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)
Jawbreaker
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Peering from its coil
The poison there is coming to the boil
Ticking like a time bomb
The fuse is running short
On the verge of snapping if it's caught
And all the pressure that's been building up
The cracks appear, the frame starts to distort
It's ready to explode
Jawbreaker
Crouching in the corner
Wound up as a spring
Piercing eyes that flash are shimmering
Muscles are all contorted
Claws dug in the dirt
Every ounce of fiber on alert
And all the pressure that's been building up
For all the years it bore the load
The cracks appear, the frame starts to distort
It's ready to explode
Jawbreaker
And all the pressure that's been building up
For all the years it bore the load
The cracks appear, the frame starts to distort
It's ready to explode
Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker
Jawbreaker
The lyrics to "Jawbreaker" by Judas Priest speak of something dangerous and deadly. The imagery is that of a viper, poised to strike with its poison coming to a boil. The pressure has been building, and it's almost at the breaking point. The intense pressure has distorted the frame, and the situation is ready to explode like a jawbreaker candy. The song's repeated use of explosive imagery evokes a sense of danger and violence.
"Jawbreaker" speaks to the human experience of pent-up emotions and the potential for explosive outbursts. The song also suggests the idea that it's better to release emotions before they build to a dangerous level.
Overall, the lyrics to "Jawbreaker" depict a dangerous situation that could explode at any moment. The message to the listener is that it's essential to release emotions and prevent destructive outbursts.
Line by Line Meaning
Deadly as the viper peering from its coil
The situation described is deadly, and its potential to cause harm is like that of a viper coiled and waiting to strike.
The poison there is coming to the boil
The situation is brewing and intensifying, much like poison that is about to boil over.
Ticking like a time bomb
The situation described has a sense of impending doom, similar to that of an explosive ticking towards detonation.
The fuse is running short
The time to act is quickly running out, as indicated by a shortening fuse on a bomb.
On the verge of snapping if it's caught
The situation is at the point of breaking and collapsing into chaos if not handled very carefully.
And all the pressure that's been building up
The situation has been intensifying for some time, and there's now immense pressure on those involved to act in order to avoid a catastrophic outcome.
For all the years it bore the load
The pressure in question had been building up unchecked for many years; it has become too much to bear.
The cracks appear, the frame starts to distort
The pressure is so great that the previously stable situation is now nearing collapse, signs of which are starting to manifest.
Ready to explode Jawbreaker
The situation is now so volatile that it's almost a guarantee that chaos will erupt soon.
Crouching in the corner
The subject of the situation at hand is now in hiding, trying to avoid the very real danger that is looming over them.
Wound up as a spring
The subject is highly wound up and tense, like a tightly coiled spring.
Piercing eyes that flash are shimmering
The subject is highly alert and aware of their surroundings, as evidenced by their sharp, shimmering gaze.
Muscles all contorted
The subject is experiencing intense physical tension, to the point where their muscles are contorted and strained.
Claws dug in the dirt
The subject is preparing themselves for a fight or confrontation, as evidenced by their claws digging into the earth beneath them.
Every ounce of fiber on alert
The subject is highly aware and alert, with every fiber of their being ready to take action at a moment's notice.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, REACH MUSIC PUBLISHING, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: Glenn Raymond Tipton, Kenneth Downing, Robert Halford
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind