Editing 2 Minutes to Midnight

{{other uses|Minutes to Midnight (disambiguation)}}
{{EngvarB|date=April 2014}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2020}}

{{Infobox song
| name       = 2 Minutes to Midnight
| cover      = Iron maiden 2 minutes to midnight a.jpg
| border     = yes
| alt        =
| type       = single
| artist     = [[Iron Maiden]]
| album      = [[Powerslave]]
| B-side     =
* "Rainbow's Gold" (Beckett cover)
* "Mission from 'Arry"
| released   = {{start date|1984|08|06|df=yes}}
| recorded   = 1984
| studio     = [[Compass Point Studios|Compass Point]] ([[Nassau, Bahamas]])
| venue      =
| genre      = [[Heavy metal music|Heavy metal]]<ref>{{cite web|last=Rivadavia|first=Eduardo|date=23 April 2015|title=Iron Maiden Albums Ranked Worst to Best|url=https://ultimateclassicrock.com/iron-maiden-albums-ranked/|access-date=5 August 2021|website=Ultimate Classic Rock}}</ref>
| length     = 6:04
| label      = [[EMI Records|EMI]]
| writer     =
* [[Adrian Smith (musician)  |Adrian Smith]]
* [[Bruce Dickinson]]
| producer   = [[Martin Birch]]
| prev_title = [[The Trooper]]
| prev_year  = 1983
| next_title = [[Aces High (song)|Aces High]]
| next_year  = 1984
| misc       = {{External music video|{{YouTube|9qbRHY1l0vc|"2 Minutes to Midnight"}}}}
}}

"'''2 Minutes to Midnight'''" is a song by the English [[Heavy metal music|heavy metal]] band [[Iron Maiden]], featured on their fifth studio album, ''[[Powerslave]]'' (1984). It was released as the band's tenth single, and first from the album on 6 August 1984. It rose to number 11 on the [[UK Singles Chart]] and number 25 on ''Billboard'' [[Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks|Top Album Tracks]]. The band's first single to exceed five minutes in length, it remained their longest until the release of "[[Infinite Dreams]]" in November 1989.

==Synopsis==
A protest song about [[nuclear war]] and the [[nuclear arms race]], "2 Minutes to Midnight" was written by [[Adrian Smith (musician)  |Adrian Smith]] and [[Bruce Dickinson]]. The song attacks the commercialisation of war and how it is used to fuel the global economy ("The golden goose is on the loose and never out of season"), how rich politicians profit directly from it ("as the reasons for the carnage cut their meat and lick the gravy") and how after a war concludes, the world is left in a far worse condition than before the war began, resulting in future wars and the development of more powerful weaponry ("to the tune of starving millions to make a better kind of gun").

The song title references the [[Doomsday Clock]], the symbolic clock used by the [[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]], which represents a countdown to potential global catastrophe. In September 1953 the clock reached two minutes to midnight, the closest it ever got to midnight in the 20th century,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://thebulletin.org/doomsday-clock/#|title = Doomsday Clock|website=Thebulletin.org}}</ref> when the United States and Soviet Union tested [[H-bombs]] within nine months of one another.<ref name="clocktimeline">{{cite web | url = http://www.thebulletin.org/content/doomsday-clock/timeline | title = Doomsday Clock Timeline | access-date = 15 October 2012 | website = [[Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists]]}}</ref> The atomic clock, set at 12 minutes to midnight in 1972, regressed thereafter among US{{endash}}Soviet tensions, reaching three minutes to midnight in 1984&nbsp;– the year this track was released&nbsp;– and at that time the most dangerous clock reading since 1953.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://thebulletin.org/timeline|title=Timeline|work=Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists|access-date=7 July 2017}}</ref> According to Dickinson, the song critically addresses "the romance of war" in general rather than the [[Cold War]] in particular.<ref name="LAD"/>

Coincidentally, the song, which fundamentally criticises the atomic-weapon-age - was released 39 years to the day after the [[Enola Gay|first use of the atomic bomb]], on 6th August 1945, at [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|Hiroshima]]. 

