Judas Priest is an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, Warwicksh… Read Full Bio ↴Judas Priest is an English heavy metal band formed in Birmingham, Warwickshire in 1969. They have sold over 50 million albums and are frequently ranked as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Despite an innovative and pioneering body of work in the latter half of the 1970s, the band had struggled with indifferent record production and a lack of major commercial success until 1980, when they rose to commercial success with the album British Steel.

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)

Desert_Plains
Judas Priest Lyrics

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Full moon is rising
The sky is black
I need your call I'm coming back
The road is straight cast
Wind's in my eyes
The engine roars between my thighs

From desert plains I bring you love

From desert plains I bring you love

Wild mountain thunder
Echoes my quest
My body aches but I'll not rest
Quartz light to guide me
Till sunrise leads
My passion screams, my heart it bleeds

From desert plains I bring you love
From desert plains I bring you love

Then in the distance
I see you stand
On the horizon you raise your hand
In burning rubber
I end my quest
You fall into my arms at last

From desert plains I bring you love
From desert plains I bring you love

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to Judas Priest's "Desert Plains" appear to be about a passionate and exciting journey through the desert to reunite with a loved one. The opening lines paint a picture of a dark and expansive desert landscape, with the full moon rising and the sky black. The singer asserts that they need their beloved's call and are on their way back to them. The road is straight and the wind is in their eyes as they ride through the desert on a motorcycle, the engine roaring between their thighs.

As the song progresses, the singer's journey becomes more intense and urgent. They describe wild mountain thunder echoing their quest and their body aching, but their desire to reach their loved one keeping them going. They mention quartz light guiding them until sunrise leads the way. The singer's passion screams and their heart bleeds as they push themselves to the limit to reach their destination.

Finally, the singer catches sight of their beloved standing in the distance with their hand raised on the horizon. The singer speeds toward them in burning rubber, ending their quest and finally sharing a passionate embrace.

Line by Line Meaning

Full moon is rising
The singer is setting the scene for the upcoming events

The sky is black
The surroundings are dark and ominous

I need your call I'm coming back
The singer has been summoned and is on their way

The road is straight cast
The path is clear and direct

Wind's in my eyes
There are obstacles in the way but the artist is pushing through them

The engine roars between my thighs
The singer is travelling on a motorcycle and feeling powerful

From desert plains I bring you love
The singer is on a mission to deliver their love from the arid landscape

Wild mountain thunder
The artist is facing challenging conditions

Echoes my quest
The artist's determination is amplified by the echoes around them

My body aches but I'll not rest
The artist is exhausted but refuses to give up

Quartz light to guide me
The singer has a guiding light and is not giving up