The band's membership has seen much turnover, including a revolving cast of drummers in the 1970s and the departure of singer Rob Halford in 1992. Tim "Ripper" Owens, formerly of Winter's Bane, replaced Halford in 1996 and recorded two albums with Judas Priest, before Halford returned to the band in 2003. The current line-up consists of Halford, guitarists Glenn Tipton and Richie Faulkner, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis. The band's best-selling album is 1982's Screaming for Vengeance, with their most commercially successful line-up featuring Ian Hill, Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, guitarist K. K. Downing, and drummer Dave Holland. Tipton and Hill are the only two members of the band to appear on every album.
Halford's operatic vocal style and the twin guitar sound of Downing and Tipton have been a major influence on heavy metal bands. Judas Priest's image of leather, spikes, and other taboo articles of clothing were widely influential during the glam metal era of the 1980s. The Guardian referred to British Steel as the record that defines heavy metal. Despite a decline in exposure during the mid-1990s, the band has once again seen a resurgence, including worldwide tours, being inaugural inductees into the VH1 Rock Honors in 2006, receiving a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 2010, and having their songs featured in video games such as Guitar Hero and the Rock Band series. In 2022, Judas Priest were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judas_Priest
Studio albums
Rocka Rolla (1974)
Sad Wings of Destiny (1976)
Sin After Sin (1977)
Stained Class (1978)
Killing Machine (1978)
British Steel (1980)
Point of Entry (1981)
Screaming for Vengeance (1982)
Defenders of the Faith (1984)
Turbo (1986)
Ram It Down (1988)
Painkiller (1990)
Jugulator (1997)
Demolition (2001)
Angel of Retribution (2005)
Nostradamus (2008)
Redeemer of Souls (2014)
Firepower (2018)
Invincible Shield (2024)
06 Diamonds And Rust
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you decided to call
And here I sit, hand on the telephone
Hearing the voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
But we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Yes we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Now I see you standing with brown leaves all around and snow in your hair
Now we're smiling out the window of the crummy hotel over Washington Square
Our breath comes in white clouds, mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me we both could've died then and there
Now you're telling me you're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You were so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Cause I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly, yes, I love you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust, I've already paid
But we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Yes we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
The song "Diamond and Rust" by Judas Priest is widely believed to be about frontman Rob Halford's former girlfriend, Joan Baez. The opening lines of the song sets the scene of the singer receiving an unexpected phone call from a past lover. The line "But we both know what memories can bring, they bring diamonds and rust" suggests that despite the pain of their past, there is still something beautiful and valuable about reminiscing on their relationship.
Later in the song, the singer recounts a specific memory of being with his lover, standing in the snow looking out the window of a hotel over Washington Square, and feeling like they could've died then and there. There is a sense of nostalgia and longing throughout the song, as the singer asks for "some of that vagueness now" and ponders the meaning of their past relationship.
It's important to note that while the song is often linked to Halford's relationship with Baez, he has never confirmed nor denied this speculation. Regardless of the inspiration behind the lyrics, "Diamond and Rust" has become a beloved and iconic rock ballad.
Line by Line Meaning
I'll be damned, here comes your ghost again
The singer is surprised to see their ex-lover's 'ghost' once again.
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you decided to call
The appearance of the ex-lover is not a surprise as it coincides with a full moon and their decision to call.
And here I sit, hand on the telephone
Hearing the voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Headed straight for a fall
The singer is on the phone hearing the familiar voice of their ex-partner from the distant past who appears to be in a difficult situation.
But we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Yes we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
The artist and their ex-lover know that revisiting memories of their past relationship can lead to both happy memories and painful ones.
Now I see you standing with brown leaves all around and snow in your hair
Now we're smiling out the window of the crummy hotel over Washington Square
Our breath comes in white clouds, mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me we both could've died then and there
The artist and their ex-lover recall a past moment where they both smiled while looking out a window in a run-down hotel. The cold, wintry weather makes them think they could have died together in that moment.
Now you're telling me you're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You were so good with words
And at keeping things vague
The singer accuses their ex-lover of being nostalgic despite their denial of it. They challenge them to provide a new word for the feeling which the ex-lover seems skilled at describing vaguely.
Cause I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly, yes, I love you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust, I've already paid
The singer desires the ex-lover's vagueness to help them deal with their strong emotions which have resurfaced. Despite still having strong feelings for their ex-lover, the singer has already suffered enough from the painful memories and does not want to repeat past mistakes.
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
The chorus repeats the idea that revisiting memories of the past can bring both positive and negative emotions, represented respectively by diamonds and rust.
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
The chorus is repeated three times to emphasize the theme that memories of past relationships bring both positive (diamonds) and negative (rust) emotions.
Lyrics © Downtown Music Publishing
Written by: JOAN BAEZ
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@xBMTHx99
I'll be damned, here comes your ghost again
But that's not unusual
It's just that the moon is full
And you decided to call
And here I sit, hand on the telephone
Hearing the voice I'd known
A couple of light years ago
Heading straight for a fall
But we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Yes, we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Now I see you standing all around
And snow in your hair
Now we're smiling out the window of the crummy hotel
Over Washington Square
Our breath comes on white clouds
Mingles and hangs in the air
Speaking strictly for me
We both could've died then and there
Now you're telling me you're not nostalgic
Then give me another word for it
You were so good with words
And at keeping things vague
Cause I need some of that vagueness now
It's all come back too clearly
Yes, I love you dearly
And if you're offering me diamonds and rust, I've already paid
But we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Yes, we both know what memories can bring
They bring diamonds and rust
Diamonds, diamonds and rust
@retrospaz9849
What I love about Judas Priest covering songs is they give it their own sound.
@simonwoods8809
Indeed but JP could not sound like Joan Baez...
@deathrotor
@SIMON WOODS te thing is this was released 1 year before joan baez from the research i did so who actually did this first? im so confused lmao, joan baez was 1975 and judas priest did it in 1974, written before the release like most of the rocka rolla songs they were made in 1969/1970 ( edit i thought for a second this version was the rocka rolla version but it wasnt , the rocka rolla version blows the sin after sin version out of the water you should go check it out , it was never actually released on the rocka rolla album so not many people know about it)
@Astro_touches_children
@deathrotor damn dude, I was strolling down memory lane and you schooled me. I'm kinda old. Rock don't get old.
@anti-satanpro-life8531
@SIMON WOODS i hope not
@eylongreenberg7629
They could have made their own song out if this riff
@onetrickpony4179
Such a heartbreaking song; mourning the loss of a loved one, remembering their personality and eccentricities...not expecting the moment and memory to occur, but being taken and consumed by it when it does.
@uiscepreston
It takes on a whole other meaning when you realize it is about Bob Dylan who was not very well-known when he met and started dating Joan Baez - who was herself at the time extremely popular. She actually introduced him to a larger scene and he soon eclipsed her, causing their relationship to suffer and end. In essence, that is the bittersweet Diamonds and Rust part. She had the love of her life and made it slip away with her generosity.
@gailwhistance5409
@Uisce Preston Dylan admired this song and knew it was about him. I read that he once asked her to play that song with the "eyes bluer than robin's eggs." That stanza was left out here.
@jongut9908
De echo no es por alguien fallecido, es por alguien que aun existe , y te llama para desirte como estas.