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)
Ram It Down
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
We're hot tonight, the time is right, there's nitro in the air
In the street is where we'll meet, we're warning
On the beat, we won't retreat, beware
Thousands of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down
Bodies revvin' in leather heaven in wonder
Lights are dimmin' and heads are swimmin'
As thunder hits the stage
Hell breaks loose, turn on the juice get stronger
We metal maniacs begin to rave
Thousands of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down
Shout it out, we're all together now
Shout it out, we join as one, one
Thousands of cars and a million guitars
Screaming with power in the air
We've found the place where the decibels race
This army of rock will be there
To ram it down, ram it down
Straight through the heart of this town
Ram it down, ram it down
Razing the place to the ground
Ram it down
The lyrics for Judas Priest's "Ram It Down" speak to the power of heavy metal music and its ability to bring people together in a temporary escape from reality. The city lights are calling, and the band is ready to rock. Nitro is in the air as an army of metalheads descends upon the venue where they will meet to celebrate the music they love. As the guitars scream and the power builds, the metalheads become stronger, their bodies revving in a "leather heaven." The music reaches a fever pitch, and they all come together as one, shouting and screaming to the beat.
The song is an anthem to the power of heavy metal music and its ability to unite people. It speaks to the rebellious spirit of rock and roll and the desire to break free from the constraints of society. The band urges their audience to "ram it down" and to take control of their lives. They call on their followers to join together and create something powerful and meaningful, something that will outlive them all.
Overall, "Ram It Down" is a celebration of the power of music and its ability to bring people together. It speaks to the eternal spirit of rock and roll and the desire to break free from the constraints of everyday life.
Line by Line Meaning
Raise the sights, the city lights are calling
The bright lights of the city are calling us and we must rise to the occasion.
We're hot tonight, the time is right, there's nitro in the air
We are full of energy and ready to rock, with the perfect timing and atmosphere to fuel our performance.
In the street is where we'll meet, we're warning
We'll be performing on the streets, and we're warning everyone to get ready for us.
On the beat, we won't retreat, beware
We won't back down from our music, so beware of our powerful sound.
Thousands of cars and a million guitars Screaming with power in the air We've found the place where the decibels race This army of rock will be there
The sound of our guitars is powerful, and we have found a place where we can perform to our fullest potential. Our army of rock fans will be right there with us.
To ram it down, ram it down Straight through the heart of this town Ram it down, ram it down Razing the place to the ground Ram it down
Our music is so powerful that we will destroy everything in our path. We will ram our music straight through the heart of this town and leave nothing standing.
Bodies revvin' in leather heaven in wonder Lights are dimmin' and heads are swimmin' As thunder hits the stage
Our fans are energized and in awe of our music. As we come on stage, the lights dim and our music hits like thunder.
Hell breaks loose, turn on the juice get stronger We metal maniacs begin to rave
As our energy builds, we become stronger and more intense. Our fans become metal maniacs and begin to rave to our music.
Shout it out, we're all together now Shout it out, we join as one, one
We are all united in our love for rock, and we shout it out as one loud voice.
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