'Sanctuary' first appeared on the Metal For Muthas compilation, and it did not appear on the UK/European version of the album until the 1998 re-release. It was Maiden's second single, which rose as high as number 29 in the U.K. charts. It is a fast and energetic song about a criminal fugitive from the law (a theme that later appears on several other Maiden songs including 'Murders In The Rue Morgue', 'Innocent Exile', and 'The Fugitive').

The sentence "I've never killed a woman before but I know how it feels" is quite intriguing. To whom does this refer? Could it be that this is about Eddie murdering Maggie Thatcher, as depicted on the single's sleeve? This is however quite unlikely, as the illustration was in fact drawn after the song was written and this particular sentence was the one that inspired Derek Riggs to paint the murdering