"Run To The Hills"

— by Iron Maiden

This song, written about the European arrival to the New World, is told from the perspective of both the oppressed Cree and the invading Anglo-Saxon soldiers. The first verse ("White man came across the sea, he brought us pain and misery") is from the point of view of the Natives. The second verse ("Chasing the redskins back to their holes, fighting them at their own game") is from the white man's eyes, and the last verse ("Selling them whiskey and taking their gold, enslaving the young and destroying the old") is an impartial third-person narration. The cover art for the single featured a Native American with an axe wrestling a devil in Hell. Considering the lyrics, this caused some controversy, as many interpreted this to mean the band was suggesting that the imperialistic whites were devils. In 2002, this was re-released as a single to help promote a tour the band organized to raise money for former drummer Clive Burr, who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis.

White man came across the sea
Brought us pain and misery
Killed our tribes killed our creed
Took our game for his own need
We fought him hard we fought him well
Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for Cree
Oh will we ever be set free?

Riding through dustclouds and barren wastes
Galloping hard on the plains
Chasing the redskins back to their holes
Fighting them at their own game
Murder for freedom a stab in the back
Women and children and cowards attack

Run to the hills run for your lives
Run to the hills run for your lives

Soldier blue on the barren wastes
Hunting and killing their game
Raping the women and wasting the men
The only good Indians are tame
Selling them whiskey and taking their gold
Enslaving the young and destroying the old

Run to the hills run for your lives
Run to the hills run for your lives
Run to the hills run for your lives
Run for your … lives