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)
Cathedral Spires
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Left a legacy, a deadly aftermath
We cannot exist in godforsaken lands
As we spiral down into oblivion
Breathing the fumes of fires that they ignite
Losing ground and we are all just losing sight
We shall never see another setting sun
Time to rise up and ascend, the end has come
No more willpower
Choked by hell fire
Darkness above
Blackening out the sun
Gripped by steel claws
Corrosion eating us
So before we're all devoured
Time to rise up and retire
In cathedral spires
Watching as the world expires
From up amongst the clouds
In cathedral spires
No names
No graves
No prayers
Can save us
Ashes to dust
Doomsday's upon us now
It cannot be stopped
Genocide all is lost
Oh! We're so tired
Time to rise up and conspire
In cathedral spires
Watching as our world expires
From up above the clouds
In cathedral spires
Jaws of corruption
Swallow us as one
Consuming every nation
Evoke resistance getting none
Complete disintegration
No good to defend
There can be but one outcome
We are no more - ascend
Vaporized fury
Offers no sanctuary
Oh! We're so tired
Time to rise up and retire
In cathedral spires
Watching as the world expires
From up amongst the clouds
In cathedral
In cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
The lyrics of Judas Priest's song Cathedral Spires speak of the end of the world and the futility of trying to stop it. The imagery of the song paints a picture of a world consumed by fire and darkness, with humanity losing ground and losing sight of hope. The chorus emphasizes the need to rise up and retire in the cathedral spires, watching as the world expires from above the clouds. The song also touches upon the idea of complete disintegration, with no good to defend against the jaws of corruption that swallow us all.
Overall, the song seems to convey a sense of resignation in the face of impending doom. Rather than fighting back against the forces that threaten to consume us, the lyrics suggest that our only option is to retreat to a place of spiritual refuge and wait for the end to come. In this sense, the cathedral spires represent a symbol of hope and salvation in a world that has lost its way.
Line by Line Meaning
They have blown away the daylight hours we had
Our time has been wasted and destroyed by those in power
Left a legacy, a deadly aftermath
Their actions have caused irreversible harm and devastation
We cannot exist in godforsaken lands
The world they have created is no longer livable or sustainable
As we spiral down into oblivion
Our fate is sealed as we descend further into chaos and destruction
Breathing the fumes of fires that they ignite
The consequences of their actions are suffocating and deadly
Losing ground and we are all just losing sight
We are losing everything we hold dear and losing hope for a better future
We shall never see another setting sun
Our time is running out and we will never witness the end of this suffering
Time to rise up and ascend, the end has come
We must take action and rise to a higher level, as the end is near
No more willpower
We have exhausted our mental and physical strength
Choked by hell fire
We are suffocated by the consequences of evil actions
Darkness above
Hopelessness and despair loom over us
Blackening out the sun
The future is bleak and there is no hope for a brighter tomorrow
Gripped by steel claws
We are trapped by powerful forces beyond our control
Corrosion eating us
Our society and way of life are being eroded by destructive forces
So before we're all devoured
We need to act before it is too late and we are consumed by the chaos
Time to rise up and retire
We must take action and retreat to a safe place
In cathedral spires
A place of refuge and safety
Watching as the world expires
We observe the destruction and demise of the world around us
From up amongst the clouds
We are safe and removed from the chaos happening below
No names
We are all equal and no one is more important than the other
No graves
Death is inevitable and we will all meet the same fate
No prayers
There is no divine intervention or help coming
Can save us
We must rely on ourselves
Ashes to dust
Everything we once knew and held dear is gone
Doomsday's upon us now
The end is here and there is no escaping it
It cannot be stopped
There is no reversing the destruction that has already occurred
Genocide all is lost
The destruction is complete and irreversible
Jaws of corruption
The corrupt and powerful have consumed us
Swallow us as one
We are all victims of their actions
Consuming every nation
Their destruction has affected the entire world
Evoke resistance getting none
We try to fight back, but our efforts are futile against their power
Complete disintegration
Everything is falling apart and there is no hope for recovery
No good to defend
There is nothing left worth fighting for
There can be but one outcome
Our fate is sealed and there is no alternative ending
We are no more - ascend
Our only hope for survival is to rise to a higher level
Vaporized fury
Our anger and resentment have dissipated into nothingness
Offers no sanctuary
There is no safe place left for us
Watching the world expire
We bear witness to the destruction of the world around us
Watching as our world expires
We are helpless as our world falls apart
Jaws of corruption
The corrupt and powerful have consumed us
Swallow us as one
We are all victims of their actions
Consuming every nation
Their destruction has affected the entire world
Time to rise up and retire
We must take action and retreat to a safe place
In cathedral spires
A place of refuge and safety
Oh! We're so tired
We are exhausted and drained from the destruction around us
Time that we retire
It is time to find a safe place and retreat from the chaos
Up in cathedral spires
A place of refuge and safety
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@42069TV
They have blown away the daylight hours we had
Left a legacy, a deadly aftermath
We cannot exist in godforsaken lands
As we spiral down into oblivion
Breathing the fumes of fires that they ignite
Losing ground and we are all just losing sight
We shall never see another setting sun
Time to rise up and ascend, the end has come
No more willpower
Choked by hell fire
Darkness above
Blackening out the sun
Gripped by steel claws
Corrosion eating us
So before we're all devoured
Time to rise up and retire
In cathedral spires
Watching as the world expires
From up amongst the clouds
In cathedral spires
No names
No graves
No prayers
Can save us
Ashes to dust
Doomsday's upon us now
It cannot be stopped
Genocide all is lost
Oh! We're so tired
Time to rise up and conspire
In cathedral spires
Watching as our world expires
From up above the clouds
In cathedral spires
Jaws of corruption
Swallow us as one
Consuming every nation
Evoke resistance getting none
Complete disintegration
No good to defend
There can be but one outcome
We are no more - ascend
Vaporized fury
Offers no sanctuary
Oh! We're so tired
Time to rise up and retire
In cathedral spires
Watching as the world expires
From up amongst the clouds
In cathedral
In cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
Oh! We're so tired
Watching the world expire
Time that we retire
Up in cathedral spires
Songwriters: Glenn Raymond Tipton / Kenneth Downing
@TenSecondSongs
one of the most underrated metal songs of all time? i think so.
@AnDeW-it6sh
Yup
@blindg7092
I would call it overrated. Too many people like it and I don't get it.
@aurorawest7602
And finally you sang it... I´d really love if you made full a cover <3
@gdxnsk
here from ur last vid lol
@Savanna_WCUE
Yup, had to come check it out after watching your vid.
@IronSabbath666
Such an underrated banger, the Ripper Owens Priest era in general is underrated as hell
@johnkosmaniii4090
You got that right he filled the spot just like what happened with ac/dc
@JudasSlays2426
I'll be real, Jugulator is a solid 9-9.5/10. Demolition, is maybe a 7 at best. I ABSOLUTELY LOVE RIPPER AND HALFORD! Ripper is literally in my top 3 favorite Metal Vocalists of all time! Jugulator is such a HEAVY, BADASS, AMAZING METAL ALBUM!
@Callatis
This song is a masterpiece.