We’ve hit a big one in the single series, time to go under the hood of one of Iron Maiden’s most beloved songs.

This is another from the series that is fairly standard issue – several variations but all with the same cover and track list. Mine is again a 12 inch version, note that this did get issues primarily as a 7 inch release. This song has been repackaged and re-released with other content so there are multiple releases floating around. Today’s focus will be on the original issue.

The cover art is here is beyond good – this is one of the most recognizable images of Eddie around. Redcoat Eddie holding a tattered Union Jack and his blood-spattered sword with the results of a battle and the Grim Reaper behind him is one of the instant classic pieces in Iron Maiden art. This ranks alongside Powerslave Eddie as one of the mascot’s most revered poses.

The Trooper

The cover art might be iconic, but certainly so is the featured song. It’s a bit of an exercise to pick Iron Maiden’s most recognizable and beloved song, hell those might be two different things. But The Trooper ticks both boxes and is a certain top-tier contender in those battles.

The song’s riff hits right away and is a knockout from the word go. It’s fast-paced and high energy all the way through the song, never letting up. When combined with the bass and drums, the “horse gallop” effect comes in. It’s fairly common through a lot of Iron Maiden songs but is highlighted here big time. I mean, I love it and I personally can’t stand riding horses.

This is a case of a Maiden song where Bruce really isn’t the shining star. Sure, he delivers the vocals splendidly, but there is no real “human air raid siren” moments here. He just belts out the lines and the ever-so-simple chorus that isn’t even real words. It’s the band who do the work on this one, highlighted by two fantastic solos from Adrian Smith and Dave Murray that fit the song like a glove and keep the horses charging in the right direction.

And where are these horses going? Honestly, not in the right direction. The song is based on The Charge of the Light Brigade, a huge blunder by British cavalry in the Crimean War in 1854. The British made a guess about where to best deploy their cavalry units to attack Russian positions and their guess was bad – most of the brigade died in the attack. It was immortalized in a poem by Lord Alfred Tennyson and that poem is where Iron Maiden got much of the inspiration for the song.

The Trooper has endured as one of Iron Maiden’s most popular songs. Bruce often dons a redcoat jacket to compliment the song on stage. The single just missed the UK top 10 and was also a rare notable US single, hitting number 28.

Cross Eyed Mary

The B-side is a cover of the beloved Jethro Tull classic. It is a well-done rendition, though sans flute and piano. Here Bruce really does go all out, hitting parts of a range that he wouldn’t normally tackle in Maiden tunes. It’s generally considered one of the best cover songs Maiden did and this also did get some airplay in the US. There is a radio promo single of it though I don’t own it and it’s just this song so it won’t be a part of this series.

That does it for this week’s entry in the singles series, a pretty monumental one. The hits keep rolling as the singles from Powerslave are on deck and we continue the true golden era of Iron Maiden’s career.

The Iron Maiden Singles Series

Live! + One

Running Free

Sanctuary

Women In Uniform

Maiden Japan

Purgatory

Twilight Zone/Wrathchild

Run To The Hills

The Number Of The Beast

Flight Of Icarus

The Trooper (you are here)

2 Minutes To Midnight

Aces High

Run To The Hills (live)

Running Free (live)

Stranger In A Strange Land

Wasted Years

The Clairvoyant

Infinite Dreams

Bring Your Daughter … To The Slaughter

Holy Smoke

Be Quick Or Be Dead

From Here To Eternity

Virus

Out Of The Silent Planet

Rainmaker

Different World

The Reincarnation Of Benjamin Breeg

Empire Of The Clouds