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.
u
W.A.S.P. Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
머리카락처럼 자라버린 그리움을
있다면 또 볼 수 있다면
저 밤하늘보다 까만 두 눈을
있다면 지금까지 놓친 필름 속에
있다면 지나갔던 우리 추억 속에
빠져 헤엄쳐 향기는 진하게 배여서
떠나 보내고 나서 널 생각해 봤자
미련하게도 아직 난 꿈인 것 같아
너의 빈자리 그 자린 계속 비워둘게
안녕이란 말은 잠시 넣어둘래
I wanna, wanna turn back the time we had
별처럼 쏟아지는 기억들
그 반짝반짝 거리는 시간 속을
헤매다 지쳐 휘청거리는 날
닿을 수 있다면 얼마나 좋을까
꿈에서라도 if I could stay one more night
소설처럼 아니 거짓말처럼 널
다시 만나 활짝 웃을 수 있다면
다른 길을 걸어도 시간은 같이 가
다른 풍경을 봐도 하늘은 같이 봐
함께 그려졌었던 도화지에 너란 색
채워지지 않았어 지금 이 그림에
널 다시 볼 수 있다면 너와 웃을 수가 있다면
이게 꿈이라서 손 잡을 수가 있다면
얼마나 좋을까 놓지 않을 텐데
안녕이란 말은 잠시 넣어둘래
I wanna, wanna go back to you tonight (tonight)
숨처럼 참기 힘든 추억들
또 어느샌가 피어난 연기 되어
내 눈을 가려 휘청거리는 날
널 그때에 널 다시 만날 수만 있다면
닿을 수 있다면 얼마나 좋을까
꿈에서라도 if I could stay one more night
소설처럼 아니 거짓말처럼 널
다시 만나 활짝 웃을 수 있다면
다시 한번 같이 걸어갈 수 있다면 (있다면)
아름답던 너의 목소리가 잊혀지지 않았어 (있다면)
웃는 너의 얼굴이 내 기억 속에 생생하게 남아 있어 (있다면)
I miss you, I miss you 네가 정말 보고 싶어
있다면 돌릴 수 있다면
마치 영화처럼 다시 처음 그 자리로
있다면 내 옆에 있다면
마치 이 모든 게 아픈 꿈처럼
The lyrics of W.A.S.P.'s song "U" explore themes of sin, redemption, and salvation through the lens of a believer's personal experience. The singer acknowledges that they were "conceived in sin," suggesting that they were born with a fundamental flaw in their being. They describe themselves as a "rebel enemy of God" with a heart of stone, suggesting a deep-seated hostility towards anything spiritual or transcendent. Despite this, the singer recognizes their need for salvation: "Who could save me from this death?" They find hope in Christianity, noting that "forgiveness is found in You [God]" and that they are "predestined as a child of God."
The song goes on to express the transformative power of faith. The singer describes their former "heart of stone" being replaced with a "heart of flesh," and credits Christ with giving them the ability to stand in the face of adversity. The song ends with a declaration of Jesus' importance, stating that "there is no other name by which we're saved" and praising him as the source of redemption.
Line by Line Meaning
I was conceived in sin
From the moment I was created, I was inherently corrupted.
A rebel enemy of God
I was born with a desire to go against everything that God represents.
With a heart of stone
My heart was cold and without compassion.
Hostile towards the things above
I had no love for the things that were of God.
If You should mark iniquity
If God were to keep track of every mistake and wrongdoing.
O Lord, none could stand
No one could withstand judgement because of their sins.
O wretched man I am
I am a miserable and pitiful being due to my sinful nature.
Who could save me from this death
I needed someone to rescue me from eternal destruction due to my sins.
Forgiveness is found in You
God is the only one who can forgive me for my sins.
Redemption we cannot lose
Once we are saved by God, nothing can take that salvation away.
O Lord, may You be feared
We should honor and respect God above all else.
Abounding in steadfast love
God loves us with an unwavering and enduring love.
Merciful You are to us
God is compassionate and forgiving towards us even when we do not deserve it.
I have been called by You
God has chosen me to be part of his family.
Predestined as a child of God
God has already determined my place in his kingdom.
A heart of flesh
God has softened my heart and made it compassionate and loving.
Now living for the Lord above
I now live my life according to God's will and purpose.
If Christ is within me
If I have accepted Jesus as my savior.
O Lord, I can stand
I can stand firm and unshaken because I am saved by Jesus.
How unsearchable it is
How great and vast is the love of God for us.
That You would save me from this death
God has saved me from eternal death through the sacrifice of Jesus.
There is no other name by which we're saved
Only through Jesus Christ can we be saved and have eternal life.
No other name that we'll praise
We will worship and honor only Jesus Christ as our savior.
But Jesus
Jesus is the only one who can save us.
We praise You, Jesus
We honor and give thanks to Jesus for his saving grace.
Lyrics © Sony/ATV Music Publishing LLC, Peermusic Publishing, Kobalt Music Publishing Ltd.
Written by: Kiggen, Jin Kyung Choi, Jong Hyun Kim, Se Hwan Kim
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
@santannavalter
In my oppinion: by far, the best WASP album so far.
@shadowman5088
Valter Santanna agreed! iTunes doesn’t carry it tho
@morjes9798
I grew up on this music and I still haven't grew out of it
@fsnd483
I was born 2 this music :)
@bill7kay903
I will NEVER outgrow WASP
@johnconnell4503
And this is why BLACKIE LAWLESS IS A LEGEND
@castaazul7
this is true heavy metal. lawless is the one a top top top singer and musician
@karenedwards8946
They broke the mould when Blackie was born, he is one of a kind, awsome 💜💜💜
@drippingdead11
I was very put off by this album initially. It has grown into one of my fav albums by anyone. Fn beast.
@torturedman
Completely blown away by this song. \m/