BRUCE DICKINSON Accident Of Birth (1997) TRACKLIST 1. The Freak 2. Toltec 7 Arrival 3. Star Children 4. Taking The Queen 5. Darkside Of Aquarius 6. Road To Hell 7. Man Of Sorrows 8. Accident Of Birth 9. Magician 10. Welcome To The Pit 11. The Ghost Of Cain 12. Omega 13. Arc Of Space 1. THE FREAK He rides the wave, aspiring slave The Prince of Darkness plays his games You're hypnotized, under velvet skies He breathes the red wind 'cross your eyes Who leads you to the dark secret? Who leads you to the dark secret? Your life is lost, your soul is damned But it feels too good to make a stand That is bad, but this is worse Let judgment come, you love this curse When you look at me you're like a god Swimming in the tide of light Somersault into the flood Watch as you unwind Who leads you to the dark secret? Who leads you to the dark secret? Who is your mistress that leads you to the dark secret? Who is your mistress who leads you to the dark secret? 2. TOLTEC 7 ARRIVAL I mean you no harm Come closer, learn the truth Come closer, learn the truth Come... Bless me, mother, for I have sinned 3. STARCHILDREN I came for nothing before nothing began Broke the window of existence and became a man No sin for fame, for fools My star is black and burned I turn towards the light I suck your souls into my might We are star children - coming out of nowhere and to nowhere return Star children - a hundred million souls sucked out in one breath I shiver at the threshold of your waking hour The knowledge that you seek is my source of power I live apart from you But I know the things you do No angel can save you, how? You don't need a god 'cause I'm here now I'm star children - coming out of nowhere and to nowhere return Star children - a hundred million souls sucked out in one breath Do I fulfill your deepest need? The prophecy... I am the ruler that you seek So come to me Come to me We are star children - coming out of nowhere and to nowhere return Star children - a hundred million souls sucked out in one breath Star children - I'm the ruler of existence in your space and time Star children - to penetrate your future is my only crime Star... 4. TAKING THE QUEEN Who stole your heartbeat in the night? The acolytes fearful in the flickering light They hold a mirror to catch the breath from your mouth But your breath was stolen by the wind from the south Another winter's tale is done Your immortal lover is gone The chalice stolen from her hand Eternal life at her command Now all that she rules must see... The howling shriek of death in your eyes The whole court and the beast enter your room The gold will turn to rust Your empire follows you into your tomb The wraiths of night caress And whisper softly now, "We are the dead" They bear your life away They tear your heart in two They've taken the queen To some better place, so they think As the flame burns low Now the flame burns higher And it purifies the love that died And scared rats closed in alive Back to the earth, sealing the tomb Our skeletons rise through the veil of blood Who summons us now from our graves? "We are the dead" The shriek of death in your eyes The whole court and the beast enter your room The wraiths of night caress And whisper softly now, "We are the dead" They bear your life away They've torn your heart in two They've taken the queen 5. DARKSIDE OF AQUARIUS The first hellrider came On wings of plenty in the dark Poured out his poison And he blew away his mark The fascist from the east is coming Mothers, hide your sons The second hellrider came From the flaming seas and molten sands Pipers playing Hell's commands Poured out his poison With his promises of promised lands blackened tongues of lying leaders Here come the riders As the wheel of dharma's is running out of time Here come the riders As the wheel of time is running out of time The third hellrider came Teaching brothers to kill brother man And the fourth hellrider waits On an acid trip for an acid world Wars of old religious fools and superstitious men Throws some scary Tarot cards and... Here come the riders As the wheel of time is running out of time Here come the riders As the revolution's stepping into time The Darkside of Aquarius Has robbed us of our souls and minds Here come the riders As the wheel of time is running out of time From the starlit sky on a silver sea A lonely silver surfer comes to push the wheel for me A lonely silver surfer comes to push the wheel for me Gotta move, gotta move Gotta move that wheel right 'round Gotta move, gotta move Gotta move that wheel right 'round Gotta move, gotta move Gotta move that wheel around Gotta push the wheel of dharma around Push the wheel of dharma around Push the wheel of dharma around Push the wheel right 'round, right now (yeah) I've gotta move the wheel of time, I've Gotta move the wheel of dharma, I've Gotta move the wheel of dharma, oh Move that wheel right around Gotta move the