"Flight of Icarus" is a song by the English heavy metal band Iron Maiden. It was released as their eighth single and the first from their fourth studio album, Piece of Mind (1983). It was the band's first single to be released in the United States, becoming one of their few songs to gain substantial airplay,[1] peaking at No. 8 on the Billboard Top Album Tracks chart - the highest position of any Iron Maiden single in the US.[2] It was also a success in the UK, peaking at No. 11 on the UK Singles Chart. It is also the band's first release to feature Nicko McBrain, who replaced Clive Burr on drums in 1982.
The song is loosely based on the ancient Greek myth of Icarus[3] who was imprisoned with his father Daedalus in the palace of Knossos on Crete. In an attempt to escape, the pair fabricated wings from feathers and wax so they could fly away. Unfortunately Icarus, not heeding the advice of his father, flew too close to the Sun, melting the wax that held the feathers and thus fell to his death in the sea. Vocalist Bruce Dickinson modified the original tale to make it an allegory of teenage rebellion against adult authority, which caused the death of Icarus in this case.[4]
The single cover, in something of a parody of the original myth, portrays a winged Eddie killing Icarus with a flamethrower. Icarus resembles the figure in Evening: Fall of Day, by William Rimmer, which was used as a label logo by Led Zeppelin. According to the artist, Derek Riggs, this is a reference to Led Zeppelin's break-up a few years before.[4]