**The Number of the Beast** is the fifth song from the album of the same name and the seventh single from the great band **Iron Maiden**. It was written by bassist **Steve Harris** in 1982.

This song is inspired by a nightmare that Steve had after seeing the movie **Damien: Omen II**, second chapter of the trilogy created by Richard Donner. This song is one of the greatest hits of **Iron Maiden** and is almost always played at concerts. At the beginning of the song there is an introduction that is interpreted by **Barry Clayton**, it narrates a fragment of the book of the Apocalypse **(Revelations)**.


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The lyrics of the song are about a man who dreams that he is in hell, with people doing satanic rituals and sacrifices. At first, he believes that he must report the events to the law, but eventually, he begins to fall into a trance and decides that he will return with them. The biblical quote from the first 10 seconds of the song was recorded by **Vincent Price.**

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