==="Rainbow's Gold"===
The first [[B-side]] is a cover of British [[progressive rock]] band [[Beckett (band)|Beckett]]'s "Rainbow's Gold", which was featured on their self-titled album released in 1974. The song was written by [[Terry Slesser]] and Kenny Mountain, respectively the band's vocalist and guitarist. On the original release, it is titled "A Rainbow's Gold".<ref>{{cite web | url = http://rateyourmusic.com/release/album/beckett/beckett/ | title = Beckett's 1974 self-titled album | access-date = 15 October 2012 | website=Rateyourmusic.com}}</ref>{{deprecated source|certain=y|date=November 2024}}

According to [[Nicko McBrain]], commenting on the single in "Listen with Nicko Part VI" (as part of ''[[The First Ten Years (boxed set)|The First Ten Years]]'' series), the members of Iron Maiden were friends with members of Beckett.

The band's manager, [[Rod Smallwood]], commented this version: "This was originally done by a band called Beckett who the band liked a lot. Adrian used to do a cover of another of their songs 'Rainclouds' in his band 'Evil Ways'. Beckett were from [[Newcastle upon Tyne|Newcastle]] and had a great singer called [[Terry Slesser|Terry Wilson Slesser]] (incidentally I was Beckett's agent prior to meeting Maiden)."<ref name="bestofthebsides">{{cite AV media notes |last=Smallwood|first=Rod|author-link=Rod Smallwood|title=[[Best of the 'B' Sides]] |others=[[Iron Maiden]] |year=2002 |publisher=[[EMI]]}}</ref>

==="Mission from 'Arry"===
Another B-side, entitled "Mission from 'Arry", is a recording of an argument between bassist [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]] and drummer [[Nicko McBrain]], which took place after a show in [[Allentown, Pennsylvania|Allentown]], [[Pennsylvania]], during the band's World Piece Tour.<ref name="LAD">{{cite video |date=4 February 2008 |title=[[Live After Death]] |chapter=The History of Iron Maiden part 2 |medium=DVD |publisher=[[EMI]]}}</ref> During the concert, Harris' bass gear broke down, so he asked the nearest roadie to tell McBrain to extend his drum solo. The crew member was unable to communicate the message effectively, which unfortunately distracted McBrain and had a negative impact on his solo, causing him to yell at the roadie afterwards.<ref name="LAD"/> Vocalist [[Bruce Dickinson]] states that he found the ensuing argument so amusing that he decided to record it with a concealed [[tape recorder]].<ref name="LAD"/><ref>{{cite journal |last=Noguera |first=Anthony |date=May 1992 |title=B-Side Or Be Dead |journal=Metal Attack "Iron Maiden Special" |location=London |publisher=Rock Team Publishing And Productions Ltd }}</ref>

==Track listing==
;7" single
{{track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1   = 2 Minutes to Midnight
| writer1  = [[Adrian Smith (musician)  |Adrian Smith]], [[Bruce Dickinson]]
| length1  = 6:04
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| title2   = Rainbow's Gold
| note2    = [[Beckett (band)|Beckett]] Cover
| writer2  = [[Terry Slesser]], Kenny Mountain
| length2  = 4:57
| total_length = 11:01
}}

;12" single
{{track listing
| headline = Side one
| title1   = 2 Minutes to Midnight
| writer1  = Smith, Dickinson
| length1  = 6:04
}}
{{track listing
| headline = Side two
| title2   = Rainbow's Gold
| note2    = Beckett Cover
| writer2  = Slesser, Mountain
| length2  = 4:57
| title3   = Mission From 'Arry
| writer3  = [[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]], [[Nicko McBrain]]
| length3  = 6:40
| total_length = 17:41
}}

== Personnel ==
Production credits are adapted from the 7-inch vinyl,<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=''"2 Minutes to Midnight" 7 Inch Single'' |others=[[Iron Maiden]] |date=6 August 1984 |publisher=[[EMI]] }}</ref> and 12-inch vinyl covers.<ref>{{cite AV media notes |title=''"2 Minutes to Midnight" 12 Inch Single'' |others=[[Iron Maiden]] |date=6 August 1984 |publisher=[[EMI]] }}</ref>
;Iron Maiden
*[[Bruce Dickinson]]&nbsp;– lead vocals
*[[Dave Murray (musician)|Dave Murray]]&nbsp;– guitar
*[[Adrian Smith (musician)  |Adrian Smith]]&nbsp;– guitar
*[[Steve Harris (musician)|Steve Harris]]&nbsp;– bass guitar
*[[Nicko McBrain]]&nbsp;– drums
;Production
*[[Martin Birch]]&nbsp;– producer, [[audio engineering|engineer]]
*[[Derek Riggs]]&nbsp;– [[cover art|cover illustration]]
*[[Ross Halfin]]&nbsp;– photography

==Cover versions==
{| class="wikitable"
|-
! Year !! Artist !! Album
|-
| 1988 || Decameron || ''[[List of Iron Maiden tribute albums#Made in Tribute: A Tribute to the Best Band in a Whole Goddamn World!|Made in Tribute: A Tribute to the Best Band in a Whole Goddamn World]]''
|-
| 1999 || Deceased || ''[[List of Iron Maiden tribute albums#A Call to Irons Vol. 2|A Call To Irons Vol. 2]]''
|-
| 2005 || [[The Iron Maidens]] || ''[[World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden]]''
|-
| 2005 || [[Joe Lynn Turner]], [[Richie Kotzen]], [[Bob Kulick]], [[Tony Franklin (musician)|Tony Franklin]], [[Chris Slade]] || ''[[List of Iron Maiden tribute albums#Numbers from the Beast|Numbers From The Beast]]''
|-
| 2005 || [[Primal Fear (band)|Primal Fear]] || ''[[List of Iron Maiden tribute albums#A Tribute to the Beast, Vol. 2|A Tribute to the Beast, Vol. 2]]''
|-
| 2008 || [[Glamour of the Kill]] || ''[[Maiden Heaven: A Tribute to Iron Maiden]]''
|-
| 2012 || [[Maiden uniteD]] || ''Across The Seventh Sea''
|}

==Appearances in other media==
* It is featured in 2002 video game ''[[Grand Theft Auto: Vice City]]'' on the in-game radio station ''V-Rock''.
* It appears as a playable track in 2009 music video game ''[[Guitar Hero 5]]'', but is heavily censored, due to lyrics referring to the killing of children.
* It is downloadable content for ''[[Rock Band (series)|Rock Band]]'' console games.

==Chart performance==
{|class="wikitable sortable"
|-
! Single
! Chart (1984)
! Peak<br>position
! Album
|-
|rowspan="3"| "2 Minutes to Midnight"
| [[Media Control Charts|German Singles Chart]]
|align="center"| 70<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.offiziellecharts.de/titel-details-15265|title=Offizielle Deutsche Charts|publisher=offiziellecharts.de|language=de|access-date=1 November 2021}}</ref>
|rowspan="3"|''[[Powerslave]]''
|-
| [[Irish Singles Chart]]
|align="center"| 10<ref name="ireland1">{{cite web |url=http://www.irishcharts.ie/search/placement |title=Irish Singles |access-date=1 October 2011 |publisher=Irishcharts.ie |website=[[Irish Recorded Music Association|IRMA]]}}</ref>
|-
|align="left"|[[UK Singles Chart]]
|align="center"|11<ref>{{cite web|title=Top 40 Official Singles Chart UK Archive 25 August 1984|url=https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/singles-chart/19840819/7501/|publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]|access-date=27 August 2013}}</ref>
|-
! Single
! Chart (1990)
! Peak<br>position
! Album
|-
| "2 Minutes to Midnight" / "[[Aces High (song)|Aces High]]"
| [[UK Albums Chart]]<ref group="note">Re-release of both singles as part of ''[[The First Ten Years (boxed set)|The First Ten Years]]'' box set. Exceeded the length limit of the UK Singles chart.</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"| 11<ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.officialcharts.com/charts/albums-chart/19900325/7502/ | title = Top 40 Official UK Albums Archive 31 March 1990 |publisher=[[Official Charts Company]]| access-date = 3 October 2011}}</ref>
| style="text-align:center;"|—
|}

==See also==
*[[List of anti-war songs]]

== Notes ==
<references group="note"/>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{Iron Maiden}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Iron Maiden songs]]
[[Category:Anti-war songs]]
[[Category:Songs about nuclear war and weapons]]
[[Category:1984 singles]]
[[Category:Songs written by Bruce Dickinson]]
[[Category:Songs written by Adrian Smith]]
[[Category:1984 songs]]
[[Category:EMI Records singles]]
[[Category:Protest songs]]
[[Category:Song recordings produced by Martin Birch]]