“Piece of Mind doubled down on Iron Maiden’s novelistic aspirations by having every song borrow from literary or otherwise creative outside inspirations. Most famously, “Flight of Icarus” is based on the Greek myth and “The Trooper” derives from Tennyson’s 1854 poem, “The Charge of the Light Brigade.” Then there’s the Biblical “Revelations,” which also evokes the writings of G. K. Chesterton and Aleister Crowley. Beyond that, “Where Eagles Dare” is titled after Brian G. Hutton’s 1968 war picture; “Die with Your Boots On” references Raoul Walsh’s 1941 movie and the foresight of Nostradamus; “Still Life” comes from Ramsey Campbell’s “The Inhabitant of the Lake”; “Quest for Fire” descends from the 1911 book and 1981 film of the same name; “Sun and Steel” recalls Yukio Mishima’s 1968 autobiographical essay and the life of samurai warrior Miyamoto Musashi; and “To Tame a Land” harkens back to Frank Herbert’s Dune. Clearly, Piece of Mind was Iron Maiden’s most academically rich LP thus far. Plus, it paved the way for both future adaptations (from Coleridge’s “Rime of the Ancient Mariner” on 1984’s Powerslave to Briggs’ “When the Wind Blows” on 2010’s The Final Frontier) and the entire subgenre of power/fantasy metal.”—”40 Years Ago, Iron Maiden Cemented a Classic Lineup with Piece of Mind. The legendary UK metal act also delved deeper into its literary influences.”
“Just a babe in a black abyss
No reason for a place like this
The walls are cold and souls cry out in pain
An easy way for the blind to go
A clever path for the fools who know
The secret of the Hanged Man, the smile on his lips”
Passing mention of Aleister Crowley, and many others.