Iron Maiden 's shows continue to be incredible performances, full of music and theatricality, and without a doubt, the live performance of "Aces High" is among the most anticipated moments on the band's tours.
Everyone knows how Iron Maiden likes to use stage props. One of the interesting things about their tours is the performance of a speech by Winston Churchill before "Aces High" .
To understand this reference, which involves the entire true story behind the song, we need to go back to World War II.
What is the history and meaning of "Aces High"?
From the beginning of World War II in 1939, Hitler's strategy was expansionist, aiming to invade and annex as many regions as possible within Europe. To achieve this, the well-armed and trained German army carried out lightning attacks, known as "blitzkrieg".
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In 1940, Germany invaded and occupied France. Like other invaded countries, France offered little resistance, and the arrival of Nazi troops in Paris marked the end of French democracy.
With the fall of France, England was isolated in Europe. The Nazis believed that the island would offer little resistance, just as it had in France. The Nazi attack plan consisted of an airborne invasion of London and, after the destruction of the capital, ships would be sent to land German troops, definitively subduing England. Hitler counted on the numerical supremacy of the German army's resources. It is estimated that the Luftwaffe, the German air force, then had approximately three thousand aircraft against only 500 British fighter planes.
Despite their apparent military weakness, the British resisted. Not only the army, but also the population, who built numerous barricades in London and supported their leaders – King George VI and Prime Minister Winston Churchill – from the very beginning. The standout force of the resistance was the RAF, the British air force, which has been immortalized in various works of art, including this song by Iron Maiden.
One of Churchill's ways of keeping the population engaged was through his famous speeches. The one Iron Maiden uses became known as "We Shall Fight on the Beaches".
"We shall go on to the end.
We shall fight in France
We shall fight over the seas and oceans.
we shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air.
We shall defend our island whatever the cost may be
we shall fight on beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds,
we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,
we shall fight on the hills.
We shall never surrender."
In translation:
"We must go on to the end.
We must fight in France.
We must fight on the seas and oceans.
We must fight with growing determination and growing strength in the air.
We must defend our island, whatever the cost.
We must fight on the beaches, on the landing grounds.
We must fight in the fields and in the streets.
We must fight in the hills.
We must never surrender."
Iron Maiden, the British band that has always held English history in high regard, delivers a true ode to the resistance against Nazism in "Aces High." It's no coincidence that the Legacy of the Beast tour marked the first time a Royal Air Force plane was used on stage.
Now that the story is explained, all that's left is to wait for another chance to go to the show, experience Churchill's speech, and sing "Aces High" at the top of your lungs.
Last published on December 29, 2022.
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