To Tame a Land (7:23)
234,255 plays (59,647 listeners)
“To Tame a Land” is the closing track on Iron Maiden’s fourth studio album, Piece of Mind.
It was inspired by the classic science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. However, when Steve Harris requested permission from the author to name the song “Dune” and to use a spoken quotation as the track’s intro, his request was met with a stern reply from Frank Herbert’s agent: “No. Because Frank Herbert doesn’t like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially rock bands like Iron Maiden”. This statement was backed up with a legal threat, and eventually the song was renamed “To Tame a Land” and released in 1983.
The song contains some unusual modulations (such as from B minor to Ab minor just before the main riff sets in). Around 4:09 into the track, it quotes the main theme of classical guitar showpiece Leyenda (Asturias) by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz.
“To Tame a Land” has been covered by the Pyrenean band Stille Volk (under the title “Adoumestica Una Terro”). The song was also covered in 2008 by Dream Theater on the tribute CD Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden released by Kerrang! magazine, and is included in the special edition release of their 2009 album Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
It was inspired by the classic science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. However, when Steve Harris requested permission from the author to name the song “Dune” and to use a spoken quotation as the track’s intro, his request was met with a stern reply from Frank Herbert’s agent: “No. Because Frank Herbert doesn’t like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially rock bands like Iron Maiden”. This statement was backed up with a legal threat, and eventually the song was renamed “To Tame a Land” and released in 1983.
The song contains some unusual modulations (such as from B minor to Ab minor just before the main riff sets in). Around 4:09 into the track, it quotes the main theme of classical guitar showpiece Leyenda (Asturias) by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz.
“To Tame a Land” has been covered by the Pyrenean band Stille Volk (under the title “Adoumestica Una Terro”). The song was also covered in 2008 by Dream Theater on the tribute CD Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden released by Kerrang! magazine, and is included in the special edition release of their 2009 album Black Clouds & Silver Linings.
Video
Added by jamzales
from Piece of Mind
Share Video
See 8 more
Related Tracks
-
Quest for Fire
Iron Maiden -
Sun and Steel
Iron Maiden -
Book Of Thel
Bruce Dickinson -
Accident Of Birth
Bruce Dickinson -
Painkiller
Judas Priest -
Breaking The Law
Judas Priest
Albums featuring this track
-
Piece of Mind
Iron Maiden Buy- Download Album
- Amazon MP3 Search
- 7digital Search
- iTunes Search
- Buy Album
- Amazon Search
- eBay Search
Shouts
-
DareDevilJMAN wrote:
Frank Herbert didn't like the way that Steve Harris portrayed Paul as a hero. Paul is an evil, horrible man and Iron Maiden made a fantasy of it.
-
QuietJustice wrote:
One of the greatest finishes to an album I've ever heard.
-
needle8 wrote:
aaaahg, love that bass!
-
arsenalwa wrote:
Epic.
-
Lambuz wrote:
Great.
-
Irenicus_ wrote:
To Tame a Land is a way better song title than just Dune, at least to me.
-
Bozar wrote:
made me read "dune" and experience, that frank herbert is a wimp, because he did not allow steve to use the original name of the novel and forced him to name it "to tame a land" [2]
-
WiffleBallTony wrote:
@settlehead How the hell is this song overrated? This is one of the least mentioned of Maiden's epics, but I say it's their best. The writing is just absolute brilliance. The way that the key modulates, Steve's basslines... AH!! It's so great.
-
pimster79 wrote:
aint heard that 1 in ages good track
-
Bernd336 wrote:
lange nicht gehört!!
-
elyador wrote:
This is awesome. Because of this, I have Dune on order from amazon. If more great bands did songs like these, the decreasing trend in the number of americans who read would stop. I have to agree that the song is Epic as FUCK.
-
Uwe1969 wrote:
perfect
-
cuffb wrote:
AWESOME !!! GREAT SOLO & KILLER BASS THROUGHOUT
-
maidensbigesfan wrote:
there's alway's 1 asswhole in the crowd.iwasapenguin,It's only the most evolved track on the album.I'd like to tame you on the concrete!FAGGET!
-
roorybacky wrote:
epic as FUCK.
-
Angelripper999 wrote:
My favorite song 4 ever, solo are amazing
-
hnava wrote:
never gets old
-
zim389 wrote:
Underrated as fuck.
-
Diego_Teco wrote:
Just LOVE the lyrics. *-*
-
settlehead wrote:
Overrated as fuck.
Iron Maiden
To Tame a Land
full track
Listeners
-
Deathhills
Top Listener
-
Sub0Zero
Top Listener
-
Legendario1
Top Listener
-
knoyleo
Top Listener
-
ryanjanssen138
Top Listener
-
CyanHammer
Top Listener
Recent Activity
-
zax121, Alonso101191 and nattferd loved Iron Maiden – To Tame a Land. yesterday evening
-
CO2farenheit tagged To Tame a Land with ‘heavy metal’. yesterday morning
-
slipknot1233 and rohs52 loved Iron Maiden – To Tame a Land. yesterday morning
-
Lck84 tagged Iron Maiden – To Tame a Land with science fiction, the spice must flow, arrakis and 3 other tags. Friday evening
-
Deliberated, Trvenot, priscilajordao and 1 other person loved Iron Maiden – To Tame a Land. Friday evening
-
straywebsurfer added To Tame a Land to the playlist Hard Rock/Hard Metal/Power Metal!. Thursday morning
-
sheena__harris, GosThePuk, dan89wwe and 4 other people loved Iron Maiden – To Tame a Land. Wednesday morning
-
r11293 added To Tame a Land to r11293’s library. Monday evening
-
r11293 added To Tame a Land to a deleted playlist. Monday evening
-
Greebo_Rox added To Tame a Land to his Loved Tracks. Monday evening
Related Journals
-
The Greatest Show on Earth
by MelodeathAddict |
3 Nov 2009 | 7 comments
-
Random Title
by Czajnik_69 |
1 May 2009 | Add comment
-
Those stupid lists part I: Iron Maiden
by Snowman01 |
4 Nov 2008 | 1 comment
