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.
Yahweh
Stryper Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
They clothed him in purple and stated their case
"He is The King of the jews," as they slapped His face
Pilate said, "I find no reason to charge Him"
As soon as they saw Him they said "crucify"
He just proclaimed to be God, He surely must die
When Pilate heard this, he was afraid
He asked The Lord "where do You come from?"
Don't You realize I have power to free or kill The Son?
Jesus finally decided to answer him
"You have no power at all over Me
If it didn't come from above, you're too blind to see"
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
And so, the soldiers took Jesus
Dragging His cross to a place where He knew
They hung a sign that would read "The King Of The Jews"
They nailed His flesh to the wood
He said "It's Finished" and laid down His life
Gave up His spirit for all, He was crucified
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
The lyrics of Stryper's "Yahweh" describe the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. The first verse describes the mocking of Jesus by placing a crown of thorns on his head and clothing him in purple. The accusers accuse him of being the king of Jews and slap him in the face. However, Pilate finds no fault in him, but the crowd insists on his crucifixion after hearing that he proclaimed to be God. The repeated refrain of "Yahweh" reinforces the message that God is in control even in the midst of Jesus' persecution and death.
The second verse describes Pilate's discussion with Jesus regarding his origin and why he should be killed. Jesus responds that Pilate has no power over him, and that his authority comes from above. The third verse depicts Jesus carrying his own cross to the place of his death, where the soldiers hang a sign proclaiming him as the King of the Jews. They then crucify him, and Jesus utters the words "It's Finished" before giving up his spirit.
Overall, the lyrics of "Yahweh" are a powerful and emotional description of the crucifixion of Jesus. The song serves as a reminder that even in the darkest moments of human history, God's power is still present and in control.
Line by Line Meaning
A crown of thorns, it was placed on His head
They put a crown of thorns on Jesus' head to mock him and make fun of him.
They clothed him in purple and stated their case
They dressed Jesus in purple and argued that he was the King of the Jews.
"He is The King of the jews," as they slapped His face
They hit Jesus and insulted him while claiming that he was the King of the Jews.
Pilate said, "I find no reason to charge Him"
Pilate couldn't find a reason to charge Jesus with a crime.
As soon as they saw Him they said "crucify"
The people who saw Jesus wanted him to be killed by crucifixion.
He just proclaimed to be God, He surely must die
They accused Jesus of claiming to be God, which was seen as a blasphemy and a reason for him to be killed.
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
The repeated use of Yahweh is a way of addressing God in prayer.
When Pilate heard this, he was afraid
Pilate was scared when he heard that Jesus claimed to be God.
He asked The Lord "where do You come from?"
Pilate asked Jesus about his origin and where he comes from.
Don't You realize I have power to free or kill The Son?
Pilate reminded Jesus that he has the power to free him or kill him.
Jesus finally decided to answer him
Jesus chose to respond to Pilate's questions.
"You have no power at all over Me
Jesus told Pilate that he has no power over him because everything is controlled by God.
If it didn't come from above, you're too blind to see"
Jesus explained to Pilate that he is blind because he doesn't realize that everything comes from God.
And so, the soldiers took Jesus
The soldiers took Jesus to be crucified.
Dragging His cross to a place where He knew
Jesus knew where he was going, and he carried his own cross to the place where he would be crucified.
They hung a sign that would read "The King Of The Jews"
The soldiers put a sign above Jesus' head that declared him to be the King of the Jews.
They nailed His flesh to the wood
The soldiers nailed Jesus to the cross and caused him a great deal of physical pain and suffering.
He said "It's Finished" and laid down His life
Jesus announced that his mission was complete, and he died on the cross.
Gave up His spirit for all, He was crucified
Jesus died on the cross, giving up his spirit, and was crucified as a punishment for his claims and actions.
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
The repeated use of Yahweh is a way of addressing God in prayer.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Clint Lowery, Michael Sweet
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
Eric Young
I am a Christian Pastor who loves Stryper.
As a metal Kid with no christian metal friends Stryper truly helped keep on the path.
They are truly doing God's work.
With out knowing it I have had my church sing Stryper strongs.
They tell me what a beautiful hym it is and that this Mr. Sweet guy is blessed with the spirit of the Lord.
This song takes me back to the past while still staying modern.
This is amazing and Stryper at its best!!
God bless them!
Rex Sexson
Biggest hits for Stryper.
#1 Honestly (their biggest chart hit)
MTV got this band on the national map with the one of the most requested videos.
#2 Always there for you
Huge radio hit. You couldn't turn on FM radio in late 80s without hearing this tune at least once a day.
#3 To Hell With The Devil. The title not the lyrics made this song controversial for a Christian Band.
#4 Shining Star. Again not the lyrics but a Christian band covering a secural song by Earth Wind and Fire was controversial in 1990. The lyrics are as christian as you can get but it was a secular hit by a secular band.
NoneBuriedDeeper
I have the lyrics
A crown of thorns, it was placed on His head
They clothed him in purple and stated their case
“He is The King of the jews" as they slapped His face
Pilate said, “I find no reason to charge Him”
As soon as they saw Him they said crucify
He just proclaimed to be God, He surely must die
(Chorus)
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
When Pilate heard this he was afraid
He asked The Lord where do You come from
Don’t You realize I have power to free or kill The Son
Jesus finally decided to answer him
You have no power at all over Me
If it didn’t come from above, you’re too blind to see
(Chorus)
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
And so, the soldiers took Jesus
Dragging His cross to a place where He knew
They hung a sign that would read “The King Of The Jews”
They nailed His flesh to the wood
He said “It’s Finished” and laid down His life
Gave up His spirit for all - He was crucified!
(Chorus)
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
Charles Lincoln
@MARCO ARDON
A crown of thorns, it was placed on His head
They clothed him in purple and stated their case
“He is The King of the jews" as they slapped His face
Pilate said, “I find no reason to charge Him”
As soon as they saw Him they said crucify
He just proclaimed to be God, He surely must die
(Chorus)
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
When Pilate heard this he was afraid
He asked The Lord where do You come from
Don’t You realize I have power to free or kill The Son
Jesus finally decided to answer him
You have no power at all over Me
If it didn’t come from above, you’re too blind to see
(Chorus)
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
And so, the soldiers took Jesus
Dragging His cross to a place where He knew
They hung a sign that would read “The King Of The Jews”
They nailed His flesh to the wood
He said “It’s Finished” and laid down His life
Gave up His spirit for all - He was crucified!
(Chorus)
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
Yahweh - Yahweh - Yahweh!
Steven F Solmon
crown of thorns, it was placed on His head
They clothed him in purple and stated their case
"He is The King of the jews, " as they slapped His face
Pilate said, "I find no reason to charge Him"
As soon as they saw Him they said "crucify"
He just proclaimed to be God, He surely must die
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
When Pilate heard this, he was afraid
He asked The Lord "where do You come from?"
Don't You realize I have power to free or kill The Son?
Jesus finally decided to answer him
"You have no power at all over Me
If it didn't come from above, you're too blind to see"
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
And so, the soldiers took Jesus
Dragging His cross to a place where He knew
They hung a sign that would read "The King Of The Jews"
They nailed His flesh to the wood
He said "It's Finished" and laid down His life
Gave up His spirit for all, He was crucified
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
Yahweh, Yahweh, Yahweh
GamingBossDK
People: “Metal is the devils music”
Stryper: “Hold my wine”
God bless! :)
Malcolm Stuart N
@The Last Generation They do sing about Jesus. But Yahweh is another name for God.
Dimwit
@Marcelina parties no thanks
Luke Higgins
@The Last Generation I'm sorry what? You could say that about any song! You're slandering with no proof my friend. Consider what you say with caution... don't slander.
Marcelina
You all attacking @GamingBossDK
You must be fun at parties. :)
Eric Young
I am a Christian Pastor who loves Stryper.
As a metal Kid with no christian metal friends Stryper truly helped keep on the path.
They are truly doing God's work.
With out knowing it I have had my church sing Stryper strongs.
They tell me what a beautiful hym it is and that this Mr. Sweet guy is blessed with the spirit of the Lord.
This song takes me back to the past while still staying modern.
This is amazing and Stryper at its best!!
God bless them!
Robert Seay
You, without knowing, had your congregation sing Stryper songs? Really? Without knowing??? How??????? I really need to know how you unknowingly had your congregation sing heavy metal.
MAlcolm.
GOD BLESS........ Well Said.
C K
@Eric Young Although I've seen lots of crazy people so I don't blame you lol
C K
@Eric Young It was a joke 😭