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.
No More Hell To Pay
Stryper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
And I don't care what the doubting voices say
I am lifting up the name that will shine
And the light of heaven's brighter everyday
Oh, I know that it's rough
Though I know there is pain
Even so when it's tough
If the darkness reveals the end of days
I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay!
You have given me a gift I won't deny
And you're offering a better world to come
The sorrow of tomorrows left so far behind
With the joy of what this life will soon become
If I'm deep in the storm,
If I'm caught in the rain
From the time I was born
It's you that always remained!
If the sun has fallen from the sky
And the stars that shine begin to hide
When the night has stolen everyday
I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay!
If the sun has fallen from the sky
And the stars that shine begin to hide
When the night has stolen everyday
I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay!
The lyrics to Stryper's "No More Hell to Pay" speak to the idea of staying faithful and strong through difficult times. The singer of the song acknowledges the challenges he faces, but maintains his commitment to uplifting the name of a higher power. With lines like "I am taking it a day at a time" and "If the darkness reveals the end of days, I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay," the song presents an image of perseverance in the face of adversity.
Throughout the song, the singer's gratitude towards their faith is also evident. Lines like "You have given me a gift I won't deny" and "And you're offering a better world to come" showcase the ways in which the singer's faith has helped them navigate difficult times. This gratitude helps to reinforce the singer's unyielding commitment to their beliefs.
However, the song also acknowledges that life is not always easy, and that even the most faithful individuals must face hardship. Lines like "Oh, I know that it's rough" and "If I'm deep in the storm, if I'm caught in the rain" underscore this idea of struggle. Despite this struggle, however, the singer remains steadfast in his beliefs, promising to "not be ashamed" and to continue "lifting up the name that will shine."
Line by Line Meaning
I am taking it a day at a time
I am living my life one day at a time.
And I don't care what the doubting voices say
I don't care about the negative opinions of others.
I am lifting up the name that will shine
I am praising the name of God.
And the light of heaven's brighter everyday
The light of heaven is becoming brighter every day.
Oh, I know that it's rough
I know that life can be difficult.
Though I know there is pain
Despite the pain I may experience.
Even so when it's tough
Even in difficult times.
I will not be ashamed!
I will not be ashamed of my faith.
If the darkness reveals the end of days
If the end of the world is upon us.
I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay!
I will follow God until the end of days, until everything is made right.
You have given me a gift I won't deny
God has given me a gift that I will not deny.
And you're offering a better world to come
God is offering a better world in the future.
The sorrow of tomorrows left so far behind
The sadness of the future is far from my mind.
With the joy of what this life will soon become
With the joy of what my life will become in the future.
If I'm deep in the storm,
If I'm going through a difficult time.
If I'm caught in the rain
If I'm caught in a difficult situation.
From the time I was born
From the moment of my birth.
It's you that always remained!
God has always been with me.
If the sun has fallen from the sky
If the world is in chaos.
And the stars that shine begin to hide
If everything I know and love is disappearing.
When the night has stolen everyday
When darkness and sadness has overtaken everything.
I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay!
I will follow God even when everything else is falling apart.
If the sun has fallen from the sky
If the world is in chaos.
And the stars that shine begin to hide
If everything I know and love is disappearing.
When the night has stolen everyday
When darkness and sadness has overtaken everything.
I'll follow you till there's no more hell to pay!
I will follow God even when everything else is falling apart.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA/AMCOS
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Chad Harger
Bible- "Shout it from the mountain top!"
Petra/Styper/Etc. - "Okay, works for us." SHOUTS IT FROM THE MOUNTAIN TOP!
Modern Pharisees - "NOT LIKE THAT! HOW DARE YOU!"
Now that I think about it and just a sudden theory but back in Jesus' time on Earth maybe the pharisees in charge of the Temple did not permit much singing as part of worship. Or if they did it was uninspired including the type of hymns and songs that are meant to be soft and solemn like Amazing Grace. In other words the pharisees may have of sucked the joy out of worshiping and praising God through song.
Would the pharisees have really done that? I lean toward 'yes'. Look at what they did to the Sabbath. They turned it into a slog because of all the nitpicking they did concerning what could and could not be done that day. The Sabbath is meant to be a day of rest so a believer can get rid of weekly stress and worship God without unnecessary stress and distraction. As Jesus said, "The Sabbath was made for man, not man made for the Sabbath."