wheel of dharma, I've Gotta move the wheel of dharma right now 6. ROAD TO HELL Slowly bleeding, watch the vortex feeding Like a swirling vulture on your face Every hour the unseen rays devour Your screaming eyes cry out but they are blind Father, forgive me my sins Give me the nails, I'll hammer them in The road to hell is full of good intentions Say farewell, we may never meet again The road to hell is full of good intentions Travel left-hand highway with no sinister regrets Brave new world of secret fantasy That hovers just beyond your bloody grasp Close enough to thrill, the danger of the kill Price for failure of your will Father, forgive us our sins 'Cause we're all the junkies who never can win The road to hell is full of good intentions Say farewell, we may never meet again The road to hell is full of good intentions Travel left-hand highway with no sinister regrets Father, forgive me my sins Give me the nails, I'll hammer them in The road to hell is full of good intentions Parody of hope is the one that I must kill We all have to live with our family inventions Travel left-hand highway with no sinister regrets The road to hell is full of good intentions Say farewell, we may never meet again The road to hell is full of good intentions Travel left-hand highway with no sinister regrets 7. MAN OF SORROWS Here, in a church, a small boy is kneeling He prays to a god he does not know, he cannot feel All of his sins of childhood he will remember He will not cry, tears he will not cry Man of sorrows, I won't see your face Man of sorrows, you left without a trace His small boy wonders, what was it all about? Is your journey over - has it just begun? Vision of a new world from the ashes of the old "Do what thou wilt!", he screams from his cursed soul A tortured seer, a prophet of our emptiness Wondering why, wondering why... Man of sorrows, I won't see your face (I won't see your face) Man of sorrows, you left without a trace His small boy wonders, what was it all about? Is your journey over - has it just begun? A man of sorrows, wrecked With thoughts that dare not speak their name Trapped inside a body, made to feel only guilt and shame His anger all his life - "I hate myself!", he cried "Do what thou wilt!" "Do what thou wilt!", he cried Man of sorrows, I won't see your face (I won't see your face) Man of sorrows, you left without a trace (left without a trace) His small boy wonders, what was it all about? Is your journey over - has it just begun? Man of sorrows, I won't see your face (I won't see your face) Man of sorrows, you left without a trace (left without a trace) His small boy wonders, what was it all about? Is your journey over - has it just begun? Has it just begun? 8. ACCIDENT OF BIRTH Journey back to the dark side, back into the womb Back to where the spirits move like vapor from the tomb The center of the cyclone, blowing out the sun Break the shackles of your union to the light I might've had a brother As I was born, they dragged him under To the other side of twilight He's waiting for me now Nativity was lost on me I didn't ask, I couldn't see What created me What and where and how Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you Welcome home - we've opened up the gates Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters Welcome home - to an accident of birth Feel our bodies breathing as you try to stop believing There's nothing you can do about your shadows You can fight us, you are like us And your body will betray you Lay down and die like all the others Where are the angels and their wings of freedom? Jesus had his day off when they pulled you through... Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you Welcome home - we've opened up the gates Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters Welcome home - to an accident of birth (to an accident of birth) Vision's growing dim as the daylight fades away I'm spinning, twisting, black Well, it's your dying day Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you Welcome home - we've opened up the gates Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters Welcome home - to an accident of birth Welcome home - it's been too long, we've missed you Welcome home - we've opened up the gates Welcome home - to your brothers and sisters Welcome home - to an accident of birth 9. MAGICIAN I am the teacher, come to reach ya Take the old words back to you You were lost, but I found you And it's your choice what to do I've learned a few things as I've traveled through the years Through the door of evermore... I came through fire, came through water Through the oily serpent's kiss Climbed the mountain, chased the dragon Thrown myself in the abyss Do I make myself a million trillion now? 