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)
Machine Man
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
On my 650 Bonneville
"Hellfire" we yell
Fueled and indestructible
Get it down
To take the crown
Neon daze
No fear just hate
Drives us to the ultimate
Cut loose extremes
On our maniac machines
Take me down
Or hit the ground
Neon nights
At the speed of light
So you motherfuckers want to race
You've all got loser tattooed on your face
Machine Man's running - you wanna try
Machine Man's coming - you're gonna die
Ignite the engines
You can hear it scream
You're gonna eat your words
That challenged this machine
The beast is revved up
The flag is down
The tires screech
And lay a smoke screen all around
Through the limits
As they rocket past
It's a blood bath
There's no second place
Machine Man's running - you wanna try
Machine Man's coming - you're gonna die
Machine Man - Machine Man's coming
Machine Man - Machine Man's coming
Ice nerves of steel
As I notch another kill
You lose - I win
I get to ride again
Get it down
Hit the ground
Neon nights
Speed of light
Feel no mercy as I cross the line
Watch the suckers self-destruct behind
Machine Man's running
You wanna try
Machine Man's coming
You're gonna die
Machine Man's running - you wanna try
Machine Man's coming - you're gonna die
Machine Man - Machine Man's coming
Machine Man - Machine Man's coming
The lyrics of Judas Priest's song Machine Man are a reflection of the band's fascination with man's technological progress and the implications that come with it. The song speaks of a biker who loves speed and lives life on the edge. He is described as "licensed to kill" and "fueled and indestructible" with a love for the "maniac machines" that he rides. He revels in the adrenaline rush of racing and challenges other riders to "try" and "die."
The lyrics also convey a sense of rebellion and anarchy, with the biker living by his own rules and defying societal norms. He is a renegade who embraces the neon-colored nights and the thrill of cutting loose. The refrain, "Machine Man's running - you wanna try, Machine Man's coming - you're gonna die," suggests a danger that is both exhilarating and terrifying.
Additionally, the lyrics can be interpreted as a commentary on the advancements of technology and its impact on humanity. The biker represents a man who has merged with machines and is now a "Machine Man." He is a symbol of the dehumanization of society that can come with technological progress. The song warns us that we should be careful not to rely too heavily on machines and technology, or we too may become like the biker, consumed by our own man-made creations.
Line by Line Meaning
Licensed to kill
Authorized to ride recklessly and put lives at risk
On my 650 Bonneville
Riding a powerful motorcycle capable of high speeds
"Hellfire" we yell
Screaming out in excitement and danger
Fueled and indestructible
Full of energy and fearless, with the belief that nothing can stop us
Get it down
Let's do it, let's ride fast and hard
To take the crown
To become the ultimate rider, to be the best
Neon daze
The bright lights of the city blur together as we speed past
Renegades
We live outside the rules, we are rebels
No fear just hate
We feel no fear, only a fierce desire to win and beat our opponents
Drives us to the ultimate
The desire to be the best pushes us to take extreme risks
Cut loose extremes
Riding without inhibition, taking every risk to win
On our maniac machines
With powerful motorcycles that we control like extensions of ourselves
Take me down
Try to beat us, knock us down if you can
Or hit the ground
If we fall, we'll go down fighting
Neon nights
Riding through the city at night, with the lights flashing by
At the speed of light
Riding so fast, everything around us blurs together
So you motherfuckers want to race
We challenge our opponents with vulgar language, daring them to try to beat us
You've all got loser tattooed on your face
We believe our opponents are already defeated, that they will lose no matter what they do
Machine Man's running - you wanna try
Our powerful bike and superior skills are in motion, come and challenge us if you dare
Machine Man's coming - you're gonna die
We are unstoppable and unbeatable, anyone who tries to race against us will be defeated
Ignite the engines
Start the engines, get ready to ride fast
You can hear it scream
The sound of the bike is loud and powerful, matching the excitement and danger of the ride
You're gonna eat your words
Our opponents will regret underestimating us and talking trash
That challenged this machine
That dared to take on the power of our motorcycle and our riding skills
The beast is revved up
The motorcycle is ready to go, full of power and speed
The flag is down
The race has started, it's time to ride fast and win
The tires screech
The sound of the tires against the pavement echoes, adding to the excitement and danger
And lay a smoke screen all around
The exhaust from the bike creates a cloud of smoke, making it difficult for our opponents to keep up
Through the limits
We push ourselves and our bikes to the edge, taking every risk to win
As they rocket past
Our opponents are left in the dust, unable to keep up with our speed and power
It's a blood bath
The race is intense and dangerous, with everything at stake
There's no second place
We must win, there is no other option
Ice nerves of steel
We remain calm and focused even in the face of danger
As I notch another kill
We have defeated another opponent, adding to our undefeated record
You lose - I win
Our opponents are defeated, we are the winners
I get to ride again
We live for the thrill of the ride, the feeling of victory, and the chance to do it all again
Feel no mercy as I cross the line
We have no remorse for our opponents as we race past the finish line to victory
Watch the suckers self-destruct behind
Our opponents are left in our wake, defeated and destroyed by our skill and determination
Machine Man - Machine Man's coming
Our powerful bike and superior riding skills are on their way
Machine Man - Machine Man's coming
We are ready to race and win, nothing can stop us
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC
Written by: GLENN RAYMOND TIPTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
The Rock Office
My word, demolition is a mighty fine album if one can just for one second accept that Mr. Halford needed a few weeks vacation. The riffs are crushing and Scott is not sleeping on his duty either. The headbanging starts without thinking about it, a sure sign that this is Metal at its finest! Too bad that they never play any songs from this album live, but they sure have enough material to draw upon! \o/
Abyss
Demolition is damn good but it will always have those god awful lyrics for the song Cyberface that makes it feel kinda corny
Bozhidar Jubi Yordanov
TIPTON IS BEAST! WHAT A SOLO!
Buttoniitti
I think that this particular album is goddamn cool. The songs have goddamn good melodies. its not that fast heavy metal like Painkiller. Its hard slow tempo metal, good as it is. In Between, Close to You, Hell is Home, Metal Messiah... Damn good songs.
BadColours
This album would be cool if every song besides this was removed
Shinku Kirito Ichika
This is my most favorite song off of Demolition. May not be among my favorite Priest albums, but still has a handful of songs I like, this among them. This is very kickass; Tim is just a beast and it felt very Motorhead-ish.
Inge Pinge
great album !! priest without halford is still priest, the tightest band in the galaxy !! hell yeah !!
Mike Rietow
It is enjoyable, I resisted at first but it's good shit. Saw them live on demolition, enjoyed their originals Jugulator - Demolition more so than the classics.
Masa M
Not so great as is Jugulator.
makouras
Pure, classic, awesome Priest!