Queensrÿche has sold over 20 million albums worldwide, including over 6 million albums in the United States. They are considered one of the leaders of the progressive metal scene of the mid-to-late 1980s, and often referred to as one of the "Big Three" of the genre, along with Dream Theater and Fates Warning. The band received worldwide acclaim after the release of their 1988 album Operation: Mindcrime, which is often considered one of the greatest heavy metal concept albums of all time. Their follow-up release, Empire, released in 1990, was also very successful and included the hit single "Silent Lucidity". The band has received three Grammy Award nominations for songs from both albums. In 1998, drummer Rockenfield received an individual Grammy nomination.
Also in 1998, guitarist and primary songwriter Chris DeGarmo left the band for personal reasons, returning briefly in 2003 to write and record the Tribe album. Over the years, his replacements have been Kelly Gray, Mike Stone, and Parker Lundgren. Following a highly publicized backstage altercation before a show in São Paulo, Brazil, in April 2012, Tate was fired from the band and replaced with then-Crimson Glory singer Todd La Torre. In response to his dismissal, Tate and his wife Susan (who served as the band's manager from 2005 to 2012) filed a lawsuit in a Washington court, claiming that he was wrongfully terminated. The ruling in the preliminary injunction was that both parties were allowed to use the name Queensrÿche until a court ruling or a settlement decided who would get to use the name. A settlement was reached on April 17, 2014, in which founding members Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson were awarded the rights to the band trademark, continuing to play with the lineup that additionally includes singer La Torre and guitarist Lundgren.
During the time, both parties could use the name Queensrÿche, Tate created his own lineup featuring former guitarist Gray and musicians from bands including Blue Öyster Cult, Ozzy Osbourne, Whitesnake, Dio, AC/DC and Quiet Riot. This version of Queensrÿche with Geoff Tate released the album Frequency Unknown on April 23, 2013, while Queensrÿche (with La Torre replacing Tate) released their eponymous album on June 24 and 25, 2013 (European and American release date, respectively). Both bands toured in 2013 and 2014.
Full article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Queensrÿche
Studio albums
The Warning (1984)
Rage for Order (1986)
Operation: Mindcrime (1988)
Empire (1990)
Promised Land (1994)
Hear in the Now Frontier (1997)
Q2K (1999)
Tribe (2003)
Operation: Mindcrime II (2006)
Take Cover (2007)
American Soldier (2009)
Dedicated to Chaos (2011)
Queensrÿche (2013)
Condition Hüman (2015)
The Verdict (2019)
Digital Noise Alliance (2022)
Geoff Tate's Queensrÿche
Frequency Unknown (2013)
The Needle Lies
Queensrÿche Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
"You can't walk away now"
I looked back once
And all I saw was his face
Smiling, the needle crying
Walking out of his room
With mirrors, afraid I heard him scream
Cold and shaking
I crawled down alleys to try
And scrape away the tracks that marked me
Slammed my face into walls of concrete
I stared, amazed at the words written on the wall
(Don't ever trust)
Don't ever trust the needle, it lies
(Don't ever trust)
Don't ever trust the needle when it cries
Cries your name
Wet and raving
The needle keeps calling me back
To bloody my hands forever
Carved my cure with the blade
That left me in scars
Now every time I'm weak
Words scream from my arm
(Don't ever trust)
Don't ever trust the needle, it lies
(Don't ever trust)
Don't ever trust the needle when it cries
Cries your name
(Don't ever trust)
Don't ever trust the needle, it lies
(Don't ever trust)
Don't ever trust the needle when it cries
Cries your name
The song "The Needle Lies" by Queensrÿche tells the story of someone who has become addicted to drugs, specifically heroin. The singer declares, "I've had enough and I want out" and expresses their desire to break free from the grip of addiction. However, they are haunted by the memory of the drug and the people associated with it.
The imagery in the song is powerful and vivid. The singer describes seeing someone else's face smiling as they inject the drug with a needle, while the needle itself seems to cry. This juxtaposition of pleasure and pain highlights the allure of the drug and the danger it poses. The singer also talks about trying to scrape away the marks on their arms from injecting the drug, as well as the words "Don't ever trust the needle, it lies" written on a wall. These details emphasize the physical and emotional toll of addiction and the warnings that the singer has received.
Overall, "The Needle Lies" is a cautionary tale about the dangers of drug addiction. The lyrics are emotional and raw, and they paint a vivid picture of the physical and psychological toll that drug use can take on a person.
Line by Line Meaning
I've had enough and I want out!
I can no longer take the harmful addiction of drugs and I want to quit!
You can't walk away now
It's not so easy to get rid of addiction as it appears to be!
I looked back once
I thought of quitting drugs just for once!
And all I saw was his face
I could only recall the dealer's face who gave me the drugs!
Smiling, the needle crying
The dealer was gleeful while giving the drugs but I could see the syringe crying in pain!
Walking out of his room
I was walking out of the drug dealer's place!
With mirrors, afraid I heard him scream
I was petrified when I heard the drug dealer screaming and saw numerous mirrors around!
You'll never get away
The dealer wants me to keep coming back for more drugs!
Cold and shaking
I was trembling due to cold sweats caused by drug withdrawal.
I crawled down alleys to try
I tried to hide and avoid everything or everyone that reminds me of drugs!
And scrape away the tracks that marked me
I tried to remove any visible signs that show I had taken drugs!
Slammed my face into walls of concrete
I was so desperate to quit drugs that I hit my face firmly onto the wall!
I stared, amazed at the words written on the wall
On the wall, somebody wrote the message to warn about the deceptive nature of the needle!
(Don't ever trust)
Never trust the syringe!
Don't ever trust the needle, it lies
The needle is a liar and cannot be trusted!
Don't ever trust the needle when it cries
The needle might seem sad, but it's only crying out to you for another fix!
Cries your name
The syringe is calling your name and tempting you to take drugs again!
Wet and raving
I'm mentally unstable and my body is drenched in sweat!
The needle keeps calling me back
The syringe is continually reminding me of the joyful feeling while taking drugs!
To bloody my hands forever
If I fall back into addiction, my hands will always remain stained with the drugs' blood!
Carved my cure with the blade
I hurt myself to try and feel better!
That left me in scars
The physical and emotional pain of addiction has left me with permanent scars!
Now every time I'm weak
Whenever I am mentally or emotionally down, the temptation to take drugs grows stronger!
Words scream from my arm
The scars on my arm remind me of the warning message of not trusting the needle.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: GEOFF TATE, GEOFFERY TATE, MICHAEL WILTON
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind