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)
Heart of a Lion
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Caught in the glare of the midnight sun
I got wings upon my feet but locked as I run
I am just a breath away
No escape, I hear you say, you're never safe
From a heart, a heart of a lion
My heart, a heart of a lion
I close my eyes, I see your face
It seems like I'm breaking within your spell
Will I ever win this race? You're moving in
[Incomprehensible] right from the sky
Bare as the spell as it cuts the air
In your hold I know that I will never find a love
Of a heart, a heart of a lion
My heart, a heart of a lion
All around I hear the sound of your mighty roar
As I give I find that you are calling out for more
All around I hear the sound of your mighty roar
As I give I find that you are crying
Of a lion heart, of a lion heart
Heart, a heart of a lion
Heart, a heart of a lion
Heart, a heart of a lion
Double heart, a heart of a lion
The song "Heart of a Lion" by Judas Priest is an empowering and intense rock tune that can be interpreted as a metaphor for inner strength, perseverance, and survival. The singer, who seems to have a wild and adventurous spirit, is caught in the city streets and under the intense and merciless glare of the midnight sun. He has wings on his feet and is running with all his might, but feels trapped and powerless at the same time. He is one breath away from defeating his enemy, but he seems to be losing ground.
The chorus emphasizes the strength and courage of his heart, declaring that he possesses the heart of a lion, which is a symbol of bravery, nobility, and power. He sees his opponent's face in his mind and feels trapped within their spell, implying that he is struggling against some powerful force or person in his life. The bridge of the song emphasizes the raw intensity of the battle, with the singer hearing the sound of his enemy's mighty roar and feeling the need to respond in kind. In the end, he realizes that no matter how much he gives, his opponent will always ask for more, but he still remains determined to fight and to protect the heart of a lion within himself.
Line by Line Meaning
Crashing through the city streets
Rushing and moving aggressively through the busy city roads
Caught in the glare of the midnight sun
Feeling trapped in the bright light of the night that never sleeps
I got wings upon my feet but locked as I run
Feeling empowered and swift, yet not able to move freely due to some constraint
I am just a breath away
Being very close to something that is about to happen
From knockin' you senseless to the ground
Having the ability to strike someone down with immense force
No escape, I hear you say, you're never safe
Knowing that once confronted, others will realize there is no way to avoid or escape harm
From a heart, a heart of a lion
Referring to the powerful and fierce nature of his heart
My heart, a heart of a lion
Repeating the message of having a heart that is strong and unrelenting
I close my eyes, I see your face
Remembering someone he has a deep connection with
It seems like I'm breaking within your spell
Feeling like he is falling under someone's influence or control
Will I ever win this race? You're moving in
Questioning whether he will ever come out on top in a competition, as he senses his opponent's approach
[Incomprehensible] right from the sky
Seeing an attack or surprise from high above
Bare as the spell as it cuts the air
Witnessing something swift and precise, like a spell that has been cast
In your hold I know that I will never find a love
Understanding that being held by the enemy will never lead to a loving relationship
Of a heart, a heart of a lion
Reiterating that his heart is as powerful as a lion
All around I hear the sound of your mighty roar
Feeling the presence of a loud and strong opponent
As I give I find that you are calling out for more
Realizing that the more he gives, the more his enemy demands
As I give I find that you are crying
Discovering that his opponent's strength is a mask for their true insecurity and weakness
Of a lion heart, of a lion heart
Repeat of the phrase to emphasize the strength of his heart
Heart, a heart of a lion
Final affirmation of the immense power his heart possesses
Double heart, a heart of a lion
Repeating that his heart is twice (double) as big and fierce as an ordinary heart
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON, KENNETH DOWNING, ROB HALFORD
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Heaven Below
This song should have been fully recorded and put on Defenders. Easily a contender on the track listing.
955472
It was really well engineered on Halford's Insurrection album.
Demigodlike
How this track never made it on any album I'll never know.
Professor Genki
Sounds like something that would have been from the Turbo album.
Kevin Tierney
@Professor Genki You're right on, they actually did record it for Turbo. They discarded it because they felt like it didn't fit with the rest of the album and Halford gave it to Racer X's singer Jeff Martin as a gift
David Knichal
You are wrong dude. This song was recorded during their DOTF sessions
Kevin Tierney
@David Knichal I've researched this extensively, it's definitely from Turbo. You can tell for certain because the box set Metalogy has tracks from every album through Demolition in order. This track is at the end of disc 3, after 4 other songs from Turbo.
David Knichal
@Kevin Tierney Well I made a mistake then. Thanks for the info. That sound reminded me so much of Defenders its unreal
markooch2112
I love Priest and Rob Helford. That is a great song! I never heard the Priest version before. I think Racer X and Jeff Martin did the song great justice. I can almost hear Rob Helford in Jeff Martin's vocals. And who's any better than Paul Gilbert! Great guitarist!!!
David Knichal
Yeah Bob Probford is great here