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)
Brain Dead
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Pull the plug
Leave me with some dignity
I am not
What I was
And I don't need the sympathy
Alive inside me
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Sentenced
Forgot
Paralyzed
In my shell
Enduring every
Endless day
Immobilized
On my back
Aware of everything
They say
Extricate me
Eliminate me
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Drip fed
Forgot
I can't blink my eye or cry
Or even speak
They crowd around my bed
Condescending words are said
Thinking I don't hear or know
What is going on?
Hello
Can't you suckers hear my cries
From inside? I'm still alive
It's my decision to abort
Turn off the goddamn life support
Let me pass
From this world
So I fade away in peace
Comprehending
Unrelenting
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Sentenced
Forgot
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Drip fed
Forgot
The song "Brain Dead" by Judas Priest is a haunting portrayal of a person who is paralyzed and aware of everything that is going on around them but cannot communicate. The lyrics express the desire of this person to be allowed to die with dignity rather than being kept alive through artificial means, and the frustration they feel with the condescending attitudes of those around them who assume that they are not aware of what is happening.
The opening lines of the song set the tone for the rest of the lyrics, with the singer asking to be turned off and left with dignity. They reject sympathy and refuse to be defined by their current condition, insisting that they are not brain dead. The chorus of the song reinforces this idea, with the singer proclaiming that they are not brain-dead and that they have not forgotten their former life.
The verses of the song detail the singer's experience of being trapped inside their own body, unable to move or communicate with those around them. They are aware of every word that is spoken but cannot respond or express their own feelings. The frustrated narrator pleads with those around them to eliminate them, to take them off life support and let them pass from this world.
Overall, "Brain Dead" is a dark and powerful song that explores the struggle of those who are trapped inside their own bodies. It expresses the desire for dignity and respect in death, and the frustration of being constantly underestimated by others.
Line by Line Meaning
Turn me off
Please, disconnect me from the life support machine
Pull the plug
Remove the electric devices keeping me alive
Leave me with some dignity
Let me die with some respect and honor
I am not
I used to be, but not anymore
What I was
The person I used to be before this state
And I don't need the sympathy
I don't want your pity or empathy
Alive inside me
I'm still conscious and breathing
No one can hear me
People assume I'm already dead and don't communicate with me
Brain dead
I'm not literally brain dead, but people presume so
I'm not
I'm still alive inside
Sentenced
I'm trapped in my body
Forgot
I'm being ignored and left to die alone
Paralyzed
I can't move or respond to people talking to me
In my shell
My body is like a cocoon that traps me inside
Enduring every
Suffering all the pain and discomfort without any relief
Endless day
Every day feels the same and never-ending
Immobilized
I'm unable to move, and my body feels like a prison
On my back
I'm lying on a bed facing the ceiling
Aware of everything
I can listen and comprehend everything people say
They say
They talk about me as if I'm already dead
Extricate me
Please set me free from my condition
Eliminate me
Kill me, so I no longer have to suffer
Drip fed
I'm getting nutrition through a tube attached to my body
I can't blink my eye or cry
I'm unable to show expression or emotion through my face
Or even speak
I can't utter any words or communicate my thoughts
They crowd around my bed
People come to visit and see me, feeling sorry for me
Condescending words are said
People talk to me as if I'm a child or an imbecile
Thinking I don't hear or know
People assume that I'm not conscious and can't understand anything
What is going on?
I'm fully aware of my condition and what's happening to me
Hello
I'm trying to gain their attention and want to communicate
Can't you suckers hear my cries
Why can't people hear or feel my pain and screams
From inside? I'm still alive
I'm internally alive and asking for help
It's my decision to abort
I want to choose to end my suffering consciously
Turn off the goddamn life support
Stop keeping me artificially alive and let me die
Let me pass
Give me permission to pass away and end my turmoil
From this world
Leave this world and go to an afterlife
So I fade away in peace
I want to die painlessly and with tranquillity
Comprehending
I can fully understand what people are saying
Unrelenting
My condition is constant and never-ending
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DigitalPhantomZX
[Verse 1]
Turn me off, pull the plug
Leave me with some dignity
I am not what I was
And I don't need the sympathy
Alive inside me
No one can hear me
[Chorus]
Brain dead, I'm not
Brain dead, sentenced
Forgot
[Verse 2]
Paralyzed in my shell
Enduring every endless day
Immobilized on my back
Aware of everything they say
Extricate me
Eliminate me
[Chorus]
[Verse 3]
I can't blink my eye
Or cry or even speak
They crowd around my bed
Condescending words are said
Thinking I don't hear or know
What is going on, hello
Can't you suckers hear my cries
From inside I'm still alive
It's my decision to abort
Turn off the goddamn life support
Let me pass from this world
Slowly fade away in peace
Comprehending
Unrelenting
[Chorus][x2]
@doesitmatter6462
Turn me off
Pull the plug
Leave me with some dignity
I am not
What I was
And I don't need the sympathy
Alive inside me
No one can hear me
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Sentenced
Forgot
Paralysed
In my shell
Enduring every
Endless day
Immobilized
On my back
Aware of everything
They say
Extricate me
Eliminate me
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Drip fed
Forgot
I can't blink my eye or cry
Or even speak
They crowd around my bed
Condescending words are said
Thinking I don't hear or know
What is going on - Hello!
Can't you suckers hear my cries
From inside I'm still alive
It's my decision to abort
Turn off the goddamn life support
Let me pass
From this world
So I fade away in peace
Comprehending
Unrelenting
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Sentenced
Forgot
Brain dead
I'm not
Brain dead
Drip fed forgot
@davidsmith-lg1eo
You cannot ignore THE RIPPER era of JP. Pure heavy metal. And kept the band alive and vital.
@adithyastren6218
Been listening since '77. Priest playing borderline thrash was unexpected but very, very welcome. Also the guitar tone is wonderful.
@RioZLander
I picked up JP back in 2003 my buddie who was a power metal fan and drummer showed me Rock a rolla and sad wings, that was all I needed I went full fan at that point so when I picked up the Ripper albums, yeah threw me for a loop to but I loved it. even Fallowed Rippers move to Iced Earth :D I love Judas Priest
@Aproaudio9570
This album was beyond thrash, it was very hardcore and had lots of death metal in it.
@Jupiter-Bringer-of-Jollity
Dissident Aggressor (kinda) invented thrash metal, it's nice to see them revisit the genre.
@IllustrateTheHorror
not borderline thrash, borderline death metal, this makes Megadeth and Metallica sound like Greenday
@Jupiter-Bringer-of-Jollity
@@IllustrateTheHorror Bathory's Requiem album (specifically designed to be thrash) has the same effect.
@RockingMetal
By far the straightest album Priest ever made! Only real Judas Priest fans know what I am talking about.
@zackearl3200
hahahha
@John-X
lmao based