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)
Green Manalishi
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And the night is so black that the darkness cooks
And you come creeping around, making me do things I don't want to do
Can't believe that she needs my love so bad
Come sneaking around, trying to drive me mad
Busting in all my dreams, making me see things I don't want to see
All night dragging us up, or you're bringing us down
Just taking my love, and slip away
Leaving me here, trying to keep from following you
The lyrics of Judas Priest's song The Green Manalishi describe a sinister presence that haunts the singer in the dead of night. The first verse sets the scene, with the singer describing a full moon casting an ominous shadow over everything. The darkness is so oppressive that it "cooks," implying that it is nearly unbearable. Then, the "Green Manalishi" enters the picture, creeping around and forcing the singer to do things against their will.
In the second verse, the singer expresses disbelief that this Green Manalishi "needs my love so bad." The entity is trying to "drive me mad" and "busting in all my dreams," causing the singer to see things they don't want to see. The chorus repeats the song's central metaphor - the Green Manalishi is a two-pronged crown that either drags people up or brings them down. The Green Manalishi takes the singer's love and slips away, leaving the singer alone and trying to resist the urge to follow.
The song's lyrics are open to interpretation, but many have speculated that the Green Manalishi could represent addiction, mental illness, or a destructive relationship. The song's dark, heavy sound and lyrics have made it a favorite among metal fans for decades.
Line by Line Meaning
Now when the day goes to sleep and the full moon looks
At nighttime when the sky is dark and the moon is full
And the night is so black that the darkness cooks
The darkness is so intense and suffocating that it feels like it's cooking
And you come creeping around, making me do things I don't want to do
You come into my life and force me to do things against my will with your influence
Can't believe that she needs my love so bad
I can't believe that you are so desperate for my love
Come sneaking around, trying to drive me mad
You try to intentionally make me feel insane by sneaking around
Busting in all my dreams, making me see things I don't want to see
You invade my dreams and force me to see things that I don't wish to see
Cause you're the Green Manalishi with the two-pronged crown
You are the entity known as the Green Manalishi with the distinctive two-pronged crown
All night dragging us up, or you're bringing us down
You seem to be either raising or lowering the moods of everyone around you all night long
Just taking my love, and slip away
You manipulate me into falling in love with you and then slip away without any commitment or regard for my feelings
Leaving me here, trying to keep from following you
After leaving me, I am left to struggle with the temptation to follow you and your allure
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Warner/Chappell Music, Inc., BMG RIGHTS MANAGEMENT US, LLC
Written by: PETER GREEN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@alexrossimartin3538
JUD/\S PRIEST - THE GREEN M/\N/\LISHI
Now when the day goes to sleep
and the full moon looks
And the night is so black
that the darkness cooks
And you come creeping around,
making me do things
I don't want to do
Can't believe that she needs my love so bad
Come sneaking around, trying to drive me mad
Busting in all my dreams,
making me see things I don't want to see
Cause you're the Green Manalishi
with the two-pronged crown
All night dragging us up,
or you're bringing us down
Just taking my love, and slip away
Leaving me here, trying to keep from following you
@williamdon3442
Judas Priest. What a name, what a great band.
@vinaymulukutla358
The Ballad of Frankie Lee and Judas Priest by Bob Dylan. Where it all started.....
@kevinmurphy65
Bought the album when it first came out...man just badass for a 17 yo.
@Eddiesuckiel-eq8rf
So is KK PRIEST
@brettlawson9488
Saw Priest in 82 fantastic concert,my ears are still ringing
@kaszpiboy
Rob Halford mentioned a lot of great riff masters including Tony Iommi and Ritchie Blackmore at their concert 10 years ago (as much as I remember) but then he said that Peter Green was at least of their caliber... and we all knew which song would follow.
As for a choice, well... I could not really decide between the original and this mighty Priest version. Both are outstanding in their own right. But as one of the best comments I've read in my life stated "When Judas Priest covers a song, it automatically becomes a Judas Priest song.", well... I couldn't agree more. They made it theirs. Long live the Priest! And don't you forget Peter Green either. True talents live forever!
@robertoguerrero3717
Yyyyeeeeeeaaaahhhhhh
@MySundin13
Green was the MAN!!! excellent player and visionary
@Justanotherfuckingobserver
Rob Halfords voice 🥰🥰🥰... I love the way he sings ❤️❤️❤️❤️
@cmwillisful
Me too. His octave range is infinity. His stage presence is metal itself.