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)
Decapitate
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
You will lose it
Severed
When executed
You always thought
You'd never get caught
Sealing your fate
Rebels
Futile efforts
Are quelled
With effective measures
The sentence is read
Word that you dread
Decapitate
Walk through Hell's gate
You've lost your head sir
Well you will tomorrow - sleep well
This court's
Best deterrent
To set
New precendents
The verdict of course
Couldn't be worse
Decapitate
Example be made
Decapitate
Will seal your fate
The lyrics of the song "Decapitate" by Judas Priest speak about the brutal act of execution through decapitation, particularly as a form of punishment for rebellious and criminal behavior. The lyrics start by addressing the subject directly and warning them of their impending fate - their head will be severed when they are executed. The lyrics assert that the subject had always thought they would never be caught, but that their inevitable execution will seal their fate.
The chorus of the song features the word "Decapitate", which is repeated twice each time to emphasize the brutality of the execution the song is describing. The lyrics go on to describe the futile resistance of the "rebels" who are trying to fight against the decision, but who are ultimately met with effective measures that quell their efforts. The song positions decapitation as an extreme judicial measure that is intended as a deterrent to set new precedents for criminal behavior.
In the final verse of the song, the subject is addressed directly once more, and told that they have "lost their head" figuratively, and that they will lose it literally as well when they are executed. The song asserts that the example of the subject's decapitation will "seal their fate", and serve as a warning and deterrent to others who might engage in rebellious and criminal behavior.
Line by Line Meaning
Your head
Your physical head, or symbolically, your identity and life
You will lose it
You will die, probably by beheading
Severed
Cut off cleanly and completely
When executed
When the authorities follow through with your punishment
You always thought
You believed without reservation or concern
You'd never get caught
You thought you were clever enough to evade the law or consequences
Decapitate
To chop off the head of a person or animal as a form of execution
Sealing your fate
Ensuring that your destiny is predetermined and unchangeable
Rebels
People who oppose the established authority and social norms
Futile efforts
Attempts to rebel or resist that are ultimately ineffective
Are quelled
Are put down or silenced by force
With effective measures
Using methods that produce the desired outcome
The sentence is read
The punishment is declared by the judge or court
Word that you dread
The punishment that you fear most
Walk through Hell's gate
Facing punishment and intense suffering
You've lost your head sir
You've lost your mind or composure, or you're about to have your head chopped off
Well you will tomorrow - sleep well
You're going to die tomorrow and you won't be able to sleep peacefully tonight
This court's
The legal system's or ruling establishment's
Best deterrent
Most effective way to discourage others from committing similar crimes
To set
Establish
New precedents
New standards or examples that future cases will be based on
The verdict of course
The decision or ruling, which is to be expected
Couldn't be worse
The punishment is as bad as possible, often involving death
Example be made
Using one person's punishment as a warning and intimidation tactic for others not to follow the same path
Will seal your fate
Will ensure that your future is ruined or set in stone, often resulting in death
Lyrics © REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@DigitalPhantomZX
[Verse 1]
Your head, you will lose it
Severed when executed
You always thought
You'd never get caught
[Chorus]
Decapitate
Sealing your fate
[Verse 2]
Rebels' futile efforts
Are quelled with effective measures
The sentence is read
Words that you dread
[Chorus 2]
Decapitate
Walk through Hell's gate
[Bridge]
You've lost your head sir
Well, you will tomorrow
Sleep well
[Verse 3]
This court's best deterrent
To set new precedents
The verdict of course
Couldn't be worse
[Chorus 3]
Decapitate
Example be made
Decapitate
Will seal your fate
@unromanoarecareanaveragero8275
The intro sounds very metal!
@anthonygroll8221
slipknot eyeless 🤔
@wolfheartdeadleaves
This is like Vulgar Display Of Judas
@IllustrateTheHorror
this song is more doom than groove metal
@jessphiliprodriquez7381
The word "decapitate," came up. That's why I'm here.
@tomaszpogodzinski3557
🤟
@SUDIVINIDAD1
Something strange happened to priest in this album as well as in Demolition, I know halford is Escencial, but Tipton and Kk could have done something so much better than this. Honestly this is not Priest at all, real shame albums.
@demonizer8739
Jugulator is awesome
@bewalker25
😂😂😂 cry baby