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)
Riding on the Wind
Judas Priest Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Cruise the speed of light
Glowin' God of Mars
Body burning bright
Well, I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Yes, I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Million miles an hour
Blinding all in sight
Surging rush of power
Well, I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Yes, I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Ridin' on the wind
Ridin' on the wind
Ridin' on the wind
(Ridin' on the wind)
Thunderbolt from hell
Shattering aloud
Screamin' demons yell
Bursting through the clouds
Well, I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Yes, I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
"Riding on the Wind" is an electric song by Judas Priest about embracing the rush of adrenaline and the feeling of being on top of the world. The lyrics describe riding through the universe at the speed of light, burning bright like a god on the planet Mars. The song also emphasizes that going through life at such high speeds can be blinding and powerful, but ultimately exhilarating. The chorus repeats the title phrase of "Riding on the Wind" to further emphasize the feeling of freedom that comes with embracing life at full speed.
Throughout the verses, the lyrics use metaphors to describe the experience of riding on the wind, such as tearing through life and creating a thunderbolt from hell. The song's bridge gives way to an intense guitar solo, where the instrumental melody serves to give the feeling of being free of gravity and flying through the atmosphere. Overall, "Riding on the Wind" is a celebration of living life to the fullest and embracing the rush of excitement that comes with it.
Line by Line Meaning
Shooting for the stars
Aiming high and reaching for lofty goals.
Cruise the speed of light
Moving incredibly fast, akin to the speed of light.
Glowin god of Mars
A celestial being from the Red Planet, possessing a magnificent aura.
Body burning bright
Radiating intense energy and light.
Well I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
The artist is currently rushing forward at an incredible pace, propelled by the wind.
Yes I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Confirming that the singer is indeed riding on the wind, still in motion.
Tearing up through life
Swiftly making progress through existence, leaving a trail of accomplishments.
Million miles an hour
Moving at an inconceivable speed that is equivalent to millions of miles an hour.
Blinding all in sight
Dazzling and overwhelming everyone who looks upon the artist's novel achievements.
Surging rush of power
Experiencing a mighty and unstoppable burst of strength and energy.
Ridin' on the wind! Ridin' on the wind!
Repeating the fact that the singer is currently riding on the wind with enthusiasm and fervor.
Ridin' on the wind! RIDING ON THE WIND!
Exclaims the artist's excitement for the rush of being carried by the wind and the accompanying feeling of freedom.
Thunderbolt from hell
A force of extreme power from a fiery, infernal realm.
Shattering aloud
Producing a resounding, shocking noise that reverberates through the entire environment.
Screamin' demons yell
Evil spirits unleash a chorus of wails and howls that pierce the listener's ears.
Bursting through the clouds
Breaking through the outer limits of the earth's atmosphere, soaring into the heavens.
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
Nice Guy 🇺🇦
Shooting for the stars
Cruise the speed of light
Glowin' god of Mars
Body burning bright
Well I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Yes I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Tearing up through life
Million miles an hour
Blinding all in sight
Surging rush of power
Well I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Yes I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Thunderbolt from hell
Shattering aloud
Screamin' demons yell
Bursting through the clouds
Well I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Yes I'm ridin', ridin' on the wind
Gene Golabek
Just turned 57, sounds great to me as it did when I was 17, never gets old just better, keep Rock in on Judas Priest!
Greg
Like a fine wine only gets better
Anonymous
I'm 49 and 2 months short of 50. Got back into metal because of Metallica in the late 1980s. I listen to all types of rock but, yeah this one ROCKs FOREVER (I could not help but to allude to a great priest song from a few albums before this one in '82: https://youtu.be/XzmUS-jXrBY)
arthur murfitt
I idolized this album as a teenager when it first came out. And I still do…
venrakdrake
I first listened to it back in January and I'm still not over it....
arthur murfitt
@venrakdrake :-D
STEVEN Taylor
First time I saw them they were touring for this album.
Roberto Guerrero
Yeeeeaaaaaaahhhhhhhh
upbeat
Don't worry I'm 16 and listening to it. Good music don't fade away people still intend to Beethoven, and that stuff old asf
The1WhoKnowsTheTruth
The power this song (and album) gave me as a kid in HS back in 82-83 can still be felt whenever I hear it. Thank you Judas Priest. \m/