Whether it's Petra, Styper, or one's church worshiping God and Jesus Christ through song is meant to be 'with all your might and soul'. It doesn't matter if it's a slow solemn song like Amazing Grace or fast paced heavy metal/rock like Stryper or Petra you are to give it all you got. Not only do we show the strength of our faith in the Lord while lifting Him up but also being able to find joy in the songs we sing or listen to.
Rachel Love Martinez
Lyrics:
I am taking it a day at a time
And I don't care what the doubting voices say
I am lifting up The name that will shine
And The light of heavens brighter every day
Oh I know that it's rough,
Though I know there is pain
Even so when it's tough,
I will not be ashamed
If the dawn reveals the end of days
I'll follow you till there's No More Hell To Pay
You have given me a gift I won't deny
And You're offering a better world to come
The sorrow of tomorrows left so far behind
With the joy of what this life will soon become
If I'm deep in the storm,
If I'm caught in the rain
From the time I was born,
It's you that always remained
If the sun has fallen from the sky
And the stars that shine begin to hide
When the night has stolen every day
I'll follow you till there's No More Hell To Pay
If the sun has fallen from the sky
And the stars that shine begin to hide
When the night has stolen every day
I'll follow you till there's No More Hell To Pay
Rafael S
PT - BR
Stryper - Não Mais Inferno Para Pagar
Estou levando um dia de cada vez
E eu não me importo com o que as vozes dizem duvidar
Estou levantando o nome que vai brilhar
E a luz mais brilhante do céu todos os dias
Oh, eu sei que é duro
Embora eu saiba que há dor
Mesmo assim, quando é difícil
Eu não me envergonharei
Se o amanhecer revela o fim dos dias
Eu seguirei você até que não haja mais um inferno para pagar
Você me deu um presente que eu não vou negar
E você está oferecendo um mundo melhor para vir
A tristeza de amanhãs deixou muito atrás
Com a alegria de que esta vida será breve
Se eu estou no fundo da tempestade
Se estou na chuva
Desde o momento em que nasci
Você sempre permaneceu
Se o sol cair do céu
E as estrelas que brilham começarem a se esconder
Quando a noite tem roubado todos os dias
Eu seguirei você até que não haja mais um inferno para pagar
Se o sol cair do céu
E as estrelas que brilham começarem a se esconder
Quando a noite tem roubado todos os dias
Eu seguirei você até que não haja mais um inferno para pagar
David R
Lyrics:
2. No More Hell To Pay
I am taking it a day at a time
and I don't care what the doubting voices say
I am lifting up the Name that will shine
and the light of heaven's brighter everyday
[PRE-CHORUS 1]
Oh, I know that it's rough
though I know there is pain
Even so when it's tough
I will not be ashamed!
[CHORUS 1]
If the dawn reveals the end of days
I'll follow You till there's no more hell to pay!
You have given me a gift I won't deny
and You're offering a better world to come
The sorrow of tomorrows left so far behind
with the joy of what this life will soon become
[PRE-CHORUS 2]
If I'm deep in the storm,
if I'm caught in the rain
From the time I was born
it's You that always remained!
[CHORUS 2]
If the sun has fallen from the sky
and the stars that shine begin to hide
When the night has stolen everyday
I'll follow You till there's no more hell to pay!
[CHORUS 2]
If the sun has fallen from the sky
and the stars that shine begin to hide
When the night has stolen everyday
I'll follow You till there's no more hell to pay!
Mick Kruger
My boys in Black and Yellow still Rockin for the Lord!!
No Jesus No Peace...Know Jesus Know Peace
Annette Adams
Amen
Victor Oliveira
i just see the truth on this dude.
Caroline Percy
🌞\m/💝
Austin Bronson
Great slogan man
Jake Foxx
Micheal's vocals are so flawless! The guitar playing is irresistible and the messages in their songs are better than anything secular music could whip up. 👌
Caroline Percy
🌞\m/💝
Donnie Robinson
And Michael has been doing this for over 3 decades
Name
@#Meileekg
Bob Johnson CB
I would agree. Those are some pretty Sweet vocals (and guitar)
Edit: yes, pun is intended