Dead Meat
Judas Priest Lyrics


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The hangman's noose won't get me
Gas chambers never stress me
The can line me up against the wall

No firing squad will make me
Confess or even break me
I'll stand alone or not at all
I will not obey
I will not betray
I will not give in
Not while I'm living

No surrender
We never will surrender

We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed

No shackles made will chain me
No endless pain will change me
The scars will testify this all

No solitary confinement
Will break my strong resignment
I'll die before I will conform
I will not obey
I will not betray
I will not give in
Not while I'm living

No surrender
There'll never be surrender

We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed

Read in my obituary
Defiance breeds victory

No cage they make can hold me
No law enforced controls me
No trap that's sprung stops me for long
No prison cell contains me
No snare they set will claim me
Relentlessly I'll fight them all

I will not obey
I will not betray
I will not give in
Not while I'm living

No surrender
We never will
Be driven asunder
No surrender
We never will
Raise the white flag

We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed
We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed

Indoctrination
Will never
Suppress me
They're seriously mistaken
'Cause I'll take them
Down with me
And just before they're finished




They'll scream along with me
We are all dead meat

Overall Meaning

"Dead Meat" by Judas Priest is a song about resilience and defiance against oppressive forces. The lyrics describe the singer's unwavering determination to resist any form of coercion or manipulation. The hangman's noose, gas chambers, and firing squads are all forms of coercion that the singer is ready to face without flinching. Similarly, the scars on their body will bear witness to the price of freedom. The chorus emphasizes the singer's refusal to surrender to anyone or anything, even if it means death. Their ultimate defiance is likened to that of "dead meat." The song concludes on a note of triumph as the singer believes that their defiance will eventually lead to victory.


The song was released in 1988 as part of Judas Priest's album "Ram It Down," which was produced by Tom Allom and recorded at Puk Studios in Denmark. "Dead Meat" was written by Rob Halford, K.K. Downing, and Glenn Tipton.


Line by Line Meaning

The hangman's noose won't get me
I will not be killed by hanging


Gas chambers never stress me
I am not afraid of being killed by gas chambers


They can line me up against the wall
They can prepare to kill me by firing squad


No firing squad will make me
I will not be broken by a firing squad


Confess or even break me
I will not admit to anything or be broken


I'll stand alone or not at all
I will stand for my beliefs even if I am alone


I will not obey
I will not follow their orders


I will not betray
I will not give information that would harm others


I will not give in
I will not compromise my beliefs


Not while I'm living
I will fight for my beliefs as long as I am alive


No surrender
I will not give up or give in


We never will surrender
We will always fight for what we believe in


We are all dead meat
We are all going to die


Cut us, watch us bleed
If you hurt us, we will bleed


No shackles made will chain me
No restraints will hold me down


No endless pain will change me
No amount of pain will make me give up


The scars will testify this all
My scars will show how much I have endured


No solitary confinement
Being confined alone will not break me


Will break my strong resignment
I will remain strong even in solitary confinement


I'll die before I will conform
I would rather die than give up my beliefs


There'll never be surrender
We will never give up


Read in my obituary
When I die


Defiance breeds victory
Standing up for what I believe in will lead to victory


No cage they make can hold me
No cage will keep me imprisoned


No law enforced controls me
I will not be controlled by any law


No trap that's sprung stops me for long
I will escape any trap that is set for me


No prison cell contains me
I will not be held in prison


No snare they set will claim me
No trap will catch me


Relentlessly I'll fight them all
I will fight against them without stopping


Be driven asunder
Be separated and defeated


Raise the white flag
Admit defeat


Indoctrination
The act of teaching someone to accept a set of beliefs uncritically


Will never
Will not


Suppress me
Break my spirit


They're seriously mistaken
They are wrong


'Cause I'll take them
Because I will fight against them


Down with me
I will not go down alone


And just before they're finished
Right before they are defeated


They'll scream along with me
They will also be defeated




Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS

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Most interesting comment from YouTube:

@DigitalPhantomZX

[Verse 1]
The hangman's noose won't get me
Gas chambers never stress me
The can line me up against the wall
No firing squad will make me
Confess or even break me
I'll stand alone or not at all

[Chorus]
I will not obey
I will not betray
I will not give in
Not while I'm living
No surrender
We never will surrender
We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed

[Verse 2]
No shackles made will chain me
No endless pain will change me
The scars will testify this all
No solitary confinement
Will break my strong resignment
I'll die before I will conform

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Read in my obituary
Defiance breeds victory
No cage they make can hold me
No law enforced controls me
No trap that's sprung stops me for long
No prison cell contains me
No snare they set will claim me
Relentlessly I'll fight them all

[Chorus]
I will not obey
I will not betray
I will not give in
Not while I'm living
No surrender
We never will
Be driven asunder
No surrender
We never will
Raise the white flag
We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed
We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed

[Verse 4]
Indoctrination
Will never
Suppress me
They're seriously mistaken
Because I'll take them
Down with me
And just before they're finished
They'll scream
Along with me

[Outro]
We are all dead meat



All comments from YouTube:

@DigitalPhantomZX

[Verse 1]
The hangman's noose won't get me
Gas chambers never stress me
The can line me up against the wall
No firing squad will make me
Confess or even break me
I'll stand alone or not at all

[Chorus]
I will not obey
I will not betray
I will not give in
Not while I'm living
No surrender
We never will surrender
We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed

[Verse 2]
No shackles made will chain me
No endless pain will change me
The scars will testify this all
No solitary confinement
Will break my strong resignment
I'll die before I will conform

[Chorus]

[Verse 3]
Read in my obituary
Defiance breeds victory
No cage they make can hold me
No law enforced controls me
No trap that's sprung stops me for long
No prison cell contains me
No snare they set will claim me
Relentlessly I'll fight them all

[Chorus]
I will not obey
I will not betray
I will not give in
Not while I'm living
No surrender
We never will
Be driven asunder
No surrender
We never will
Raise the white flag
We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed
We are all dead meat
Cut us, watch us bleed

[Verse 4]
Indoctrination
Will never
Suppress me
They're seriously mistaken
Because I'll take them
Down with me
And just before they're finished
They'll scream
Along with me

[Outro]
We are all dead meat

@gogoyubari366

Cool album cover!

@flandyc4513

This albums such a fuckin headbanger

@unromanoarecareanaveragero8275

I fucking agree!

@jimmyneut2702

Me fuckin too

@Matthewjs33

@jimmyneut2 fuckin yeah

@jimmyneut2702

@Matthew Sanders fuckin jugulator dead meat and cathedral spires are way fuckin better you fuckin Avenged Sevenfold

@Matthewjs33

@jimmyneut2 fuckin take it easy dude. I love this album.

4 More Replies...

@GumballWatterson31303

Alex loves this! \m/

@laiskaKasper

That Album Picture Looks Hydra For Hercules One Hes Villiain.

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