The Trooper

In 1983, Iron Maiden, an English Heavy metal rock band released their version of the song based on Tennyson's poem, The Charge of the Light Brigade, in their album, Piece of Mind. The song was called "The Trooper". It was written by their Bassist and songwriter, Steve Harris.

You take my life but I'll take yours too
You fire your musket but I run you through
So when you're waiting for the next attack
You'd better stand there's no turning back.

The bugle sounds - the charge begins
But on this battlefield no one wins
The smell of acrid smoke and horses breath
As I plunge on into certain death.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhh!
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhh!

The horse he sweats with fear - we break to run
The mighty roar of the Russian guns
And as we race towards the human wall
The screams of pain as my comrades fall.

We hurdle bodies that lay on the ground
And the Russians fire another round
We get so near yet so far away
We won't live to fight another day.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhh!
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhh!

We get so close near enough to fight
When a Russian gets me in his sights
He pulls the trigger and I feel the blow
A burst of rounds take my horse below.

And as I lay there gazing at the sky
My body's numb and my throat is dry
And as I lay forgotten and alone
Without a tear I draw my parting groan.

O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhh!
O-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-ohhh!

- Steve Harris