'Fear Is The Key' is sort of a strange song, with a different musical style. It's about the AIDS epidemic that started to become awfully noticeable in the early- to mid-eighties and that was blissfully ignored by millions until the death of celebrities started to occur, making it obvious that no-one was safe when it came to the HIV virus.

The kids have lost their freedom

And nobody cares till somebody famous dies...

While the band were writing songs for the album, they heard about the death of Queen's singer, Freddy Mercury (19461991), due to the HIV virus, and decided to add the AIDS theme to their list of serious topics already contained in the album. The song highlights the fact that, after the so-called "sex revolution" of the 70s, the late 80s and early 90s were the start of a new conception of sex; it wasn't about freedom anymore, but about fear the fear to contract HIV though sexual contact. Something that was supposed to bring pleasure and as Nature had intended life had become a synonym for fear and death...

As mentioned above, the song itself has quite a different style from most other Maiden songs. It's hard to define exactly what it is, but it might be a touch of blues influence. It is not a terrible song, but it lacks that undefinable little something that makes a song special.