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)
Beginning of the End
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And as I reach up to the sky
The love will never die
At last it's here
The darkest sky begins to clear
The final hour draws near
Erasing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
And so we'll rise
By the grace of God alone
His words are carved in stone
I'm never gone
I'll always be within your heart
Waiting's the worst part
Now the voices are calling me
Soothing me and easing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
And I see my life pass quickly by
I am watching
All these years we thought we were so wise
They mean nothing
Walk alone into the dying mist come alive for ever
See the things we've never seen before
Hand in hand together
They galling rays are lighting up the open door
We've all been waiting for
All the voices are calling me
Showing the path that is clear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
Beginning of the End by Judas Priest talks about the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one. The song starts off with the realization that the time has come for the singer to move on, but their love will never die. As the final hour draws near, the voices they hear are calling out to them, easing their pain and fear. The singer asks to be laid to rest, knowing that it's the beginning of the end.
The second verse talks about rising up by the grace of God, with His words carved in stone. The singer assures the listener that they will always be within their heart, waiting for them. As the mist clears, the new journey begins, and all the voices are calling out, showing the path that is clear. The song ends with the singer being laid to rest, knowing that it's the beginning of a new journey.
The song appears to be about death, but it's not a song of mourning. Instead, it is a song of hope for what lies beyond. It is a reflection of the end of a journey and the beginning of a new one. The song is about letting go of what is familiar and stepping into the unknown with hope and faith.
Line by Line Meaning
The time has come
Finally, the long-awaited moment has arrived
And as I reach up to the sky
With open arms, I embrace what is coming
The love will never die
Despite all that is about to happen, love will persist
At last it's here
The moment we have been anticipating has finally arrived
The darkest sky begins to clear
Even in the midst of darkness, there is a glimmer of hope
The final hour draws near
The end is approaching quickly
But the voices are calling me
There are forces trying to guide me
Erasing the pain and the fear
They are helping me forget the agony and apprehension
So lay me down
Let me rest
Lay me to rest
Let me pass away peacefully
It's over now 'cause I know
I have come to terms with my fate
It's the beginning of the end
The start of the conclusion
And so we'll rise
We will ascend beyond this world
By the grace of God alone
Through divine intervention
His words are carved in stone
His teachings are immutable
I'm never gone
I will always be with you
I'll always be within your heart
My memory will endure
Waiting's the worst part
The anticipation is the most difficult
Now the voices are calling me
The guidance is becoming more insistent
Soothing me and easing the pain and the fear
Helping me relax and let go of my worries
And I see my life pass quickly by
My existence is flashing before my eyes
I am watching
I am a passive observer
All these years we thought we were so wise
In retrospect, our knowledge was shallow
They mean nothing
My worldly possessions and achievements are meaningless
Walk alone into the dying mist come alive for ever
Embrace the unknown and attain eternal life
See the things we've never seen before
Experience things beyond our imagination
Hand in hand together
United with loved ones
The galling rays are lighting up the open door
The immense light reveals the entrance to the afterlife
We've all been waiting for
The moment we've all been expecting
Showing the path that is clear
Guiding us towards the correct route
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, RICHARD FAULKNER, ROBERT HALFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
patboke wangkgeaw
The time has come
And as I reach up to the sky
The love will never die
At last it's here
The darkest sky begins to clear
The final hour draws near
But the voices are calling me
Erasing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
And so we'll rise
By the grace of God alone
His words are carved in stone
I'm never gone
I'll always be within your heart
Waiting's the worst part
Now the voices are calling me
Soothing me and easing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
And I see my life pass quickly by
I am watching
All these years we thought we were so wise
They mean nothing
Walk alone into the dying mist come alive for ever
See the things we've never seen before
Hand in hand together
They galling rays are lighting up the open door
We've all been waiting for
All the voices are calling me
Showing the path that is clear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
Marco Antonio Duarte
(Lyrics)
The time has come
And as I reach up to the sky
The love will never die
At last it's here
The darkest sky begins to clear
The final hour draws near
But the voices are calling me
Erasing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning... of the end
And so we'll rise
By the grace of God alone
His words carved in stone
I'm never gone
I'll always be within your heart
Waiting's the worst part
Now the voices are calling me
Soothing me and erasing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning... of the end
And I see my life pass quickly by
I am watching
All these years we thought we were so wise
They mean nothing
Walk alone into the dying mist... come alive forever
See the things we've never seen before
Hand in hand together
The falling rays... are lightning up the open door
We've all been waiting for
All the voices are calling me
Showing the path that is clear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning... of the end
D
My father died in the hospital last week from lung cancer. I held his hand, and he gave a smile as he died. I've chosen this song for his funeral.
Alex Egoavil
I think of my father too, on how he went on to a better life.
The final hour draws near, erasing the pain and the fear
David Knichal
I am so sry bro, but you know....we all meet our relatives up there at the St. Peter's gate
Livia de mattos araujo livia de mattos araujo
Triste. 😔
Pathfinder
RIP bro i m very sorry for your lost.
May God take good care of him
MARK MIGER
Why he ask for a beginning of the end?
Jennifer Maynard
One of my new Priest favourites! The vocals just knock me off my feet. I don't need Rob screaming all the time. Sometimes he just needs to sing like this to make me happy.
patboke wangkgeaw
The time has come
And as I reach up to the sky
The love will never die
At last it's here
The darkest sky begins to clear
The final hour draws near
But the voices are calling me
Erasing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
And so we'll rise
By the grace of God alone
His words are carved in stone
I'm never gone
I'll always be within your heart
Waiting's the worst part
Now the voices are calling me
Soothing me and easing the pain and the fear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
And I see my life pass quickly by
I am watching
All these years we thought we were so wise
They mean nothing
Walk alone into the dying mist come alive for ever
See the things we've never seen before
Hand in hand together
They galling rays are lighting up the open door
We've all been waiting for
All the voices are calling me
Showing the path that is clear
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
So lay me down
Lay me to rest
It's over now 'cause I know
It's the beginning of the end
dani
My dad would always play rock n' roll/heavy metal music by artists like Judas Priest, Black Sabbath, ect. I was never in to that type of music but once my dad played this song, I was instantly obsessed. Great song!
bry.peterson
Absolutely beautiful. I will admit that I tear up every time I listen to this song. The entire CD is amazing. Definitely one of my favorites!