Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Published as first single off Seventh Son of a Seventh Son, “Can I Play with Madness” is the third song on the album.
The Seventh Son confronts a prophet to learn what is happening with the pending birth of his seventh son. The prophet is at least slightly unhinged, and isn’t particularly forthcomi...
[Intro]
Can I play with madness?
[Verse 1]
Give me the sense to wonder
To wonder if I'm free
Give me a sense of wonder
To know I can be me
Give me the strength to hold my head up
Spit back in their face
Don't need no key to unlock this door
Gonna break down the walls
Break out of this bad place
[Chorus]
Can I play with madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness?
There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness?
The prophet looked at me and laughed at me, ha, he said:
Can I play with madness?
He said, "You're blind, too blind to see"
[Post-Chorus]
Oh, said, "You're too blind to see", mmm
[Verse 2]
I screamed aloud to the old man
I said, "Don't lie, don't say you don't know"
I say, "You'll pay for this mischief
In this world or the next"
Oh, and then he fixed me with a freezing glance
And the hell fires raged in his eyes
He said, "Do you want to know the truth, son?
Lord, I'll tell you the truth:
Your soul's gonna burn in the lake of fire"
[Chorus]
Can I play with madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness?
There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness?
The prophet looked at me and laughed at me, ha-ha, he said:
Can I play with madness?
He said, "You're blind, too blind to see"
[Bridge]
Oh, "Listen to me," said the prophet
[Guitar Solo]
[Chorus]
Can I play with madness?
The prophet stared at his crystal ball
Can I play with madness?
There's no vision there at all
Can I play with madness?
The prophet looked and he laughed at me, ha, he said:
Can I play with madness?
He said, "You're blind, too blind to see"
[Outro]
Can I play with madness?
Can I Play with Madness was written by Bruce Dickinson & Adrian Smith & Steve Harris.
Can I Play with Madness was produced by Martin Birch.
Iron Maiden released Can I Play with Madness on Mon Apr 11 1988.
This started out as a ballad called “On the Wings of Eagles”. I had the chorus, chords and melody, then Bruce added the verse and suggested speeding it up. Later on when we actually rehearsed the song Steve came up with the instrumental section.
—Adrian Smith