If there was a “Mount Rushmore” for Heavy Metal bands then I propose that Iron Maiden be one of the four bands preserved there in stone. *(Judas Priest, Black Sabbath and Motorhead being the others). Iron Maiden has been making some of the genre’s most epic songs for well over a half century now and yet, unlike many bands that teeter on the edge of aging out into irrelevance, Iron Maiden remain as cool and hip and current as almost any band around due to their connection with the popular television show Stranger Things. The band, in general, and today’s song “The Trooper” specifically, both play an important role in the storyline of this show about misfits and monsters that had so captured the attention of fans over the last decade or so as it appeared on Netflix. This song ties in perfectly with the closing finale of the show because of a true historical event that actually inspired the members of Iron Maiden to write “The Trooper” in the 1980s. That event in question was the infamous Charge of the Light Brigade from the Crimean War made famous, originally, in a poem of the same name by one of the Victorian eras greatest poets Alfred, Lord Tennyson. So, what does a famous poem about a catastrophic British war battle against Russia have to do with Iron Maiden and, in time, with the finale of one of the hottest television shows in recent entertainment history? In order to find out, we have to start with an understanding of what it means to be a social misfit in a world of social conformity, which is something that many people (teenagers and adults) feel, as well as many fans who call themselves metalheads.
One of the overriding story elements at play in Stranger Things was that it was populated with characters who didn’t quite fit in with the normal social scene, for one reason or another but who found strength and a sense of community in each other’s company. One of the characters that was introduced as the seasons went by was a Dungeons & Dragons hosting metalhead named Eddie Munson. In addition to hosting the Hellfire D & D club, Eddie was always championing the idea that heavy metal music is a valid music genre, even though that belief is not shared so readily by his peers. One of the bands that Eddie champions was Iron Maiden. The makers of Stranger Things had a good sense of what it means to be a metalhead, based on how they had written Eddie Munson into the show. In real life, metalheads tend to be a fairly close knit community. Many are drawn to the genre because they don’t see themselves, their ideals or values reflected in other forms of music but they do with Metal. Because they come together as a band of misfits and outcasts from their own world, metalheads tend to be very invested in the bands that they follow and very loyal to them throughout the years. Iron Maiden has stayed true to their origins as a loud, fast, muscular rock band over the years and, as such, their fans have grown with them in a mutli-generational fashion. Because fans of Iron Maiden are now entering their third generation, it made perfect sense for there to be a young fan in the throes of fresh obsession with this legendary band. Eddie Munson has the hair and the uniform of a metalhead but he also has the name that links him inextricably with Iron Maiden. You see, for those unaware, way back in Iron Maiden’s earliest of days, they introduced a hellish looking onstage mascot named….wait for it….Eddie! If you ever wore an Iron Maiden t-shirt then, in all likelihood, you had Eddie’s undead countenance on it. Along with those giant lips from the Rolling Stones, Eddie from Iron maiden is universally recognized as one of the most iconic rock n’ roll symbols ever created. And now, we have an important Heavy Metal loving character named Eddie appear in Stranger Things. Coincidence? I think not.
While the fate of Eddie’s character on the show is not a happy one, his legacy lives on in one of the more memorable scenes as the series finale approached. Eddie Munson and the principal of the high school in which all of the characters attend, didn’t often see eye to eye. Eddie frequently stated to his friends his desire to make a grand gesture of defiance with regard to the principal . This gesture was to flip him the bird as he walked across the stage at graduation time. We all have our dreams of rebellion but, unfortunately for Eddie, he never lived to see his dream come to fruition. However, when graduation time came for the rest of the members of the Hellfire D.& D. club, they decided to honour his memory by realizing his grand vision on his behalf. After the valedictorian speech given by a character named Dustin, he rips his diploma, flips off the principal and unveils his Hellfire Club t-shirt that he was wearing under his graduation gown. Confetti rains down. Eddie’s memory has been honoured. For added relevance, “The Trooper” plays in the background. All seems fitting. But when you know the story behind the song, the ending seems a little more ambiguous, depending on how you view warfare and those who conduct it.
As mentioned earlier, Iron Maiden’s song “The Trooper” was inspired by the poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson called “The Charge of the Light Brigade”. At the time that this poem was written, Alfred, Lord Tennyson had assumed the role of Poet Laureate in England. He is considered by those in the know as being one of the greatest Victorian era poets. In his formal role as Poet Laureate, one of Tennyson’s jobs was to wax poetically about major events of the day in England and the colonies it controlled. Needless to say, the political necessity to show England’s endeavours in a grand and glorious light caused him to often put a shiny spin on the events referenced in his poetry. Such is definitely the case with “The Charge of the Light Brigade”.
