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)
Chains
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(Three thousand miles don't help like I thought it would)
Help me, beggin' you please
You got the power down on my knees
Give me some kind of life
Leave me be
Take 'em off my heart
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
Reach out to me, as if from the grave
I tried to run but I'm tied to you like a slave
It's my fault loving you so
You were so precious, how could I know
You turned mean overnight
Poor, poor, me
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
I don't owe you anything
Why don't you get out of my life
Through it all the memories cling
And I can't sleep at night
Help me, I'm beggin' you please
You've got the power, down on my knees
Give me some kind of life
Leave me be
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
The lyrics to Judas Priest's song "Chains" depict a desire to start anew, to leave behind the past and its disappointments, and to pursue one's goals with renewed vigor. The opening lines suggest an existential state of being, where time seems to stretch out endlessly, and there is no distinction between good or bad. The singer expresses a sense of alienation from society and acknowledges that they have been strangers for a long time, watching and trying to find a way forward.
The chorus "So swell the black sails with wind and let me reap my rewards and start again" suggests the metaphor of a ship sailing with the wind, where the singer is actively seeking to move forward and overcome the obstacles that have held them back in the past. The repetition of "you will reap just what you sow" reinforces the idea that one's actions have consequences, and that the singer is willing to take responsibility for their own destiny. The final lines of the song further emphasize the desire to start over and leave the past behind, repeating the phrase "let me reap my rewards and start again."
Line by Line Meaning
Up into an endless state of time
We are embarking on a journey with no end in sight
With nothing good or bad just one
Our journey has no preconceived outcomes or moral implications
We have been strangers for a very long time
We have been searching for purpose for quite some time
We have watched and we have tried
We have observed and attempted various methods to find meaning in our journey
And now I need this
I have a strong desire for something more
Know this taste this want this...
I am fully aware of what I desire and crave it intensely
So swell the black sails with wind
Let us move forward with great force
And let me reap my rewards and start again
I am ready and willing to receive the benefits of my actions and begin anew
This is the line that will fall
The obstacles in our path will no longer hinder us
Now that there's nothing left
After everything we have encountered, there are no more barriers to overcome
That can shut you down
There are no longer any external factors that can bring us to a halt
It doesn't take much to break
It only takes a small amount of resistance to bring our journey to a halt
A life beyond the things you live for
The path we are on goes beyond our individual ambitions and goals
Into a place where you have all that it takes
We have arrived at a place where we possess everything we need to succeed
You will reap just what you sow
Our hard work and dedication will result in positive outcomes
So swell the black sails with wind
Let us continue with great positive momentum
And let me reap my rewards and start again
We will receive the benefits of our labor and begin anew
Let me reap my rewards and start again
We are ready to receive our rewards and begin anew
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: Robert Sidney Jr. Halligan
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@Maysticha
I move away it don't do me no good
Three thousand miles don't help like I thought it would
Help me, beggin' you please
You got the power down on my knees
Give me some kind of life
Leave me be
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
Reach out to me, as if from the grave
I tried to run but I'm tied to you like a slave
It's my fault loving you so
You were so precious, how could I know
You turned mean overnight
Poor poor me
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
I don't owe you anything
Why don't you get out of my life
Through it all the memories cling
And I can't sleep at night
Help me I'm beggin' you please
You've got the power, down on my knees
Give me some kind of life
Leave me be
Take these chains off
Take 'em off my heart
@edisonmustainethrash6662
«The Hellion» (instrumental)0:41
2.«Electric Eye»3:39
3.«Riding on the Wind»3:07
4.«Bloodstone»3:51
5.«(Take These) Chains»Bob Halligan Jr.3:07
6.«Pain and Pleasure»4:17
7.«Screaming for Vengeance»4:43
8.«You've Got Another Thing Comin'»5:09
9.«Fever»5:20
10.«Devil's Child»4:48
@ShinDSER
The most underrated Judas Priest song imo.
@oscar_olivera
Every song in Judas Priest got something to discover....
@Atomic_Mushroom
True
@manuelakani6763
🐉
@jrzenizeni2506
Not by me 👊
@MelodyMecato6156
I swear I heard it EVERYWHERE when I was younger though...
@ralphreinhardt6020
All killer , no filler ! This whole album ROCKS !!! 😎🤘
@ehillier11
Literally my favorite of all time...the intro and that pre chorus drum lick I can play it over and over....then that 80's fade finish. Truly perfect song. Stuck in my head for nearly 40 years of being a metal head.
@Thorum13
Same...I'm close to 60 now and shit this fucking song has kicked my ass for decades. So many memories...such a bad-ass moving song. Love Priest!
@hoytmccloskey5967
I'msaaawwasyAaawaaawaa😢aAaaaaaaaasaaaAAAA6🎉WWW0AW😊😢 3:07 😢😊😊wWWaaaaaaaAaaasaaaaaaaa3aàaqaa77à🎉AAà2WE🎉WWWW