This song is the somber reflections of a prisoner on the day his death sentence is to be carried out. The listener is given no context regarding the prisoner’s crime (could he be the narrator from several of the tracks on Killers?), but is instead treated to an introspective look at the meaning of life.

The title of the song, “Hallowed Be Thy Name,” comes from The Lord’s Prayer (exact text of the prayer varies by denomination).

Our Father, who art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come,
Thy will be done,
On Earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
And forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation
And deliver us from evil

The prisoner initially confronts his fear and dread at the prospect of his death by hanging, but remembers his beliefs. At first he scorns the idea of God, then he takes comfort in the idea of a higher power taking him in upon death, and ends up with a realization that life on Earth isn’t really important.

Several of this song’s lines were lifted from British prog band Beckett’s 1974 track “Life’s Shadow” by Steve Harris. The Iron Maiden bassist saw Beckett perform in 1973 and their debut LP was one of his favorite albums when it was first released. He initially used the lyrics as a placeholder and did not have time to change them before Number of the Beast was released.
After Beckett’s retired band manager Barry McKay filed a lawsuit, £100,000 (approximately $138,000) was paid by Iron Maiden out of court to “Life’s Shadow” songwriters Brian Quinn and Robert Barton.

This song quickly became one of Iron Maiden’s most acclaimed works, with several bands recording covers of it. This song may have helped inspire Metallica’s similarly themed Ride The Lightning.