The band's greatest commercial success came between the early 1980s and the early 1990s. Their first album, 1980's On Through the Night, reached the Top 15 in the UK but received little notice elsewhere. Their second album, 1981's High 'n' Dry, was produced by Mutt Lange, who helped them begin to define their melodic hard rock style, and the album's most popular track "Bringin' On the Heartbreak" became one of the first rock videos played on MTV in 1982, but the album only reached the Top 30 and 40 in the UK and US. Def Leppard's next studio album, Pyromania, was released in January 1983, with "Photograph" and "Rock of Ages" both topping the US Rock Tracks chart and reaching the top 20 of the Hot 100. Reaching No. 2 on the US album chart, Pyromania was certified Diamond in the US and 7× platinum in Canada and reached the top 20 in the UK but did not sell much elsewhere.
Def Leppard's fourth album, the more pop-oriented Hysteria (1987), topped the UK, US, New Zealand, Canadian, Australian and Norway charts. It also went to No. 2 in Sweden and No. 10 in Germany without any Top 50 singles in those countries. It has been certified 12× platinum for sales in the US and 13× platinum in Canada, selling over 25 million copies worldwide, making it one of the best-selling albums of all time. The album spawned six Top 20 US singles, including the US Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 "Love Bites" (went Top 10 in several other countries including No. 2 in NZ), alongside "Pour Some Sugar on Me" (US No. 2), "Hysteria", "Armageddon It" (No. 2 in NZ), "Animal" (at No. 6, the biggest UK hit), and "Rocket" (a Top 15 hit in many countries). Hysteria had four Top 10 hits in New Zealand.
Their next studio album, Adrenalize (their first following the death of guitarist Steve Clark), reached No. 1 on the UK, US, NZ, Canadian and Australian charts in 1992, while going Top 10 in Sweden and Germany. It contained several hits, including the US Rock Tracks chart-topper, "Let's Get Rocked", which became their biggest hit in several countries, including No. 2 in the UK, No. 3 in Canada and Switzerland, and the Top 20 in Sweden and Germany. The third single, "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad", was a Top 15 song in the US, UK and Canada. Adrenalize went on to sell over 8 million copies worldwide. Their 1993 album, Retro Active, contained the acoustic Top 5 North American hit "Two Steps Behind". Their greatest hits album Vault, released in 1995, featured the UK No. 2 hit "When Love & Hate Collide" and reached the Top 10 in several countries, going 5× platinum in the US. Beginning with Slang, Def Leppard released five albums between 1996 and 2008, with most usually reaching the Top 15 in several countries, including the UK, US and Canada. Their self-titled album was released in 2015 and reached the Top 10 in several countries. The band's newest studio album, Diamond Star Halos was released in May 2022 and reached the Top 10 in the US, the UK and Australia.
As one of the world's best-selling music artists, Def Leppard have sold more than 100 million records worldwide, and have two albums with RIAA diamond certification: Pyromania and Hysteria, making them one of only five rock bands with two original studio albums selling more than 10 million copies in the US. The band were ranked No. 31 in VH1's "100 Greatest Artists of Hard Rock" and ranked No. 70 in "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". Def Leppard were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2019.
Studio albums
On Through the Night (1980)
High 'n' Dry (1981)
Pyromania (1983)
Hysteria (1987)
Adrenalize (1992)
Slang (1996)
Euphoria (1999)
X (2002)
Yeah! (2006)
Songs from the Sparkle Lounge (2008)
Def Leppard (2015)
Diamond Star Halos (2022)
Cry
Def Leppard Lyrics
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Can you feel the love
Washin' over you
Like a tidal wave inside of you
Here comes the night
Can you see the light
Shinin' like the sun
But it's got you on the run
Every word you say
Is takin' your breath away
Cry, the demons that you hide
Screamin' through the night
They won't forget you
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
Need, the circus you gotta feed
The wound that never heals
It don't let go
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
She's here again
Your only friend
Watchin' over you
She never takes her eyes away from you
She's wide awake
And she lies in wait
Your chosen bride
A mother, a lover
The kick inside
Every single day
It's takin' your breath away
Cry, the demons that you hide
Screamin' through the night
They won't forget you
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
Need, the circus you gotta feed
The wound that never heals
It don't let go
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
It's been so long since I come undone
I'm slippin' in to my second skin
Cry, the demons that you hide
Screamin' through the night
They won't forget you
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
Need, the circus you gotta feed
The wound that never heals
It don't let go
Comin' down, comin' down
Comin' down, comin' down
The lyrics to "Cry" by Def Leppard appear to tell the story of someone struggling with their personal demons. The first verse speaks of a flood of love washing over the person, but also a sense of hopelessness as they feel like they are being overwhelmed by it. The second verse speaks of the person's fear of the unknown and their desire to hide, but it seems that they are being pursued by what they are running from.
The chorus speaks directly to the person's internal struggles, with the demons they hide and the wounds that never heal. It seems like they are in a constant cycle of trying to escape from their pain but always being caught by it. The reference to the circus may imply that they feel like they are constantly performing for others, putting on a brave face when on the inside they are struggling.
The third verse introduces another character, "she", who is described as the person's only friend who watches over them. It is unclear who this could be, but it seems like she is a supportive figure who is always present. The reference to "a mother, a lover, the kick inside" could imply that she represents something maternal, romantic, and possibly even self-destructive.
Overall, the lyrics of "Cry" paint a picture of someone who is struggling with their internal demons and is stuck in a cycle of trying to run away from them without success. The presence of supportive figures like the flood of love and "she" indicate that there is hope, but the person is ultimately responsible for confronting their struggles if they want to heal.
Line by Line Meaning
Here comes the flood
An overwhelming feeling is approaching.
Can you feel the love
Are you aware of the intensity of this feeling?
Washin' over you
This feeling is consuming you.
Like a tidal wave inside of you
It's as if you are drowning in it.
Here comes the night
Darkness is setting in.
Can you see the light
Are you able to find your way out?
Shinin' like the sun
There is a glimmer of hope.
You want to hide
You are afraid of facing the problem.
But it's got you on the run
It's too powerful to escape from.
Every word you say
Your emotions are overwhelming you.
Is takin' your breath away
It's making it difficult to even speak.
Cry, the demons that you hide
Confront the issues that are causing you pain.
Screamin' through the night
The pain is so strong that it's hard to ignore.
They won't forget you
The memories and pain will always be with you.
Comin' down, comin' down
The feeling is becoming overwhelming.
Need, the circus you gotta feed
You need to confront your issues to move on.
The wound that never heals
This pain is constant and never goes away.
It don't let go
It's difficult to escape from this pain.
She's here again
The source of your pain is back in your life.
Your only friend
This person is both a support and a trigger for you.
Watchin' over you
They are always present in your life.
She never takes her eyes away from you
You are constantly under her watchful gaze.
She's wide awake
She is fully aware of what's going on.
And she lies in wait
She is waiting for the right moment to strike.
Your chosen bride
You are tied to this person by choice.
A mother, a lover
This person is multifaceted in your life.
The kick inside
You're addicted to the pain that comes with this relationship.
Every single day
You can't escape the pain even on a daily basis.
It's takin' your breath away
It's slowly suffocating you.
It's been so long since I come undone
It's been a while since I completely fell apart.
I'm slippin' in to my second skin
I'm falling back into old habits or behaviors.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICHARD JOHN CYRIL ALLEN, VIVIAN PATRICK CAMPBELL, PHILIP COLLEN, JOSEPH ELLIOTT, RICHARD SAVAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind