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)
Hard as Iron
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Don't mess with me, I'm danger
The meanest one alive
Earthquake, breaks the Richter scale
The more that you resist
The more the pain you'll feel
There's thunder in my veins
And nothing stands before me
Forever I'll remain
Hard as iron
Sharp as steel
Stop for no man
You better beg and kneel
Untouched, cold as ice
I'll turn your blood to water
Strangled in my vice
Shock waves, bones to dust
You're messin' with a mine field
So expect the worst
I'm blazing on to glory
There's thunder in my veins
And nothing stands before me
Forever I'll remain
Hard as iron
Sharp as steel
Stop for no man
You better beg and kneel
As I destroy, last thing you'll hear me cry
Is victory, is victory
I'm blazing on to glory
There's thunder in my veins
And nothing stands before me
Forever I'll remain
Hard as iron
Sharp as steel
Stop for no man
You better beg and kneel
Hard as iron
Sharp as steel
Stop for no man
Hard as iron, sharp as steel
Beg and kneel
The lyrics to Judas Priest's song "Hard as Iron" describe a powerful persona that is confident, unbreakable, and determined to achieve victory at all costs. The first stanza utilizes vivid imagery to paint a picture of someone who should not be trifled with - they move with such force that they can cause an earthquake, and they are "the meanest one alive." The singer then goes on to boast about their invincibility, claiming that nothing can stand in their way and they will remain "hard as iron" and "sharp as steel" forever.
The second stanza lengthens this description, with the singer claiming that they are "untouched, cold as ice" and able to turn another person's blood to water. They are so powerful that they can cause shock waves that turn bones to dust - this imagery suggests that they are capable of causing massive destruction without any effort. The last few lines of the song build up to a final declaration of victory, with the singer stating that their final cry will be one of triumph.
Overall, the lyrics to "Hard as Iron" paint a picture of someone who is a force to be reckoned with - impervious to pain, unbreakable, and unstoppable. The song is about exerting power and never giving up, and it incorporates a lot of vivid imagery to convey this sense of strength.
Line by Line Meaning
Whipcrack, stings the sky
I am fierce and intimidating, like a whip cracking through the sky
Don't mess with me I'm danger
I am a dangerous force to be reckoned with
The meanest one alive
I am the most brutal and ruthless individual out there
Earthquake, breaks the Richter scale
My power is comparable to an earthquake that can register at the highest magnitude on the Richter scale
The more that you resist
If you try to oppose me or fight back, it will only make things worse for you
The more pain you'll feel
Resistance will result in an increase in the amount of pain and suffering you experience
I'm blazing on to glory
I am charging towards victory with an unstoppable force
There's thunder in my veins
My strength and power flow through me like thunderbolts
And nothing stands before me
No obstacle or enemy can stop me
Forever I'll remain
My power and dominance will persist indefinitely
Hard as iron
I am unbreakable and resilient like iron
Sharp as steel
I am dangerous and deadly, like a sharp steel blade
Stop for no man
No one can halt or impede my progress and determination
You better beg and kneel
If you encounter me, your only option is to submit and plead for mercy
Untouched, cold as ice
I am untouchable and my heart is as cold and unforgiving as ice
I'll turn your blood to water
My power can reduce someone to a state of fear and helplessness
Strangle in my vice
Once I have a hold on someone, there is no escape from my grasp
Shock waves, bones to dust
The impact of my power can shatter and destroy even the strongest and most resilient
You're messin' with a mine field
If you engage with me, you risk setting off a chain reaction of destruction and chaos
So expect the worst
If you dare to confront me, you had better prepare for the dire consequences
As I destroy, last thing you'll hear me cry
As I conquer and destroy my enemies, my final triumphant cry will ring out
Is victory, is victory
My ultimate goal is to achieve victory, and I will stop at nothing to attain it
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Kenneth Downing, Robert Halford, Glenn Raymond Tipton
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind