To Tame a Land

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“To Tame a Land”
Song by Iron Maiden
Album Piece of Mind
Genre Heavy Metal
Length 7:25

"To Tame a Land" is the closing track on Iron Maiden's fourth studio album, Piece of Mind.

It was inspired by the classic science fiction novel Dune by Frank Herbert. However, when Steve Harris requested permission from the author to name the song "Dune" and to use a spoken quotation as the track's intro, his request was met with a stern reply from Frank Herbert's agent: "No. Because Frank Herbert doesn't like rock bands, particularly heavy rock bands, and especially rock bands like Iron Maiden". This statement was backed up with a legal threat, and eventually the song was renamed "To Tame a Land" and released in 1983.


The song contains some unusual modulations (such as from B minor to Ab minor just before the main riff sets in). Around 4:09 into the track, it quotes the main theme of classical guitar showpiece Leyenda (Asturias) by the Spanish composer Isaac Albéniz.

It has been covered by Dream Theater as well as the Pyrenean band Stille Volk (under the title "Adoumestica Una Terro").