According to the To Hell With The Devil Songfacts, Stryper took their name from a Bible verse Isaiah 53: 5, which says "….by His stripes we are healed." Stryper they explained was an acronym meaning "Salvation Through Redemption Yielding Peace, Encouragement and Righteousness."
In 1983 they were signed by Enigma Records and released their first album The Yellow and Black Attack. By the mid-1980s, Stryper saw their most successful period starting with the release of To Hell with the Devil which achieved Platinum sales status.
The band earned their stripes (pun intended) on the Los Angeles metal club circuit and in 1984, after recruiting bass player Tim Gaines, signed with Enigma Records and released their debut mini-album, The Yellow And Black Attack (Y&BA).
Their first full-length release, Soldiers Under Command, sold over half a million units worldwide in the eighties, and stayed on Billboard's Top 200 album chart for over forty weeks. In addition to the hard-rocking tunes that Stryper's core audience has come to expect, the ballad "Honestly" from their platinum selling 1986 release To Hell With The Devil hit the Top-40 charts. The video for "Honestly" rapidly became the number one most-requested video on MTV. 1988 saw the near-platinum release of In God We Trust, as well as renewed success on MTV, which was bombarded by thousands of phone requests for "Always There For You".
Coming off the acclaim of the 1989 tour supporting IGWT, the band released Against The Law which shipped gold in the fall of 1990. Despite its sales success, some fans were confused by Stryper's change in appearance and lyrics. This lead to numerous rumors and questions about the sincerity of Stryper's faith. "We were making a grab for musical freedom," says Robert Sweet, Stryper's drummer. "But we never should have let that been misinterpreted as a change in our beliefs."
In 1991, Enigma Records went bankrupt, and Stryper was left without a record company. This was short-lived, as they were quickly picked up by Hollywood Records. In the summer of 1991 they released Can't Stop The Rock, a "best of" album with two new tracks.
In January of 1992, Michael Sweet left the Stryper to pursue a solo career. Although officially Robert Sweet, Oz Fox and Tim Gaines continued as a three piece for another year, there were no further studio recordings as Stryper once Mike left.
Michael Sweet was the first to re-appear back on the scene, when he secured a record deal with the Christian label Benson Records. (Benson distributed Stryper to the Christian retail stores in the 80's.) This union produced two albums: the self titled Michael Sweet, and Real. In 1998, Mike put out a full length demo by himself titled Truth. This generated label interest, and he was soon signed to Restless Records. The remastered and updated version of Truth was released early in 2001.
Tim Gaines and Robert Sweet joined legendary Christian guitar player Rex Carrol in the band King James. Although King James released two releases to date, Tim and Bob only performed on the first album which was released in 1994 on the Christian label Star Song.
Absent from the limelight for many years was Oz Fox, who last was seen making guest appearances on several Christian releases including JC & The Boyz, Bride, and Ransom. Oz and Tim joined forces once again in 1995 to form Sin Dizzy. Together with Bobby MacNeil on guitar and John Bocanegra on drums, they released He's Not Dead in 1998. Tim left Sin Dizzy in 2000 to continue working musically with his wife, Irene Kelly.
Robert Sweet released his solo release titled Love Trash in 2000, in which he plays all the instruments on the album and features Larry Worley on vocals. (Ex-lead singer of Christian rock band Fear Not.) Robert recently formed Blissed with fellow members David Pearson, Trevor Barr, and Jeff Miller. Their album, Waking Up The Dead, was released in early 2003.
On May 21st of 2000, history was made when Stryper hit the stage again for an informal jam at the first annual Stryper expo in New Jersey. December 16th of 2000 marked the first full blown set performed by Stryper in 9 years, held in Costa Rica. The second annual Stryper expo was held in Azusa, California on May 18th and 19th of 2001. The two day expo featured multiple bands and vendors, with Stryper closing the expo with a concert. Shortly after, Stryper played to one of their largest crowds at Cornerstone at Bushnell, Illinois on July 7th, 2001.
On March 25th of 2003, Hollywood Records released Seven, The Best Of Stryper that included 2 new songs (Something and For You). That fall, they embarked on a 35 city tour that both fans and critics agreed was one of the hottest tours of 2003. In March of 2004, Stryper triumphantly returned to Puerto Rico to play a sold out show that was recorded for a DVD release scheduled to come out later in the year. The prayers of Stryper fan everywhere were answered in May of 2003 with the new live CD recording titled 7 Weeks: Live In America.
