Aces High

A British RAF pilot's perspective on the first all-aircraft war, featuring Eddie in a Spitfire.

Aces High is the eleventh single released by English heavy metal band Iron Maiden and the second track from their fifth studio album, Powerslave (1984). Written entirely by bassist Steve Harris, the song shifts the narrative focus to the viewpoint of a British RAF pilot engaged in the Battle of Britain in 1940. This conflict marked the first military engagement fought exclusively with aircraft. The accompanying artwork features the band's mascot, Eddie the Head, depicted inside the cockpit of a Supermarine Spitfire, one of the principal fighters used during that historic battle.

Quick Facts

Artist: Iron Maiden
Album: Powerslave
Released: 22 October 1984
Recorded: February – June 1984
Studio: Compass Point (Nassau)
Genre: Heavy metal
Label: EMI; Capitol
Writer: Steve Harris

Lore & Background

The song's lyrics are written strictly from the viewpoint of a British RAF pilot fighting during the Battle of Britain in 1940. This specific conflict is noted as the first military engagement to be fought entirely with aircraft. The visual identity for this track was established through artwork depicting Eddie the Head situated within the cockpit of a Supermarine Spitfire, a principal aircraft that participated in the battle. The song has become one of Iron Maiden's most popular tracks and has been covered numerous times by various artists over the decades.

Reader's Guide

For fans attending concerts, 'Aces High' is frequently used as the opening song. As documented in concert videos like Live After Death and Iron Maiden: Flight 666, the performance is usually preceded by Winston Churchill's famous 'We shall fight on the beaches' speech, accompanied by the sound of planes in the background. This specific intro structure was also present at the beginning of the original music video. The track has been performed across six distinct Iron Maiden tours. It served as the set opener for four major tours: World Slavery Tour, The Ed Hunter Tour, Somewhere Back in Time World Tour, and Legacy of the Beast World Tour. For two other tours, specifically the Maiden England World Tour and Run for Your Lives World Tour, it was positioned as the first song in the encore.

Did You Know?

The first B-side is a medley of Nektar's 'Crying in the Dark' and 'King of Twilight', the last two songs from their 1972 album A Tab in the Ocean.
The music video was filmed in Poland in September 1984 and directed by Jim Yukich.
Gerard Way stated in a 2014 Q magazine interview that the live version of 'Aces High' from Live After Death first made him interested in performing live.
The song appears in the soundtracks for Madden NFL 10, Carmageddon II: Carpocalypse Now, and the mountain bike film New World Disorder III.
Children of Bodom covered the track in 2008 on their album Skeletons in the Closet.