Lyrics of Paschendale by Iron Maiden
In a foreign field he lay
Lonely soldier, unknown grave
On his dying words he prays
Tell the world of Paschendale
Relive all that he’s been through
Last communion of his soul
Rust your bullets with his tears
Let me tell you ’bout his years
Laying low in a blood filled trench
Kill time ’til my very own death
On my face I can feel the falling rain
Never see my friends again
In the smoke, in the mud and lead
Smell the fear and the feeling of dread
Soon be time to go over the wall
Rapid fire and end of us all
Whistles, shouts and more gun fire
Lifeless bodies hang on barbed wire
Battlefield nothing but a bloody tomb
Be reunited with my dead friends soon
Many soldiers eighteen years
Drown in mud, no more tears
Surely a war no-one can win
Killing time about to begin
Home, far away
From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again
The bodies of ours and our foes
The sea of death it overflows
In no man’s land, God only knows
Into jaws of death we go
Crucified as if on a cross
Allied troops they mourn their loss
German war propaganda machine
Such before has never been seen
Swear I heard the angels cry
Pray to god no more may die
So that people know the truth
Tell the tale of Paschendale
Cruelty has a human heart
Every man does play his part
Terror of the men we kill
The human heart is hungry still
I stand my ground for the very last time
Gun is ready as I stand in line
Nervous wait for the whistle to blow
Rush of blood and over we go
Blood is falling like the rain
Its crimson cloak unveils again
The sound of guns can’t hide their shame
And so we die on Paschendale
Dodging shrapnel and barbed wire
Running straight at cannon fire
Running blind as I hold my breath
Say a prayer symphony of death
As we charge the enemy lines
A burst of fire and we go down
I choke a cry but no-one hears
Feel the blood go down my throat
Home, far away
From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again
Home, far away
From the war, a chance to live again
Home, far away
But the war, no chance to live again
See my spirit on the wind
Across the lines, beyond the hill
Friend and foe will meet again
Those who died at Paschendale
Historical Background
In short: The song is about the Battle of Passchendaele in World War I.
Paschendale – The Horror of the Great War
Some battles change borders. Others scar history forever.
Paschendale by Iron Maiden is not just a song—it’s a haunting retelling of one of the most brutal battles of World War I. The Battle of Passchendaele (1917) was a meat grinder of mud, blood, and suffering, where hundreds of thousands died for mere inches of land.
This is how men were sent to die in the trenches of Flanders.
July – November 1917: The Battle of Passchendaele
“In a foreign field he lay, lonely soldier, unknown grave.”
Passchendaele, located in Flanders, Belgium, became a symbol of senseless slaughter.
- British and Commonwealth forces, led by General Douglas Haig, launched an offensive against German lines.
- The battle lasted over 100 days in conditions so wet and muddy that soldiers drowned in the trenches.
- By November 1917, when the battle ended, over 600,000 men had been killed, wounded, or missing—for a gain of just 5 miles (8 km).
“Drown in mud, no more tears. Surely a war no one can win.”
Life in the Trenches – A Living Hell
“Laying low in a blood-filled trench, kill time ’til my very own death.”
Soldiers spent months in flooded trenches, surrounded by disease, corpses, and constant shelling.
- Trench foot and dysentery ran rampant.
- The sound of artillery never stopped—shelling could last weeks without pause.
- Many young soldiers were just 18 years old, sent into a war they barely understood.
“Whistles, shouts, and more gunfire. Lifeless bodies hang on barbed wire.”
Before every attack, officers would blow whistles, signaling soldiers to charge across No Man’s Land—only to be mowed down by machine guns.
The Futility of War
“Blood is falling like the rain, its crimson cloak unveils again.”
Despite the massive losses, neither side gained a significant advantage.
- The landscape was shattered—trenches flooded, bodies rotted, and artillery craters filled with water.
- Soldiers often drowned in mud as they tried to move forward.
- Even survivors suffered from shell shock (now known as PTSD).
“See my spirit on the wind, across the lines, beyond the hill. Friend and foe will meet again, those who died at Paschendale.”
Passchendaele became a symbol of the pointless slaughter of WWI. Many soldiers were never identified, their bodies lost to the mud.
The Aftermath – Was It Worth It?
“Crucified as if on a cross, Allied troops, they mourn their loss.”
The British claimed victory, but at a devastating cost.
- The land gained was abandoned in 1918 during the German Spring Offensive.
- The battle was one of the deadliest in British history, forever linked to the horrors of trench warfare.
- Many historians question if the attack was necessary at all.
Passchendaele remains one of the darkest chapters in military history—a battle where hundreds of thousands died for nothing.
Want to Learn More?
- 🎥 Short YouTube Explanation of Passchendaele – A simple and short explanation video.
- 📖 Battle of Passchendaele (Wikipedia) – The full history of the battle.
- 🎥 Trench Warfare in World War I (YouTube) – A look at what life was like in the trenches.
- 📖 Douglas Haig (Wikipedia) – The general who led British forces in the battle.
- 📖 No Man’s Land (Wikipedia) – The deadly battlefield between opposing trenches.
- 📖 Shell Shock & PTSD (Wikipedia) – How the horrors of trench warfare affected soldiers for life.
The Lesson?
Some battles win wars. Others only bring suffering.
And at Passchendaele, soldiers learned the true cost of war the hard way.