Synopsis
The radio version of the song differs from the album track, with the chorus' first line "Your time will come" followed by the line, "Thy will be done", and the third line followed by another "Thy will be done". The last line is followed by "Don't turn, don't run." This is the case for every chorus except for the third chorus in which the third line is followed by "I'll be the one" and the fourth line is followed by "Burn on the sun." This version is considered extremely rare. The single's cover art was by Mark Wilkinson, after a piece by the famed artist Derek Riggs was rejected. This was the last piece Riggs would create for Iron Maiden, reasoning that they were too hard to work with. This art work was used for the picture vinyl disc and various minor pressings.
The guitar solo in "The Wicker Man" is played by Adrian Smith.
In 2001, the song was nominated for a Grammy Award in the category "Best Metal Performance" but lost to "Elite" by Deftones.
This song was also included as a playable song in game Rock Band Blitz.
Read more about this topic: The Wicker Man (song)