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.
When Did I See You Cry
Stryper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
A city street alone again
Funny how tears don't wash away
Even in December rain
Someone's child you'd never meet
Merchandise on a darkened street
A painted face with a child's eyes
When did I see You cry oh Lord
When were You all alone
When did I see You so far away from home
Someone's child now half alive
Lives in a bottle just to survive
Had a home and had a wife
That's a story from a different life
We've all seen him a time or two
He's not all that different from me and you
He's more than a face or a name
He's a reason why You came
When did I see You cry oh Lord
When were You all alone
When did I see You so far away
You say I closed my eyes
You say I closed my heart
I never stopped looking
You say I didn't start
When did I see You cry oh Lord
When were you all alone
When did I see You so far away, so far away, so far away from home
(Repeat Chorus)
The lyrics of Stryper's song "When Did I See You Cry" touch on the theme of empathy and compassion toward those who are marginalized and suffering. The reference to "someone's child but no one's friend" and "a city street alone again" creates a sense of isolation and neglect. The line "funny how tears don't wash away even in December rain" reinforces the idea that even the natural elements can't erase the pain and suffering felt.
The lyrics move on to describe a particular person who is "merchandise on a darkened street" with "a painted face and child's eyes". This person is a "paradox of sad disguise" and represents the countless people who are forced to hide their pain behind a façade. The chorus then asks, "When did I see You cry oh Lord / when were You all alone / when did I see You so far away from home", drawing a connection between the suffering of these marginalized individuals and the suffering of Christ, who also experienced isolation and pain.
The second verse speaks more directly to the struggles of addiction, telling the story of someone who is "half alive" and "lives in a bottle just to survive". The song acknowledges that this person had a home and family in the past, emphasizing the extent of the loss they have experienced. The final lines of the song - "You say I closed my eyes / You say I closed my heart / I never stopped looking / You say I didn't start" - express a desire to be more aware of those in need and to actively seek them out.
Line by Line Meaning
Someone's child but no one's friend
A child who is not loved by anyone and is left to be alone.
A city street alone again
Being left alone on a deserted street of the city.
Funny how tears don't wash away
Tears do not have the power to erase the pain and hurt felt.
Even in December rain
Even in the cold and miserable rain of the winter season.
Someone's child you'd never meet
A child who is unknown to you and you'll never meet.
Merchandise on a darkened street
A person who is seen as a commodity, and being traded like merchandise on a dark street.
A painted face with a child's eyes
A false front or image presented with a child's innocent and trusting eyes.
A paradox of sad disguise
A contradictory and ironic pain hidden behind a sad facade.
When did I see You cry oh Lord
Asking God when did He cry and suffer alone.
When were You all alone
Asking God when was He ever alone.
When did I see You so far away from home
Wondering when you have seen God suffer so far away from His heavenly home.
Someone's child now half alive
A person who is barely alive and on the verge of death or self-destruction.
Lives in a bottle just to survive
Relies on drugs or alcohol to cope with life and survive each day.
Had a home and had a wife
Had a life and a family, but lost it all somehow.
That's a story from a different life
It's a story from a different time and a different person's life experience.
We've all seen him a time or two
We've all seen a person like that at some point in our lives.
He's not all that different from me and you
We are not all that different from a person like that; it could happen to anyone.
He's more than a face or a name
The person is more than just a physical appearance or a name; they have a story and a reason for being.
He's a reason why You came
The person is one of the reasons why God came to earth.
You say I closed my eyes
God says that we close our eyes to the suffering and pain around us.
You say I closed my heart
God says that we become numb and insensitive to the pain and suffering of others.
I never stopped looking
The artist is constantly searching for the person in need.
You say I didn't start
God says that the singer should have started helping others earlier and not waited until now.
When did I see You so far away, so far away, so far away from home
Repeated from chorus, wondering when you have seen God suffer so far away from His heavenly home.
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP, Capitol CMG Publishing
Written by: DAVID JOHNSON, MICHAEL SWEET
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Michael
Thank you Jesus.
Thank you Stryper.
This world sucks.
Dustin St. John
Stryper. Such nice guys singing the only message that matters.
gramirez1814
Love it!
Vanier Vidal
Hard Rock stryper top de mais. .
Shawn Eldridge
Now this is going back to the 1980s I believe and I think I was in my early teens, probably 14 or 15 years old give or take. Anyway I remember seeing stryper at a place called the state theater in Easton Pennsylvania. That was the best thing ever happened to that little city there back then.stryper given a live concert there.
Pablo Belletti
Stryper thanks for for the music non ho mai visto e coosciutto una band introvabili one in the world solo gli stryper ascolto e io sono molto più che contento perché non ci sarà un 'altra band come stryper in God we trust all of me calling on you together as one always there for you questa è musica che sempre ho voluto viva stryper yeah Michael sweet non si trovano perché io ascolto solo stryper per il resto della mia vita unica band americana che mi piace veramente tanto
Scrimlip
Great modern commentary on Jesus's words "If you've done it unto the least of these, you've done it unto me..."
ztuardo007
Soy la reproducción 3,000!!
Dwight Smith
I always wondered why people claimed Stryper as one of the original Christian rock bands because I've always heard a lot of their sucky songs. This album is Awesomer!
dirtywojta
Music taste is subjective, the message is what counts