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.
Love You Like I Do
Stryper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
(So you just can't leave me now)
I want to show you the world I see
(But you just can't leave me now)
I've got it all, what you want, you need
(But you just can't leave me now)
No one will love you like I do
No one will ever look at you
The way that I do, love you like I do
I carried you when you could not walk
(Tell me, why would you leave me now?)
I was your voice when you could not talk
(So why would you leave me now?)
We're almost there, with a little to bear
(But you just can't leave me now)
No one will love you like I do
If only you you'd just believe that
No one will ever look at you
The way that I do (oh no)
No one will ever love you the way that I do
No one will love you like I do
No one could ever love you
No one will ever look at you
The way that I do
No one will love like I do, yeah, yeah
No one will ever look at you
No one could ever look at you
Love you like I do
Love you like I do
The lyrics of Stryper's Love You Like I Do convey a message of devotion, persistence and love. The singer of the song is trying to convince someone to stay with him, stating that he has everything that person needs and that no one will ever love them the way he does. The opening lines reveal that the other person has only seen a glimpse of who the singer is, and he wants to show them the world he sees. However, he pleads with them not to leave him despite anything that might have happened between them. He reminds them that he has been there for them in the past, carrying them when they could not walk and being their voice when they could not talk.
The chorus emphasizes the singer's love and devotion, stating that no one will ever love or look at the other person the way he does. Additionally, he repeats the phrase "no one will love you like I do" several times throughout the song, emphasizing the uniqueness and depth of his love. Overall, the song is a powerful expression of a deep and abiding love that refuses to let go despite any obstacles the couple may face.
Line by Line Meaning
You've only seen just a glimpse on me
(So you just can't leave me now)
I haven't shown you all of me yet, so it's too soon for you to leave me
I want to show you the world I see
(But you just can't leave me now)
I have a different perspective on life that I want to share with you, and you can't leave before I do
I've got it all, what you want, you need
(But you just can't leave me now)
I have everything you could possibly want or need, so it doesn't make sense for you to leave me
No one will love you like I do
If only you you'd just believe that
I am the only one who can love you the way you deserve, and if you just gave me a chance, you'd see that
No one will ever look at you
The way that I do, love you like I do
I see you in a way that no one else does, and my love for you is unique and special
I carried you when you could not walk
(Tell me, why would you leave me now?)
I was there for you when you were at your lowest, so why would you abandon me now that things are better?
I was your voice when you could not talk
(So why would you leave me now?)
I spoke up for you when you couldn't speak for yourself, so why would you turn your back on me now?
We're almost there, with a little to bear
(But you just can't leave me now)
We've come so far together and there's only a little left to overcome, so there's no reason for you to leave me now
No one will ever love you the way that I do
No one will love you like I do
No one could ever love you
My love for you is the most intense, passionate love that anyone could ever have for you, and no one else could ever come close
No one will ever look at you
The way that I do
No one will love like I do, yeah, yeah
No one will ever look at you
No one could ever look at you
Love you like I do
I see you in a way that is completely unique to me and my love for you, and no one else could ever see you or love you in the same way
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Michael Sweet, Oz Fox
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Ken Nielsen
I have liked Styper from way back in the day. I have always liked the way they harmonize their singing these guys are truly awesome! Excellent metal,
shane rose
Great Album from Stryper!! This song is inspiring to me!!❤❤😊
shane rose
Incredible album and great song!! Always loved Stryper!!🤘🤘😃
shane rose
Incredible album from start to finish!! Probably my favorite Stryper album to date!! God bless you boys keep kicking ass!!
Bloodstone
bought stryper albums way back in the 80s,sit next to my favorites like priest and maiden. friends all said stryper? I said these guys are so talented and underrated like Tipton is! love this band!
Chris Young
these newer albums are so much better then ther 80's and i thought i would never say that about stryper, and most 80's bands new music sucks. stryper =gets better and better, "GDE" "Fallen" "No More Hell To Pay" "Murder By Price" & "Reborn" all better than first 3 albums.
Beni
@Chris Young Murder By Pride and especially Reborn are debatable but yeah I would have to agree! Stryper never cease to improve in some way or another
John Valderrama
Wow ! First time hearing this song glad I have and a band for all bands thank you Stryper!
Sherm LaVallie
Alleluia Alleluia Praise the Lord our God our Lord Jesus Christ our Savior!
Kevin Gee
Wow!!!!!