sang about violence against women like these planks.
Caitlin from Colmesneil, Txhttp://www.themetalinquisition.com/2009/03/day-that-dave-murray-blew-me-off.html

Ironic considering whenever I hear this song it reminds me of the movie "Bordello of Blood". Like, this would be coming from Lilith's point of view as she's pursuing Caleb's sister Katherine. The middle section with the "aah's" would be like the part where Katherine sneaks up on Lilith and kills her, and then the "I'm coming to get you!" at the end is like the ending of the movie where Katherine and the detective are in the car and she reveals she's a vampire and bites him.
But maybe that's just me. ;)
Carlos from Santa Rita,The chorus is good, well sung but the lyrics are really disgusting. The evil that men do is very much better. Anyway, the lyrics has fit its purposes.
Carlos from Santa Rita,The chorus is good, well sung but the lyrics are really disgusting. The evil that men do is very much better. Anyway, the lyrics has fit its purposes.
Rachel from North Jersey, NjLove it or hate it this song is a guilty pleasure for a lot of fans. Since VH1 put it on their worst metal song list, all of a sudden everyone says they hate it. Personally, I think it's a very naughty song (ya really need to read between the lines ) and I like it. Just my opinion though.
Damien from Edmonton, CanadaWorst. Maiden. Song. Ever!
Jaymz from Ayr, ScotlandThis is one of the most over-rated Iron Maiden songs ever, infact it's second only to Run to the Hills.
Kaurl from Pittsburg, Caya i also think it has to do with girls after all metal hasalot of double meanings
Devon from Westerville, Ohpretty good song. i thought it would have been cool in the intro to say honey it's two minutes to midnight instead of it's getting close to midnight. thats just me though.
Jed Burningham from Highland, UtNot maidens best song, but it was good.
Dave from London, EnglandI hate to be pedantic but the Iron Maiden version of this song is NOT the version used on A Nightmare On Elm Street 5, it was actually Bruce Dickinson's original solo version which even appears on Bruce's "Very Best Of..." album. Jannick does play on this version though, but he replaced Adrian in the band after working with Bruce on Tattooed Millionaire.
Billy from Otway, OhThis Should Have Been Used In Jason Takes Manhattan
Matt from Millbrae, Cacharming title
Josh from Las Vegas, Nvyeah, it was on their list of worst metal songs of all time... BS.
Ahab from Slam Town, CaThere's an added element to the song that some people don't know about: BUM SEX! Supposedly Bruce kept up the 'period' angle by inserting (ooerr) allusions to anal intercourse. Look in the lyrics!
Cody from Houston, AkI think this song is somehow about groupies. He says "Bring your daughter to the slaughter, let her go..." The 'slaughter' could count as one of their concerts (NE1 who's seen them live knows that their audiences soon grow pretty physical).
Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandThough I read somewhere it was voted worst song of the year!
Tom from Trowbridge, EnglandGreat song. Deserved to be #1.

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