Songfacts®:

• Iron Maiden sing about a pretty seedy character in "Prowler," the first song on their first album. This guy lurks in the bushes, keeping a furtive eye on the ladies.
  
  The characters in many early Maiden songs are ill-adjusted. Other tracks from their debut album include "Charlotte the Harlot" (about a prostitute) and "Iron Maiden" (about a woman who lures men into her torture device).
• "Prowler" is one of the earliest Iron Maiden songs and one that got them a big break. They played it live in 1977 and 1978, and recorded it as a demo at their very first sessions, which took place December 30 and 31, 1978, at a studio called Spaceward in Cambridge, England - they got a good deal on studio time because no one else wanted to record that close to New Year's. Along with "Iron Maiden," "Strange World" and "Invasion," it was one of four songs they recorded that they used as a demo tape.
  
  Of those four songs, "Prowler," which showcases Maiden's twin-guitar attack, was the one that got the attention of a DJ named Neal Kay, who compiled a chart of top metal songs that was published in the UK music magazine Sounds. Kay played the song and put it on his chart. By the April 21, 1979 listing, it was #1.
  
  It was a big break for the band, but surprisingly they didn't get a record deal until months later, when EMI signed them. By the time they released their self-titled debut album in April 1980, they were well seasoned and had a big fan base in the UK. They lived up to the billing, becoming leaders in the second wave of British heavy metal.
• "Prowler" was written by Steve Harris, Iron Maiden's bass player and the leader of the band. The lead singer at the time was Paul Di'Anno, who often clashed with Harris. Di'Anno split from the band in 1981 after two albums, replaced by Bruce Dickinson.