The song “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” by 1980s British heavy metal band Iron Maiden is based on the poem written by Samuel Coleridge, and re-tells the legendary poem with the use of metal music and frightening soundscapes as a foundation for the tale. The tale begins with a Mariner narrating a story of a voyage to wedding guests that are about to enter into a wedding celebration. The Mariner speaks about the bad winds and fog he and his crew they experienced at the beginning of the voyage, and how an albatross came to the ship to help guide it. Out of ignorance and overconfidence the Mariner shoots the albatross dead, and because of that there is a price to pay. After shooting it, snake like creatures begin to arise from the water and the ocean becomes violent. As the trip goes on the crew begins dying of thirst, and decide to hang the dead albatross around the Mariners neck to mark him as a sinner, hoping that they will be spared. A ghost ship then appears captained by a ghost named Death and another named Life-In-Death. Death kills the crew of the ship, leaving the Mariner alone, starving, and dehydrated. As the snakes begin to near his ship, the Mariner prays and blesses the snakes, causing the albatross to drop from his neck. Angels have filled his crew mates, and the crew, along with the ocean, push the ship towards a far off port. Once closer to the port the Mariner hears two voices tell him he must continue his penance, and a man in a rescue boat brings him to land. Immediately after touching the earth the Mariner feels a sharp pain inside of him and has the urge to tell his story to the man who brought him home. The pain subsides after the Mariner tells the story but it later returns, and the Mariner must tell his story for it to subside again. He then tells the wedding guests that the reason for telling them the story is to subside the pain, and that he is cursed to wander the earth to tell his tale. I personally love the song and how the story is told. I find that when artists use music to either reimagine or tell a story it provides a whole new atmosphere, and the creepy, metal styled structure this song presents is perfect for the tale.
The song doesn’t stick to typical song structure, as it is almost fifteen minutes long and contains many different sections. Throughout the beginning and end of the song, various fast paced song sections are used, characterized by distorted guitar and strong drum hits. A galloping bass thunders throughout these particular sections, seeming to move the listener through the story. The vocalist Bruce Dickinson makes use of his high octave range to deliver the song’s story right into the listener’s ears, both quoting the poem and describing the tale. The final few minutes are mostly instrumental, still containing distorted guitar and a bass gallop that takes the listener to the end of the tale. The unusual section is the middle portion, where various soundscapes are used to create the atmosphere of the story. Creaking of the ship, the dangerous wind, an eerie bass line, and ghost like noises fill the song, seeking to make the listener feel as though they’re on the ship as well. The section is mostly instrumental until the end, when Bruce delivers low octave speech and singing to push the song back into its heavy instrumental state from before.
The song is based on the fictitious poem by Coleridge, therefore it has no biographical or real-life relevance. The song is very usual for Iron Maiden, as many of their songs are very bass driven and contain stories about monsters, warfare, and various mythical beings. What is special however is the length, as many metal bands including Iron Maiden didn’t have songs longer than five to six minutes. It has no specific relevance to the album it is on, which is Iron Maiden’s 1984 release Powerslave. The special section of the song is the middle section containing the sound effects and eerie bass line. As a listener, I find it cool that the song was successful without being released as a single. Usually the songs that become popular are released as singles, but this song became popular without any extra push from the music industry. Not to mention, the song was also released on the same album as two of Iron Maiden’s most critically acclaimed songs, but still shines and receives the recognition it deserves.
I think this song is perfect for when a listener wants to sit down and get lost in the music. I personally listen to concept albums and storytelling songs when I can completely focus on their story and can become enwrapped in it. If one were to listen to this while working out, blowing off steam, or doing homework, I really do not think the song could be appreciated for all it has to offer. Just as a person watches a movie or reads a book without distraction, I think this song should be treated with the same respect. It’s perfect for any metal or rock playlist that the listener intends to use solely for listening to and enjoying the music.
Works Cited
Dickinson, Bruce. Perf. Steve Harris, Adrian Smith, Nicko McBrain, and Dave Murray.
Rime of the Ancient Mariner. Iron Maiden. Martin Birch, 1984. Cassette.
Iron Maiden. “Rime of the Ancient Mariner – Iron Maiden.” Google Play Music. EMI
Records, n.d. Web. 31 Jan. 2015.
Song Lyrics
https://play.google.com/music/preview/Tl7tpszv2hadiqqcyuwjib7ojgm?lyrics=1&utm_source=google&utm_medium=search&utm_campaign=lyrics&pcampaignid=kp-songlyrics