Written by Bruce Dickinson and Adrian Smith. 
Performed by IRON MAIDEN. 
Taken from the album PIECE OF MIND. 
 
NOTE: 
This song is about Miyamoto Musashi, a legendary 
Japanese Swordsman. 
Iron Maiden have never played this song live. 
 
Transcribed by Oskar "The Seventh Son" Wigren. 
E-mail me at [email protected] 
 
Opening-riff: 
E---------------|------------| 
B---------------|------------| 
G---------------|------------| 
D---------------|------------| 
A--4-7-4-2------|--(2)-------| 
E--2-5-2-0------|--(0)-------| 
 
E-------------------------------------------------| 
B-------------------------------------------------| 
G-------------------------------------------------| 
D-------------------------------------------------| 
A--4-7-4-2-7---4---4------------------------------| 
E--2-5-2-0-5---2---2--2-2-2--2-2-2--2-2-2--2-2-2--| 
 
E--------------------------------------| 
B--------------------------------------| 
G--------------------------------------| 
D--------------------------------------| 
A--7---4---4------------------------2--| 
E--5---2---2--2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2-2--0--| 
 
E------------------------------------------| 
B------------------------------------------| 
G------------------------------------------| 
D------------------------------------------| 
A--7---4---4-------------------------------| 
E--5---2---2--2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2-2--2-2-2--| 
 
E-------------------------------------| 
B-------------------------------------| 
G-------------------------------------| 
D-------------------------------------| 
A--7---4---4-----------------4--7--4--| 
E--5---2---2--2-2-2---2-2-2--2--5--2--| 
 
Verse: 
     You killed your first man at 13 
E-------------------------------------------| 
B-------------------------------------------| 
G-------------------------------------------| 
D-------------------------------------------| 
A--2--2-------------------------------------| 
E--0--0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--| 
 
     Killer instict, animal supreme 
E---------------------------------------------| 
B---------------------------------------------| 
G---------------------------------------------| 
D---------------------------------------------| 
A--2--2------------------------------4-7-4-2--| 
E--0--0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--0-0-0--2-5-2-0--| 
 
Riff 2: 
E------------------------------------------| 
B------------------------------------------| 
G------------------------------------------| 
D------------------------------------------| 
A--7---4---4-------------------------------| 
E--5---2---2--2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2-2--2-2-2--| 
 
E-------------------------------------| 
B-------------------------------------| 
G-------------------------------------| 
D-------------------------------------| 
A--7---4---4-----------------4--7--4--| 
E--5---2---2--2-2-2---2-2-2--2--5--2--| 
 
Chorus: 
Sunlight, falling on your steel. Death in life is... 
E--0-------------------|--3----------------------| 
B--2-------------------|--3----------------------| 
G--2-------------------|--0----------------------| 
D--2-------------------|--0----------------------| 
A--0-------------------|--2----------------------| 
E----------------------|--3----------------------| 
 
..your ideal, life is like a wheel 
E--2----------------------|--0------------------| 
B--3----------------------|--1------------------| 
G--2----------------------|--0------------------| 
D--0----------------------|--2------------------| 
A-------------------------|--3------------------| 
E-------------------------|---------------------| 
 
E--3-----2--------| 
B----3------3-----| 
G------0-------2--| 
D-----------------| 
A-----------------| 
E-----------------| 
 
End of chorus. 
 
Riff 3: 
E--------------|------------------| 
B--------------|------------------| 
G--------------|------------------| 
D--9---7-9-10--|--9-7------4-5----| 
A--------------|------10-------5--| 
E--------------|------------------| 
 
E---------------------------| 
B---------------------------| 
G----------------7----------| 
D--7-9-10---9-10-----4-5----| 
A------------------------4--| 
E---------------------------| 
 
E------------------------------| 
B------------------------------| 
G----------------7---------11--| 
D--7-9-10---9-10-----10-12-----| 
A------------------------------| 
E------------------------------| 
 
E--------------------------------| 
B------------------10---8-10-12--| 
G--9-11-12---11-12---------------| 
D--------------------------------| 
A--------------------------------| 
E--------------------------------| 
 
End of riff 3. 
 
Solo-riff: 
E--------------------------------------------| 
B--------------------------------------------| 
G--------------------------------------------| 
D--------------------------------------------| 
A--4--------------------------------------2--| 
E--2--2-2-2--2-2-2--2-2-2---2-2-2--2-2-2--0--| 
 
Riff 4: 
E----------------------------------| 
B----------------------------------| 
G----------------------------------| 
D----------------------------------| 
A----------------------------------| 
E---2-2-2-3-3-3-4-4-4-5-5-5--6--7--| 
 
E--------------------------| 
B--------------------------| 
G--------------------------| 
D--------------------------| 
A--------------------------| 
E--3---4---5---6--7--8--9--| 
 
End of riff 4. 
 
Song-structure: 
Opening-riff 
Verse 
Riff 2 
Verse 
Riff 2 
Chorus (2 times) 
Riff 2 
Verse 
Riff 2 
Verse 
Riff 2 
Chorus (2 times) 
Riff 3 (2 times) 
Solo-riff (3 times) 
Riff 4 
Chorus (4 times) 
END 
 
Lyrics: 
 
You killed your first man at 13, 
Killer instinct, animal supreme, 
By 16 you had learned to fight 
The way of the warrior, you took it as your right. 
 
Chorus: 
Sunlight, falling on your steel, 
Death in life is your ideal, 
Life is like a wheel, rolling on and on 
 
Through earth and water, fire and wind, 
You came at last-nothing was the end, 
Make a cut by fire and stones, 
Take you and your blade and brake you both 
in two-break you both in two 
 
 
OSKAR WIGREN 1996-12-25