Before I talk about the cover, I’d like to mention how jaunty and upbeat the actual song “Number of the Beast” is. It was a really bizarre decision for Iron Maiden to make it a song about the devil when it could have easily been a Survivor-esque inspirational hard rocker.
Now to the cover. First, Eddie must be the greatest puppeteer in the world to be able to manipulate a puppet that’s also manipulating a puppet (and they’re both literally “pulling strings,” as the artist forgot to draw in puppet controls). Secondly, is there a meaning to this besides just looking awesome? Was it a preemptive argument against accusations of devil worship (the devil is a tool being used by Iron Maiden, not a force controlling them). Is Iron Maiden supposed to be the real evil as opposed to the fake, but more visible, evil of the devil? Who is the devil manipulating?
Mister Bulger 