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)
Torn to Shreds
Def Leppard Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But it's been taken out of my hands
And right now I realize
I don't want to say goodbye
I miss you more than words can say
They never turn out right
But here goes anyway
Everyday I miss your touch
Never thought it would mean so much
All the words I could have said
Got me reelin' torn to shreds
Every road I go is nowhere
But I know you're out there somewhere
These voices in my head
Got me feelin' torn to shreds
I can't help the way I feel
But somethin's got a hold of my heart
It hurts that I can't let go
Now I just want to let you know
I need you more than words can say
They never turn out right
But here goes anyway
Everyday I miss your touch
Never thought it would mean so much
All the words I could have said
Got me reelin' torn to shreds
Every road I go is nowhere
But I know you're out there somewhere
These voices in my head
Got me feelin' torn to shreds
If I ever get myself together
And it takes whatever it takes
To get myself back to you
Everyday I miss your touch
Never thought it would mean so much
All the words I could have said
Got me reelin' torn to shreds
Every road I go is nowhere
But I know you're out there somewhere
These voices in my head
Got me feelin' torn to shreds
The lyrics of Def Leppard's song Torn to Shreds explore the pain and heartbreak that the singer is feeling after the end of a relationship. The singer admits that they do not want to fall in love again, but they cannot control their feelings. They are struggling to come to terms with the fact that they miss their former partner and cannot seem to let go. The lines "Everyday I miss your touch, never thought it would mean so much" highlight the depth of the singer's feelings and how much they feel the absence of their former partner.
The singer also recognizes that they could have said more to their partner before the end of the relationship. They regret not expressing their love and appreciation enough, and now feel "torn to shreds" as a result. The chorus serves as a reminder of the singer's agony, with the repetition of the phrase "Every road I go is nowhere" emphasizing their feeling of being lost without their former partner.
Overall, the song is a poignant expression of heartbreak and regret after the end of a relationship. The feelings of loss and pain are conveyed powerfully through the heartfelt lyrics and the emotional delivery of the vocals.
Line by Line Meaning
I don't want to fall in love
The singer is reluctant to fall in love.
But it's been taken out of my hands
Despite the singer's reluctance, they have fallen in love involuntarily.
And right now I realize
Currently, the singer is becoming aware of their feelings.
I don't want to say goodbye
The artist is not ready to end the relationship.
I miss you more than words can say
The artist deeply longs for the person they are in love with.
They never turn out right
Words cannot fully express the singer's emotions.
But here goes anyway
Regardless of the inadequacy of words, the singer chooses to express themselves.
Everyday I miss your touch
The artist yearns for physical contact with the person they are in love with.
Never thought it would mean so much
The artist did not realize how important physical touch was to them until they were separated from their loved one.
All the words I could have said
In retrospect, the artist regrets not expressing themselves more fully.
Got me reelin' torn to shreds
The singer is distraught and overwhelmed by their emotions.
Every road I go is nowhere
The artist feels lost without the person they love.
But I know you're out there somewhere
Despite feeling lost, the singer has hope that they will be reunited with their loved one.
These voices in my head
The singer is tormented by their own thoughts and emotions.
Got me feelin' torn to shreds
The singer is overwhelmed by their emotions.
I can't help the way I feel
The artist has no control over their emotions.
But somethin's got a hold of my heart
The artist is deeply and uncontrollably in love.
It hurts that I can't let go
The singer is in emotional pain because they cannot move on.
Now I just want to let you know
The singer wants to express their feelings to their loved one.
If I ever get myself together
The artist acknowledges that they need to get their emotions under control.
And it takes whatever it takes
The artist is willing to do whatever it takes to be with their loved one.
To get myself back to you
The artist is determined to be reunited with their loved one.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: ALLEN, CAMPBELL, COLLEN, ELLIOTT, SAVAGE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind