Fear of the Dark (song)

Last updated
"Fear of the Dark"
Song by Iron Maiden
from the album Fear of the Dark
Released11 May 1992 (1992-05-11)
Recorded1991 – April 1992
Studio Barnyard, Essex, England
Genre Heavy metal
Length7:16
Label EMI
Songwriter(s) Steve Harris
Producer(s)

"Fear of the Dark" is a song by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. Written by Steve Harris, the band's bass player and primary songwriter, it serves as the title track to Iron Maiden's 1992 album Fear of the Dark .

Contents

The song has been covered by several different artists. In 2008, it was covered by Fightstar for Kerrang! magazine's Maiden Heaven tribute album. [1]

The Flight 666 version of the song was released as downloadable content for the Rock Band video game series on 9 June 2009.

Lyrics

The song's lyrics tell the story of a man who has always been intensely afraid of the dark. He recalls the many times he has walked alone, and recollections of the feeling of being followed while walking at night. Strictly, the song is about paranoid ideas (fear of being watched or harmed by other persons) rather than phobia (fear of objects and situations), even though the latter is referred to in the lyrics ("Have a phobia that someone's always there"); darkness seems to be the context rather than the reason for the fear.

According to Bruce Dickinson, Steve Harris wrote this song because he himself was really afraid of the dark. [2]

Members

Album appearances

Album titleYearTypeRecording location and date
Fear of the Dark 1992StudioBarnyard – Essex, England (1991-92)
A Real Live One 1993Live Ice HallHelsinki, Finland (27 August 1992)
Live at Donington 1993Live Monsters of RockDonington ParkLeicestershire, England (22 August 1992)
Raising Hell 1994Live Pinewood StudiosIver, England (28 August 1993)
Best of the Beast 1996LiveIce Hall – Helsinki, Finland (27 August 1992)
A Real Live Dead One 1998LiveIce Hall – Helsinki, Finland (27 August 1992)
Eddie's Head 1998Studio/LiveBarnyard – Essex, England (1991-92)
Ice Hall – Helsinki, Finland (27 August 1992)
Monsters of Rock – Donington Park – Leicestershire, England (22 August 1992)
Ed Hunter 1999StudioBarnyard – Essex, England (1991-92)
Rock in Rio 2002Live Rock in Rio 3Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (19 January 2001)
Edward the Great 2002/05LiveRock in Rio 3 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (19 January 2001)
WestfalenhallenDortmund, Germany (24 November 2003)
Visions of the Beast 2003LiveRock in Rio 3 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (19 January 2001)
Monsters of Rock – Donington Park – Leicestershire, England (22 August 1992)
The Essential Iron Maiden 2005LiveRock in Rio 3 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (19 January 2001)
Death on the Road 2005LiveWestfalenhallen – Dortmund, Germany (24 November 2003)
Flight 666 2009Live Estadio Ferro Carril OesteBuenos Aires, Argentina (7 March 2008)
From Fear to Eternity 2011LiveRock in Rio 3 – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (19 January 2001)
En Vivo! 2012Live Estadio NacionalSantiago, Chile (10 April 2011)
The Book of Souls: Live Chapter 2017Live Arena CastelãoFortaleza, Brazil (24 March 2016)
Nights of the Dead 2020Live Palacio de los DeportesMexico City, Mexico (27–30 September 2019)

Covers

Live single

"Fear of the Dark (live)"
MaidenFear93.jpeg
Single by Iron Maiden
from the album A Real Live One
B-side
Released1 March 1993 (1993-03-01)
Recorded27 August 1992
Venue Helsinki Ice Hall
Genre Heavy metal
Length7:22
Label EMI
Songwriter(s) Steve Harris
Producer(s) Steve Harris
Iron Maiden singles chronology
"Wasting Love"
(1992)
"Fear of the Dark (live)"
(1993)
"Hallowed Be Thy Name (live)"
(1993)

A live version of the song was released on 1 March 1993 to promote A Real Live One , a live album featuring recordings from various concerts throughout the Fear of the Dark Tour. This song was recorded at the Helsinki Ice Hall on 27 August 1992. It is the 26th single released by the band, reaching number 8 in the UK charts.

Different tracks taken from the same album served as B-sides, including "Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter", "Be Quick or Be Dead", and "Tailgunner", in addition to "Hooks in You", recorded in 1990 during the No Prayer on the Road tour. The initial pressing of the 7" cut-to-shape vinyl picture disc listed "Hooks in You" as the B-side but actually played "Tailgunner". This mis-press was quickly corrected by EMI on future pressings.

