Venom is an English heavy metal band formed in 1978 in Newcastle upon Tyne.… Read Full Bio ↴Venom is an English heavy metal band formed in 1978 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the new wave of British heavy metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell (1981) and Black Metal (1982)—are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. Venom's second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal subgenre of black metal. However, Venom's later discography remained speed/thrash metal, as to not having a single record that has black metal elements.

Venom's original personnel came from three different bands: Guillotine, Oberon and Dwarfstar. The original Guillotine featured Jeffrey Dunn and Dave Rutherford on guitars, Dean Hewitt on bass guitar, Dave Blackman on vocals, and Chris Mercater on drums who replaced Paul Burke, the original drummer when the band was founded. Blackman and Mercater were later also replaced by drummer Anthony Bray and vocalist Clive Archer. Later, Dean Hewitt was replaced by Alan Winston on bass. Around that time a number of personnel changes occurred. Clive Archer, Eric Cook, Tony Bray and Ian Kell formed a band while working at Reyrolles. Ian Kell was replaced in mid-1978. In late 1979, Conrad Lant replaced Dave Rutherford. Lant later switched to bass after the departure of Winston. The band members took on new stage names. Archer became "Jesus Christ", Lant "Cronos", Tony Bray "Abbadon", and Jeff Dunn "Mantas".

Prime influences of the formative band were Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Motörhead, and Kiss. Other musicians that have influenced Venom are Deep Purple, Sex Pistols, the Who, the Tubes, Van Halen, the Rolling Stones, and Elvis Presley.

'Welcome to Hell' influenced several later bands. Venom's music helped shape the development of many thrash metal bands, specifically the "Big Four of Thrash" (who in turn were highly influential): Metallica, Slayer, Anthrax, and Megadeth (Metallica opened for Venom on an early 1980s tour, and Venom opened for Metallica and Slayer on the Ride the Lightning tour, and Slayer played with them and Exodus on the Combat Tour in 1985). Venom would also be of extreme importance to the black metal scene and even the early death metal scene, with numerous bands copying styles, themes, and imagery from the band, such as the Swiss band Hellhammer (later to become Celtic Frost), whom also helped pioneer the genres. Music critic Bradley Torreano wrote that Venom "caught the attention of both metalheads and punks, the band was emulated by the former and turned into camp icons by the latter." Henry Rollins once compared the band to Spinal Tap.

Sleep When I'm Dead
Venom Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

There's no one to save us, it's kill or be killed
Living in a jungle you'll hunt with all your skills
Waiting for a victim, your hunger must be fed
Better see it coming or you will end up dead

Taste the anger - I'm seeing red
Feel the danger - Sleep when I'm dead

There's no time for mercy, there's no need for sympathy
Line of fire and chaos in a world of constant greed
Don't let your guard down, they'll be on you in a flash
Keep it locked and loaded, you're heading for a crash

There's no second chances
You're going full speed
Headlong into danger
Your habit needs a feed

Can't put the brakes on your finished when you stop
There's no tomorrow and yesterday is lost

Overall Meaning

The lyrics of the song "Sleep When I'm Dead" by Venom reveal a brutal and savage world where survival is the ultimate goal. The opening lines of the song set the tone of the lyrics as the singer declares that there is no one to save them or come to their rescue. The only way to survive is to kill or be killed. The metaphor of a jungle is used throughout the song, and the singer urges the listener to be aware of their surroundings and sharpen their hunting skills to avoid becoming prey. The lyrics suggest that in such a world, vigilance and aggression are as necessary as oxygen for survival.

The chorus of the song embodies the idea of recklessness and rebellion against the societal norms. The singer wants to feel the adrenaline-pumping through his veins, taste the anger, and feel the danger of the world around him. He declares that he will sleep when he is dead, suggesting that he will not waste a single moment of his life waiting for things to happen. Instead, he will actively pursue his desires and passions, even if it means endangering his life.

The last verse of the song summarizes the theme of the entire song. There are no second chances in this world; you are either on top, or you are dead. Success is achieved only through hard work, vigilance, and constant effort. The aggressive tone of the lyrics, combined with the heavy metal music, creates a sense of urgency and desperation for survival. The lyrics of "Sleep When I'm Dead" discourage passivity and encourage the listener to become the predator, not the prey.

Line by Line Meaning

There's no one to save us, it's kill or be killed
In this world, there is no one who can protect us except ourselves, it's either we attack or we defend

Living in a jungle you'll hunt with all your skills
Living in this competitive environment, we must use all of our necessary skills to survive and thrive

Waiting for a victim, your hunger must be fed
In order for us to succeed, we must accomplish our goals with dedication and focus on them to the fullest extent

Better see it coming or you will end up dead
It is important for us to anticipate any forthcoming danger in order to prevent it from affecting us negatively

Taste the anger - I'm seeing red
My anger gives me the motivation to take action and fight back

Feel the danger - Sleep when I'm dead
I will not take any risks as it is important for me to stay alive to achieve my goals and succeed

There's no time for mercy, there's no need for sympathy
Compassion is something we cannot afford in our current situation as we must remain focused on achieving our goal

Line of fire and chaos in a world of constant greed
The world is full of corruption, greed, and danger - the slightest mistake could mean our demise

Don't let your guard down, they'll be on you in a flash
We must always be vigilant and prepared as the enemy can attack anytime, anywhere

Keep it locked and loaded, you're heading for a crash
Continuing down the same path we're on will lead to disaster if the necessary precautions aren't taken

There's no second chances
We must make the most of the opportunities that come our way as there may not be a second chance

You're going full speed
We are moving forward quickly and efficiently with great momentum

Headlong into danger
Although our actions are dangerous, we are determined to do what it takes to reach success

Your habit needs a feed
Our constant desire for success motivates us to work towards our goals

Can't put the brakes on your finished when you stop
Once something has been started, it is difficult to pause it and go back to square one.

There's no tomorrow and yesterday is lost
Focusing on the future rather than dwelling on the past is how we will succeed

Lyrics © Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: ANTONY ESME LANT, CONRAD THOMAS LANT, MIKE HICKEY

Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind

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