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)
Gravity
Def Leppard Lyrics
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The darkness enslaves me
I turn out the light
And no one can save me
So try not to stare 'cause I'm stripped to the bone
It's a trick of the light and I'm lost
Gravity is draggin' me
My head's about to break
(Can't break my fall)
Insanity inside of me
It's like I'm wide awake
Feel like I'm fallin'
Can't recognize, I'm hypnotized
These feelings can't be fake
(Can't take it all)
This gravity is killin' me
I can't stand up for fallin' down
I lie to myself
It don't make it easy
If somebody else
Would only believe me
My sweat soaks the sheets and I'm hung out to dry
It's a trick of the light and I'm lost
Feel like I'm fallin'
Gravity is draggin' me
My head's about to break
(Can't break my fall)
This gravity is killin' me
I can't stand up for fallin' down
Feel like I'm fallin'
Wake up
Don't try to catch me
Just let me fall
Eyes wide shut
Don't make a sound
Keep fallin' till I hit the ground
Feel like I'm fallin'
Gravity is draggin' me
My head's about to break
(Can't break my fall)
Insanity inside of me
It's like I'm wide awake
Feel like I'm fallin'
Can't recognize, I'm hypnotized
These feelings can't be fake
(Can't take it all)
This gravity is killin' me
I can't stand up for fallin' down
Feel like I'm fallin'
Gravity is draggin' me
My head's about to break
(Can't break my fall)
Insanity inside of me
It's like I'm wide awake
Feel like I'm fallin'
Can't recognize, I'm hypnotized
These feelings can't be fake
(Can't take it all)
This gravity is killin' me
I can't stand up for fallin' down
The lyrics to Def Leppard's song "Gravity" describe a feeling of being trapped in a dark place, unable to escape the pull of negative emotions. The singer is unable to sleep at night and feels enslaved by the darkness. They turn off the light, but there is no one to save them. The metaphorical weight of gravity is crushing them, and they feel like they are falling. The feeling of insanity is also present, making them feel like they are awake in their mental turmoil. The singer lies to themselves to make things easier, but there is no relief as their sweat soaks their sheets and they are left feeling lost.
The chorus of the song repeats the idea of falling and being unable to escape the grip of gravity. They try to resist but ultimately succumb to the weight of their emotions. The final lines express the desire to hit the ground and end the constant struggle.
Overall, the lyrics describe a feeling of being lost and trapped in a dark place, mentally and emotionally. The weight of negative emotions is pulling the singer down, making it a struggle to stand up for themselves and resist the pull of gravity.
Line by Line Meaning
Can't sleep at night
I'm struggling to find rest in the darkness
The darkness enslaves me
I feel trapped and overcome with fear in the darkness
I turn out the light
I try to find comfort in darkness by turning off the light
And no one can save me
I feel like I'm alone in my struggle
So try not to stare 'cause I'm stripped to the bone
I am vulnerable and exposed, don't judge me
It's a trick of the light and I'm lost
I am deceived and disoriented, unsure of what's real
Feel like I'm fallin'
I'm losing control and falling apart
Gravity is draggin' me
The weight of my problems is pulling me down
My head's about to break
My mind is overwhelmed and ready to snap
(Can't break my fall)
I can't seem to find the strength to stop my downward spiral
Insanity inside of me
I am losing touch with reality and feeling crazy
It's like I'm wide awake
I am hyper-aware of my struggle and can't escape it
Can't recognize, I'm hypnotized
I am in such a state of distress that I don't recognize my own thoughts and actions
These feelings can't be fake
My pain and struggle is very real
(Can't take it all)
I can't handle the weight of my problems alone
This gravity is killin' me
The burden of my struggles is taking a serious toll on me
I can't stand up for fallin' down
I can't seem to get back on my feet and recover from my struggles
I lie to myself
I try to convince myself that everything is okay and that I am strong enough to handle my problems
It don't make it easy
But lying to myself only makes things more difficult
If somebody else
If someone else could understand my struggle
Would only believe me
Then maybe I could find the support I need to overcome my problems
My sweat soaks the sheets and I'm hung out to dry
My anxiety and stress are so high that I can't even find comfort in my own bed
Wake up
I want to wake up from this nightmare
Don't try to catch me
I don't want anyone to try to stop me from falling
Just let me fall
I feel like I'm beyond help and just need to hit rock bottom before I can start to recover
Eyes wide shut
I am painfully aware of my struggles but can't seem to snap out of it
Don't make a sound
I don't want anyone to hear my cries for help or see my struggles
Keep fallin' till I hit the ground
I'm not sure how to get back up or recover from my struggles but I know I need to hit the bottom first
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd., BMG Rights Management
Written by: RICK ALLEN, VIVIAN PATRICK CAMPBELL, PHILIP KENNETH COLLEN, JOSEPH ELLIOTT, MARTI FREDRIKSEN, RICHARD SAVAGE, PETE WOODROFFE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind