Iron Maiden
Lyric guide

Run To The Hills

The 1982 single from 'The Number of the Beast' tells the story of colonial violence from two perspectives.

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Quick meaning

A fast read before the full lyric

The 1982 single from 'The Number of the Beast' tells the story of colonial violence from two perspectives.

The verse 'White man came across the sea / He brought us pain and misery' sets the scene plainly.

It's a first-person account of invasion and loss, detailing the killing of tribes and creed.

Editor's note

Iron Maiden's 'Run to the Hills' and its brutal history

The 1982 single from 'The Number of the Beast' tells the story of colonial violence from two perspectives.

Run to the hills

The verse 'White man came across the sea / He brought us pain and misery' sets the scene plainly. It's a first-person account of invasion and loss, detailing the killing of tribes and creed. The perspective then flips to the colonizer's view with lines about 'chasing the redskins back to their holes.'

That simple, shouted phrase becomes the entire chorus. It's not a metaphor; it's a literal, panicked instruction for survival against an overwhelming force.

Bruce Dickinson's delivery on 'Run for your lives' turns a warning into a desperate, repeated command. The relentless pace of the music mirrors the flight it describes.

edit_note Ethan Walker · LyroVerse team · Apr 15
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LyroVerse editor's notes are interpretation guides, not final truth. If something looks off, use comments, reporting, or Contact.

Listen for

What to keep in your ear

the pull of "The Number of the Beast" the pull of "White man came across the sea / He brought us pain and misery" the pull of "chasing the redskins back to their holes."
Lyrics

Run To The Hills

The lyric stays readable and compact here; the note and related paths sit nearby so you do not lose the song while looking for context.

White man came across the sea

He brought us pain and misery

He killed our tribes

He killed our creed

He took our game for his own need

We fought him hard

We fought him well

Out on the plains we gave him hell

But many came too much for cree

Oh, will we ever be set free?

Riding through dust clouds and barren wastes

Galloping hard on the plains

Chasing the redskins back to their holes

Fighting them at their own game

Murder for freedom, the stab in the back

Women and children are cowards attack

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Soldier blue in the barren wastes

Hunting and killing their game

Raping the women and wasting the men

The only good indians are tame

Selling them whiskey and taking their gold

Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Run to the hills

Run for your lives

Quick answers

What this page can answer fast

What is "Run To The Hills" by Iron Maiden about?

The 1982 single from 'The Number of the Beast' tells the story of colonial violence from two perspectives. The verse 'White man came across the sea / He brought us pain and misery' sets the scene plainly. It's a first-person account of invasion and loss, detailing the killing of tribes and creed.

Who performs "Run To The Hills"?

Iron Maiden performs "Run To The Hills", and this lyric page sits inside the Iron Maiden catalog on LyroVerse.

Does LyroVerse have an editor's note for "Run To The Hills"?

Yes. The page carries the LyroVerse editor's note "Iron Maiden's 'Run to the Hills' and its brutal history", followed by the full lyric and related songs.

Are there related songs to explore after "Run To The Hills"?

Yes. The related section below points to Flight Of Icarus and Blood Brothers with a short reason for opening each page next.

Where can I find more songs by Iron Maiden?

Use the artist link near the top of the page or the related paths section below to keep moving through Iron Maiden's lyric pages.

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