'Cause I've been around you And I'm glad I found you... I am the living flame, and I teach the holy games Teach the secret of the dance Throw the future in the ruins Kick the sand in Satan's face I put Jesus in his place Shaman or priest, it's all the same The Magician is my name (woah-oh-oh, oh-oh) The Magician is my name (woah-oh-oh, oh-oh) The Magician is my name (woah-oh-oh, oh-oh) The Magician is my name (oh-oh) And magic is my game Now I know you, and you know me We have secrets we can share We can build a new tomorrow From the trash of yesterday It won't be the last time And I'm glad I found you... I am the living flame, and I teach the holy games Teach the secret of the dance Throw the future in the ruins Kick the sand in Satan's face I put Jesus in his place Shaman or priest, it's all the same The Magician is my name (woah-oh-oh, oh-oh) The Magician is my name (woah-oh-oh, oh-oh) The Magician is my name (woah-oh-oh, oh-oh) The Magician is my name (woah-oh-oh, oh-oh) The Magician is my name 10. WELCOME TO THE PIT You come on down to the pit Come on down to where the vipers spit I've been waiting for you down here Cover your eyes with the velvet hands of darkness Cover your eyes with the velvet hands of darkness I don't even know your name You won't even see my face But you choose to play my games Welcome to the hard place I'll bring you back from the brink Are you surprised in every way that you like it? Are you surprised that you want it? (ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!) Cover your lips with the wicked tongue of silence Cover your lips with the wicked tongue of silence I don't even know your name You won't even see my face But you choose to play my games Welcome to the hard place Back to back, you ride the snake You feel it strike, you feel it bite ya... Cover your eyes with the velvet hands of darkness Cover your lips with the wicked tongue of silence I don't even know your name You won't even see my face But you choose to play my games Welcome to the hard place I don't even know your name You won't even see my face But you choose to play my games Now you can feel the hard, the hard... Place... 11. THE GHOST OF CAIN In your hour of darkness be not afraid As the moonlight shivers on your grave Come back to find you here Save you from the danger Come back to lead you home From the hooded stranger Conjuring the ghost of Cain He won't let you fall again Return your soul to sleep again By conjuring the ghost of Cain Cross a cork with silver, won't save you now You must pay the ferry man, pay him somehow There's only one place left To take you across the river You'll never know who saved you The angel who delivered Conjuring the ghost of Cain He won't let you fall again Return your soul to sleep again By conjuring the ghost of Cain A streamer from the sun Fire round your heart The earth gives up its dead The brothers are apart Conjuring the ghost of Cain He won't let you fall again Return your soul to sleep again By conjuring the ghost of Cain Conjuring the ghost of Cain He won't let you fall again Return your soul to sleep again By conjuring the ghost of Cain 12. OMEGA The ashes drift away, smoke of our confusion We turn our frightened faces to each other, say goodbye Waited for the sign, waited for the moment Waited for the miracle to arrive I guess they lied Look at your future Take a look at your burning sky Look at your future Look at your burning sky The others, they have gone Who wants to live forever With nothing left to hold onto the past that we once knew? We believed in heaven, we believed in angels With arms of purest white To hold us, catch us when we fall Look at your future Take a look at your burning sky Look at your future Now look at your burning sky Now it's Omega-Zero day The red star shines its last rays The sun that gave us life yesterday Is now the sun that takes our lives away Take a look at your future Look at your burning sky Look at your future Look at your burning sky Now it's Omega-Zero day The red star shines its last rays The sun that gave us life yesterday Is now the sun that takes our lives away Now it's Omega-Zero day The red star shines its last rays The sun that gave us life yesterday Is now the sun that takes our lives away 13. ARC OF SPACE There, on a lonely desert hilltop The pilgrims huddle closer Waiting for a sign, the coming silver shrine The arc of space and time Truth, oh, the truth is never clear Perhaps again next year The hope lives on beneath the blazing sun One day you'll come In my heart I reach you In my heart I reach out to you In my heart I touch the face of God In my dreams somehow... In my heart I reach you In my heart I reach out to you In my heart I touch the face of God It's all a dream... In my heart I reach you In my heart I reach out to you In my heart I touch the face of God It's all a dream, somehow... Truth, oh, the truth is never clear Perhaps again next year The hope lives on beneath the blazing sun One day you'll come NOTE: All lyrics are the property and copyright of their owners. All lyrics provided for educational purposes only.