Breaking The Law: Song's True Meaning And Message

Judas Priest's Breaking the Law is one of the English heavy metal band's most famous songs, known for its opening guitar riff. The song was originally released on their 1980 album British Steel and is recognised for its rhythmic chorus and sound effects, including breaking glass and a police siren. The song's lyrics were written by vocalist Rob Halford, who drew inspiration from the social and political turmoil of the time in the UK. The music video, directed by Julien Temple, features the band members dressed as priests robbing a bank, adding a layer of pantomime to the song's appeal. While some fans consider the song a classic, others find it repetitive and overplayed.

The song's music video

The music video for Judas Priest's "Breaking the Law" is as dramatic and energetic as the song itself. It begins with vocalist Rob Halford singing from the back of a 1974 Cadillac Fleetwood Eldorado convertible. Halford meets with two men dressed as priests carrying guitar cases, and they enter a bank together. As the chorus begins, the two men remove their disguises, revealing themselves to be guitarists K. K. Downing and Glenn Tipton. They are then joined by bassist Ian Hill and drummer Dave Holland. The people inside the bank are incapacitated by the power of the band's performance. Meanwhile, a security guard, who has only just awoken, watches the events unfold on CCTV screens in amazement.

The band then breaks into the bank's safe, with Halford demonstrating extraordinary strength by pulling apart the iron bars. From the safe, Halford takes a golden record award for the British Steel album. The band quickly exits the bank with the award and drives away. Ironically, while their actions in the video might suggest otherwise, it is not illegal to play music in a bank or to retrieve one's belongings from a safety deposit box. However, Halford does commit a moving violation by standing up while driving the getaway car.

As the song continues, Judas Priest concert footage appears on the CCTV screens, and the security guard is seen miming along with a fake guitar, completely immersed in the music. The video concludes with the full band driving back along the A40, repeating the chorus until the song's end.

The song's lyrics

"Breaking the Law" is a song by English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released on their 1980 album "British Steel". The song is one of the band's better-known singles and is recognised by its opening guitar riff.

The lyrics tap into the frustration and desperation of someone who feels trapped in an unpleasant cycle. Halford, who grew up in a tough working-class area of Birmingham, could relate to this sentiment. The song's chorus, 'You don't know what it's like/You don't have a clue/If you did you'd find yourself/Doing the same thing too', captures the sense of alienation and misunderstanding felt by those struggling to break free from their circumstances.

The song also includes sound effects like breaking glass and a police siren, which add to the rebellious and chaotic atmosphere of the song. In fact, the band used milk bottles, billiard cues, trays of cutlery, and a guitar tremolo arm to create these sound effects while recording at Tittenhurst Park, the former home of Ringo Starr.

While the song's lyrics are serious and carry a message of social commentary, the music video for "Breaking the Law" takes a more light-hearted and comical approach. In the video, the band members dress up as vicars and attempt to rob a bank, using their guitars as weapons. The video was directed by Julien Temple and took advantage of the rising popularity of MTV at the time.

Despite its simple and repetitive nature, "Breaking the Law" remains a popular and well-loved song by Judas Priest fans and has become a staple at their live performances.

The song's riff

"Breaking the Law" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest, released in 1980 on their album British Steel. The song is well-known and instantly recognisable, thanks in large part to its opening guitar riff.

The riff is a minor-key riff, described by Rob Halford as "one of the all-time classic metal riffs". It was conceived by guitarist Glenn Tipton, who took the basic framework of the song to his writing partners – vocalist Rob Halford and guitarist K. K. Downing. They helped craft the final arrangement, which features a balance of crunching guitars, metronome drums, and a bellow-your-lungs-out chorus.

The song's main riff is played repeatedly throughout the song, including in the intro and outro. The riff is accompanied by Halford's vocals and Downing's power chords. In live performances, the band sometimes plays the opening riff with each guitarist picking for another, before quickly spreading out to their usual positions on the stage for the verse.

While opinions vary on the quality of the song as a whole, the riff is widely considered to be excellent. PopMatters described it as "one of the most famous riffs in metal history", and Rolling Stone ranked the song at number four on their list of the 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs.

The song's creation

"Breaking the Law" is a song by the English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was originally released on their 1980 album British Steel.

The song is one of the band's better-known singles and is recognised by its opening guitar riff. The song combines a memorable minor-key opening riff and a rhythmic chorus. It also features sound effects, including breaking glass and a police siren.

The song was conceived at Ringo Starr's old house, Tittenhurst Park, in Staffordshire, where the band was recording their album. The lyrics came out of thin air, according to vocalist Rob Halford. He said:

> Breaking the law: where on earth did that come from? I haven't a clue. But it tapped into an angst that Priest had never really covered until that point."

Halford also said that the song connected with the strife and industrial action in the UK at the time, including miners' strikes and street riots.

Guitarist Glenn Tipton came up with the basic framework for the song and took it to his writing partners, Halford and guitarist K.K. Downing, who helped with the final arrangement.

The song has been a staple at some of Judas Priest's most famous performances. It was also covered with modified lyrics by American queercore band Pansy Division.

The song's popularity

"Breaking the Law" is one of the best-known songs of the English heavy metal band Judas Priest. It was released in 1980 on their album British Steel. The song is instantly recognisable by its opening guitar riff. The song combines a memorable minor-key opening riff with a rhythmic chorus. The song also features sound effects, including breaking glass and a police siren.

The song's music video, directed by Julien Temple, is also well-known. In the video, the band members dress up as vicars and attempt to rob a bank. The video was one of the first heavy metal conceptual videos, and its comedic tone aligned with the song's crossover appeal and old-school metal credentials.

"Breaking the Law" has been a staple at some of Judas Priest's most famous performances. The band has performed the song live numerous times over the years, sometimes with slight variations and added solos. The song's catchy and fist-pumping riff, along with its memorable vocal melody, has contributed to its enduring popularity among fans and its status as a crowd favourite.

Despite some criticism of the song as being overplayed or repetitive, "Breaking the Law" remains one of Judas Priest's most iconic and well-known songs, recognised and celebrated by metal fans worldwide.

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