Iron Maiden: Run to the Hills Meaning

Song Released: 1982

Run to the Hills Lyrics

White man came across the sea
He brought us pain and misery
He killed our tribes, he killed our creed
He took our game for his own needs
We fought him hard we fought him well
Out on the plains we gave him hell
But many came too much for...

1. 1TOP RATED

   #1 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Mar 27th 2009 !⃝

   This song is about the colonization of the Wild West as the US Calvary slaughtered the Plains Indians. The Plains Indians are the most famous (Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull) because they were the last to be defeated and placed onto reservations. Most European Nations are smitten with tribes like the Lakota . . . .
   
   The CHerokee are the largest Nation - not the Cree (who are actually the Iyiniwok)
   
   Indians did fight and kill cowboys and cowboys did fight and kill the indians!! The cowboys were some of the first to come across the Great Plains (before the whites starting settling the plains) as they herded cattle from Texas and Mexico.

2. 2TOP RATED

   #2 top rated interpretation:
   anonymous

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   Nov 2nd 2008 !⃝

   This song is neat in that the drum rolls give you the impression of the US Cavalry storming the plains in pursuit of the Indians. Perfect example of music creating mental visions, I love it.
   
   Song actually is split in two parts: First part is taken from the Indians' side, as the white man came, etc. Then the settlers perspective comes in, and the chaos that ensues.
   
   Good stuff. Maiden rules.... Dickinson on vocals brings so much definition to the lyrics. Pure awesomeness...
3. anonymous

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   Nov 28th 2020 !⃝

   Duh.
   
   The song CLEARLY mentions "chasing the Redskins" and "soldiers blue" = no cowboys, European settlers, Central / South American natives, or "predictions of the future". The song refers to the American cavalry during the 1800's when they saw the Natives as a "plague" or "scourge" and began destroying their reputation by means such as claiming they attacked settlers etc. The song begins with the Natives' curiosity about these newcomers, who had originated from "across the sea" (ie the Pilgrims), who "brought them pain and mysery ... taking their lands". It then turns to the perspective of the soldiers, claiming to be "protectors of the white folk" who begin to rape and enslave the women and kill the men; the Natives are encouraged to "run to the hills ... for their lives" out of necessity regarding being killed otherwise -- but the song reveals the Natives' plans to regroup and attack, egged on by the beating of their (war) drums ... and it'll be the cavalry "running for THEIR lives"
4. anonymous

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   Nov 15th 2020 !⃝

   The song first tells you a story as in how shit hits the fan. Then it goes on advising you as in how to prevent the next ending cycle : run to the hills. Brasstown Bald is the highest point in the U.S. state of Georgia. Located in northeast Georgia, the mountain is known to the native Cherokee people as Enotah. That is the hill the song started with: re telling the Natives ancient stories as in how and why they got to that place, in the first place.
5. anonymous

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   Apr 29th 2020 !⃝

   It’s not about the Andes, the issue was very different in North America than in South America...and Indians ran to the missions to avoid slavery (see the famous film by Zefirelli with Robert De Niro and Jeremy Irons), not to the hills, the Andes are more than 1000 kilometres away from the cities of those times...besides in the Andes lived other tribes who were warriors too. The Incans were not in South America. In those times other smaller and not imperialists tribes lived like the Guaraníes, Pampas, Araucanos, to name a few. Incans also raped, slaved and killed other tribes. Study a bit more before writing anything.
6. anonymous

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   Mar 5th 2012 !⃝

   this song is about boobies
7. anonymous

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   Feb 4th 2012 !⃝

   I believe what this song talks about is giving every body a warning whats about to come in the next couple years, what F.E.M.A will do to every body.Its just another hidden message and hes letting us know when that does happen that we can hide in the hills when FEMA comes in control.DO research on F.E.M.A on you will know that truth about there prison camps.
8. anonymous

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   Oct 26th 2011 !⃝

   To be nothin depth about why our people have been here for about 60,000 years migrating across an ice bridge known as the bering land bridge connecting siberia and Alaska about 12,000 years ago. Our people moved onword splitting into tribes the first settlement was accomplished about 8000 bce. We had accomplished farming hunting and family. It was you people who had came got us sick with your diseases, and you wonder why we couldnt fight back we lost most of our people to these germs and disease you brought took our family women, kids... Homes. Land... And our ways. No its not an ordinary cow boy Indian fight. It never was and never will be we ran not because we were forced to, but with choice and honour, respect we were out numbered. Still might be today but that doesnt stop our brothers and sisters fight for what you took.... And now you keep raping us for more, and you wonder why we hate yous. This song has a meaning to me, it also is meaningless to me. Think about it this way , if we were left alone we wouldnt have to worry about whities makin songs about us. Onen!
9. anonymous

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   Jul 16th 2011 !⃝

   Having revenge.
10. anonymous

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    May 23rd 2011 !⃝

    This song is about how the Europeans came to North America and took what they wanted killed who they wanted and no one could stop them.
11. anonymous

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    May 7th 2011 !⃝

    It's about occupation and it shows what israelis are doing to the palestinians.
12. anonymous

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    Nov 16th 2010 !⃝

    im pretty sure this songs about either the andes mtns and the white man (columbus and them. spainiards) and how they RAPED the incan and other native americans of the south, and they enslaved so many, and how they killed many of the men, and taught the children things the natives didnt want the children to be taught. OR about the northeast, being taken by the (of course) euro.s, and how they took the native north americans land. and lifestyles and kids and women. and "hills" being either appalachian mtns' hills, or andes hills.
13. anonymous

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    Feb 14th 2009 !⃝

    This is clearly about Europeans coming to claim the western world and is viewed from the perspective of the natives already there.
14. anonymous

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    Feb 8th 2009 !⃝

    "But many came, too much for Cree"
    
    Cree is the largest group of indigenous people in North America (according to Wikipedia), and the military might of the settlers crushed even mighty Cree when the tribe tried to fight back.
15. maryjane_28

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    Nov 18th 2008 !⃝

    the song is really about how the indians are dissing on the white man for taking their land and how they fought for their land but didn't succeed...
16. anonymous

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    Oct 14th 2008 !⃝

    Very simple.
    
    It portrays in the beginning, the white men came from Europle (across the sea) and seattled on the land previously lived on by the native americans (indians). Then it goes on to tell about their territory expansion and how when the natives finally revolted against them, a war broke out. THE NATIVES NEVER FOUGHT COWBOYS. They fought with the American army, cowboys were just settlers who took the land after the natives were pushed out by the army.
17. anonymous

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    Oct 5th 2008 !⃝

    Rather easy one. The first verse tells you what it's about.
    
    Native Americans fighting Europeans.

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