About The Song
Screaming for Vengeance is the eighth studio album by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on 1 July 1982 by Columbia Records. Considered the band’s commercial breakthrough in North America, it has been certified double platinum in the United States and platinum in Canada. Screaming for Vengeance spawned the hit “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, which became one of the band’s signature songs and a perennial radio favourite.
Screaming for Vengeance was recorded at Ibiza Sound Studios, Ibiza, Spain (during this period, it was common for UK-based musicians to record in continental Europe for tax purposes). Mixing and overdubs were done at Beejay Recording Studios in Orlando, Florida and Bayshore Recording Studios in Coconut Grove, Florida.
It showcased a harder, heavier sound than British Steel and saw the band revert back into straight heavy rock after the melodically styled Point of Entry. The album also marks the first time a drummer played on more than two Judas Priest albums, with Dave Holland having also played on British Steel and Point of Entry.
The album’s most commercially successful track, “You’ve Got Another Thing Comin'”, was a last-minute addition. According to guitarist K. K. Downing, “We were quite happy with the album, but decided late on that we could add one more song. I know we had some of the parts, but we set about completing “Another Thing Comin'” during the mixing sessions at Bee Jay studios. It came together quite quickly, and I seem to remember that we all had a good feeling about it, as it did sound like a good driving song and possibly a good radio track.” Rob Halford expressed surprise at the song’s success, saying “that track was buried. Normally the tracks you think are going to do stuff are at the front end of the release. But our friends at Sony said, ‘We’re going to go for this song.’ And we didn’t really know what was going on. But then the feedback was coming over: ‘Hey, the record’s buzzing in this town and that town’, and it just took off.”
Video
Lyrics
Hey listen, don’t you let ’em get your mind
Fill your brain with orders and that’s not right
They’re playing at a game that draws you closer
‘Til you’re living in a world that’s ruled by fear
Always takin’, baby, but that’s okay
What they’re givin’ maybe it’s out of phase with me
Told you once you’re never gonna win the race
Same old no tomorrow, kicked in the face
We are screamin’, screamin’ for vengeance
The world is a manacled place
Screamin’, screamin’ for vengeance
The world is defiled in disgrace
Tie a blindfold all around your head
Spin you ’round in the torture before the dread
But then you’re pushed and shoved into every corner
Then they lead you out into the final slaughter
As the sweat is running down your neck
All you’re praying for to stop your body breakin’ up
All your heart is pumping, gonna soon explode
Got to fight the horror of this mental load
We are screamin’, screamin’ for vengeance
The world is a manacled place
Screamin’, screamin’ for vengeance
The world is defiled in disgrace
So you wait it out and bind your time
Rip off that straight jacket, you gotta break that line
Everyone who wins in the great escape
Leaves a thousand more who suffer in their wake
I don’t talk about it, but that’s alright
Table’s turned and now there’s a revenge in sight
If it takes forever, then I’ll tell you I can wait
Send them screaming back through their hell’s own gate
And we gonna all screaming, screaming for vengeance
The world is a manacled place
Screaming, screaming for vengeance
The world is defiled in disgrace
Screaming, screamin’ vengeance
Screamin’ vengeance, screamin’