Having started as a glam metal band, Pantera released three albums in the mid-1980s with lead vocalist Terry Glaze (Metal Magic, Projects in the Jungle, and I Am the Night), with little success. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera recruited Anselmo in 1986 and released Power Metal in 1988. They secured a record deal with major label Atco the following year. Their fifth album (which the band has since declared to be their official debut album), 1990's Cowboys from Hell, popularized the groove metal genre, while its 1992 follow-up Vulgar Display of Power achieved an even heavier sound and increased their popularity. The subsequent album Far Beyond Driven (1994) then debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.
Tensions began to surface among the band members when Anselmo became addicted to heroin in 1995; he almost died from an overdose in 1996. These tensions resulted in the recording sessions for The Great Southern Trendkill (1996) being held separately. The ongoing tension lasted for another seven years, during which only one studio album, Reinventing the Steel (2000), was recorded. Pantera went on hiatus in 2001 but lingering disputes led to the band breaking up in 2003. The Abbott brothers went on to form Damageplan while Anselmo continued to work on several side projects, including Down, which Brown joined as well.
On December 8, 2004, Dimebag Darrell was shot and killed on stage by a mentally unstable fan during a Damageplan concert in Columbus, Ohio. Vinnie Paul went on to form Hellyeah after his brother's death, and died of heart failure in 2018, leaving Brown and Anselmo as the only surviving members of the band's best-known lineup. In July 2022, it was announced that Brown and Anselmo were reuniting in 2023 for Pantera's first tour in 22 years, with Zakk Wylde and Charlie Benante filling in for the Abbott brothers on guitar and drums, respectively. The new lineup played its first show in 21 years at the Hell and Heaven festival in Mexico on December 2, 2022.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pantera
Studio albums
Metal Magic (1983)
Projects in the Jungle (1984)
I Am the Night (1985)
Power Metal (1988)
Cowboys from Hell (1990)
Vulgar Display of Power (1992)
Far Beyond Driven (1994)
The Great Southern Trendkill (1996)
Reinventing the Steel (2000)
Down Below
Pantera Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
In the street
Lookin' for some
Meat to eat
Its in your
Dirty magazines
All across your
Tv screens
In the street
Feel the fire
Catch the heat
You better go
Down below
You better go
Down below
See the ladies
Of the night
Built for speed
To my delight
I steal them
In my limousine
Hear them shout
Hear them scream
Its a dirty job
But somebody's gotta do it
Scream
The song "Down Below" by Pantera portrays a gritty and raw view of society, with vivid imagery that paints a picture of desperation and lawlessness. The first stanza speaks about people running in the streets, looking for something to eat, intimating that the world is in a state of anarchy, with people scavenging for survival. The lyrics describe the availability of sleazy entertainment, with dirty magazines and TV screens showing it all. The midnight riders in the streets are full of passion and energy, with fire in their hearts, and heat in their souls. They are a warning to the listener, telling them that they better head down below, presumably to protect themselves from the seedy and sordid life that lies above.
The second stanza continues the theme of darkness and depravity. The ladies of night, who are built for speed, bring joy and satisfaction to the singer, who steals them away in his limousine. The women scream and shout, reflecting the passion and desire that is pervasive in this world. The lyrics suggest that it is a dirty job, but someone has to do it, implying that the world above is full of vices and immorality that must be enjoyed by someone, even if it is at the expense of others. The final word, "scream," emphasizes the raw and primal nature of this song and gets the listener to participate in the experience.
Line by Line Meaning
People runnin'
The chaos and desperation in society is mounting
In the street
This is happening out in the open for all to witness
Lookin' for some
People will resort to animalistic behavior in order to survive
Meat to eat
The hunger and desperation has driven people to seek out flesh to consume
Its in your
The depravity of society is not hidden, it is everywhere
Dirty magazines
Sex and violence have become common subject matter for entertainment
All across your
It permeates every aspect of our media
Tv screens
Including what we watch on TV
Midnight riders
People who operate outside the law to pursue their desires
In the street
They operate out in the open, fearless of consequences
Feel the fire
They are driven by a burning passion
Catch the heat
Their actions are intense and dangerous
You better go
The danger is escalating and leaving is the best choice
Down below
Get away from the chaos and depravity of society
See the ladies
There are women who cater to men's primal desires
Of the night
They only emerge after dark
Built for speed
They are fast and efficient at fulfilling men's desires
To my delight
The singer is pleased by their presence
I steal them
The singer takes these women for his own
In my limousine
The artist is wealthy and has luxury transportation
Hear them shout
The women are vocal and may not actually consent
Hear them scream
The women may be in distress and the artist takes pleasure in this
Its a dirty job
The singer's actions are morally questionable
But somebody's gotta do it
The artist sees himself as fulfilling a necessary but unpleasant role
Scream
The singer is reveling in the power he has over these women
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@paulmccartney8090
Lyrics:
People runnin'
In the street
Lookin' for some
Meat to eat
Its in your
Dirty magazines
All across your
TV screens
Midnight Riders
In the street
Feel the fire
Catch the heat
YOU BETTER GO
DOWN BELOW
YOU BETTER GO
DOWN BELOW
See the ladies
Of the night
Built for speed
To my delight
I steal them
In my limousine
Hear them shout
Hear them scream
Its a dirty job
But somebody's gotta do it
S-C-R-E-A-M !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
@christophercoles4401
I remember blasting this in my car back in the '80s. He went by "Diamond" Darrell back then, but he was no less awesome. Dude was one of a kind! RIP Dime
@CarlosVasquez-xu8ql
Dude Pantera from the 80s highly underrated badass riffs the way Dimebag did it all man he was one of a kind
@ayylmao5918
Honestly one of my favourite pantera riffs
@user-ix8hs2jn8t
Darrell’s solo on this gave me serious goosebumps
@velizarzhelev6552
It's the type of song which gets you hooked immediately
@toughguy9350
Heavy Metal at it's best.. it's sad that the band Is not gonna reissue those gems.
@eddiepullens6084
PANTERA , is the definition of
Heavy metal !
@TheNewBerser
THAT.... SOLO
@williamrichardson2344
that solo is Hell on wheels man !!!!!
@zoinkiezz
SOMEBODY HAD TO DO IT HAHAH