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)
Pour Some Sugar On Me
Def Leppard Lyrics
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Walk this way
You and me babe
Hey hey
Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on
Livin' like a lover with a radar phone
Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp
Razzle 'n' a dazzle 'n' a flash a little light
Television lover, baby, go all night
Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet
Little miss innocent sugar me, yeah, yeah
Now c'mon, take a bottle, shake it up
Break the bubble, break it up
Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
C'mon, fire me up
Pour your sugar on me
I can't get enough
I'm hot, sticky sweet
From my head to my feet, yeah
Listen, red light, yellow light, green-a-light go
Crazy little woman in a one man show
Mirror queen, mannequine, rhythm of love
Sweet dream, saccharine, loosen up (loosen up)
Loosen up
You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little
Tease a little more
Easy operator come a knockin' on my door
Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet
Little miss innocent sugar me, yeah, yeah
Give a little more
Take a bottle, shake it up
Break the bubble, break it up
Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
C'mon, fire me up
Pour your sugar on me
Oh, I can't get enough
I'm hot, sticky sweet
From my head to my feet, yeah
You got the peaches, I got the cream
Sweet to taste, saccharine
'Cause I'm hot (hot), say what, sticky sweet
From my head (head), my head, to my feet
Do you take sugar? One lump or two?
Take a bottle (take a bottle), shake it up (shake it up)
Break the bubble (break it up), break it up
Pour some sugar on me
Ooh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
C'mon fire me up
Pour your sugar on me
Oh, I can't get enough
Pour some sugar on me
Oh, in the name of love
Pour some sugar on me
Get it, come get it
Pour your sugar on me (oh-ooh)
Pour some sugar on me
Yeah, sugar me
Def Leppard's song "Pour Some Sugar On Me" is a rock classic with catchy lyrics that are both sexual and sweet. The song is about sexual desire and the need for intimacy. The opening lines, "Step inside, walk this way, you and me babe, hey hey," are a call to action, inviting the listener to embrace their carnal desires. The lyrics describe physical attraction and the intoxicating feeling of being with someone you desire. The chorus is the most memorable and is a call to action to pour sugar on the singer, which is a metaphor for physical intimacy.
The chorus is also a play on words. "Pour some sugar on me" could refer to pouring sugar in a physical sense, like you might do while baking. However, the lyrics offer a lyrical challenge to the listener to metaphorically pour sugar on the singer. They're asking for a demonstration of affection through physical intimacy.
The lyrics are also cleverly written to include other metaphors, such as "razzle 'n' a dazzle 'n' a flash a little light," which describes the excitement of being with someone you desire. The lyrics also play with the idea of innocence and seduction, with the line "little miss innocent sugar me."
Overall, "Pour Some Sugar On Me" is a classic rock song that celebrates physical intimacy and the excitement of sexual desire. It has remained popular since its release in 1987 and remains a staple of classic rock radio.
Line by Line Meaning
Step inside
Come in
Walk this way
Follow me
You and me babe
We are together
Hey hey
Expression of excitement
Love is like a bomb, baby, c'mon get it on
Love is powerful, let's experience it
Livin' like a lover with a radar phone
Living life passionately
Lookin' like a tramp, like a video vamp
Dressed in a suggestive way
Demolition woman, can I be your man? (your man)
A powerful and seductive woman, can I be with her?
Razzle 'n' a dazzle 'n' a flash a little light
Exciting and flashy visuals
Television lover, baby, go all night
Watching TV like it's an all-night activity
Sometime, anytime, sugar me sweet
Anytime you want, give me love
Little miss innocent sugar me, yeah, yeah
Innocent girl, give me love
Now c'mon, take a bottle, shake it up
Take a bottle and mix it up
Break the bubble, break it up
Destroy the barriers and be free
Pour some sugar on me
Give me love
Ooh, in the name of love
For the sake of love
C'mon, fire me up
Start my passion
Pour your sugar on me
Shower me with love
I can't get enough
I need more
I'm hot, sticky sweet
I am passionate and desirable
From my head to my feet, yeah
All over
Listen, red light, yellow light, green-a-light go
Listen to the signals
Crazy little woman in a one man show
A wild and independent woman
Mirror queen, mannequine, rhythm of love
A stunning woman who moves gracefully like a dancer
Sweet dream, saccharine, loosen up (loosen up)
A pleasant dream, let go of your inhibitions
You gotta squeeze a little, squeeze a little
Be more affectionate
Tease a little more
Be more playful
Easy operator come a knockin' on my door
A smooth talker is trying to get with me
Give a little more
Be more giving
Take a bottle, shake it up
Mix things up
Break the bubble, break it up
Free yourself from constraints
You got the peaches, I got the cream
You have the beauty, I have the charm
Sweet to taste, saccharine
Tasty and tempting
'Cause I'm hot (hot), say what, sticky sweet
I am attractive and irresistible
From my head (head), my head, to my feet
All over
Do you take sugar? One lump or two?
How do you like your love?
Get it, come get it
Come and get my love
Yeah, sugar me
Give me love
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Joseph Elliott, Philip Kenneth Collen, Richard Savage, Richard John Cyril Allen, Robert John Lange, Stephen Clark
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind