Editing The Number of the Beast (album) (section)

==Songs==
{{Main|Run to the Hills|The Number of the Beast (song)|Hallowed Be Thy Name (song)}}
"Run to the Hills" was released as a single on 12 February 1982, two weeks before Iron Maiden's UK tour, acting as a preview for the forthcoming album, which would not be released until two days after the British dates ended.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=226}} Released alongside a music video, made using live footage and clips from [[Buster Keaton]] films,{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=226}} the single performed remarkably well, earning the band their first top ten entry in the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="UK"/> As they were rushing to complete the album in time, as well as record and mix the single for an even earlier release, the band hastily selected "Total Eclipse" as the [[A-side and B-side|B-side]].{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=225}}

As they had written too much material, they had to choose between "Total Eclipse" and "Gangland" for the "Run to the Hills" B-side, with the understanding that the other song would appear on the album.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=225}} Several band-members have since expressed regret over the decision, with Steve Harris commenting, "We just chose the wrong track as the B-side. I think if 'Total Eclipse' had been on the album instead of 'Gangland' it would have been far better."{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=225}} On top of this, Harris has stated that the record's opening track, "Invaders", was not good enough, commenting that it "could have been replaced with something a bit better, only we didn't have anything else to replace it with at the time. We had just enough time to do what we did, and that was it."{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=225}} "Total Eclipse" was added to the 1998 CD reissue, and replaced "Gangland" on the 2022 40th Anniversary reissue vinyl.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.brooklynvegan.com/iron-maiden-announce-3lp-number-of-the-beast-40th-anniversary-edition-live-album-included/ | title=Iron Maiden announce 3LP 'Number of the Beast' 40th Anniversary Edition (Live album included) | date=29 September 2022 | access-date=13 December 2022 | archive-date=13 December 2022 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221213180403/https://www.brooklynvegan.com/iron-maiden-announce-3lp-number-of-the-beast-40th-anniversary-edition-live-album-included/ | url-status=live}}</ref>

While the title track was considered by many religious groups in the United States as evidence that Iron Maiden was a Satanic band, the song was in fact inspired by a nightmare that bassist [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]] had, triggered by watching the film ''[[Damien: Omen II]]'' late at night.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=224}} In addition, Harris has stated that the lyrics were also influenced by [[Robert Burns]]' ''[[Tam o' Shanter (poem)|Tam o' Shanter]]''.<ref name="NOTBDVD"/> The track opens with a spoken introduction from the [[Book of Revelation]], read by actor Barry Clayton.<ref name=Clayton/> According to Dickinson, the band originally approached [[Vincent Price]] to record the passage, but were unwilling to pay Price's fee of £25,000.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/bruce-dickinson-iron-maiden-to-tour-in/ |title=Bruce Dickinson: Iron Maiden to tour in 2005 |access-date=9 January 2012 |date=8 June 2004 |work=[[Blabbermouth.net]] |archive-date=2 December 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202232338/http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/bruce-dickinson-iron-maiden-to-tour-in/ |url-status=live}}</ref> Although the liner notes state that the passage is from [[Revelation 13:18]],<ref name="original liner notes"/><ref name="linernotes"/> the first line comes from 12:12.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Gilmour |first1=Michael |title=Iron Maiden Reads the Book of Revelation |url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-gilmour/iron-maiden-book-of-revelation_b_1141164.html |access-date=12 September 2014 |work=[[The Huffington Post]] |date=15 December 2011 |archive-date=12 September 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140912183123/http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-gilmour/iron-maiden-book-of-revelation_b_1141164.html |url-status=live}}</ref>

The closing song "Hallowed Be Thy Name" has remained in all but three of the band's setlists since the album's recording (the only exceptions being the [[Maiden England World Tour]] 2012–14, the second leg of the [[The Book of Souls World Tour|Book of Souls World Tour]] in 2017, and the [[The Future Past World Tour|Future Past World Tour]] in 2023).<ref name="NOTBDVD"/> [[AllMusic]] describes the track as "perhaps the most celebrated of the band's extended epics; it's the tale of a prisoner about to be hanged, featuring some of Harris' most philosophical lyrics."<ref name="allmusic"/> Several band-members have since stated that it is one of their favourite tracks, with Dickinson describing it as "fantastic" and that performing it live is like "narrating a movie to the audience."<ref name="NOTBDVD"/> A live version of the song was released in 1993, gaining the band another top ten placement in the UK Singles Chart.<ref name="UK"/>

"Children of the Damned" is based on the films ''[[Village of the Damned (1960 film)|Village of the Damned]]'' and ''[[Children of the Damned]]'',<ref name="NOTBDVD"/> which in turn were adapted from the novel ''[[The Midwich Cuckoos]]'' by [[John Wyndham]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.timeout.com/london/film/children-of-the-damned |title=Children of the Damned (1963) |access-date=26 January 2012 |work=[[Time Out (magazine)|Time Out London]] |archive-date=21 May 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130521023820/http://www.timeout.com/london/film/children-of-the-damned |url-status=live}}</ref> On his last radio show for [[BBC Radio 6]], during a segment in tribute to the late [[Ronnie James Dio]], Dickinson mentioned that ''Children of the Damned'' was inspired by [[Black Sabbath]]'s "[[Children of the Sea (song)|Children of the Sea]]".<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sj689 |title=Bruce Dickinson Friday Rock Show- 28/05/2010 |access-date=12 October 2011 |work=[[BBC Online]] |archive-date=11 December 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101211145712/http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00sj689 |url-status=live}}</ref>

"The Prisoner" was inspired by the [[The Prisoner|British TV show of the same name]], and features dialogue from its title sequence. The band's manager, [[Rod Smallwood]], had to telephone [[Patrick McGoohan]] to ask permission to use the audio clips for the song and was extremely hesitant during his conversation with whom Smallwood himself describes as "a real bona fide superstar actor".{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=227}} McGoohan was reported to have said "What did you say the name was? A rock band, you say? Do it."{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=227}} Iron Maiden later made another song based on the series, "Back in the Village" from 1984's ''[[Powerslave]]''.<ref>{{cite journal |title=Show Me The Mummy |journal=Kerrang! Legends |first=Dom |last=Lawson |issue=2 |pages=46–47 |publisher=Bauer Media Group}}</ref>

"22 Acacia Avenue", which is the second song in the "Charlotte the Harlot" saga, was originally written by Adrian Smith several years earlier while playing in his old band, [[Urchin (band)|Urchin]]. According to Smith, Steve Harris remembered hearing the song at an Urchin concert in a local park, and modified it for ''The Number of the Beast'' album.{{sfn|Wall|2004|p=167}} The Urchin song this song was based on was called "Countdown".<ref>{{Cite web |date=2018-03-12 |title=Case against Iron Maiden's "Hallowed Be Thy Name" settled in full; Maiden issue statement {{!}} Metal Insider |url=https://metalinsider.net/updates/case-against-iron-maidens-hallowed-be-thy-name-settled-in-full |access-date=2024-02-18 |website=metalinsider.net |language=en-US}}</ref>