In historical terms, the Crimean War was a political spat that erupted between Russia (on the east), Britain and France (on the west), regarding the territorial vacuum created by the coming end of the formally formidable Ottoman Empire that stood between them. When negotiations failed to arrive at any sort of territorial accommodations, war began. One such battle that happened came to be known as the Battle of Balaclava. This battle took place near the Black Sea port/fortress of Sevastopol in Russia. As events unfolded, the French took up positions to the southwest of the city with the English in the southeast. Unfortunately, at a moment in time when English reinforcements had not yet fully arrived, a series of miscommunications ensued that caused the horse back-ridden Light Brigade to believe that it was being ordered to advance toward the Russian front lines to seize the gun emplacements positioned there. The men of the Light Brigade mounted up and charged forward. It was only after they had begun to attack the Russian forward positions that it became clear that the real order was for them to attack but only after the reinforcements had arrived. By the time clarity came to the chain of communications, the undermanned Light Brigade had charged forward. The Russian gunners picked the soldiers off easily. Eventually, the surviving members of the Light Brigade retreated but not before the loss of many men and horses. In military terms, the attack was a colossal failure. It stands as one of the British military’s most embarrassing losses in their storied history.
But when it came time for Alfred, Lord Tennyson, Poet Laureate of England to weigh in and report to the nation about the outcome of the war efforts, he could scarcely do so honestly because to do so would be to publicly criticize the military which, at that time, was viewed with great respect. Instead, Tennyson cloaked the poem with terms that described the noble nature of sacrifice and the valour displayed by Her Majesty’s loyal fighting forces. *(“The Charge of the Light Brigade” is a relatively short poem. I encourage you to stop and click here in order to read it in its entirety before proceeding onward with this post). To this very day, the official language used when speaking of the efforts of our soldiers during times of war tends to involve flowery terms such as valor and sacrifice and courage and determination and the like. Soldiers may feel that way, too but they are the ones who will also speak of mud and destruction and loss and fear and the futility of it all at times.
We often tell ourselves stories to blunt the force of the reality in which we tend to find ourselves. Alfred, Lord Tennyson’s poem “The Charge of the Light Brigade” certainly does that. In the early 1980s, Iron Maiden bassist and main songwriter, Steve Harris took a slightly different approach. While sticking to the general outline of Tennyson’s poem, Harris also took time to describe the carnage from the point of view of one of the members of the Light Brigade who, in the end, becomes a casualty. When the song is performed live, lead singer Bruce Dickenson often dons an authentic red military jacket and waves a tattered British flag. Their song “The Trooper” has gone on to become one of their most successful and popular songs and is widely regarded as one of the foundational songs in the entire genre of Heavy Metal.
I have no doubt that it takes great courage to go into actual battle against a foe who is equally determined to kill you and end your life. So, before going any further, a giant tip of the helmet to any and all soldiers who put their lives on the line for their country. However politics, being what they are, often end up making a mockery of the sacrifices of the very soldiers that were ordered out onto the fields of battle. The battles written about the Crimean War by Tennyson and others back in the 1850s seem remarkably similar to the geopolitical tensions of today. Borders come and borders go. Flags wave in the whispering wind. Young soldiers die for the ambitions of those in suits and ties. War is easy to wage if you are stationed far from the front lines. It’s not so easy when you are in the thick of it.
But warfare of the military kind was not what was really happening throughout the television series Stranger Things. That show was about the power of community, of the importance of empathy and inclusivity and just how wide-ranging the mental and emotional battles are that people face as they attempt to do something as simple as just making it through their day in one piece. Those enormous mental health challenges played out in various ways again and again throughout this series. So, in the end, as Dustin flips the bird at his principal in honour of Eddie Munson while”The Trooper” plays in the background, the misfits of the world united in a moment of triumph. However in the end we are left to determine among ourselves the extent to which this is actually a victory. Has anything actually changed? The power structures that were in place prior to Dustin’s cathartic act remain in place. The social construct of our schools and our society remain as daunting and potentially isolating as ever. I guess that if we are to take any lesson from Stranger Things and from the world of Heavy Metal fandom it is that there is power in union and that as long as kindred spirits exist, we are never truly alone. There is something reassuring to know that even in the darkest of moments, there is someone else out there feeling the exact same way as we do. The trick is to not let the monsters get us before we find each other.
The link to the video for the song “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden can be found here. The lyrics video is here.
The link to the official website for Iron Maiden can be found here. ***Note how prominently displayed is Eddie the mascot on their website.
The link to the official website for Alfred, Lord Tennyson can be found here.
The link to the video for the scene involving Dustin’s graduation speech from the series Stranger Things while “The Trooper” by Iron Maiden roars in at then end can be found here.
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