The styles they played in this era were firstly a hard glam rock style similar to Van Halen and Kiss, then a more tougher glam metal style similar to Motley Crue and Dokken then on "Power Metal" an early 80's Judas Priest style of traditional metal.
The first 3 records include original singer Terry "Glaze" Lee along with all time members "Diamond" Darrell Abbott (Dimebag) (Guitar), Rex "Rocker"Brown (Bass) and Vinnie Paul Abbott(Drums). "Power Metal" was where they first recruited Phil Anselmo who was frontman until the band's demise in the 2000's following Dimebag's murder.
All 4 records were released on their independent label Metal Magic records which was ran by the Abbott brothers' father in Texas, USA.
Down Below
Pantera (80s) 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
These lyrics explore a dark and seedy underground world where people are searching for satisfaction in all the wrong places. The opening lines describe people on the streets, hungry and desperate for something they can consume, whether it be actual food or the sexual content in magazines and on TV. This sets the tone for the rest of the song, which is full of imagery of a place where moral boundaries are blurred, and people will go to extreme lengths to get what they want.
The second half of the song focuses more on the singer's personal experiences in this world. He describes picking up women who are "built for speed," hinting at their promiscuity, and taking them for rides in his limo. He acknowledges that this is a dirty job, but someone has to do it. The use of the word "scream" at the end of the song adds to the overall feeling of chaos and danger that is present throughout.
Line by Line Meaning
People runnin'
Witnessing people literally running in the street
In the street
The location where people are running
Lookin' for some
Searching for something
Meat to eat
Specifically, searching for food to consume
Its in your
Referring to some material possession
Dirty magazines
The possession in question is pornographic material
All across your
The possession in question is also found frequently in
Tv screens
Television broadcasts
Midnight riders
Someone who is riding a motorcycle at night
In the street
Riding in public areas
Feel the fire
Experiencing passion or excitement
Catch the heat
Experiencing intense levels of heat
You better go
A suggestion or warning for someone to take an action
Down below
To descend or go lower
See the ladies
Observing women who are prostitutes
Of the night
During the nighttime
Built for speed
The physical attributes of the prostitutes being suitable for quick sexual encounters
To my delight
The singer takes pleasure in this situation
I steal them
The singer does not actually 'steal' but rather employs the services of the prostitutes
In my limousine
The artist employs luxurious transportation
Hear them shout
The artist causing their partners to make noise
Hear them scream
The same as above
Its a dirty job
Employing prostitues and engaging in sexual acts is viewed differently by society
But somebody's gotta do it
The artist takes on this dirty job because they see a necessity for it
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