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)
Before The Dawn
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In your sleep don't let the morning take him
Outside the birds begin to call
As if to summon up my leaving
It's been a lifetime since I found someone
Since I found someone who would stay
I've waited too long and now you're leaving
It's been a lifetime since I found someone
Since I found someone who would stay
I've waited too long and now you're leaving
Oh please don't take it all away
Before the dawn I hear you whisper
In your sleep don't let the morning take him
The lyrics of "Before The Dawn" by Judas Priest evoke the feeling of desperation and heartbreak, as the singer pleads with their lover to stay with them. The imagery of the dawn and the birds calling suggest that time is running out, and the singer is fearful of losing the one they love. The repetition of the phrase "It's been a lifetime since I found someone" underscores the singer's long struggle to find love and their fear of losing it once again.
The line "In your sleep don't let the morning take him" suggests that the singer is aware of the inevitability of their lover's departure, but is still holding on to hope that they will stay. The use of the word "him" rather than "you" adds an extra layer of distance, as if the singer is unable to address their lover directly. The use of the word "whisper" also suggests a sense of intimacy and vulnerability, as if the singer is hearing their lover's deepest thoughts and fears.
Overall, "Before The Dawn" is a hauntingly beautiful song that captures the pain of losing someone you love. The lyrics are simple but deeply emotional, and the accompanying music adds to the sense of melancholy and longing.
Line by Line Meaning
Before the dawn I hear you whisper
As night is about to end and a new day is about to begin, I am awakened by your faint, soft voice
In your sleep don't let the morning take him
I hope that while you sleep, you will not be taken from me by the arrival of a new day
Outside the birds begin to call
Nature is signaling the start of a new day, that it is time to move on
As if to summon up my leaving
The sounds of the dawn are evocative of my need to leave and move on, just like the birds
It's been a lifetime since I found someone
It has been a very long time since I have been with someone else
Since I found someone who would stay
Since I have found someone who would remain with me and commit to a long-term relationship
I've waited too long and now you're leaving
I feel I have waited for too long for someone like you to come along, and now you are leaving me
Oh please don't take it all away
I hope you will not take away the love, comfort and warmth that I have only found with you
It's been a lifetime since I found someone
It has been a very long time since I have been with someone else
Since I found someone who would stay
Since I have found someone who would remain with me and commit to a long-term relationship
I've waited too long and now you're leaving
I feel I have waited for too long for someone like you to come along, and now you are leaving me
Oh please don't take it all away
I hope you will not take away the love, comfort and warmth that I have only found with you
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING, ROBERT HALFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@rozehad5264
Before the dawn I hear you whisper
In your sleep don't let the morning take him
Outside the birds begin to call
As if to summon up my leaving
It's been a lifetime since I found someone
Since I found someone who would stay
I've waited too long and now you're leaving
Oh please don't take it all away
It's been a lifetime since I found someone
Since I found someone who would stay
I've waited too long and now you're leaving
Oh please don't take it all away
Before the dawn I hear you whisper
In your sleep don't let the morning take him
@user-ip9yu7lp1q
Before the dawn I hear you whisper
In your sleep don't let the morning take him
Outside the birds begin to call
As if to summon up my leaving
It's been a lifetime since I found someone
Since I found someone who would stay
I've waited too long and now you're leaving
Oh please don't take it all away
@MichalinaPaulina
My uncle, who unexpectedly passed away this year, was a big fan of Judas Priest. We played this song at his funeral as it was his favourite song. It will forever remind me of him
@sefa2153
May your uncle rest in peace bro.
@tieukhavu8832
So sorry for your loss
@krisstodecobainjoplin4689
El no murio solo muere el que se olvida y que chevere que sea con judas❤❤❤❤
@christianflack806
Great song. Surely one of the best metal ballads EVER. The solo gives me goosebumps.
@metalpianomusic5635
Check out my piano arrangement of this song!! It was a lot of fun to make and I’d appreciate some feedback from awesome metal heads 😁 🤘🏻
@arvindshastry1178
KK is an amazing guitarist.
@daroblackheart383
I love that solo. Simple but full of emotions.
@jonathancote9372
The greatest solo doesn’t have to be shred fast and this one is the proof
@BreetishSteel
@Arvind Shastry Гленн Типтон не потрясающий?!