"Fear of the Dark" was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1994 in the "Best Metal Performance" category, but lost to "I Don't Want to Change the World" by Ozzy Osbourne. [8]

The single's cover art features Eddie playing Steve Harris' signature Fender Precision Bass.

Track listing

7" poster bag single
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fear of the Dark" (live at the Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland, 27 August 1992) Steve Harris 7:22
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Tailgunner" (live at Patinoire de Malley, Lausanne, Switzerland, 4 September 1992)4:10
7" picture disc
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fear of the Dark" (live at the Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland, 27 August 1992)Harris7:22
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
2."Hooks in You" (live at Wembley Arena, London, England, 17 December 1990)
3:45
Italy 12" maxi single
Side one
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fear of the Dark" (live at the Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland, 27 August 1992)Harris7:22
2."Be Quick or Be Dead" (live at Super Rock festival, Mannheim, Germany, 15 August 1992)
3:20
Side two
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
3."Hooks in You" (live at Wembley Arena, London, England, 17 December 1990)
3:45
UK CD maxi single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fear of the Dark" (live at the Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland, 27 August 1992)Harris7:22
2."Bring Your Daughter... to the Slaughter" (live at the Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland, 27 August 1992)Dickinson5:30
3."Hooks in You" (live at Wembley Arena, London, England, 17 December 1990)
  • Dickinson
  • Smith
3:45
Italy and The Netherlands CD maxi single
No.TitleWriter(s)Length
1."Fear of the Dark" (live at the Ice Hall, Helsinki, Finland, 27 August 1992)Harris7:22
2."Be Quick or Be Dead" (live at Super Rock festival, Mannheim, Germany, 15 August 1992)
  • Dickinson
  • Gers
3:20
3."Hooks in You" (live at Wembley Arena, London, England, 17 December 1990)
  • Dickinson
  • Smith
3:45

Chart performance

Chart (1993)Peak
position
Finland (Suomen virallinen lista) [9] 6
Irish Singles Chart [10] 17
UK Singles Chart [11] 8

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United Kingdom (BPI) [12] Silver200,000
Italy (FIMI) [13] Gold50,000
Poland (ZPAV) [14] Gold25,000

^ Shipments figures based on certification alone.

Film

In Fear Street Part One: 1994 , the character Josh Johnson wears an Iron Maiden shirt and is shown listening to the song Fear of the Dark.

Video Games

In February 2024, Iron Maiden collaborated with the asymmetrical horror video game Dead by Daylight, which gave killers Eddie-inspired cosmetics and survivors Iron Maiden band shirts. This song was used as lobby music upon the launch of the collaboration, audible whenever characters had Iron Maiden cosmetics equipped.

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References

  1. "Maiden Heaven - A Tribute to Iron Maiden". Kerrang!. Archived from the original on 25 August 2011. Retrieved 28 February 2014.
  2. "Interview with Bruce Dickinson - June 1992".
  3. Encyclopaedia Metallum - Graveworm (Ita) - Scourge of Malice
  4. Sturm Und Drang - Fear of the Dark on YouTube
  5. Blaze Bayley and Doro Pesch - Fear of the Dark on YouTube
  6. Pentagram - Fear Of The Dark (Live in Izmir) on YouTube
  7. Zorall - Ha volna két életem (Official) on YouTube
  8. "Grammy Awards: Best Metal Performance". Rock on the Net. Retrieved 27 December 2010.
  9. Pennanen, Timo (2006). Sisältää hitin - levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 (in Finnish) (1st ed.). Helsinki: Tammi. ISBN   978-951-1-21053-5.
  10. "Irish singles archive". IRMA . irishcharts.ie. Retrieved 14 October 2011.
  11. "Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive 13 March 1993". Official Charts Company . Retrieved 17 October 2011.
  12. "British single certifications – Iron Maiden – Fear Of The Dark". British Phonographic Industry . Retrieved January 26, 2024.
  13. "Italian single certifications – Iron Maiden – Fear Of The Dark" (in Italian). Federazione Industria Musicale Italiana. 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03. Select "2024" in the "Anno" drop-down menu. Select "Fear Of The Dark" in the "Filtra" field. Select "Singoli" under "Sezione".
  14. "OLiS - oficjalna lista wyróżnień" (in Polish). Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. 2024-06-03. Retrieved 2024-06-03. Click "TYTUŁ" and enter Fear Of The Dark in the search box.