Stryper went on from there to record a full studio album, "Reborn", in 2005. The album featured a much harder sound than their earlier material. "Reborn" would be offered to pre-order customers complete with an autographed STRYPER pocket bible. To promote the album to distributors, STRYPER's Michael Sweet and Oz Fox took the unorthodox but personal approach of meeting with EMI branch employees in early May in both Atlanta and Philadephia to perform acoustic renditions of 'Open Your Eyes', 'Make You Mine' and 'Passion'. MTM Music took the album for Europe, this version released in completely different cover art. The initial pressing of US copies would unexpectadly give early purchasers a collectors item, as the manufacturer pressed the CD with an incorrect running order to that detailed on the sleeve. 'Reborn' sold over 8,000 copies in its first week of US sales to debut at no. 111 on the Billboard charts.
Notably STRYPER was set to co-headline what was billed as "Hell and Heaven United" alongside arch nemesi SLAYER and DEICIDE for the 'Monterrey Metal Fest', on September 23rd at the Coca Cola Auditorium in Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. However, SLAYER withdrew, quoting "personal reasons". Whilst retaining ties to STRYPER, Oz Fox joined the ranks of BLOODGOOD in December.
In early 2007 Sony BMG released a new STRYPER live album, entitled simply 'Extended Versions', featuring live performances from the 2003 reunion tour.
'Murder by Pride' was Stryper's next album. The first single for the album, 'Peace of Mind', a cover of the classic Boston song, debuted at #27 on Christianrock.net on October 24, 2008 and peaked at #1 on February 22, 2009.
Robert Sweet did not play on the album because of some complicated reasons. Musicwise, the singer Michael Sweet has commented that "After years of speaking to fans and hearing comments like 'more guitars,' 'more solos' and 'more screams,' I decided to keep those comments in mind as I wrote each song. It was important to me to try to get back to that early sound of Stryper yet at the same time, to remain relevant today. It's certainly not an easy thing to do but as I listen to 'Murder By Pride', I think that was accomplished."
Stryper's ninth studio album The Covering was released by Big 3 Records/Sony on February 15, 2011. The album is a collection of twelve cover songs from bands that inspired Stryper and helped to shape the band's sound and musical identity. Speaking with Michael Sweet in a 2011 interview, he explained: "It really wasn't a difficult process, because we knew exactly where our history lied and our roots lied, and we knew the groups that influenced us the most. And we were all in agreement. Because, for the most part, it's all the same bands that influenced the four of us."
The band signed a deal with Frontiers Records and released 'Second Coming' on March 25, 2013.
' No More Hell to Pay', was completed on May 29, 2013, and was released on November 5 through Frontiers Records. ' Live at the Whisky', a CD/DVD combination recorded at the Whisky a Go Go, was released in September 2014. Fallen, was released on October 16, 2015.
During an interview with Antihero Magazine in November 2016, Michael Sweet revealed that the next Stryper album, which was planned for a February 2017 release, would be put on hold as the band went on hiatus and while he recorded a Sweet & Lynch album. Sweet also stated that bassist Timothy Gaines was taking time away from the band to deal with personal issues. While Sweet disliked the idea of continuing without Gaines, he was open to filling the bass position with the right person if and when it came to that. Gaines then confirmed that he was no longer a member of the band. Perry Richardson was announced as the new bass player on October 30, 2017.
On February 5, 2018, Michael Sweet announced the band's next album, ' God Damn Evil', which was released April 20, 2018. On February 9, the band released "Take It to the Cross" as a single for the album. The single featured Matt Bachand of the band Shadows Fall.
On September 4th, 2020, the band's next album, ' Even the Devil Believes', was released. The band's latest album as of April 2023, ' The Final Battle', was announced on September 22, 2022, and released on October 21, 2022.
God
Stryper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Hearts are weeping, soul's are keeping on ice
Spirits dying, wickedness won't suffice
Those who cared, they stop and stare at the wall
Doing nothing, watching prisoners fall
The sun is falling from the sky
[Chorus]
God, have mercy on us
For we know not what we do
God, dark and blinded, we are burning
Without you, God!
Yeah, oh, oh!
Without conscience, without warning at all
We kill the wounded, crushing those who crawl
Can't we see that life, is hung by a thread
In the end our flesh is buried and dead
Mountains crumble, rivers swell
The tide is taking all
[Chorus]
The lyrics to Stryper's song "God" reflect on the downfall of mankind, invoking the idea of divine intervention to save us from the wickedness and evil that we inflict on ourselves. The words suggest a bleak picture of humanity's disregard for life, watching as others suffer and die with no effort to intervene. The theme of the song is a plea for mercy and salvation from a higher power. The use of the chorus with the repeated lines "God, have mercy on us, for we know not what we do" and "without you, God" reinforces the idea that only through divine intervention can humanity be saved from its own destruction.
