W.A.S.P. began following the demise of Circus Circus, a Los Angeles-based band featuring Blackie Lawless and Randy Piper. The original lineup of W.A.S.P. was formed in Los Angeles, California, in 1982 by Lawless, Piper, Rik Fox, and Tony Richards.
The first lineup did not last for long, as Rik Fox was let go and went on to join the band Steeler with vocalist Ron Keel and guitarist Yngwie Malmsteen. He was replaced by Don Costa, the bassist in Richards' former band, Dante Fox (which later evolved into Great White). Shortly afterward, Costa also left the band and his position on the bass was filled by Brayden Parker. By the time they recorded their debut album "W.A.S.P.", Lawless had taken over on bass and Chris Holmes had joined on lead guitar. At the same time, guitarist Chris Holmes joined the band.
Shortly after the album's release in 1984, Richards was replaced by former Keel drummer Steve Riley. The group released "The Last Command" in 1985, before Piper left in July 1986. Lawless subsequently switched back to guitar, with Johnny Rod (real name John Tumminello) leaving King Kobra to take over as bassist. "Inside the Electric Circus" followed in October. A live album "Live...In the Raw" was released in 1987. Riley left during the subsequent tour to join L.A. Guns. He was replaced for future shows by a string of temporary substitutes. By early 1988, W.A.S.P. had started working on its fourth studio album with Quiet Riot drummer Frankie Banali.
The band's popularity peaked in the 1980s, yet they continue to record and tour, making them one of the most enduring of the West Coast heavy metal bands. W.A.S.P. gained notoriety for their shock rock themed image, lyrics and live performances. They have sold over 12 million copies of their albums.
The band was a prominent target in the mid-1980s of the Parents Music Resource Center (PMRC) led by Tipper Gore, who at the time was wife of then-Senator Al Gore (D-TN), an organization that pushed for warning labels on recorded music. The band immortalized its fight with the PMRC on the song "Harder, Faster" from their 1987 live album, Live...In the Raw.
"I Wanna Be Somebody" was the most successful single from W.A.S.P.'s debut album. and It was ranked at No. 84 in VH1's 100 Greatest Hard Rock Songs of All Time.
In October 2007, W.A.S.P. embarked on The Crimson Idol Tour, to celebrate that album's 15th anniversary. It is the first time that the album, often regarded to be among the band's finest work, was performed in full from start to finish. The tour kicked off in Greece, in Thessaloniki at the Principal Club Theater on October 26, 2007.
Blackie Lawless remains the only member from the original line-up. They released their most recent album in November 2009, entitled Babylon.
On September 21, 2012, the band celebrated the 30th anniversary of their first ever live show by kicking off a world tour at The Forum in London. The set for the tour was split into three sections: songs from the first four albums, a cut-down rendition of the Crimson Idol performance and a final segment for newer material.
Damnation Angels
W.A.S.P. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
To the bad I was born
I'm a sinner in flames
I was schooled by Lucifier's horn
And bad religion all along the way
Play with me
I won't do you no harm
No - I ain't been a saint
Do the time - then I'll do the crime
I'll be raising hell in flames
If there's a hell
Then I'll buy a round
Cause I'm going anyway
No don't let
Five minutes with the Devil fool ya'
Oh yeah ya' got some hell to pay
Damnation angels
Yeah I'm going
Down with the angels
Into the fire
Damnation angels
Yeah I'm going
Down with the angels
To the flames I'm bound
Ooh I'm on the road to hell you see
The road to terror dome is calling me
The lyrics to W.A.S.P.'s song "Damnation Angels" portray the idea of sin and damnation, and the acceptance of one's inevitable fate. The opening lines "Deliver me to the bad I was born, I'm a sinner in flames" suggest that the singer has accepted that he will go to hell, and that he is comfortable with this notion. The lyrics go on to suggest that the singer has been taught by Lucifer himself, and bad religion has been a consistent part of his life.
The lyrics also suggest that the singer has made peace with the fact that he will go to hell ("If there's a hell, then I'll buy a round, cause I'm going anyway"), and he is willing to pay the price for his deeds. The chorus of the song repeats the phrase "Damnation Angels" several times, which can be interpreted as a reference to the devil and his demons, who are often portrayed as the punishers of souls in hell.
Overall, "Damnation Angels" is a song about accepting one's fate, and being willing to face the consequences of one's actions. The lyrics suggest that the singer has embraced his sins, and is willing to pay the price for them, even if it means spending eternity in hell.
Line by Line Meaning
Deliver me
Requesting to be rescued or saved
To the bad I was born
Born into a life of sin and wrongdoing
I'm a sinner in flames
Deeply entrenched in wrong or evil deeds and their painful consequences
I was schooled by Lucifier's horn
Led or educated by Satan towards evil or immoral ways
And bad religion all along the way
Influenced by corrupted or misguided beliefs and practices
Play with me
Encouraging others to interact or engage with them
I won't do you no harm
Assuring that they will not cause any harm or danger
No - I ain't been a saint
Acknowledging that they have not been a perfectly moral or virtuous person
If I
Do the time - then I'll do the crime
Accepting responsibility for their actions and the associated punishment
I'll be raising hell in flames
Causing chaos and destruction in a fiery manner
If there's a hell
Then I'll buy a round
Cause I'm going anyway
Resigned to the inevitability of punishment and embracing it with bravado
No don't let
Five minutes with the Devil fool ya'
Warning against being deceived by temptation or making impulsive decisions
Oh yeah ya' got some hell to pay
Reminding that actions have consequences and one will have to face them eventually
Damnation angels
Yeah I'm going
Down with the angels
Into the fire
Acceptance of punishment and the associated suffering
Damnation angels
Yeah I'm going
Down with the angels
To the flames I'm bound
Again acknowledging the inevitability of punishment
Ooh I'm on the road to hell you see
The road to terror dome is calling me
A warning to others about the dangers of falling into and being consumed by evil ways
Lyrics © Universal Music Publishing Group, CONCORD MUSIC PUBLISHING LLC, Songtrust Ave
Written by: STEVE EDWARD DUREN
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind