The Trooper is a song by the British heavy metal group Iron Maiden from their album Piece of Mind. The band widly uses the method of "galoping" on guitar, harmonizing the guitars and bending+hammering-on in the solo. The album it singled from ranked #3 on the UK charts, #14 on Billboard Pop charts, and #70 on Billboard Top 200. It is still a record holder to this day. The song was released (along with the album) on June 20, 1983. It was recorded sometime in August of '82. The song is about the Battle of Balaclava in 1854 during the Crimean War, and is at least partially based upon Alfred Lord Tennyson's poem "The Charge of the Light Brigade", taking the viewpoint of one of the slain troopers, who, in the coverart, is perceived as a bald Eddie. It is known for the galloping triplet sound of its bass and electric guitar, as well as its catchy and memorable riff, and is a crowd favourite at concerts. The music video features clips of "The Charge" from the 1936 film "The Charge of the Light Brigade", which was controversial due to the deaths of 200 horses and an actor during filming. Altogether the song is one of the greatest of all time...enjoy!
You take my life but I'll take yours too
You throw your musket but I'll run you through
So when your waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand cause theres no turning back!
The bugle sounds as the march begins But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horse's breath
As you plunge into a certain death
The horse he sweats with fear, we break to run
The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall The screams of pain as my comrads fall We hurtle bodies that lay on the ground
And the Russians fire another round
We'd get so near, yet so far away
We were meant to fight another day!
We got so close near enough to fight
When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and i feel the blow
A burst of rounds takes my horse below
And as I lay there gazing at the sky,
My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone,
Without a tear I draw my parting groan