The lyrics invoke strong emotions and express a deep concern for the world we live in. The lines "hearts are weeping, souls are keeping on ice" and "spirits dying, wickedness won't suffice" convey the idea of despair and hopelessness. The words "Mountains crumble, rivers swell, the tide is taking all" suggest the apocalyptic consequences of our actions, with nature itself turning against us. Through its admonishing tone, the song shines a light on our shortcomings as a society and calls for a change in our ways, with the ultimate message being that we are lost without God.
Line by Line Meaning
Hearts are weeping, soul's are keeping on ice
People are emotionally hurting and their souls are being held back or repressed.
Spirits dying, wickedness won't suffice
People's spirits are dying and evil actions are not enough to satisfy their needs or desires.
Those who cared, they stop and stare at the wall
People who used to care have become apathetic and are now idle, not taking any action.
Doing nothing, watching prisoners fall
People are passive, not helping those who are suffering or oppressed.
The sun is falling from the sky
There is a sense of impending doom or disaster.
The earth is cold and still
There is a sense of emptiness, sorrow, or death.
God, have mercy on us
Asking for divine help or intervention in a desperate situation.
For we know not what we do
Acknowledging ignorance or lack of understanding, as well as taking responsibility for one's actions.
God, dark and blinded, we are burning
Feeling lost, confused, or hurt without divine guidance or light.
Without you, God!
Expressing a need for faith or a higher power in order to move forward or find hope.
Without conscience, without warning at all
Acting without moral awareness or sensitivity, without giving any notice or concern.
We kill the wounded, crushing those who crawl
Taking advantage of people in vulnerable or weakened states, causing harm or destruction.
Can't we see that life, is hung by a thread
Realizing the fragility and preciousness of life, as well as the danger that constantly surrounds us.
In the end our flesh is buried and dead
Reflecting on the mortality of human beings and the inevitability of death.
Mountains crumble, rivers swell
Showing the extent of natural disaster or upheaval, which parallels the chaos and destruction happening in society.
The tide is taking all
Demonstrating the unstoppable force of nature, which encompasses both life and death.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Draven Quinn
Lyrics:
Hearts are weeping souls are keeping on ice
Spirits dying wickedness won’t suffice
Those who cared they stop and stare at the wall
Doing nothing watching prisoners fall
The sun is falling from the sky
The earth is cold and still
God - have mercy on us
For we know not what we do
God - dark and blinded we are burning
Without You - God
Without conscience without warning at all
We kill the wounded crushing those who crawl
Can’t we see that life is hung by a thread
In the end our flesh is buried and dead
Mountains crumble rivers swell
The tide is taking all
God - have mercy on us
For we know not what we do
God - dark and blinded we are burning
Without You - God
sean Decastro
My favorite christian rock band ! they are great and they are true to what they believe. This is true rock!
Xena Be
Yes. I'm not even religious, but I love the way Stryper weaves those epic narratives into their music. Good clean living has kept Sweet's voice angelic, too. It's somewhat rare to see a rock star who's not puking out his pancreas by age 50. I hope they'll continue to make music for us for a few more decades :)
Gadski B. Diaz.
TRUE MY FRIEND
duane rohan
I Hated Stryper in the beginning. I let my hatred of Born Again Christians get in the way of my judgement. But after studying the Philosophy Of Jesus of Nazareth I have become more enlightened to what a real Christian is.Cheers to Stryper for enduring a world where Ridiculous Satanic Metal bands are praised and being evil is cool. Cheers to Stryper for sticking to their guns regardless of what the wicked world thinks. Cheers to Stryper! May the true living God continue to bless them with outstanding talent as long as they keep his word. They make a joyful noise in the name of the Lord, so play it loud!
Angel Ambriz
Same!
Shaun Zuber
Best comment I've read in years... God bless 🙏🙏🙏
JRod
@The Antibeast Yes.
Wilted Brainz
@duane rohan 7 years have passed. I wonder if the word "hatred" was what you meant? Hate is a very strong word. It is used way too much these days, in practice. Holding a high disdain, would be a term, that I would use myself. I would not want to come off as overly righteous though. I am not preaching at you. God Bless You!
Schizoid man
im no Christian and I definitely agree satanic bands were silly..
seriously I believe most metal bands whether they're Christians or not, inside their heart they knew Satanist were silly
but they cant say it..the repercussion from metal fans were too great, they could lose their job.
4 Deuce
I still love these guys, still amazed by the talent. And the fact that they still give GOD the glory. God bless all.