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)
Only After Dark
Def Leppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I feel my spirit fly, only after dark
Ahh, Ahhh
I, I kiss the world good-bye, only after dark
Ahh, Ahhh
Night, with the city lights, only after dark
Ahh, Ahhh
Run like a runaway, only after dark
Won't you disappear
Into midnight again
Why don't you come
Why won't you come
Why don't you fly fly fly with me
Sweet innocent fate will be our company
Ahh, Ahhh, Ahh, Ahhh
We at the plant remain, only after dark
Ahh, Ahhh
Moon, simple as can be, only after dark
Ahh, Ahhh,
It's wrong to feel so free, only after dark
Ahh, Ahhh
Only you do it to me, only after dark
The lyrics to Def Leppard's song Only After Dark express the feeling of liberation that comes with the night. The lead singer frequently proclaims "Ahh, I feel my spirit fly, only after dark" as if something is holding him back from truly expressing himself during the day. This is further emphasized in the line "I kiss the world good-bye, only after dark" as if to say that the constraints of daily life disappear once the sun sets.
The chorus of the song is an invitation for the listener to join the singer in this feeling of freedom. "Why don't you fly fly fly with me, sweet innocent fate will be our company" suggests that both the singer and the listener can leave their troubles behind and simply enjoy the moment together. The mention of the moon ("Moon, simple as can be, only after dark") adds to the overall dreamy, romantic vibe of the song.
The lyrics also hint at a sense of danger or recklessness, with the line "run like a runaway, only after dark." This adds to the excitement of the night, as anything can happen and you never know where the night might take you. Overall, the song's lyrics capture the feeling of freedom and adventure that comes with the night, inviting the listener to join in on the fun.
Line by Line Meaning
Ahh, I feel my spirit fly, only after dark
My soul feels liberated and alive, but only when the sun has set and darkness prevails.
I, I kiss the world good-bye, only after dark
The stress of the day fades away as the night sets in and I can relax in my own space.
Night, with the city lights, only after dark
The allure of the city is heightened by the dimly lit streets and neon signs that illuminate the darkness.
Run like a runaway, only after dark
I feel alive and free to escape from the constraints of the day, but only under the cover of darkness.
Won't you disappear into midnight again
Let's escape into the night together and leave all of our worries behind until the morning comes.
Why don't you come, why won't you come
I'm inviting you to join me in this carefree and exhilarating experience of exploring the night, so why are you holding back?
Why don't you fly fly fly with me, sweet innocent fate will be our company
Let's embrace the unknown and take risks together, trusting that fate will guide us on our adventure.
Ahh, Ahhh, Ahh, Ahhh, we at the plant remain, only after dark
Even though we work all day, we still find the energy to carry on and enjoy our lives once the sun sets.
Moon, simple as can be, only after dark
The moon, with all of its natural beauty and simplicity, shines more brilliantly in the darkness of the night.
It's wrong to feel so free, only after dark
Despite the societal norms and expectations that dictate how we should behave, we find ourselves feeling liberated and carefree in the stillness of the night.
Only you do it to me, only after dark
Only the night, with its mysteries and adventures, can make me feel so alive and free; and only you, my companion on this journey, can make it all the more exciting.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: MICK RONSON, SCOTT RICHARDSON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind