'Flight of Icarus' is a 1983 single by British heavy metal band Iron Maiden, released ahead of their fourth studio album Piece of Mind and written by guitarist Adrian Smith with singer Bruce Dickinson. The lyrics retell the Greek myth of Icarus, the boy who flew too close to the sun, recast as a warning from a father figure. A longtime live staple, the song endures as one of the band's most recognisable early singles, and short excerpts circulate online wherever creators want an instantly recognisable blast of classic metal.